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Callie Woodridge is a Canadian author, who loves writing fantasy tales and frequently loses herself in their worlds. Outside of writing, she finds solace in traversing hiking trails and cherishing moments with her two feline companions and family.
The Zartoto series, which was started shortly before the pandemic and was completed during subsequent lockdowns, showcases Callie’s storytelling prowess. An interesting facet of her life is her love for reading and indulging in Netflix binges when she’s not penning down her own narratives.
The realization of becoming a published author fulfilled a lifelong dream for Callie. Notably, she draws from personal experiences to craft character backgrounds, subtly weaving in her own past. The characters Amber and Tiffany, for instance, carry echoes of her own childhood, with Amber’s journey in particular closely mirroring Callie’s own struggles.
Amber’s encounters with bullying deeply resonate with Callie’s own experiences of feeling socially out of sync. This feeling often stemmed from her choice of clothing, which leaned towards the masculine side - a seemingly innocent preference that somehow managed to irk people to the point of subjecting her to bullying. Additionally, her ongoing battle with her unruly, easily tangled hair contributed to these moments of unease. Despite the relentless struggle, she stood firm against the temptation of pulling her hair up - a choice that had unfortunately turned her into a target for bullying due to her appearance.
Opting to let her hair cascade down, messy tangles and all, provided her with a sort of shield, a veil behind which she could discreetly conceal her face because people called her ugly. She felt it provided her with a protection from bullies, though it brought it on more instead.
Growing up, Callie learned the hard way that people thought bullying was some sort of character-building exercise. She’d hear all these clichés like “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” whenever someone tried to mock her. It wasn’t just strangers either – people even blamed her for being bullied because of her hair. It’s like they didn’t get how messed up that was. Even her own family joined the victim-blaming parade, suggesting that if she didn’t want to be picked on, she should just put her hair up and change her clothes. They took it a step further at one point, swapping out her comfy baggy clothes for more “feminine” ones.
Though not central to her narrative, it’s worth noting that Callie’s own experiences as someone who is autistic added an additional layer to her journey. Her resilience and creative expression through storytelling have enabled her to try to shine a light on real societal issues that resonated with her, including those she faced due to her individuality and looks.
Callie Woodridge’s journey as a storyteller shows how literature can seriously change the game. She weaves bits of her own life into her characters’ stories, all while shining a light on important real-world issues.
The Fae Realm isn’t all rainbows and butterflies – it’s intentionally flawed. Callie’s got firsthand knowledge of how messed up that mindset can be, thanks to growing up with it. She took that experience and channelled it into creating the Fae Realm, making it a showcase of just how wrong and damaging that kind of thinking can be. It’s like her way of throwing a spotlight on the issues that affected her and showing the world what needs fixing.
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