What I Know

I write about a pretentious world. But the truth is that I'm actually a basic kind of girl. So of course a lot of people have asked me why this is what I choose to write about. Well, I'll tell you. I grew up surrounded by extremely rich people, and I have to admit that sometimes I had a very hard time sorting out what was really normal for the rest of the world. Most people don't go shopping for a car at sixteen, and when they can't decide between two, buy both. Right? But that was something I saw . . . a lot.

This was the world I knew about, and as I got older I started to realize that it was filled with incredible stories, too many to go untold—and only someone on the inside could do them any justice. I really wanted to capture as much of that world as I could and as many of the people in it as possible. As I writer, I learned that to make a story work, I had to use what I know. So I took all the juicy details from my life and thought about all the crazy characters I've known—myself included—and gave them all my own twist.

"If your characters are based on real people, which one are you" readers ask me all the time. "Are you Liz or Adrienne" Well, it's not as simple as that. I love to think I'm like Liz: cool, responsible, elegant, and organized. But one look at my closet will tell you I'm actually a big chunk of Adrienne: messy, flirty, and spontaneous. And I guess I have a little bad-girl Cameron in me, too—I certainly know my way around the accessories floor at Bergdorf's like Cam, and yes, I know a lot of famous people. But unlike Cam, I'm a good friend and I value honesty and decent behavior. I've definitely learned that getting what you want isn't as important as keeping what is real and grounded in your life, no matter how crazy that life is.

But as true as a lot of the stories are, the most important thing to remember is that I didn't only write "Confessions" to tell you what I know, but also to give you a good time. I wanted to show you a world most people never see and share the real-life lessons that I learned (like Liz and Adrienne) way too late: value your friends, stay loyal, and keep a good head on your shoulders.

Oh, and only hit Barneys during the warehouse sale, and NEVER forget to moisturize.

Victoria Ashton
Author of Confessions of a Teen Nanny #3: Juicy Secrets