The School Story’s author, Andrew Clements, draws from much of his childhood and early career when considering the perspectives of the characters and the challenges they face in the publishing industry. Like Natalie Nelson, Clements lived in New Jersey until he was Natalie’s age, and the experience of being adjacent to major metropolitan areas comes through in Clements’s exploration of New York City as a setting. This is particularly evident in Chapter 4: “City Kid,” when the narrative expands upon the dangers of Natalie Nelson navigating a large city at the age of 12.

Clements also wove his own passion for reading and writing into Natalie Nelson. Like Natalie, Clements’s love for reading and writing came at a young age with the help of his parents, who would read to him regularly. Additionally, Clements worked as a teacher in his early career, which contributed to the shaping of Ms. Clayton’s character. The shift to Ms. Clayton’s perspective in chapters 10-12 allows the audience a look into the challenges of teaching, which Clements faced in his own career before deciding that teaching was not for him.