I want to dedicate a fiction book to my biology teacher, and I want the main character to be based largely on her, with many of the same personality traits and physical characteristics.

The reason I want to do this is because she's been so good to me. She's the teacher that not many people like or care to get to know, she's just sort of... there... and yet she has opened up to me and inspired me to take the career path I have now chosen; she has continually amazed me with her knowledge and the stories she has to tell. From day one, she's put up with my curious mind, answering all my questions. As far as teachers go, I'm extremely close to her, I've shared all my aspirations for the future with her, she's given me so much advice about the future, and we enjoy general chat - even banter sometimes; I can make her laugh. We have a lot of good memories, because I've spent loads more time with her than most, due to the amount of volunteering I've done around the science department. She's told me personal things in the past (not seriously personal, but things that a teacher just wouldn't tell anyone) and vice versa - she actually helped me through a pregnancy scare (she was the only one I trusted to help me in a level headed way). And I will not forget, for as long as I live, the compassion and care she showed for me, how seriously she took me and helped me out, assisted me, and gave me advice - she even lent me a rather substantial amount of money, so I could get tested. It's impossible to describe how much of a joy she's been in my life, and I genuinely love her. Not romantically you understand, but like a member of the family, like an aunt, or like a friend I've known for years. I feel privileged, because most people in the school find her hard to relate to, as she's very a practical and direct, professional lady, so many don't like her. Likewise, she doesn't often invest in a strong student-teacher relationship, preferring to maintain professionalism, even with her 6th Form Students. And yet, I've won her over, and now, getting to know her beyond this professional front, and I will never forget her because she's made such an impression on me - she's truly touched me. I hate the people who have ever judged her as a rubbish teacher, or boring, or weird, or whatever else students say about her. I wish everyone could see her the way I do. She deserves it.

But today I had to say goodbye to her, as today was the last time I would see her, since I've left the school now that I'm 16 (I'm going elsewhere for my post-16 education, as my school failed its ofstead and it's important I get good A-Level results... she understands this of course). It's come around all too quickly, as I feel I'm only just starting to get to know the real her. I would wish for just one more year, if I could :(

Back to the point... She is a woman so inspirational, lovely and close to my heart that I feel I want to commemorate her, and share this amazing person with the world, by writing a book about her - but not actually about her, if that makes sense. Like I said, it would be a fiction where the main character is based heavily on her. I'm hoping to keep in contact with her... she's sad I'm leaving too, and has said she'll be there if I ever need advice on anything, or help with my A-Levels. And I told her I would email her from time to time... but that's not enough. I need to write a book.

But I just don't know what to make the book about! I want it to be a beautiful piece of writing, and sort of classical in style (Confession, I was inspired by the British Classic "The Great Gatsby") I haven't written in far too long, and I'm sort of dry on ideas. I do have a few ideas, but I really want to hear others ideas too, to help me snowball them, and build up this story to be the best it can be.

I'm determined to do this, and do it well!

(*NOTE: sorry to people who are in other countries, who don't understand my English school system references! Please don't let it put you off helping me)

Are you dedicating the book to her - or writing a book about her - or writing a book that is part about her and part about something else?

I don't quite understand what you are looking for.

A ghost writer?

I am somewhat concerned that you seem obsessed with her/by her. What is the relationship? Is she "open" to something like what you are proposing?

I'm concerned that you want to write something akin to The Great Gatsby, 'the British Classic,' when the author is actually American, and the setting of the novel is in the US.
I'm concerned that you are going to let this consume you while you are still in school. Please, save it for later. You can write about her as you have done here. Your summary of your relationship with her is well written, but it's a huge leap to writing a novel.
Keep in mind that Fitzgerald died 15 years after Gatsby and it had been pretty much a dismal failure until after he died.
Most authors have a supreme struggle for fame, and many fail. If you are going to be a starving writer, at least wait. Plus you need some life experience under your belt. Admiration for a teacher is wonderful, but it doesn't translate to a novel. No wonder you are stymied!

I'm not really experienced with writing a classic type book...

But one of my stories I wrote with one of my minor characters (fictional character) being a teacher I was really close with in high school. For me, I just sort of made up a story about what I was going through, using some real moments I shared with her. Maybe something like that could work for you, using the example of your pregnancy scare, etc.

Hope I helped a little :)

I'm confused. What are you asking us to do? Are you asking us to write the book for you, about her? Are you asking us to come up with the dedication to her?

What exactly is your question?

She wants ideas.
Here's the trouble: nothing about her lends itself to a character in a novel as I sit here reading. You have merely expressed great admiration, and although it's well written as a tribute, if it had been one sentence longer I might have left the page. Why? Because we aren't there; we don't know her or you. And that makes 99% of what most people try to turn from memory to ink boring.
A famous writer said 'Write what you know.'
Another famous writer said 'Write what you don't know.'
I subscribe to the latter. The former is a trap! You are trapped in a rich tapestry that no one else can see in your mere words, little squiggles on paper. You think it expresses her, but no one else has a clue.

She wants ideas.
Here's the trouble: nothing about her lends itself to a character in a novel as I sit here reading. You have merely expressed great admiration, and although it's well written as a tribute, if it had been one sentence longer I might have left the page. Why? Because we aren't there; we don't know her or you. And that makes 99% of what most people try to turn from memory to ink boring.
A famous writer said 'Write what you know.'
Another famous writer said 'Write what you don't know.'
I subscribe to the latter. The former is a trap! You are trapped in a rich tapestry that no one else can see in your mere words, little squiggles on paper. You think it expresses her, but no one else has a clue.

I have to spread the rep, but I completely agree. I didn't even get through the OP's entire thread, it was dragging on and on about his/her teacher, and I was bored. If that's what the book will be like, it won't sell.

If the OP only wants to write a tribute, that's great, write it and send it to the teacher (a bit creepy, and not really acceptable behavior) but as a published work, it's for an audience of two, the writer and the person of their obsession.

I found the "I hate everyone who ever criticized her" part to be rather chilling.

I suggest you buy a notebook and write down all your thoughts and memories about her -- descriptions (physical, emotional, etc.), conversations, inside jokes, her helping you financially and emotionally, how the other students denigrated her and why, and so on. Keep adding to this notebook as you think of things. Meanwhile, do well in school and allow time to go by. As you get older and have had more schooling (including literature and writing courses), you can later decide about pulling together all your notes and writing this novel in her honor.

If and when you decide to write this novel, you will have to come up with a storyline, a setting in time and place, possibly a problem to be overcome, plus the details of main and minor characters. You might want to join a writers' group at school or in your town. There are a lot of helps on the Internet (how to outline a character, editing what you have written, what a novel is all about, etc.).

Be sure you have this teacher's written permission to do this, since it sounds like she will be very identifiable, especially if you do not use a pseudonym as author. Oh, and be very careful your minor characters are NOT identifiable unless you get their written permission too.