"Looking for Alaska" is based on John Green's early life. Growing up, Green always loved writing, but when it came to his middle school experience, he classified life as a middle schooler as "pretty bleak". As a student, Green describes that he was "unbearable" to parents and teachers; however, he always worked hard to fit in with his peers. Green's situation did not improve after his transition to high school, so he asked his parents if he could attend Indian Springs School, a boarding school outside of Birmingham, Alabama. His parents agreed, and he spent the remainder of his time in high school at Indian Springs School forming valuable relationships with teachers, relationships that Green says still exist today. Green's experience at boarding school inspired him to write "Looking for Alaska." Many of the characters and events that take place in the novel are based on what Green experienced at Indian Springs, including the death of a central character in the novel.