Not all of them, but a vast majority of the things that my main character, Toni Locke, experiences growing up are based on real life events - especially Mr THAT Man or the Shadow Man. He was one of my earliest memories. It happened in much the same way as I describe Toni experiencing it. Wide awake, in the middle of the day.
Unlike Toni I never saw him again, but my Top Hat and Tails shadow man is something I have carried with me my whole life and it was only in the research for this book that I realised I was not alone. That people from all walks of life all over the planet have witnessed this shadowy figure wearing a hat. (Not to be confused with "normal" shadow figures)
I never felt malice from the shadow man, but some people have.