<p>If you had a personal example, but didn't want to use it as a personal example and turned it into a made up book, would this help you?
Ex: I had a personal situation involving a competition and winning it, but I said that a character in the book One Last Chance by Joanna Heirstein.</p>
<p>I wouldn't hurt. I doubt the reader will actually check to see if it's a real book or not. I think on my june SAT I used a real book, but I forgot the author so I just made one up. I got a 12.</p>