@CitizenErased14 I LOVE your answers! And I'm glad you were honest about the face-palm moments. It reminds me to be more sensitive as a reader (something I need a lot of reminders for!).
My favorite part of writing (or any creative project, for that matter) is also the daydreaming/planning part! I love having ideas that fill moments! To me, that makes life feel so rich!
I love your description of how you got so excited about the writing while driving, standing in the shower, or laying in bed!
Thanks so much for all your answers! It's really neat to get that inside look!
Sooooo I hope I'm not stressing you here, but here is my second set of questions.
The Characters
1. Why did you decide to include the camping trip into your story and how do you think did it affect Lucas' and Ev's relationship?
2. Your side characters are also insanely loveable even though they don't have much screen time. How did you decide who and how many side characters to include?
3. Why do you think Mel was so hesitant to get to know Evelyn even after she realised that she was actually real?
4. Were there any characters that you wanted to introduce but never did?
5. How did you get into the mindset when writing for the Grim Reaper?
1) If you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you have done anything differently?
The answer is yes! Nothing huge, but yes.
The biggest change I would make is to re-write my first 10-15 chapters and make them longer and more detailed. When I started writing this, I kind of "held back" on my writing, if that makes any sense? Like, I intentionally kept my chapters around 500 words or so, didn't do as much description, etc. And honestly, it was kinda because I was like "This is how SimLit is supposed to be, and people reading this will not want to read anything too long or wordy". Then somehow between chapters 15-20, I just got so invested in the story that I didn't even care anymore, and stopped holding back
Another change (that I think a re-write of these first several chapters would help!) would be to show a little bit more of Evelyn and Lucas' relationship. We barely saw them together when Lucas was a child, then BAM as a teen he's in love with her I think a lot of their relationship development had to be imagined by readers. I wish I could go back and change it!
2) Some of your most powerful chapters are the wordless ones, how did you come up with that concept?
Ah, the wordless chapters! I love them And I was so glad that readers enjoyed them too!
It all started with that original Evelyn interlude. At first, the chapter was planned to be Evelyn and Lucas talking, and Ev was telling Lucas all about her life before she died. I wrote maybe a paragraph or two of it, and then it just didn't feel right. It felt... I don't know how to describe it But it didn't feel right, trust me!
So I was thinking to myself "Well... what if you just let the pictures speak for themselves"? At the time, I had never seen anyone do a wordless chapter before (I know now that I'm not the first one to think of the idea though Hahaha) so I was nervous that it would be weird and no one would like it... But boy, was I wrong! Hahaha
After I saw the response that first interlude got, I thought of future plot points that I could do interludes for. I knew I'd do one for Lucas' birthday, one for Mel's backstory, one for Mel's death, and the epilogue. The one where they were searching for the angelfish was actually another last-minute decision like that original interlude though! I was going to actually WRITE about their attempts to find the angelfish, but again, I started writing it and things didn't 'feel' right. So I went wordless.
3) I enjoyed that most of your characters seemed to have character flaws, making them more believable (Lucas's indecisiveness and avoidance of conflict, Ev's selfish ways... though I can't think of any flaws when it comes to mel, ha!). How did you come up with those?
That was always one thing I really wanted to do in my story -- have flawed characters! (Though, like you said, I didn't really give Mel an obvious flaw... Which I feel kind bad about? I guess in the pre-Lucas days (as seen in her Interlude) one flaw of hers would be refusing to let go of the past and move on. Almost Evelyn-style. But we didn't get to see that side of her, really )
I honestly don't even know if those flaws were conscious at all... I just sort of wrote the characters that way As I think I've mentioned before, all of Lucas and Evelyn's flaws are also MINE. I am horribly indecisive, I will avoid the truth in order to avoid conflict, and can be extremely selfish (in Ev-like ways). So I guess I was kind of thinking "How would real-life, flawed Amanda deal with this situation?". And that's what ended up happening! The whole "this was a lesson to teach Evelyn not to be selfish" thing did not come about until late in my story, actually (I had been avoiding trying to think of a reason why Evelyn was kept behind. @ra3rei and my boyfriend helped me reach the decision to go with that selfishness angle!). But part of why it was so easy to come up with was because of Ev's past behavior and mistakes... so her flaws ended up aiding the plot quite a bit
4) I remember in your earlier stages of writing you were uncertain of how to best portray Lucas's increasing age, and he'd aged even more after that. How did you ultimately deal with depicting characters much older than yourself?
Lame answer time...
I didn't really deal with it... I just... kinda did it. It was very difficult for me! I ended up deciding to stop worrying about trying to make Lucas sound or act a particular age. Instead of thinking "What would a 70 year old say in this situation?" I just stuck with "What would LUCAS say in this situation?" Things like his angry reaction to Mel's dying... I have a hard time picturing a 70 year old man having an outburst like that But... I can easily picture LUCAS having an outburst like that. And, in the end, I cared more about staying true to my characters than staying true to their ages
I did try to take into account the WISDOM that might come with age though. Things like Mel's reaction to her diagnosis or Lucas' words to Evelyn in the final chapter... I don't think either one of them (especially Lucas!) would have the wisdom to say the kinds of things they said in those chapters if those conversations had happened early on in the story. So that's the most I was able to try to work their ages into my writing style, I guess.
I love Gaia! Her profile is so beautiful! Every time I see her, I melt.
She looks a lot different from the face-on view, and I really like that, for that's how the earth is, always shifting from different views!
I also thought the she offered such a neat element (earth=element, get it? LOL!) to the story, and I loved how she'd stand up to Thanatos!
(And I can't choose between the non-deities, which is why I took the easy way out--oh, wait! I can choose! It's Krysti! Is she your favorite, @OJenn ?)
This is probably the least original answer, but my favourite character was Lucas. We've seen him grow the most, not just chronologically, but evolve as a person. How could you watch a character grow from an innocent child full of wild fantasies about the future to a teen/young adult struggling with wanting to experience life vs doing the rigt thing, subsequently finding finding himself and his life partner, achieving his goals and ultimately growing old and so much wiser and braver... And not fall in love with him? Mind you, it does help that he's easy on the eye But I really enjoyed watching the evolution of Licas and seeing his lifestory play out.
I actually have one more question for @CitizenErased14 - Portraying the beyond must have been really difficult, since ot requires more imagination than most of us have. How did you go about setting parameters of afterlife (for example, everyone being young and meeting their loved ones etc)?
Wooh! I love your questions, @Julyvee94 (And yay for #TeamBeard !)
The Characters
1. Why did you decide to include the camping trip into your story and how do you think did it affect Lucas' and Ev's relationship?
Ah, the camping trip! One of my favorite chapters was that scene around the campfire with Lucas' plumhole friends I don't even know why, but I will always remember it as one of my favorites.
Anyway, I had a double-reason for that string of chapters! One was to introduce Lucas' friends, and to show that, even surrounded by friends, Lucas is kind of an "outsider" (he's the "weird one' in his friend group, if you know what I mean!). And the second reason, of course, was to have Lucas meet Gaia and get those first seeds that would eventually lead to him finding the Death Flower.
I wasn't sure at first HOW to make Lucas find those first few ingredients, then I felt inspired to have him go to Granite Falls and meet the Hermit. Though I tried to make my story not entirely sim-like, I still wanted to be sure that people understood it was still SimLit, so including a plot point like Granite Falls helped me to do that!
I think that Lucas' discovery of those plants in Granite Falls changed his and Ev's relationship for the better (for a while, at least!). For the first time, Lucas truly felt like there was a real chance of bringing Ev back... It became more than just some fantasy he'd had -- it was something real and achievable. And, if you recall, at the time, Lucas really wanted Ev to be brought back so the two of them could be together. So I think that mindset of "We are closer to REALLY being together at last!" helped give their relationship a little positive "push" (but we know it didn't last for long!).
I will say though, that on the flip side, Lucas' friends' reactions to his confession about Ev did HURT their relationship a bit. As we saw in Chapter 20 (Where Ev tried to meet his friends), Lucas has decided to stop trying to explain Ev to his friends and treat it like a joke to save face... Which I feel like I can't judge him too harshly for... But I'm biased toward siding with my characters, since I live in their heads
2. Your side characters are also insanely loveable even though they don't have much screen time. How did you decide who and how many side characters to include?
Aw, thank you! As I've mentioned before, I loved having Lucas' friends be in the story, and I felt so bad that they disappeared into the background!
I also felt really bad about Mel's brother and her best friend. They simply had to fade into the background too (but even quicker than Lucas' friends did!). It was difficult, because they simply couldn't "fit" in the plot anymore... It was like they were no longer relevant But I hope readers didn't think that they were literally gone from Lucas and Mel's lives or anything. I imagine lots of time spent off-camera with them (and also with Lucas' friends, though it was probably mostly phone calls, since they moved!).
I never wanted too many side-characters for my story. I really wanted the focus to be on the Ainsworths and Evelyn, which is why my side-characters got so little 'screen time'. I only included people who I felt were relevant -- Lucas' parents and friends, Mel's brother and friend. Krystina had a friend who got a mention, and then there was Mitch and Dani and Alex, who were basically side-characters too So I guess it wasn't a 100% conscious decision -- I just included whoever I felt was necessary to the story!
3. Why do you think Mel was so hesitant to get to know Evelyn even after she realised that she was actually real?
Mel had a lot of mixed feelings about Evelyn, so the answer to this question is a bit complicated. Partially it was pure jealousy -- This young and beautiful girl (dead or not!) who her husband was once in love with (and who still loved her husband) had suddenly come into their lives. I feel like I wouldn't be very keen on her either
Another factor is feeling like an "outsider". Evelyn was a best friend to both Lucas and Krystina for a long time, but Mel had never even met her. I think of it almost like a schoolyard at recess, where there's a group of friends who have this really special inside joke and there's that one friend who doesn't get the joke and awkwardly stands off to the side while everyone else is laughing and having fun. Imagine that, but the "joke" is Evelyn hahaha. I know that's the worst analogy ever, but there you go haha.
And, of course, we have the biggest reason of all -- the one Melanie finally revealed to Evelyn in chapter... 88? Ish? The fact that she's SO jealous that Lucas can be reunited with the first love he thought he'd lost years ago. She would have given anything to see Christian again, and seeing Ev was a constant reminder to her of what she was missing.
Plus, let's be honest -- it's freaky. There's a GHOST living in her backyard. I don't know if I'd want to meet a ghost
So... all of those reasons combined!
4. Were there any characters that you wanted to introduce but never did?
Hmm... Not really. I'd toyed around with showing Lucas' grandparents or his uncle (Damien had an older brother) when Lucas was a child or teen, but I couldn't find a way to make it fit or be relevant, so it was just a passing idea that never went anywhere
5. How did you get into the mindset when writing for the Grim Reaper?
Ooh, I love this question!
Um... Honestly, I basically thought to myself "Okay, pretend you're a self-righteous, co-cky j-erk who thinks humans are im-beciles... Okay, great, now write!" (Sorry for all the hyphens... had to get by the censor haha)
It was very fun to develop his personality! He's the closet thing to a comic relief character this story has I figured he would have this mean attitude, but also be very jovial and not take things too seriously either. I dunno exactly how it came about, but that was how he came out when I sat down to write him
I love Gaia! Her profile is so beautiful! Every time I see her, I melt.
She looks a lot different from the face-on view, and I really like that, for that's how the earth is, always shifting from different views!
I also thought the she offered such a neat element (earth=element, get it? LOL!) to the story, and I loved how she'd stand up to Thanatos!
(And I can't choose between the non-deities, which is why I took the easy way out--oh, wait! I can choose! It's Krysti! Is she your favorite, OJenn ?)
@CathyTea Ooh I love this answer I should have listed Gaia as a "townie", since she was the game-generated Hermit And Krysti is awesome! She's my second favorite character after Lucas. I loved her so much.
This is probably the least original answer, but my favourite character was Lucas. We've seen him grow the most, not just chronologically, but evolve as a person. How could you watch a character grow from an innocent child full of wild fantasies about the future to a teen/young adult struggling with wanting to experience life vs doing the rigt thing, subsequently finding finding himself and his life partner, achieving his goals and ultimately growing old and so much wiser and braver... And not fall in love with him? Mind you, it does help that he's easy on the eye But I really enjoyed watching the evolution of Licas and seeing his lifestory play out.
Yessssssssssssss @ra3rei and @ThePlumbob ! I could go on forever about how much I love Lucas. ThePlumbob could not have put it any better, seriously. (And yes, oh-so-easy on the eye! I don't think I will ever change my avatar. *strokes Lucas' beard*)
I didn't forget about your question, by the way! But I want to answer it in its own comment
Portraying the beyond must have been really difficult, since ot requires more imagination than most of us have. How did you go about setting parameters of afterlife (for example, everyone being young and meeting their loved ones etc)?
This was tricky for me! Part of what made it so hard to portray was because I wasn't sure how readers would feel about me showing the afterlife -- non-religious readers might roll their eyes at it and some religious readers may have found it kind of strange or even offensive? I was nervous haha.
Not to get too personal but I'm mildly religious, and do personally believe in an afterlife. So I kind of modeled the afterlife in D2D as what I hope the real afterlife will be like So I imagined that everyone would be at their "peak" in terms of age and health, it would look like whatever you want it to be (for both Ev and Mel, it was a beautiful, outdoors-y place), and all of your loved ones would be there waiting for you.
I am having a lot of fun answering these If these end up being the last questions, by the way, then THANK YOU so much @OJenn and @Julyvee94 for doing this! It made me feel special
And also thank you to everyone else who chimed in with questions (by the way, if you have more questions, I am more than happy to answer those too!) or just joined the discussion in general @CathyTea@ThePlumbob@ra3rei@Derubelle
What made you want to write a love story in the first place?
To me, the most powerful stories are love stories. Not even necessarily ROMANTIC stories. Just... love. That sounds so unbelievably cheesy, but it's how I feel
So I'd always wanted to write something about a force as powerful as love. And in the very very beginning, D2D was imagined as more of a traditional/romantic Love Story. The plot quickly developed in such a way that Lucas and Ev's relationship drifted away from romance...
But I decided that it was still a love story. I think one thing that I really wanted to portray in this story was that just because Lucas' romantic feelings for Evelyn faded, he NEVER stopped loving her, and he never loved her any less. When most people think of "love", the first thing they think of is romance. And the second (for me, at least) is family. I think a type of love that gets overlooked in a lot of stories is the love of friendship. I think it can be just as powerful as romance or familial love. And, though they did experience that romantic affection for each other for a time, that powerful friendship was the heart of this story, I think. And the heart of the journey to bring Evelyn back to life.
Of course, there are lots of kinds of love that I tried to show in D2D beyond just Lucas and Ev. Familial love between Lucas and his parents and Lucas and Krysti, romantic love between Lucas and Mel... Also the idea of LOST love, like Mel and Christian, or Lucas and Evelyn (for a while, at least). As the wonderful @CathyTea mentioned in a recent chapter of her legacy, it's all about love.
What motivated you to write something with a somewhat darker theme?
Hmm... It's funny, I have never really thought of my story as 'dark' before... But I can totally see it. I mean, it's all about death! (life and love too... but death is kind of the center of things, huh? )
Well, I'm kind of weird, but I actually like books/movies/etc that are a little sad. Not full-on tragedies, but I really enjoy stories that include some sadness and darkness. It feels 'real' to me. Because life is also full of sadness and dark times too, along with the good times and the light. So I do admit to putting a lot of sadness into this story, because that's the type of story I usually like! and because it made the characters and their situations feel more 'real' to me.
I don't even know if that properly answered your question, so I'm sorry if it didn't!
How do you feel now that the story is complete?
No, but seriously, I am basically a whirlwind of emotion. I'm so sad and empty inside, knowing that it's all over.
But I'm also so proud of the accomplishment of FINISHING a story (basically a novel!) and also for (not to compliment myself too much ) writing something so good. I think this is the best thing I've ever written... I don't know if I can top this
And mostly, I'm genuinely humbled by all the support my story has gotten over these past few months. I know I've been gushing about my gratitude and love for my readers over these past few days... But it's true. The fact that ANYONE has taken the time to read my story is simply amazing. The lovely comments I've gotten and amazing gestures from readers (like having this discussion!) are the icing on the cake. I don't think I can ever express enough how much this has all meant to me.
I feel like this is the 'end of an era' haha. It's a weird feeling. I don't think there are words for it. But I'm so grateful to anyone and everyone who has made it to the end with me
One of the things that I find so neat is that we're a community of writers/readers... it puts a bit of a spin on the traditional reader/fan kind of thing, because as we read, I know a lot of us are thinking, Wow... how'd she do that? Or... Oh! Great sentence! Or (me), Love that time jump! Brilliant!
And I think that could be one reason that we get so excited when we see good work--we know how hard it is to create! And also, writers tend to be really tough readers--I mean, it's hard to pull a fast one over us. So the fact that you hooked us and we were all right there all along the way, that says so much about the quality of this!
One of the things that I find so neat is that we're a community of writers/readers... it puts a bit of a spin on the traditional reader/fan kind of thing, because as we read, I know a lot of us are thinking, Wow... how'd she do that? Or... Oh! Great sentence! Or (me), Love that time jump! Brilliant!
And I think that could be one reason that we get so excited when we see good work--we know how hard it is to create! And also, writers tend to be really tough readers--I mean, it's hard to pull a fast one over us. So the fact that you hooked us and we were all right there all along the way, that says so much about the quality of this!
Comments
My favorite part of writing (or any creative project, for that matter) is also the daydreaming/planning part! I love having ideas that fill moments! To me, that makes life feel so rich!
I love your description of how you got so excited about the writing while driving, standing in the shower, or laying in bed!
Thanks so much for all your answers! It's really neat to get that inside look!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Sooooo I hope I'm not stressing you here, but here is my second set of questions.
The Characters
1. Why did you decide to include the camping trip into your story and how do you think did it affect Lucas' and Ev's relationship?
2. Your side characters are also insanely loveable even though they don't have much screen time. How did you decide who and how many side characters to include?
3. Why do you think Mel was so hesitant to get to know Evelyn even after she realised that she was actually real?
4. Were there any characters that you wanted to introduce but never did?
5. How did you get into the mindset when writing for the Grim Reaper?
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Origin ID: Julyvee94
The answer is yes! Nothing huge, but yes.
The biggest change I would make is to re-write my first 10-15 chapters and make them longer and more detailed. When I started writing this, I kind of "held back" on my writing, if that makes any sense? Like, I intentionally kept my chapters around 500 words or so, didn't do as much description, etc. And honestly, it was kinda because I was like "This is how SimLit is supposed to be, and people reading this will not want to read anything too long or wordy". Then somehow between chapters 15-20, I just got so invested in the story that I didn't even care anymore, and stopped holding back
Another change (that I think a re-write of these first several chapters would help!) would be to show a little bit more of Evelyn and Lucas' relationship. We barely saw them together when Lucas was a child, then BAM as a teen he's in love with her
Ah, the wordless chapters! I love them
It all started with that original Evelyn interlude. At first, the chapter was planned to be Evelyn and Lucas talking, and Ev was telling Lucas all about her life before she died. I wrote maybe a paragraph or two of it, and then it just didn't feel right. It felt... I don't know how to describe it
So I was thinking to myself "Well... what if you just let the pictures speak for themselves"? At the time, I had never seen anyone do a wordless chapter before (I know now that I'm not the first one to think of the idea though
After I saw the response that first interlude got, I thought of future plot points that I could do interludes for. I knew I'd do one for Lucas' birthday, one for Mel's backstory, one for Mel's death, and the epilogue. The one where they were searching for the angelfish was actually another last-minute decision like that original interlude though! I was going to actually WRITE about their attempts to find the angelfish, but again, I started writing it and things didn't 'feel' right. So I went wordless.
That was always one thing I really wanted to do in my story -- have flawed characters! (Though, like you said, I didn't really give Mel an obvious flaw... Which I feel kind bad about?
I honestly don't even know if those flaws were conscious at all... I just sort of wrote the characters that way
Lame answer time...
I didn't really deal with it... I just... kinda did it.
I did try to take into account the WISDOM that might come with age though. Things like Mel's reaction to her diagnosis or Lucas' words to Evelyn in the final chapter... I don't think either one of them (especially Lucas!) would have the wisdom to say the kinds of things they said in those chapters if those conversations had happened early on in the story. So that's the most I was able to try to work their ages into my writing style, I guess.
Thank you so much for your questions!
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Q: Who was your favorite character in this story? (Main character or otherwise!)
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She looks a lot different from the face-on view, and I really like that, for that's how the earth is, always shifting from different views!
I also thought the she offered such a neat element (earth=element, get it? LOL!) to the story, and I loved how she'd stand up to Thanatos!
(And I can't choose between the non-deities, which is why I took the easy way out--oh, wait! I can choose! It's Krysti!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
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Hi @OJenn
This is probably the least original answer, but my favourite character was Lucas. We've seen him grow the most, not just chronologically, but evolve as a person. How could you watch a character grow from an innocent child full of wild fantasies about the future to a teen/young adult struggling with wanting to experience life vs doing the rigt thing, subsequently finding finding himself and his life partner, achieving his goals and ultimately growing old and so much wiser and braver... And not fall in love with him? Mind you, it does help that he's easy on the eye
I actually have one more question for @CitizenErased14 - Portraying the beyond must have been really difficult, since ot requires more imagination than most of us have. How did you go about setting parameters of afterlife (for example, everyone being young and meeting their loved ones etc)?
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
Ah, the camping trip! One of my favorite chapters was that scene around the campfire with Lucas' plumhole friends
Anyway, I had a double-reason for that string of chapters! One was to introduce Lucas' friends, and to show that, even surrounded by friends, Lucas is kind of an "outsider" (he's the "weird one' in his friend group, if you know what I mean!). And the second reason, of course, was to have Lucas meet Gaia and get those first seeds that would eventually lead to him finding the Death Flower.
I wasn't sure at first HOW to make Lucas find those first few ingredients, then I felt inspired to have him go to Granite Falls and meet the Hermit.
I think that Lucas' discovery of those plants in Granite Falls changed his and Ev's relationship for the better (for a while, at least!). For the first time, Lucas truly felt like there was a real chance of bringing Ev back... It became more than just some fantasy he'd had -- it was something real and achievable. And, if you recall, at the time, Lucas really wanted Ev to be brought back so the two of them could be together. So I think that mindset of "We are closer to REALLY being together at last!" helped give their relationship a little positive "push" (but we know it didn't last for long!).
I will say though, that on the flip side, Lucas' friends' reactions to his confession about Ev did HURT their relationship a bit. As we saw in Chapter 20 (Where Ev tried to meet his friends), Lucas has decided to stop trying to explain Ev to his friends and treat it like a joke to save face... Which I feel like I can't judge him too harshly for... But I'm biased toward siding with my characters, since I live in their heads
Aw, thank you! As I've mentioned before, I loved having Lucas' friends be in the story, and I felt so bad that they disappeared into the background!
I also felt really bad about Mel's brother and her best friend. They simply had to fade into the background too (but even quicker than Lucas' friends did!). It was difficult, because they simply couldn't "fit" in the plot anymore... It was like they were no longer relevant
I never wanted too many side-characters for my story. I really wanted the focus to be on the Ainsworths and Evelyn, which is why my side-characters got so little 'screen time'. I only included people who I felt were relevant -- Lucas' parents and friends, Mel's brother and friend. Krystina had a friend who got a mention, and then there was Mitch and Dani and Alex, who were basically side-characters too
Mel had a lot of mixed feelings about Evelyn, so the answer to this question is a bit complicated. Partially it was pure jealousy -- This young and beautiful girl (dead or not!) who her husband was once in love with (and who still loved her husband) had suddenly come into their lives. I feel like I wouldn't be very keen on her either
Another factor is feeling like an "outsider". Evelyn was a best friend to both Lucas and Krystina for a long time, but Mel had never even met her. I think of it almost like a schoolyard at recess, where there's a group of friends who have this really special inside joke and there's that one friend who doesn't get the joke and awkwardly stands off to the side while everyone else is laughing and having fun.
And, of course, we have the biggest reason of all -- the one Melanie finally revealed to Evelyn in chapter... 88? Ish? The fact that she's SO jealous that Lucas can be reunited with the first love he thought he'd lost years ago. She would have given anything to see Christian again, and seeing Ev was a constant reminder to her of what she was missing.
Plus, let's be honest -- it's freaky. There's a GHOST living in her backyard. I don't know if I'd want to meet a ghost
So... all of those reasons combined!
Hmm... Not really. I'd toyed around with showing Lucas' grandparents or his uncle (Damien had an older brother) when Lucas was a child or teen, but I couldn't find a way to make it fit or be relevant, so it was just a passing idea that never went anywhere
Ooh, I love this question!
Um... Honestly, I basically thought to myself "Okay, pretend you're a self-righteous, co-cky j-erk who thinks humans are im-beciles... Okay, great, now write!"
It was very fun to develop his personality! He's the closet thing to a comic relief character this story has
@CathyTea Ooh I love this answer
Yessssssssssssss @ra3rei and @ThePlumbob !
I didn't forget about your question, by the way! But I want to answer it in its own comment
This was tricky for me! Part of what made it so hard to portray was because I wasn't sure how readers would feel about me showing the afterlife -- non-religious readers might roll their eyes at it and some religious readers may have found it kind of strange or even offensive? I was nervous haha.
Not to get too personal
Here you go @CitizenErased14
What made you want to write a love story in the first place?
What motivated you to write something with a somewhat darker theme?
How do you feel now that the story is complete?
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And also thank you to everyone else who chimed in with questions (by the way, if you have more questions, I am more than happy to answer those too!) or just joined the discussion in general
To me, the most powerful stories are love stories. Not even necessarily ROMANTIC stories. Just... love. That sounds so unbelievably cheesy, but it's how I feel
So I'd always wanted to write something about a force as powerful as love. And in the very very beginning, D2D was imagined as more of a traditional/romantic Love Story. The plot quickly developed in such a way that Lucas and Ev's relationship drifted away from romance...
But I decided that it was still a love story. I think one thing that I really wanted to portray in this story was that just because Lucas' romantic feelings for Evelyn faded, he NEVER stopped loving her, and he never loved her any less. When most people think of "love", the first thing they think of is romance. And the second (for me, at least) is family. I think a type of love that gets overlooked in a lot of stories is the love of friendship. I think it can be just as powerful as romance or familial love. And, though they did experience that romantic affection for each other for a time, that powerful friendship was the heart of this story, I think. And the heart of the journey to bring Evelyn back to life.
Of course, there are lots of kinds of love that I tried to show in D2D beyond just Lucas and Ev. Familial love between Lucas and his parents and Lucas and Krysti, romantic love between Lucas and Mel... Also the idea of LOST love, like Mel and Christian, or Lucas and Evelyn (for a while, at least). As the wonderful @CathyTea mentioned in a recent chapter of her legacy, it's all about love.
Hmm... It's funny, I have never really thought of my story as 'dark' before... But I can totally see it. I mean, it's all about death! (life and love too... but death is kind of the center of things, huh?
Well, I'm kind of weird, but I actually like books/movies/etc that are a little sad. Not full-on tragedies, but I really enjoy stories that include some sadness and darkness. It feels 'real' to me. Because life is also full of sadness and dark times too, along with the good times and the light. So I do admit to putting a lot of sadness into this story, because that's the type of story I usually like!
I don't even know if that properly answered your question, so I'm sorry if it didn't!
But I'm also so proud of the accomplishment of FINISHING a story (basically a novel!) and also for (not to compliment myself too much
And mostly, I'm genuinely humbled by all the support my story has gotten over these past few months. I know I've been gushing about my gratitude and love for my readers over these past few days... But it's true. The fact that ANYONE has taken the time to read my story is simply amazing. The lovely comments I've gotten and amazing gestures from readers (like having this discussion!) are the icing on the cake. I don't think I can ever express enough how much this has all meant to me.
I feel like this is the 'end of an era' haha. It's a weird feeling. I don't think there are words for it. But I'm so grateful to anyone and everyone who has made it to the end with me
And I think that could be one reason that we get so excited when we see good work--we know how hard it is to create! And also, writers tend to be really tough readers--I mean, it's hard to pull a fast one over us. So the fact that you hooked us and we were all right there all along the way, that says so much about the quality of this!
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Couldn't have said it better myself @CathyTea!
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Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!
Congratulations! Such an accomplishment!
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YAY!!!!!! Congratulations @CathyTea ! What an incredible achievement!!! You should be really proud
Do you also play The Elder Scrolls Online? You can find me there as CathyTea, too!