one
When I first started writing TAOLG, Kreyson ( Kezziah's brother ) didn't exist. While writing Kezziah's backstory, I considered all aspects of her childhood which I wanted to include and henceforth, Kreyson was created
two
Originally, there was going to be no angst and no issues between Nico and Kezz, just a simple love story without the ups and downs.
Would've been a bit boring, right?
three
Coden was also a character that was added quite later into the book planning process. I'd recently read a Kid Fic that I found really fascinating, so I wanted to bring in a child for one of my characters and it seemed to fit Nico perfectly
four
I actually wrote most of the scenes for TAOLG before I properly began to write chapters for TAOFFY. I really loved Nico and Kezziah's dynamic, and loved writing their arcs.
five
Kezziah's character was originally a lot more rude and problematic in the first drafts of the book. I didn't under any circumstances want to represent a toxic relationship, however, which is why I changed her dynamic slightly and tried to make her more relatable and human. Representing her deep anxieties, with the link back to her childhood trauma, was really important in building a relationship with the main protagonist and the reader. I wanted people to be able to sympathise with her just as much as I wanted people to get frustrated with her dismissals and fears.
six
i listened to a lot of music while finding the inspiration to write. some songs were:
falling - harry styles, forever and always TV (piano) - taylor swift, fine line - harry styles, the art of letting go - mali koa, am - one direction, and ghost of you - five seconds of summer, alone - doja cat
seven
i didn't intend for kezziah to become a mother in the epilogue. i always felt like she would be a strong career woman, who would most likely choose her happiness and her personal progression over ever having a child.
i changed this in her character arc because of the overriding theme of family. with the last chapter, kezziah had recognized and found her family for what it was but i felt like having her build a relationship with coden and her daughter would be symbolic of her creating her own story in a way that she never got to before. her relationship with her mom would inspire her to be the best mother possible, and ensured that she provide her children with everything she never got.
YOU ARE READING
the art of letting go
Teen FictionKezziah doesn't trust anybody. Refuses to let anybody in other than those who have never faltered, because she can't afford to get abandoned again. Through all the years of recovering, of trying to fill that empty void that the lack of a family lef...
