Things Happen For a Reason (One Direction, Niall Horan)

"Behind the Scenes" of Things Happen For a Reason

Hey guys, it's me, "Claire". I have a few things I want to share with you about the fan fiction you just finished reading. Today is May 9, 2015. I started writing this back in August of 2012 when I was 14 and a freshman in high school. Writing this now, I am 17, and a senior in high school finishing up my last semester. I want to apologize for my writing style in this, I have improved and matured tremendously since, but thank you to everyone who read this anyways. I've changed so much as a person these last three and half years, this fanfic is almost like a little time capsule for me. I also apologize for the old fandom jokes (spoons, carrots, direct quotes from video diaries and interviews, etc). Back when I started this, One Direction's only songs were WMYB, and Na Na Na. THFAR is basically set to their ages in 2012 which is kind of weird to think about with that seeming so long ago. It's hard for me to read the old fanfics I wrote because of the whole Zayn leaving drama. By the end of the fanfic, their first album UAN was released, which as we now know they released their fourth album "FOUR" just a few months ago :').

At this point, I think it's safe to tell you everything about the characters you just read about. Sarah is based off of myself. My real name is Sarah, I sign off everything on here as "Claire" because to this day, one of my biggest fears is someone from my school coming across one of my fan fictions online. So Sarah's character in this fanfic and the sequel are based off of myself completely. My last name isn't Lee, so besides that all of the personality traits and physical appearance of the character you guys read about is basically myself. Despite the little bit of mature content (involving the pregnancy bc that obviously never happened to me lol) I feel like you guys actually know me because I poured myself into this character. Elliott, is based off of the boy I was dating Freshman year (Elias) who did actually break up with me for my best friend Kelsey, who you all know as "Kendall". I asked Kelsey in Freshman year Spanish class what she wanted her name to be in the story and Kendall was the name she chose. I clearly had no idea that Kendall Jenner and Harry would become a real thing in real life years later, which a lot of you recent readers mentioned in your comments.

Everything that happened to me Freshman year (despite the pregnancy of the character Sarah course) was something that was happening in my personal life. I've always been emotionally attached to this story (despite the fact re-reading it I now see that it sucks and there were many typos and grammar mistakes) because it was my go-to and vent system when my little 14 year old self was heartbroken over my first real boyfriend. Sarah's necklace with the hearts and all from chapter 1? The flashbacks to hers and Elliott's first kiss? All of that actually happened and I really do still have that necklace. Crazy right? Haley was based off of my friend Hinnah, (yes I meant Hinnah and not Hannah), who to this day, is still crazy in love with Zayn. Kelsey and I are really close friends again but there were a few lowkey hard feelings three and a half years ago.

For me, the craziest thing is seeing how when I wrote this, I wrote from the perspective of the boys' real ages. Which now, I am as old as they were then. To me, that puts things in perspective. In my sequel I make references to things like the iphone 7 and stuff which to me is weird because we now have the iPhone 6 and 6+. I'm still a huge fan, I love the boys, and nothing will change that.

Currently, high school is wrapping up for me. When this book started, high school was just beginning. Crazy how time flies. After high school I'll be giving up swimming because I've really grown to like lacrosse and I will be playing division 2 college lacrosse on scholarship starting in the Fall of 2015 when I go to college :) . I plan to major to major in biology to e a Physician's Assistant and minor in journalism or photography.

I just wanted to put all of that out there. I would like to continue updating the abandoned stories and also edit the chapters already posted so I don't cringe when I come back years later and look at them, haha.

Thank you again for all of the support, this will be one of the few times where I mention my actual name. It still won't be posted on my profile bc I'm still scared lolol.

Love you guys ❤️

Sarah xx