"You've reached Westerden Ski Lodge, how may I be of assistance?"
"Hey, can I rent some snow boots and skis? Maybe even a girlfriend, if you've got any in stock."
"Awesome, do you want to order a life along with that? The gift wrapping's free of...
Dedication: oceanwaved for the beautiful covers up there, and for reading my works <3
T H A N K Y O U
Another year, another story complete. I can't believe how quickly time has passed between the posting of Waffle Cones and the completion of Snow Boots. Two of my birthdays have come and gone! That's insane. Snow Boots was never even meant to exist, but now I can't imagine my profile without it.
None of this would have happened without your support and faith in my writing, even when I was plagued with writer's block and took far too long to update. You guys are honestly the best. Not only for bringing this story to 100k reads, but for Waffle Cones hitting one million and almost 9k followers. I love you to the moon and back!
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Q & A
Q: How did Oliver come into being?
A: The reason he exists is because my dialogue stories always have a four character dynamic. In Waffle Cones, it's Fletcher, Emily, Erin, and Alex. In Eye Drops, it's Faith, Tristan, Fletcher, and Emily. Since Snow Boots features a new generation, I needed two new characters who were the same age as my mains.
Penelope was planned from the beginning as Andrew's skiing instructor, though I didn't intend on making her a baddie until halfway through the story. Oliver was actually created because I had writer's block at one point and needed to give Quindrew a new conversation topic. The first name that popped into my head was Oliver Twist, so he became a character. Which is strange, considering I've never read the book of the same name.
Oliver was only meant to appear once or twice, but the more I wrote of him, the more addicted I was to his personality. He kept appearing more frequently until he ended up joining the main cast. Oliver's so special because he's the Luna Lovegood of this story. He's one of those people who sees the good in everyone, and the most optimistic character I've ever written. He's so unique. I love him.
Q: What happens to Penelope?
A: I don't have an answer, but I'm tempted to host a one shot contest just to see how many different ways people can kill her off.
Q: Which of your characters would you like to go out on a date with?
A: Oh my gods, this question makes me cringe, haha. I think of these characters as a part of me, rather than actual people, so it would be like dating myself. It's just weird.
However, if I did have to choose, it would be Fletcher. He would be the extrovert to my introvert, but he's empathetic enough that we're not total opposites. I'm really in need for some adventure and thrills, considering I'm the type who never even leaves the house unless I have school. Stargazing at midnight on a roof and spontaneous road trips could do me good. Fletcher would love those dates.
Q: Is there anything you wish you could've changed about this story?
A: Of course! There's always room for improvement. I wish I erased Quinn having a disorder. Between her bankruptcy and insomnia, she's a magnet for bad luck, and I went overboard with that idea. A few days before I posted the final chapter, I was going to edit out the disorder, but I had already written the scene where Quinn collapsed and I loved it too much to remove it.
I also wish that I'd developed Penelope more as a character. She didn't appear in the story much, and even now, her motivations behind being a thief are unclear. I'd say jealousy and greed for money were huge motivators, but they were only vaguely implied. From a reader's point of view, she appeared to do a 180 flip for no reason.
Q: What was the best part to write and what was the hardest part to write?
A: The best part to write, which is also my favourite part, was Andrew's skiing accident. It's just so different from what I've written before. My dialogue stories get progressively more dramatic as they go on, and this was the cherry on top of the icing.
Killing one of my main characters off, even though it was only for a few minutes, was a huge step for me. It's not my only story which I plan to kill off a main character on, but it's the first time I've posted it and seen your reactions. By the way, they were priceless. Also, thanks for not sending any death threats! I really appreciate it. Writers have feelings, so it's nice that mine are respected.
My favourite dialogue chapter was the one where Quinn called the ambulance, and my favourite description chapter was the one following it, where Andrew was in the hospital and his skiing accident was replayed in Quinn's mind. Those chapters were so rich and emotional. I found that I had way more material to work with than I usually did. Everything flowed smoothly as I typed, and I didn't have to rack my brain to think of any useless scenes to fill in the gaps. It was so fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed it.
The most difficult part for me to write was the final chapter. I had tons of loose ends to tie up, more than my previous two dialogue stories combined, so I was worried the chapter wouldn't make any sense. I had to take care of Quinn's insomnia, remember Andrew had a broken arm, give Erin, Alex, Lucy, and Tristan cameos, let Quinn and Andrew find the key, and mention Oliver somewhere. I was initially going to give him a speaking role, but it would've been too crowded.
There was just an insane amount of stuff to cram into a single chapter. I was actually contemplating whether to split it up into two parts, since the original version was nearing 7k words, but that would've ruined the 70 chapter theme I have for my dialogue stories. Thus, I ended up cutting the chapter down to just over 4k, and left it as a single entity.
Q: Can I get a donut?
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Q: Are you planning on writing a fourth dialogue story?
A: Aw man, this is the question I always dread answering. I mean, three's a nice number, innit? Three primary colours. Three little pigs. Three bones in a human ear. Even though I'm bored of dialogue stories at the moment, I may change my mind later. So, I'm neither confirming nor denying the possibility at the moment. However, I do have other stories to finish, so keep that in mind.
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Thank you for your patience regarding my sporadic updates! My characters salute you. I couldn't be any more grateful to have you with me on these journeys. However, all stories must come to an end, and Snow Boots isn't an exception. Hope you enjoyed this rollercoaster ride! Make sure to pick up the shattered pieces of your heart on the way out.
