ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ

Questionnaire

Now that Book I is over, I'd like to further explain my process and reasoning for it.

Original Postings:

In 2016, I had plans for Michael to cheat on his wife after she lost a baby. Well, for lack of confidence and a slow update rate, other writers who had similar ideas beat me to it, Lmao.

Then, I was tired of this notion that cheating was the only struggle a relationship went through, especially when I started experiencing relationships myself.

So, in 2018 (the one a lot of people are familiar with) I revamped the idea and made it into a full length story. Unfortunately for me, I felt overwhelmed figuring out what to cover in about 30 years of his/their life.

There were things I wanted to add that wouldn't enhance the plot at all.

At first, I felt the chapters were going great and maybe after chapter 10, they re-routed in a direction that was hard to connect with the original idea of the story. At that time, I would free write everything. They felt sloppy to me and I was losing sight of the purpose of the story.

After watching a ton of writing tips videos, I came to the conclusion that each chapter needs to have some connection to the plot whether it's filler or not.

Perspective:

Third person isn't something I'm familiar writing in.

However I was ready to take on the challenge. I realized third person was better for this story because Kendra's outside appearance created suspense about what she did.

Everybody around her thought she was simply mourning, besides Mikel but, he was around her 24/7, he had a different perspective of her. Introspection is about being inside one's head, knowing their thoughts and opinions which would've given away the plot in the beginning.

There's a couple reasons why this is a short story. One: I can finally have something completed on here. Two: to keep everybody entertained. Michael is the main focus yet has the most minor part.  I feel as though when Michael isn't apart of the first couple chapters, a lot of people get bored, which is okay. Lastly, three: it's not necessary to drag out this part of the story.

In the 2018 version, people would've checked out with the last chapters. I didn't feel confident writing a scene about the trial and felt it would've been unnecessary fluff.

Flashbacks:

It's a hard concept to grasp at first, but once you realize the structure of your story, you'll see how to include flashbacks in it. I struggled a bit because I didn't want these flashbacks to come out as silly or drag out.

Then, I thought about real life. When we tell a story about something, we don't always remember word from word or every little detail. We remember the juicy part. These were told in Kendra's perspective of how she remembered it. But when Book II is published, you'll see how everything happened.

Now, this is a story, so I had to include a lil something, something however, I wanted you to be entertained and leave y'all feeling curious about how the pieces connect.

Characters:

Kendra: I watch RHOA and she was inspired by Phaedra Parks. I won't get into my thoughts and opinions about her persona on tv, however, I'd like you to know that like Phaedra, Kendra had internal conflicts that she hid in the public eye to save face.

     I wanted to emphasize how erratic her emotions were. She felt guilty he no longer lived but was enraged that even after death, she didn't have the heart to expose who she saw on a regular basis.

How do you guys feel about Kendra?
Do you like her?
You think she was always this way?

Mikel: He's such a sweetheart who unfortunately was placed in a sad situation. I didn't want to give off too much of Mikel's life in this story but I wanted to give hints here and there. He will be more developed in Book II. I had an idea for years to write Michael with a son but never felt I could do it. I started on a project that would've showed Mikel's perspective but then I figured, "why not combine my ideas?" Therefore, I wouldn't feel overwhelmed to create many stories all at once.

What do you think about Kel?

What's In Store For The Future:

     Well, I'm in the middle of creating another story for you guys to read that should be premiering by the end of January or February 2021. I'm so excited because it will be my first works without Michael being famous but, don't worry, you can root for this Michael. He has flaws but, overall, he's not toxic, yes 🙌🏼.

     As far as Book II is concerned, it's in the works as well. I'm more so in the outlining phase but I have a few chapters written. Hopefully, when this new story is halfway finished, or at a safe space, Book II of this story will be published.

     Don't worry, I have a plan on how to get out as many chapters as I can before my life becomes hectic so I won't leave you hanging and can still update pre-written chapters. See, I'm not forgetting about y'all and will try my best to be pretty active on here.

     Here and there I will come back and edit this short story; maybe add or subtract things as I'm creating Book II.

Thoughts & Feedback:

     Now that Book I is finished, I want to know how you feel about the story. I ask for you to help me improve my writing for a better experience, please.

The way it was written:
-Did it bore you?
-Is the plot confusing?
-Was it too long?
-Should I have started with how they met and worked from there?
-Too many typos?

Aesthetics:
-Is it aesthetically pleasing?
-Did you like the book cover?

Anything else you'd like to add?

Final Thoughts:

      I'm having a difficult time creating Book II's cover because I think this one's so beautifully done. So, we'll see how that goes.

     I want to thank everyone who put up with my foolishness when it comes to poor updating schedules but are still interested in my work. Your comments and votes drive me to continue on writing! I really appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

     I am proud to say The Way That I Love You Book I is complete.