thebestversionofme

Hi everyone! Chapter 9 is available now! ❤️‍❤️‍❤️‍

Author_without

I started After Us, and what pulled me in is how the story treats loss as something still present in the room, not just something that happened before the book began. Danni, Alice, and Charlotte already feel tied together in a way that is painful but really interesting. My own story with Sophie and Marco is darker in a different way — more betrayal, pride, and impossible choices,  so I wanted to ask: when you write emotional damage between characters, how do you keep it honest without making the story feel too heavy all the time?

thebestversionofme

@Author_without <3
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Author_without

@thebestversionofme Thank you so much, this is really helpful. I love what you said about pain being human and not just sadness — anger, frustration, and even comedy. That actually gave me a lot to think about for Sophie and Marco too. Wishing you the best with After Us as well. It already feels very honest and emotionally alive.
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thebestversionofme

@Author_without Hi there! Thank you so much for reading and for such a beautiful, thoughtful question. It means the world to me. 
            I honestly think of pain as something human rather than just a plot point in a book (even though it is one). For instance, when it comes to grief... it’s never just about sadness. It’s also anger, frustration, and honestly, even comedy.
            I also keep the focus on who the characters really are. In Danni and Charlie's case, they aren't the type of girls who just sit around and cry. They use irony and a very specific type of dark humor, and I think that's exactly what gives the story—and the reader—some room to breathe.
            Wishing you the absolute best with Sophie and Marco's story, it sounds incredibly intense and intriguing!
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thebestversionofme

I look away from the poster and that’s when I spot him. Samuel is sitting alone on a bench by the pier, a flask between his hands. Two months ago Alice was in love with him; two months ago I thought they would end up getting married someday.
          
          Now I can’t even see him without thinking of all the times she ran after him while he was falling to pieces, and suddenly I’m no longer hungry.
          
          "Idiot," I think. - After Us