Never Had I Ever Written A Story Before...

Never Have I Ever is the first story I ever wrote. When I finally started tapping away on my phone, I never imagined I'd let anyone else read my writing, let alone self-publishing and having my own website.

The idea for the characters and plot came to me one evening when I was on holiday in Greece. I didn't actually start writing till months later, but I spent a lot of time day-dreaming and imagining the plot and characters.

I never know how a story will end when I start it. I have only recently learned this is called "intuitive writing" and although it results in me rewriting A LOT (One first draft saw James & Sophie breaking up because Bella was pregnant), I can't imagine working a different way. 

So, it seems appropriate to make my first blog post about the first story I ever wrote. 

Never Have I Ever was inspired by the sun. I chose Ibiza as the setting for many reasons. It seemed like the perfect location for a romantic thriller, and it's definitely a place the rich and famous enjoy spending their summer.

Photos from unsplash. Credit David Švihovec, Slow Ibiza, Jared Rice, Ferran Feixas

James has to be one of the favourite characters I've ever created. When I closed my eyes to picture him, I saw a mix of Alexander Skarsgård & Jessie Pavelka. He's charming, smart & caring, but wow... when he gets mad, he gets mad. I remember when I posted one chapter (when he finds out about Sophie's past and 'punishes' her) the reaction from the readers was really split. Some people thought his behaviour was disgusting and unjustifiable, other's thought he was within his right to be angry. Whatever your opinion, James's reaction was true to him. It might have been flawed, but who hasn't ever done something they regret in the heat of the moment? I like to embrace the strengths and flaws of all of my characters and use them to create real emotion.

Now, let's talk about Sophie. I pictured her to look like a mix of young Katie Holmes & Natalie Portman. Understated beauty. Very natural and girl next door. She was a real interesting character to create. Her past was pretty horrific and cruel. It takes real strength to survive and rebuild a life, and I don't know that I got that across enough in the story. Some readers got frustrated with her. Hell, even I did when I was writing some of the chapters. Can you imagine the patience and compassion you need to handle someone with her issues? 

Enter James.

Nobody thought he was suited to Sophie. Her best friend told her they'd have nothing in common, and James's brother said they weren't really in love. It turned out they were both wrong, and I guess that is another message of the story I never intended it to have. People can offer their opinions and judgement, but at the end of the day they don't necessary know any better. If you've read the story, then you already know what happens with Georgia & Richard (Check out the first chapter of their story in the Amazon edition of NHIE if you want to learn more). 

James & Sophie's love was unwavering, and they both draw strength from it when feeling vulnerable. If they'd listened to those around them, then they would have missed out.

Anyway, I think I've rambled on enough. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below, and any future topics you'd like to read about.

As always, thanks for the support. I wouldn't be doing any of this if people hadn't taken the time to write reviews/comments.