The Gift

Reflections on Writing The Gift

(Contains spoilers - do not read unless you've finished The Gift!!)

Thank you so much for reading The Gift. It means so much that other people have enjoyed it and shared their comments too. I've loved reading them and seeing how people have reacted to the story.

It's a little over a year since I started to write it (I put it to one side for a while but then went back to it). I had the whole plot in my head before I wrote a word, so I have lived with this story for a while now. I'm happy it's now out there, but also a little sad that it's not my secret anymore!

When I decided I was going to put it on Wattpad, I had to think of a title. Until then it was just CLOY2. I played around with ideas on the themes of love, music etc, but nothing seemed right. Then I realised that the right title was staring me in the face. The novel is full of gifts! Yoon-he's decision to leave allowing them to properly be together, the gift of the ring, Jeong-hyeok's musical gift, Seri's support for his career, the gift of children and finally Lim Bong's gift. It also made me think of what Jeong-hyeok says to Seri at the border: "You came into my life like a gift."

I wanted a strong plot line. If this was to be a full length story then it couldn't just be their reunion and marriage followed by a happy ever after. So I wanted to take forward Jeong-hyeok's pursuit of musical success, the challenges of leaving North Korea and the lingering threat from Kang. I wrote the Prologue last. I had the storyline of Choong-ryeol's money and the photograph already, but I felt it appeared from no-where. So I wrote the prologue to provide that context and also explain something of Choong-ryeol's character. I appreciate that it's probably an unexpected start to the story, but thank you for not getting put off!

A Look Ahead to "Twisted Rope"

So where does the story go from here? I thought Seri and Jeong-hyeok deserved a good period of time just being happy, enjoying their family and success. So the new novel allows them to have had 16 years of wedded bliss before throwing a new challenge at them. But love still shines through.

This time frame allowed me to explore what their mature marriage might look like and also what it means to have children who are virtually adults, looking ahead to their own dreams and ambitions. There are some continuing plot lines as well! As the title suggests there are some twists and turns along the way, and I hope it all builds up to be a story that will hook you in. It's a similar length to The Gift.

I have written my draft of Twisted Rope, apart from the Epilogue. I know what I'm going to write, but part of me is reluctant to finish it off. I don't want my story to end and I've been saving it up! I probably need to do some edits as well. I know from writing The Gift that editing really improved my draft, so I don't want to rush it. Maybe it will be ready around Christmas, or the New Year?

So what do you think?

I'd really welcome your thoughts on The Gift, as I'm sure that will help to make Twisted Rope better. Did you like the frequency of my updates? I mostly published two chapters a week. Was that about right? And do you like longer chapters or was the length ok? Please comment or message me with any feedback at all.

A Sneak Peak of Twisted Rope

The next section is part of chapter 1 of Twisted Rope, just to give you a flavour of what's to come. I hope it whets your appetite!

I will probably post a message or two on Wattpad and Twitter, to let you know how I'm getting on and when it's coming out. So follow me if you want an update.

Thank you so much once again. Take care and hope to see you here soon!

Ellie x

November 2021