Woman Like Me | Keith Richards ✅

Your Questions, Answered

When I first wrote this story, around two years ago, I published it immediately on AO3. You, dear reader, could have read it then, if you'd wanted to - but that's not what is important. Immediately after it was published on there, I had so many positive comments. It was uplifting. This was my first ever Keith Richards story, so I hope I did it - and him - justice. Please take the time to let me know.

I'm going to be frank with you, and not just because I don't feel like being William - I got bored of writing this story. Not because I thought it was boring, or I was struggling - in fact, I had loads of ideas... I got bored because I wanted to write other stories. I always have so many ideas flying through my head. I know the ending is abrupt, and not what you expected, and almost certainly not what you expected.

But this chapter is here to answer all of the questions which have been submitted or asked, surrounding this story. People on AO3 have been submitting and asking questions for the best part of a year now (because it only took me nine days to write this whole thing), so I've been adding their questions to it for almost that long. And if you want to ask a question, then add it in the comments section of this part, and I'll add it and answer it for you, as well.

I really hope you enjoyed 'Woman Like Me'. I really enjoyed writing it. I love the character of Lennon McCartney, and couldn't resist the wordplay there. If this story blows up, then I might publish additional one-shot chapters, but I don't know. Keep your notifications on, because I'm unpredictable.

Anyway, here are your questions, answered:

The last chapter was rather abrupt. And it didn't make a lot of sense - why would Lennon, who claimed to love Keith so much, have divorced him and then gone for custody of their kids?

This is a good question, actually. At the time of replying to this, I'm seventeen, but even I know what an unhappy relationship is. Lennon, despite being young, does too. She got away from Keith, who began to indulge in drugs and alcohol, because she wanted the best for her kids, and so she knew that she had to get away. In no way did she leave Keith for her own benefit - she loves Keith, and probably always will - and so she will always want to be with him, end of. But Ruby and Marlon mean so much more to her than love. They're her everything. She divorced Keith and went for custody to keep them safe.

In the last chapter, she asks Keith to give up the drugs, girls and London. Is this her way of saying that she'll take him back if he does?

Lennon will take Keith back if he gives up these things, but not for her own benefit, as stated in the previous question. She wants him to give these things up for the good of their kids, but also for the good of his health.

Does Keith give up what Lenny asked him to? Does he get back with Lennon!?

Like in real life, it takes Keith years to give up those things - and by the time he does, Lennon's met somebody else - he's a surfer on the Californian coast. He's much better for Lenny... but that doesn't stop her from leaving him and going back to Keith... she knows it is the wrong thing to do, but she will always love Keith.

In C.29, Lennon and Paul have an argument - it seemed very sudden, what happened before? What happened after?

I remember writing C.29 and thinking 'this is too sudden. People won't get this.' It's okay if you don't, really... I did a lot of time skips in the final few chapters, and C.29 was one of them. As in The Beatles, Paul was business minded, and only wanted the best for Lennon's music career. That wasn't the first time that he had broached the idea of a tour with her, and she'd told him countless times before that she wouldn't be going. He just wouldn't understand. C.29 was their burnout chapter.

Does Lenny still see Paul and Linda and the kids after she moves to California?

Paul and Linda, Mary, Stella and James - and even Heather - are her family. They saved Lennon, especially Linda, when she thought that she was lost. They come over all of the time to Cali to see the family, though Lenny never goes back to London because she doesn't want to risk seeing Keith. In fact, when Mary goes to study photography, she stays with her sister, Lennon, in California, because she's studying at the nearby college.

How did you get the name Lennon McCartney? I love it! It's an ingenious play on words!

The name Lennon McCartney, was obviously inspired by Lennon-McCartney, the songwriting duo. When I was planning this story, I knew that I wanted Paul to feature heavily in it, and that there would be parts of The Beatles scattered throughout because I love them so much - and then I knew that I wanted the main female character to be subject to a terrible name for a girl, but to secretly love it. I knew that Paul was going to adopt her, and that eventually she would take the McCartney name - to tell you the truth, the name came to me in a bit of a dream... I thought 'can I really get away with it?' The answer is yes, yes I can.

Why the name Ruby Tuesday for Keith and Lennon's baby?

Because it's a beautiful song - my favourite by The Rolling Stones. I wanted it incorporated somewhere, and it's what I want to call my daughter, if I ever have one.

What happened to Anita? Suddenly she was in the story and then never mentioned again

Anita Pallenberg, I am sorry to say, is somebody that I don't like very much. I blame her for Keith's third child's death. I wanted her to be the villain, so I literally chucked her in wherever there was trouble. For the cases of this book, she never truly wanted Marlon - she simply wanted to tie Keith down... and it worked for a bit. When she tried to get back in contact by saying that she wanted to send Marlon gifts, she fucked it up. She was a character that I didn't want involved anymore, so I just ignored her. Sorry, I don't have any other explanations for it.