I Wrote One Line, And It Changed the *Entire* Book

One Sentence, Zero Regrets

Sometimes, a book comes from a well-thought-out plan, think long drafts, perfect timeline, nailed down characters. Lavender Bay was not one of those books by a long shot.

It was messy, chaotic, and driven purely by emotion. I wrote scenes out of order, changed character motivations halfway through, and rewrote entire sections about five times - because I was figuring it all out as I went.

But then, I wrote one line, and everything clicked.

That was it. Suddenly, the whole book made sense.

This wasn’t just a story about love or heartbreak or running away or sexy rockstars. Okay, maybe it kind of was, but mostly, it was about identity. Creating fake expectations of what the world wants from you and then being incapable of dealing with them. And it was also about letting yourself want things, even when it feels like you shouldn’t.

The moment I wrote that line? I knew I had a book that could serve a purpose in this world. That could make people feel like they deserve to make a rash decision: pack your bags, leave the country, ghost your friends, scream at the abyss, find yourself.

You know what’s coming, my obligatory questions because I genuinely love to know:

• What’s a single line from a book that stuck with you? The kind that made you stop and stare at the page for a minute?

Break my heart, I beg of you.

Until next time,
Rachel