(The photo above is of some of the notecards I've salvaged with some later plot points on them. A lot of the ideas on the cards are not included in the story. Just thought it'd be cool to include these :)
Hello, it's Megan here! Wow, after 80 chapters and an epilogue, this story is finally finished. I know, shocking, right? I know a lot of you are sad that it's ending, and trust me, I am too, but stories can't go on forever, right?
Anyway, I just wanted to include a few things other than an emotional and sappy farewell note. Sooo...here we go! :)
Facts About 19 Years Later:
• It has been in the works since approximately June 2014.
(I know right?! Almost a freaking YEAR AND A HALF in the working!)
• 19 Years Later is the second and longest fanfiction I've ever written.
(I'm not even gonna discuss my first one because I wrote it when I was 12 and it was horrendous.)
• I began this story 3 months after I'd read the Harry Potter series for my first time.
(I know, shocking. I waited 14 years of my life to read the Harry Potter series. But BOY was it worth it!)
• I swear I had no intentions of making this story 80 chapters long.
(Oops ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
• Holly almost wasn't going to be a character.
• I originally created Holly in the image of me, which is something I always do out of habit when creating female lead characters.
• The majority of the plotting for this story was thought of while I was either showering or trying to sleep at 2 in the morning.
(Maybe my shampoo and pillow have special powers? Who knows. But I'm sure not complaining.)
• Xander Holmes was inspired by Park Sheridan from the novel Eleanor and Park.
• This book was almost going to be split into two separate books, but I felt that keeping it all in one book would be the easiest.
• I've had the epilogue already written for about a month now. I don't know why, but I always like to plan the end of a story ahead of time, even if it's nowhere close to being finished.
• Like I've said in a previous author's note, the majority of this story is completely improvised as I'm writing it. I rarely plan out things unless I feel I need to. Though I will admit that over time, as the plot got more complex, I would jot down ideas in my notes on my phone that I thought of to put in future chapters.
• I incorporated bits of my own personality into the four main characters. For example, Rose's love of learning and wittiness, Scorpius's tendency to be anxious and his passion for the ones he cares about, Albus's insecurity and awkwardness, and Holly's whimsical and caring nature.
• My overall favorite chapter is "Chapter 41: The Prophecy." I'm really proud of how it turned out. I remember writing it and feeling relieved to finally piece everything together and enter a whole new dimension of the storyline.
Q&A:
So those are all the facts I could come up with lol. Now it's time for a Q&A!
You guys can ask me anything about the book, the characters, me, or just leave a nice comment about the book if you want. Just leave your questions in the comments and I promise to answer all of them.
I'd appreciate it if you guys would leave some questions. That'd be kinda awkward if no one asks me anything haha XD
I Guess This Is The End...
Alright, here's where things get emotional. As a matter of fact, I'm tearing up as I'm writing this farewell at the moment. It's gonna be really weird not getting on my computer every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon anymore to write a new chapter. I mean, I've been repeating this process for nearly a year and a half!
80 chapters plus an epilogue is a lot for any writer. And writing all that material in a year and halves' worth time is quite a commitment. Seriously, I've contemplated quitting the story three times. Luckily I didn't let myself do that!
I feel like Albus, Rose, Holly, and Scorpius are my children and I'm letting them grow up and leave me. I will truly miss writing their adventures and complicated lives.
Alright, what else did I want to say...oh yeah! A HUGE- no, not even huge- a massive, monumental, infinitely-sized THANK YOU to my readers. From the ones who've stuck by this story for a year and half, to the ones reading this entire 80 chapter fanfiction in one sitting and feeling like your eyeballs are gonna fall out, I appreciate you all so much. Not only did our four heroes go through one heck of a journey, but so did I, and I hope it was an incredible journey for you guys too. I went through a lot during the time writing this fanfic, and it definitely brought me profound joy and comfort seeing how much support it received. I can't thank you all enough.
This isn't an official goodbye. Oh, heck no, I'm just getting started! I have a crap ton of fanfic ideas swarming around in my crazy brain that are just itching to be written. So, I'm planning on beginning a couple of fanfics soon. So keep on the lookout in 2016 for some new stuff!
Before I ramble on some more, this story has officially come to a close. Love you guys!
- MeganWritesBooks 💋
*curtain closes*