Jennifer Ann Shore's Blog
December 5, 2020
Behind The Book: The Stillness Before the Start
In honor of my latest young adult romance release, "The Stillness Before the Start," I thought it'd be fun (for me and also hopefully for you) to share a little more about the ideation and process behind creating this story.
I can't believe I'm staying this...but this idea actually came from TikTok.
Remember the "Best Friend Challenge" from earlier this year? Where an adorable song would play and someone would kiss their unsuspecting best friend to admit their feelings?
Well, I watched, probably, fifty of those videos, and it got me thinking: What's the story behind all of this? What would it be like to secretly harbor something for your best friend and then spring it on them?
As I explored that idea and started mapping out Harper and James, and to be honest, I kind of lost interest—until I started thinking through Dylan's character more in-depth.
Originally, Harper was going to approach Dylan for help in landing James...but it went against everything I envisioned for her character. She doesn't need anyone's help for anything. She's independent, fierce, neurotic, and too driven to care about that. Plus, she's practical to a fault, and turning to your best friend's rival for help in getting him to fall for you is not the best plan.
As I thought it through, the story morphed into something completely different.
Instead of a pining for your best friend story, it centered on the dynamic between the three of them. It turned into sort of a rivals to lovers/opposites attract story, with Harper and Dylan exploring their feelings for each other. But Harper, being close to James for so long, learns that getting close to his sworn enemy is complicated.
Ultimately, I took an idea I didn't even like into writing my favorite story to date. (It also helps that this trope is one of my favorites to watch/read about...any other Nathan/Haley, Hardin/Tessa, Logan/Veronica, and Hermione/Draco fans out there?)
At the surface, Harper and Dylan are complete opposites. She's a scholarship kid, and his father is a founding member of the school. She's short, curly-haired, and feisty, while he's tall, lean, and deliberate. But they push each other forward in a way neither has found in anyone else, and I think that's what makes their story so special.
I can't believe I'm staying this...but this idea actually came from TikTok.
Remember the "Best Friend Challenge" from earlier this year? Where an adorable song would play and someone would kiss their unsuspecting best friend to admit their feelings?
Well, I watched, probably, fifty of those videos, and it got me thinking: What's the story behind all of this? What would it be like to secretly harbor something for your best friend and then spring it on them?
As I explored that idea and started mapping out Harper and James, and to be honest, I kind of lost interest—until I started thinking through Dylan's character more in-depth.
Originally, Harper was going to approach Dylan for help in landing James...but it went against everything I envisioned for her character. She doesn't need anyone's help for anything. She's independent, fierce, neurotic, and too driven to care about that. Plus, she's practical to a fault, and turning to your best friend's rival for help in getting him to fall for you is not the best plan.
As I thought it through, the story morphed into something completely different.
Instead of a pining for your best friend story, it centered on the dynamic between the three of them. It turned into sort of a rivals to lovers/opposites attract story, with Harper and Dylan exploring their feelings for each other. But Harper, being close to James for so long, learns that getting close to his sworn enemy is complicated.
Ultimately, I took an idea I didn't even like into writing my favorite story to date. (It also helps that this trope is one of my favorites to watch/read about...any other Nathan/Haley, Hardin/Tessa, Logan/Veronica, and Hermione/Draco fans out there?)
At the surface, Harper and Dylan are complete opposites. She's a scholarship kid, and his father is a founding member of the school. She's short, curly-haired, and feisty, while he's tall, lean, and deliberate. But they push each other forward in a way neither has found in anyone else, and I think that's what makes their story so special.
