A Goodreads user
asked
Kelly Coons:
Which scene in "All Ways" was most difficult to write?
Kelly Coons
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[I spent a long time on what I call "the Raleigh episode" (in Chapter 10).
Spoilers below! (In case Goodreads' spoiler warning system doesn't work.)
There are a lot of delicate pieces in that scene: Andreas' still-evolving grief, the uncertainty about the emotions there (i.e: Andreas now recognizes what he felt towards Raleigh as love, but did she feel the same way?), how to have the flashback develop our current understandings of Andreas, how to write the confused jumble of emotions of a disoriented 10-year-old boy (never mind one whose ability to communicate is taken away), and, of course, how to deal with the issue of youth suicide in a way that is respectful: not glib, not romanticized, not blaming.
In my earlier drafts of that scene, I had Andreas get angry at Raleigh for taking her life: How could she end it when he had done so much for him! Anger at a suicide is a valid reaction—and a realistic one—but I decided to shift his emotions more towards frustration at himself ("She must have not known. He wasn’t able to tell her, even with his voice, how important it was that she stayed. Andreas howled and hurled the useless vessel of useless words
at the floor.") and sadness at the loss of life ("...blue for sadness. Because despite being surrounded by ocean and having someone sitting next to her every meeting, she still felt alone.") in order to better present the message. Yes, Raleigh was in the wrong for taking her life, but she is not a bad person for doing so. (hide spoiler)]
Spoilers below! (In case Goodreads' spoiler warning system doesn't work.)
There are a lot of delicate pieces in that scene: Andreas' still-evolving grief, the uncertainty about the emotions there (i.e: Andreas now recognizes what he felt towards Raleigh as love, but did she feel the same way?), how to have the flashback develop our current understandings of Andreas, how to write the confused jumble of emotions of a disoriented 10-year-old boy (never mind one whose ability to communicate is taken away), and, of course, how to deal with the issue of youth suicide in a way that is respectful: not glib, not romanticized, not blaming.
In my earlier drafts of that scene, I had Andreas get angry at Raleigh for taking her life: How could she end it when he had done so much for him! Anger at a suicide is a valid reaction—and a realistic one—but I decided to shift his emotions more towards frustration at himself ("She must have not known. He wasn’t able to tell her, even with his voice, how important it was that she stayed. Andreas howled and hurled the useless vessel of useless words
at the floor.") and sadness at the loss of life ("...blue for sadness. Because despite being surrounded by ocean and having someone sitting next to her every meeting, she still felt alone.") in order to better present the message. Yes, Raleigh was in the wrong for taking her life, but she is not a bad person for doing so. (hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more


