One More Spin: Character Inspiration

By now, it’s well known that I’ve been trying and failing to finish writing One More Spin. It’s got nothing to do with the dreaded writer’s block. Rather, I’m too inspired to let the story end.

The main reason I identified for this little problem is Holden Jones.

Holden is such a sweet, forgiving, and compassionate young man that his story just keeps growing. Yes, he has his fair share of problems, but he crawled under my skin and made me crave a happy ending for him. I won’t rest until he gets it.

I’ve recently been asked if I wrote my personal exepriences into One More Shot. The quick answer is no. Jake and Viktor were their own people with their own voices and just such a fun to write about.

But Holden is a little more complicated to describe. He started out as a snarky, fiery young man but over the course of writing this book he became so much more. My personal issues with coming out as gay and facing mixed reviews heavily affected Holden’s relationship with his Dad. Yes, there’s love there, but there is also a gap between them and nobody knows if it can be bridged.

In the end, this is about Holden finding happiness where he least expected it. And it’s a story of Holden and Michael finding it together.

I had expected them to fall out over some relationship issue toward the end of the book, only to realize that they can’t be without one another. But that didn’t make any sense. They already knew better than to let go of one another. No. This is a story of them versus the world. And it’s a happy one – which I’m thankful for.

When I reached 20,000 words in this manuscript, Holden and Michael took the story away from me and surprised me at every turn. Now, at 60,000 words, I am holding my breath and frantically writing only to find out what happens next.

Michael, who shares half of the story, is just as dear to me. His journey is completely different. He has no problem with anyone accepting him the way he is. In fact, he is the only one who needs to embrace his sexuality. His is the story of coming to terms with being in love with a boy.

But his story mirrors Holden’s. His Dad has a fair share of problems with Michael, none to do with Michael discovering he is gay for Holden.

I can’t wait to share this story with the world. I am dying for you to read it and fall in love with these two wonderful young men. And I can’t wait to type: And they lived happily ever after, even though it already makes me sad to end this wild ride.

One More Spin will land on Tuesday, January 19 on Amazon including Kindle Unlimited. Stay tuned for more snippets from the novel coming this way.