Harry Potter: Christine

At its heart, this story is conflicted. I have to be honest about that. I started writing it for Professor Snape, because I wanted him to have a life with fewer regrets. So I thought and thought: What is at the core of Professor Snape's character? How could his life be made less painful and a little happier? I created the female lead with that in mind, gave her some basic traits, and came up with a few plot points. But after I named her and wrote fifty thousand words full of love, Christine protested: "I'm your daughter. Why are you creating me for another man? Don't you value my importance and agency?" So I bowed again and again and told my child, "I'm sorry. I'm not a good enough person." I gave up on my original outline and purpose for writing, and decided to follow Christine's lead, writing the rest from her heart.

Theme: Reflections of a lost generation.