about the TOWMTF ending
originally posted on the FAQ section of my website
What actually happens at the end/to the characters of THE ONES WE’RE MEANT TO FIND? Will there be a sequel?
First off, thank you so much for picking up the book, for reading the book, and for clearly being invested in the book.
Here is the question that I can answer: there is no sequel. There is no story left for me to tell in this particular world, with these particular characters. Their arcs are fulfilled, their themes belabored upon. The publisher could offer me a contract for the sequel and I’d turn it down. That’s how strongly I feel about TOWMTF being a standalone, as a creator.
As for the other question—what happens at the end/after—that, unfortunately, is one that I’ve decided I can no longer answer. I’m sorry :( I’ve given this a lot of thought. In the beginning, I would try to answer for the people who asked. Most of them came to me out of discomfort, and so based on their questions I’d tell them what they wanted to hear because I figured I’d assuage worries wherever I can. But doing so would then make me uncomfortable, and after sitting down with myself to examine why, I realized it goes against what I believe is the magic of reading—and of art in general. So if your question is about what happens at the end or after, I will now direct you here. I would ask you to ask yourself why you’re asking the particular set of questions that you are. Is it because you want XYZ to happen? If so, the good news is that there’s likely nothing in the book that will 100% disprove what you want. That’s the beauty of the open ending. Are there some endings that I personally think are 90% substantiated by the text vs 50%? Absolutely. But that’s based on my read of the characters. If you read them differently, who am I to force you to arrive at my destination, to make something canon when it isn’t even on the page?
Reading is an interactive experience. We might have different ways of viewing the world and people around us; I hope the book shows you that that’s okay, and that two (or more) things can be equally valid even if we don’t personally connect with one of them. So the ending is—forgive me—the one that you’re meant to find.
What actually happens at the end/to the characters of THE ONES WE’RE MEANT TO FIND? Will there be a sequel?
First off, thank you so much for picking up the book, for reading the book, and for clearly being invested in the book.
Here is the question that I can answer: there is no sequel. There is no story left for me to tell in this particular world, with these particular characters. Their arcs are fulfilled, their themes belabored upon. The publisher could offer me a contract for the sequel and I’d turn it down. That’s how strongly I feel about TOWMTF being a standalone, as a creator.
As for the other question—what happens at the end/after—that, unfortunately, is one that I’ve decided I can no longer answer. I’m sorry :( I’ve given this a lot of thought. In the beginning, I would try to answer for the people who asked. Most of them came to me out of discomfort, and so based on their questions I’d tell them what they wanted to hear because I figured I’d assuage worries wherever I can. But doing so would then make me uncomfortable, and after sitting down with myself to examine why, I realized it goes against what I believe is the magic of reading—and of art in general. So if your question is about what happens at the end or after, I will now direct you here. I would ask you to ask yourself why you’re asking the particular set of questions that you are. Is it because you want XYZ to happen? If so, the good news is that there’s likely nothing in the book that will 100% disprove what you want. That’s the beauty of the open ending. Are there some endings that I personally think are 90% substantiated by the text vs 50%? Absolutely. But that’s based on my read of the characters. If you read them differently, who am I to force you to arrive at my destination, to make something canon when it isn’t even on the page?
Reading is an interactive experience. We might have different ways of viewing the world and people around us; I hope the book shows you that that’s okay, and that two (or more) things can be equally valid even if we don’t personally connect with one of them. So the ending is—forgive me—the one that you’re meant to find.
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