Sticks and Stones by MelanieGaleaz

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Premise/Blurb:

Brady Parker. The best hockey player Holloway University had seen in years. He was essentially guaranteed a position on any professional team he wanted. That was until someone smashed his knee in on the night before the biggest game of his life. A year after the event that should have been career ending, he was back on the ice. But it wasn't without its struggle.

Tatum Hartley. Biology student, aspiring doctor, and current assistant to the physical therapist for the Holloway Falcons. She adored her job, except for the fact that her most time-consuming patient was the one who wanted to be there the least. But given his knee was smashed in, she couldn't say the attitude was unexpected.

Not to mention, the investigation into who almost ended Brady's career was still ongoing. Nobody seemed to know exactly what happened that night- or rather, they just weren't willing to say. Sticks and stones may break their bones, but their secrets are what will cast the final blow.

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What sparked your interest in writing, and how did you end up writing on Wattpad?

I've always loved writing. I grew up writing stories. But during Covid, like a lot of people, I had a lot of free time. I was reading a book a day for a few weeks, and I started to get ideas of my own. I got the idea for my first romance book while listening to a Glee cover, so I have to credit some of my success to them. As I fleshed out the book more and more, I was itching to share it with people. Having grown up reading books on Wattpad, I knew it was the right place for me to share my book. I've always loved the community within Wattpad and how it connects readers and writers. I really wanted reactions and feedback on books, and Wattpad offers such a great opportunity for that. I have such a fun time posting on Wattpad, and I just think it's such a great place to share stories.

What inspired you to write this particular story?

I've always loved hockey romances. I always have fun reading them, and I just love the dynamics in them. I also really wanted to write a modern day enemies to lovers story that had layers. I didn't want them to just senselessly hate each other, and it was fun to add different aspects to their dynamic and their history. I also really wanted to try and write a mystery. My favorite romance books always have another aspect to them that make me remember them, and I thought this would be a cool thing to include that gave Brady specifically more layers to his character.

I also really wanted to write a Lebanese character. I think diversity is one of the most important things in books, but it's also important to not speak to things you haven't experienced. I wanted to pull from my own life and include bits of my family in this character and book. Being able to include the Arabic lullaby my Mom used to sing to me, my favorite Lebanese food, and other small tidbits that I grew up with was just really special to be able to include.

How do you create and develop your characters? Do you base them on real people, or are they entirely fictional?

One of my biggest fears is someone asking me, "Hey, did you write this character based on me?" and then psycho analyzing every single thing that character does. A lot of the time when I'm creating a character, I try to think of things that I personally love in a character and what I want to see more of. For this book specifically with Tatum, I wanted to create this really smart girl who is blunt and speaks without thinking. And with Brady, I wanted a character that could match Tatum's fire and really just add to it. Writing their banter was so fun and it felt really natural. I love writing flawed characters, and both Brady and Tatum are incredibly flawed.

But that being said, I still totally base some parts of my characters on people in real life. And I hope if someone I know reads this, it drives them just slightly insane. Just slightly.

Do you have a favorite scene in your story? If so, what makes it special to you?

My favorite scene in the story is probably the scene where you find out what really happened to Brady that night. Without spoiling anything, I just really loved writing that chapter. It was the one I looked forward to writing the most. I had that scene envisioned for months and I knew exactly how I wanted to structure it. It's the only time the readers get a glimpse inside of Brady's head, and it's just this immediate tone shift that I loved writing. I love Greek mythology, and being able to tie in the myth of Icarus and Daedalus was so much fun. I wrote that scene while listening to "Castles Crumbling" by Taylor Swift, and I recommend that everyone do it while reading.

What were some of the most challenging elements you came across while writing the story? How did you overcome them?

Honestly, all of the hockey and medical scenes. I don't know the first thing about either of those things, and I'm sure anyone who actually does could tell that already, but I did a ton of research. The medical aspect was the one I researched the most. Trying to understand different medical issues and also see which ones fit the narrative was a really interesting challenge. For the hockey scenes, I watched a few games and looked up some general terms around it before throwing them into a scene. I sent it to a few people who like hockey, got the stamp of approval, and ran with it. I really tried to use the people around me who either knew hockey or had some medical knowledge. I hope that everything in the book reads well, because I spent a really long time doing research for it.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Definitely that everyone has their own writing style and to not compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own voice that makes their writing special. It's so important to just write what feels good to you. Don't try to force yourself to imitate someone else. It can be discouraging when you read someone else's work and want to be able to write like them. But I like to say there's no right way to write. I think that you write exactly how you're meant to. Staying to true that voice will resonate with people. It's definitely something that stuck with me and I've tried to remember as I write.

Thank you for your time!