T H A N K Y O U

What a story, what a journey, what a bunch of crazy characters. If you've read up to here, I applaud you, because most people on Wattpad see a 70 chapter story and have a mild heart attack. I can't thank you enough for your support. Waffle Cones was one of my first stories, and the one which established my name as a Wattpad writer.

You guys are amazing human beings and the response to this story has been incredible. I'm writing this author's note in July 2017 to go along with the rewrite, but when I first completed this story in 2015, I never would have imagined having so many readers across the globe, let alone 2.6M reads and 11K followers. I'm so grateful for every one of you. Thank you for reading Waffle Cones!

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Q & A

Q: How did you get the inspiration to write this story? Why did you choose to write about an ice cream parlor? Why is Waffle Cones the title?

A: The inspiration for this story came from a cover. I found a lovely image on a wallpaper app which featured ice cream, so I made a cover out of it. There was a waffle cone on the cover, so I used the temporary title of Waffle Cones. Yes, I know, I'm lazy. I made the cover in May 2015 and never planned to write the story, but here we are.

Fun fact, Waffle Cones is the spinoff of a deleted story. Two months before I began Waffle Cones, I posted a novel called Plated Desserts, which featured Erin and Alex as mains. They met at a store named Frosted Delights, which I later changed to Waffle Cones. Since I deleted their story, I featured them as recurring characters in Waffle Cones instead. Oh, also, Plated Desserts will not be continued. I lost inspiration for it years ago and I prefer Erin and Alex as side characters rather than mains anyway.

Another source of inspiration for Waffle Cones was a frozen yoghurt store which opened in my local shopping centre at the time. The dialogue format was inspired by Pizzeria Boy by @mercurially on Wattpad.

Q: Do you prefer writing dialogue or prose?

A: I find dialogue far easier to write, and the chapters only take ten minutes each, compared to the eight hours of suffering I endure to write a prose chapter. However, I also have a stronger sense of accomplishment after finishing a prose chapter, since my word count is higher than Snoop Dogg, or rather, Scoop Dogg, before a stage show.

I totally stole that roast from Daniel Howell, but that won't stop me from using the iconic Lumière dab™ to fuel my own ego:

Anyway, I prefer to alternate between the two because I get bored, so I often switch between writing dialogue stories and novels!

Q: Did you have a preplanned plot and characters, or did they naturally develop over time?

A: I knew Fletcher and Emily would be the mains. Erin and Alex began appearing in the story when theirs went poof, but they weren't supposed to be such important characters. Melanie was only supposed to be mentioned once, but I wrote her into a few more chapters because I like her. Scarlett was a part of the main Plated Desserts cast and the original #Erix shipper who brought them together as a couple, so I had to give her a cameo.

Evan and his friends are characters from my first ever story on Wattpad, Chalky Hearts, which was completed back in June 2015 and unpublished in early 2016 because it sucks. By the way, Maddie and Nathan are the main characters of Chalky Hearts. Evan is a part of the main Chalky Hearts cast, but he was neglected as the story went on, so I decided to give him a minor role in Waffle Cones.

The plot was not pre-planned. I knew it would revolve around an ice cream store, Fletcher and Emily would fall in love, and there would be a happily ever after, but not much else. I didn't even write the chapters in order. I don't remember what the original plot twist was, but Waffle Cones wasn't supposed to close down. I made everything up as I wrote and fixed up the plot holes later.

Q: What Hogwarts houses are the characters in, what are their MBTI personality types, and which Camp Half-Blood cabin do they belong in?

A: Emily is an ISTJ because of how logical she is. She feels emotion, of course, but she has trouble emphasizing with others and uses her brain, not her heart. Emily would be a Slytherin, and the reason for this is her ambition. She dedicates herself to her studies, not because she loves learning, but so she can make a name for herself in the future. She had huge dreams for her career before she met Fletcher. She strives to be the best and is ruthless when people cross her path. Emily would be a daughter of Athena because she works with logic, so she would be an awesome battle strategist for Capture the Flag.

Fletcher is an ENFP to contrast Emily and her logical demeanor. He easily emphasizes with people and can read emotions just from tones and facial expression. Fletcher is a free spirit and gets along with everyone. He's such a people pleaser. He would be a Hufflepuff, because he's such a pure smol bean. He dedicates himself to making the world a better place and he has such loyalty to his friends. Fletcher would be a son of Poseidon because he reminds me of Percy. Both are humorous, loyal, and would do anything for their significant other.

Erin is an ESFJ because she's a social creature and glues the group together. She spends most of the story nudging Emily towards Fletcher and can come off as pushy, but she has good intentions. Erin would be a Gryffindor because she has so much courage. She talks back to anyone and everyone, will do any dare people throw at her, and would sacrifice herself to keep her friends alive without batting an eye. Erin would be a daughter of Hermes because she's a trickster at heart. She would get along well with Travis and Connor Stoll.

Alex is an INFJ because he puts thought into everything he says and does. He dislikes conflict, but also has strong opinions and helps people change for the better. He's an introvert who enjoys cozy nights in with books and a cat, but he can take charge in social situations if he must. Alex would be a Ravenclaw because he loves knowledge and has artistic interests rather than materialistic ones. He belongs in the Apollo cabin for sure, because he strives to heal others.

Q: Are you going to write a sequel, spinoff, or epilogue?

A: There are two spinoffs for this story called Eye Drops and Snow Boots. Both feature new mains, new calls, new places, but cameo old characters. Emily and Fletcher appear in Eye Drops as recurring characters, the same way Erin and Alex did in Waffle Cones. Also, Snow Boots will make more sense if you read Eye Drops first.

A/N (October 2020): There's now a fourth spinoff called Breakout Rooms. It's currently on an unofficial hiatus because I'm finishing up my university exams, but updates will hopefully resume by the end of November. (Take my word with a grain of salt, I'm really bad at keeping promises.)

However, I am not writing a direct sequel for Waffle Cones. I get bored quickly and want to move onto new projects. As much as I'm grateful for the support for Waffle Cones, I don't want dialogue stories to define me as a writer. I started Wattpad as a novelist and I'd like to revisit my roots.

Q: What happens to the store? Do they save Waffle Cones?

A: Find out in Eye Drops!

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E Y E D R O P S

"This is Westerden Optometrist. What are your symptoms?"

"For starters, my eyesight has been super blurry and distorted, and this problem is starting to screw up seventeen-year-old life. Speaking of which, you sound kind of young for an optometrist. How old are you?"

"Um, I don't think it'd be the greatest idea for that blurry eyesight of yours to be treated by a guy your own age."

"My own... oh no."

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I think I've covered everything, but I just want to thank you again for reading this story. Your support motivated me to complete the original and the rewrite, and even inspired me to write two spinoffs. This is the most cheesy story I've ever written, but I like it that way and I hope you do too. I hope to see you checking out my other works. Make sure to join the Spy Fam by following my evethespy account and spying on my endeavours. Peace out, and I love you!