How long did it take me to write and edit The Last Ones?

The journey to write The Last Ones began on March 17, 2022, when the idea first came to me. At the time, I was a junior in high school, and my junior year was one of the busiest and most stressful periods of my life. With everything going on around me, writing, planning, and editing The Last Ones became a relief—it was something I could do on my own, without relying on others.

From March to April 2022, I spent a lot of time jotting down ideas for the story on random pieces of paper I’d grab in classrooms or at the school library. Sometimes, an idea would come to me out of nowhere, and I’d quickly write it down. I didn’t tell anyone I was working on a book because I wanted it to be a surprise when the time came.

Then, from April to May 2022, I began writing the actual book. The first draft wasn’t difficult for me because of how much passion and dedication I had for the story. It was my first time writing a book, and I was excited to finally put my ideas down. I was eager to get everything out of my head and onto paper.

From June to July 2022, I worked on the second draft, and from July to August, I focused on the third draft. I didn’t take long breaks between drafts because I was so immersed in the story—I couldn’t wait to see it come together. Writing became something I was deeply invested in, and I wanted to get all my ideas down as quickly as possible. While it was a lot of work, the excitement of seeing the story take shape kept me going.