Everything she wantedby Martinette Williams, it is a semi-autobiographical tale of a novel that flourished before “venting”.
Situated in 2012, the romance reports an experience that had as a student at the University of Otago.
Williams said that although some parts of the story were fictionalized, much of it was a true account based on contemporary sources, including a diary she kept at the time.
In addition to “gathering” memories of her diary, she also deepened sources such as text messages and social media posts.
“I read back the messages I was sending at that moment, which was really enlightening, like Facebook messages, you know, because they are still there.”
This helped to put her back to the mindset she was at the age of 21.
The narrative follows a romance that began with her believing that he was the man she would marry.
“But in the end, everything fell around me and I didn’t know it would happen.”
Although now she is married to two children, the experience stayed with her and 10 years later, in 2022, she began to reflect on this initial relationship.
“I started to think a lot about it and think about everything I went with with this guy and hadn’t sued him completely.”
Williams decided to write about the experience and see what would come from it, and in four months he wrote the first draft of the novel.
“So it came out of me very fast.”
A unique aspect of the work is that, as a singer and songwriter, Williams included a series of songs she recorded at the time.
Readers can scan a QR code to listen to the bands as they follow the printed letters.
“He fits into the book because I was writing them at the time all this was happening.”
The romance is sometimes honest, and Williams expects it to help readers who have experienced or are experiencing a similar worrying partnership.
“I already fight the depression, so I was making me more depressed and was making me more insecure, like all the negative characteristics I have.”
Writing the novel helped her gain closing in this part of her life.
This also helped rediscover the positive sides of your younger self, including composition and presentation.
“It’s a relief, it’s also scary to have him outside, because it’s so honest.”
• Everything she wantedBy Martinette Williams, it is available at the university bookstore.
sam.henderson@thestar.co.nz
