In the beginning, I did not set out to write a book about abuse. I did not even intend to include members of my family. I tossed and turned as to whether to use my own name, and whether to write a fictional account. I intended only to write about suicide attempts, addictions, physical/emotional recovery and spiritual transformation. I knew that I had to start at the end (the suicide attempt) and use flash-backs to get to the beginning of my journey of survival. I began by writing vignettes, such as the attempt, or an account of addiction, or a memory of a friend (Christopher.) I also used poems I’d written in high school to evoke my emotional state at that time. It was a surprise that the book evolved into the story about abuse, which were the root causes of suicide and addiction. 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys will be sexually assaulted before the age of 18. Had I omitted the most heinous of crimes I would not have been authentic, and I would have done a disservice to victims and society. Have any of you started a story (or other piece of art work) with one intention only to have it take on a life of its own and evolve into something else entirely?