A Fond Farewell to Claws Out
Blog written by MarthaJonesFan
27th June 2026
My attention span hasn’t ever been great. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2024, which explained a lot, such as how quickly I get bored of the songs I enjoy (seriously, I’m always on the hunt for something new). Most notably, it explained my inability to finish many a project I’ve started working on. So many ideas of mine remain archived in my files untouched for years after a momentary spark died out, unused and depleted of all motivation to continue pursuing it. Therefore, when I actually see a project through to completion, I feel proud of myself. It doesn’t happen often, after all!
That’s why it’s struck me as a notable milestone for me to have actually rounded off possibly the most significant project I’ve ever worked on: the Claws Out series. Claws Out was conceived as a spin-off of Teen Wolf back in 2018 at a time where I was looking to spread my creative wings somewhat, whilst further exploring the universe and lore established in Teen Wolf, a show I’d discovered just over a year beforehand.
Before we go any further, a little context on my history as a writer. I began writing fan-fiction stories in 2009, as a response to the initial cancellation of ITV series Primeval following its third outing, which ended on a major cliffhanger that I was desperate to solve myself! Primeval would later be renewed for two more series, but as a twelve-year-old, I was keen to flex my creative muscles and continued my own series, titled Primeval Stories. I wrote five series of it, though looking back, it’s very indicative of my age! Nonetheless, it was a strong starting point, and when I decided to wrap it up, I did write a special farewell episode of Primeval Stories to close it off – another rare example of me actually finishing a project properly.
That’s why it’s struck me as a notable milestone for me to have actually rounded off possibly the most significant project I’ve ever worked on: the Claws Out series. Claws Out was conceived as a spin-off of Teen Wolf back in 2018 at a time where I was looking to spread my creative wings somewhat, whilst further exploring the universe and lore established in Teen Wolf, a show I’d discovered just over a year beforehand.
Before we go any further, a little context on my history as a writer. I began writing fan-fiction stories in 2009, as a response to the initial cancellation of ITV series Primeval following its third outing, which ended on a major cliffhanger that I was desperate to solve myself! Primeval would later be renewed for two more series, but as a twelve-year-old, I was keen to flex my creative muscles and continued my own series, titled Primeval Stories. I wrote five series of it, though looking back, it’s very indicative of my age! Nonetheless, it was a strong starting point, and when I decided to wrap it up, I did write a special farewell episode of Primeval Stories to close it off – another rare example of me actually finishing a project properly.
A banner I created for a short-lived "revival" series of Primeval Stories.
I didn’t write anything for a while after, but I returned to it in 2017. At the time, I was unemployed and was desperate for a hobby to help pass the time. I returned to writing fan-fiction, this time for Teen Wolf, which I’d not long watched for the first time. Then twenty years old, I was in a better position to write something more substantial, and it was a really important stepping stone for rediscovering my love of writing and creating my own adventures.
Yet, as much as I loved Teen Wolf, I was keen to explore my own characters. I loved the lore and the universe that had been created in the show, but I wanted to write for someone who represented me a little more closely. This was the foundation of Claws Out, my own spin-off featuring an entirely separate cast of characters, but still within the world of Teen Wolf, where the same supernatural rules applied, and the concept of alphas, betas and omegas remained.
One lesson I learned writing Primeval Stories was not to increasingly add characters to a cast that becomes bloated and overstuffed, so I began my Claws Out planning with my main characters. Initially, I devised three characters: my main protagonist Dylan Drummond, his love interest Jono Chadwick, and his best friend Yasmin Forsyth. These characters formed the foundation of the entire series, and were present in every single episode I wrote.
Despite the above, I’m not actually someone who plans ahead too much. I’ll often map out an outline for what’s to come, but I also enjoy the freedom of going with the flow and being spontaneous. That’s how my other two initial main characters came out. Writing my first episode, where Dylan is bitten by an alpha werewolf and therefore becomes one himself, made me realise the need for a character who was already part of the werewolf world. Enter Drew Marsden, a popular jock at Dylan’s high school who, against both their desires, becomes Dylan’s mentor. The final main character for series 1 was Lily Chadwick, Jono’s older sister, who first appeared in episode 2. I was delighted with the size of my main cast and it gave me plenty of room to develop each one individually.
Character remained the most important element going forward. Sure, Claws Out is about werewolves and the supernatural, but it was important to me that all plot action rode on the back of character. This is what I loved most about Teen Wolf; its characters were the heart of the show, from Scott and Stiles to Allison and Lydia, it was easy to root for the heroes throughout the show’s run. Furthermore, Claws Out was conceived on the concept of character, with Dylan’s traits being based on me somewhat.
Yet, as much as I loved Teen Wolf, I was keen to explore my own characters. I loved the lore and the universe that had been created in the show, but I wanted to write for someone who represented me a little more closely. This was the foundation of Claws Out, my own spin-off featuring an entirely separate cast of characters, but still within the world of Teen Wolf, where the same supernatural rules applied, and the concept of alphas, betas and omegas remained.
One lesson I learned writing Primeval Stories was not to increasingly add characters to a cast that becomes bloated and overstuffed, so I began my Claws Out planning with my main characters. Initially, I devised three characters: my main protagonist Dylan Drummond, his love interest Jono Chadwick, and his best friend Yasmin Forsyth. These characters formed the foundation of the entire series, and were present in every single episode I wrote.
Despite the above, I’m not actually someone who plans ahead too much. I’ll often map out an outline for what’s to come, but I also enjoy the freedom of going with the flow and being spontaneous. That’s how my other two initial main characters came out. Writing my first episode, where Dylan is bitten by an alpha werewolf and therefore becomes one himself, made me realise the need for a character who was already part of the werewolf world. Enter Drew Marsden, a popular jock at Dylan’s high school who, against both their desires, becomes Dylan’s mentor. The final main character for series 1 was Lily Chadwick, Jono’s older sister, who first appeared in episode 2. I was delighted with the size of my main cast and it gave me plenty of room to develop each one individually.
Character remained the most important element going forward. Sure, Claws Out is about werewolves and the supernatural, but it was important to me that all plot action rode on the back of character. This is what I loved most about Teen Wolf; its characters were the heart of the show, from Scott and Stiles to Allison and Lydia, it was easy to root for the heroes throughout the show’s run. Furthermore, Claws Out was conceived on the concept of character, with Dylan’s traits being based on me somewhat.
The cast of the third season of Teen Wolf, from left to right: Daniel Sharman (Isaac Lahey), Crystal Reed (Allison Argent), Tyler Hoechlin (Derek Hale), Tyler Posey (Scott McCall), Arden Cho (Kira Yukimura), Dylan O'Brien (Stiles Stilinski) and Holland Roden (Lydia Martin).
Dylan was the central focus of the entire series, from beginning to end. Initially conceived as a shy outsider with a small but strong friendship circle, Dylan’s confidence grew as his ability to focus on the positives triumphed. Of course, Dylan isn’t precisely the same as me – he’s a lot braver for one! – but I knew I could put my heart into writing for him, and those around him, if I could see myself in my writing.
This is further evidenced in the love that blossoms between Dylan and Jono. Jono is the good-looking, slightly more popular kid in Dylan’s classes at high school who appears to be out of his league, but actually feels precisely the same way about Dylan. In some ways, their connection is idyllic, representing the type of relationship I’d love to find myself, but I also wanted to write a positive portrayal of queer love that can go the distance; all too often in fictional media, we see queer couples, or any type of couple, failing to last too long because it’s easier to make a narrative decision that splits them up. Cheating, new love interests or simply growing apart make for far more blatant storyline options than the same two lovers weathering a storm, but I was very keen for that not to be the case for Dylan and Jono.
Some of the optimistic romance comes from Teen Wolf itself; Scott and Allison’s love is very much in the same vein, albeit it falls victim to the idea of splitting them up. Even the long-desired “Stydia” ship, including Stiles and Lydia, is torn apart in the 2023 movie revival after Dylan O’Brien (Stiles) declined to return. Yet, the optimistic tone was present throughout the build-up, especially from Stiles’ perspective.
Of course, actors choosing to leave or not take part in the show isn’t an issue when writing fan-fiction, though that didn’t stop me “fan-casting” my own team of actors to play the characters I’d created. This was partly to help me visualise my characters, but also to assist me in creating some artwork for Claws Out, which was something I’d began doing back in 2009 with Primeval Stories. Much like my writing, my photo-editing skills have transformed in the years that have elapsed since, and I don’t think any series I write would be complete without an accompanying book cover, and even some TV-style title cards!
The actor I chose to represent Dylan isn’t actually an actor at all. I chose singer Miles Wesley, who I knew from ABC talent show Boy Band. Miles is a great musician and I’ve enjoyed a number of his songs, including my favourite track “Luck.” Completing the main cast were Finn Roberts (Jono), Emilija Baranac (Yasmin), Noah Centineo (Drew) and Maia Mitchell (Lily), none of whom I knew in advance, but all of whom I have now seen in at least one TV show or movie.
This is further evidenced in the love that blossoms between Dylan and Jono. Jono is the good-looking, slightly more popular kid in Dylan’s classes at high school who appears to be out of his league, but actually feels precisely the same way about Dylan. In some ways, their connection is idyllic, representing the type of relationship I’d love to find myself, but I also wanted to write a positive portrayal of queer love that can go the distance; all too often in fictional media, we see queer couples, or any type of couple, failing to last too long because it’s easier to make a narrative decision that splits them up. Cheating, new love interests or simply growing apart make for far more blatant storyline options than the same two lovers weathering a storm, but I was very keen for that not to be the case for Dylan and Jono.
Some of the optimistic romance comes from Teen Wolf itself; Scott and Allison’s love is very much in the same vein, albeit it falls victim to the idea of splitting them up. Even the long-desired “Stydia” ship, including Stiles and Lydia, is torn apart in the 2023 movie revival after Dylan O’Brien (Stiles) declined to return. Yet, the optimistic tone was present throughout the build-up, especially from Stiles’ perspective.
Of course, actors choosing to leave or not take part in the show isn’t an issue when writing fan-fiction, though that didn’t stop me “fan-casting” my own team of actors to play the characters I’d created. This was partly to help me visualise my characters, but also to assist me in creating some artwork for Claws Out, which was something I’d began doing back in 2009 with Primeval Stories. Much like my writing, my photo-editing skills have transformed in the years that have elapsed since, and I don’t think any series I write would be complete without an accompanying book cover, and even some TV-style title cards!
The actor I chose to represent Dylan isn’t actually an actor at all. I chose singer Miles Wesley, who I knew from ABC talent show Boy Band. Miles is a great musician and I’ve enjoyed a number of his songs, including my favourite track “Luck.” Completing the main cast were Finn Roberts (Jono), Emilija Baranac (Yasmin), Noah Centineo (Drew) and Maia Mitchell (Lily), none of whom I knew in advance, but all of whom I have now seen in at least one TV show or movie.
As I wrote series 1, I thoroughly enjoyed developing the ongoing narrative, notably the mystery surrounding who the alpha was. I also introduced a selection of recurring characters, from Caroline, Dylan’s mother, to Ed, the sheriff of Crystalshaw, the fictional town that serves as the setting for almost every scene in Claws Out’s run. In the middle of series 1, I introduced Jono’s friends Freddie Ruben and Josh Rayner, both of whom became key players very quickly. Freddie joined the main cast in series 2, and Josh in series 3, with actors Charlie Plummer and Israel Broussard representing them respectively.
Notably, Freddie became the first character I wrote to be neurodivergent. Freddie’s open about his ADHD at numerous points throughout the series, and perhaps surprisingly, I wrote this element before knowing I had ADHD myself! Later in the run, Dylan is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which I knew was true of myself even before my own diagnosis in mid-2023. It was important for me to highlight in-universe that, while being a werewolf can cure physical injuries, neurodivergent diagnoses are not something that can be healed because they are not “problems” to begin with, simply different ways of working. In reality, I hate patronising approaches to neurodiversity, but optimistic and honest portrayals are important and sorely lacking in media still.
Representation was key throughout the entire run, too. Not just from my own experiences, but for a range of different situations. Josh has been through the foster system and is later adopted by Dylan’s family. Lily struggles with her mental health on multiple occasions, while Drew carries the emotional scars of years of fighting off and hiding from werewolf hunters. There’s a range of depictions of parents, from Dylan losing his dad before the events of the series, to Yasmin’s metaphorical distance from her mother, to Jono feeling misunderstood by his work-focused and snobby parents.
Perhaps the most complex exploration of parenthood comes in the form of later character Sammi Chadwick, Jono and Lily’s cousin, introduced in the closing moments of series 5. Sammi is initially bubbly and immature, being a spoilt “daddy’s girl”. Quickly, Sammi had to mature as she learns her father has a mountain of secrets. Not only was he an alpha werewolf, but he also lived a secret double life, keeping Sammi’s twin brother Jeremy a complete secret from her. Jeremy arrives in series 7 with significant trauma, leading to an eventual self-harm storyline later in the run; whilst this isn’t something I’ve experienced myself, it’s an issue that’s close to my heart for personal reasons. It was important I showed that, whilst there are no immediate fixes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, therefore I always knew Jeremy needed a happy ending, no matter what.
One thing I was keen to incorporate at some point near the start was a crossover with Teen Wolf, and the first instance of this was at the tail end of series 3, where Scott, Stiles and Lydia joined Dylan and his pack. It was great to draw the two worlds together, and it was one of my favourite moments to write. Teen Wolf characters cropped up on several more occasions, most significantly in the eighth series where Liam Dunbar (Dylan Sprayberry) and Nolan Holloway (Froy Gutierrez) play a major role in events, while I chose to revisit Tamora Monroe (Sibongile Mlambo), the werewolf hunter from the final Teen Wolf season. Though I was keen for Claws Out to stand on its own two feet, touching base with the characters and universe that inspired it provided a fitting reminder of the storytelling potential it provided.
Notably, Freddie became the first character I wrote to be neurodivergent. Freddie’s open about his ADHD at numerous points throughout the series, and perhaps surprisingly, I wrote this element before knowing I had ADHD myself! Later in the run, Dylan is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which I knew was true of myself even before my own diagnosis in mid-2023. It was important for me to highlight in-universe that, while being a werewolf can cure physical injuries, neurodivergent diagnoses are not something that can be healed because they are not “problems” to begin with, simply different ways of working. In reality, I hate patronising approaches to neurodiversity, but optimistic and honest portrayals are important and sorely lacking in media still.
Representation was key throughout the entire run, too. Not just from my own experiences, but for a range of different situations. Josh has been through the foster system and is later adopted by Dylan’s family. Lily struggles with her mental health on multiple occasions, while Drew carries the emotional scars of years of fighting off and hiding from werewolf hunters. There’s a range of depictions of parents, from Dylan losing his dad before the events of the series, to Yasmin’s metaphorical distance from her mother, to Jono feeling misunderstood by his work-focused and snobby parents.
Perhaps the most complex exploration of parenthood comes in the form of later character Sammi Chadwick, Jono and Lily’s cousin, introduced in the closing moments of series 5. Sammi is initially bubbly and immature, being a spoilt “daddy’s girl”. Quickly, Sammi had to mature as she learns her father has a mountain of secrets. Not only was he an alpha werewolf, but he also lived a secret double life, keeping Sammi’s twin brother Jeremy a complete secret from her. Jeremy arrives in series 7 with significant trauma, leading to an eventual self-harm storyline later in the run; whilst this isn’t something I’ve experienced myself, it’s an issue that’s close to my heart for personal reasons. It was important I showed that, whilst there are no immediate fixes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, therefore I always knew Jeremy needed a happy ending, no matter what.
One thing I was keen to incorporate at some point near the start was a crossover with Teen Wolf, and the first instance of this was at the tail end of series 3, where Scott, Stiles and Lydia joined Dylan and his pack. It was great to draw the two worlds together, and it was one of my favourite moments to write. Teen Wolf characters cropped up on several more occasions, most significantly in the eighth series where Liam Dunbar (Dylan Sprayberry) and Nolan Holloway (Froy Gutierrez) play a major role in events, while I chose to revisit Tamora Monroe (Sibongile Mlambo), the werewolf hunter from the final Teen Wolf season. Though I was keen for Claws Out to stand on its own two feet, touching base with the characters and universe that inspired it provided a fitting reminder of the storytelling potential it provided.
Froy Gutierrez and Dylan Sprayberry as Nolan Holloway and Liam Dunbar respectively in Teen Wolf.
Keeping to my own word about not overstuffing the cast, I wrote Drew out of Claws Out after series 6, with Sammi and jock-turned-ally Brett Sutton joining the main cast, with Bailee Madison and Fin Argus respectively representing them. Brett proved to be a groundbreaking character for me; not only do they go through the most significant progression, from unpleasant jock, veering on bully, to a keen hero and active member of the pack, but they also become the show’s first non-binary character, with their pronouns switching from “he/him” to “they/them” from that point onwards, inspired by Fin Argus’ own gender identity. The LGBTQ+ community is one that I wanted to represent well in Claws Out, given it’s a community I identify as being part of, and Dylan and Jono were only the tip of the iceberg. Queer relationships are sewn throughout the series, from side characters Noah and Monty, to Lily’s college relationship with trans man Alex. In fact, by the show’s finale, of all twelve main characters from across the series, precisely half are LGBTQ+, and that’s without counting a brief mention of Lily’s potential curiosity.
Introduced in series 8 and acting as a main character from series 9 to 11, Oscar Madden-Whelan (Texas Watterson) represented an intriguing moment for me as a writer: navigating a brief moment of Dylan and Jono being apart. Though I never wavered on my decision to keep them together, the eighth series began with Jono believing Dylan died at the end of the previous series, and after a few months had passed, he began to move on, dating high school newcomer Oscar. Though Dylan and Jono reunited and this proved to be very short-lived, Oscar later developed a connection with Brett, and they departed as regular characters after series 11, but not without exploring grief, polyamory and queer self-expression.
I celebrated the tenth series of Claws Out by extending the regular run of nine episodes to twelve, and expanding the main cast from eight to ten, with Jeremy (Jack Dylan Grazer) joining the main cast, and Brett returning after a one series break. I aimed high with this series, finally introducing Freddie’s father, whilst also establishing a storyline that saw Dylan and Jono torn apart by necessity. Before they go their separate ways, they get married in the series 10 finale, with series 11 picking up seven years later. In that time, Dylan has begun to move on with new boyfriend Harry Callahan, portrayed in the main cast for series 11 only by Charlie Gillespie. Ultimately, Dylan and Jono reunite, and Harry loses his life before series 11 finishes, making him the only main character in Claws Out to die. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ending, I don’t like killing these characters off when I’ve spent so much time developing them!
One trend I noticed particularly in the later series was how much more difficult the middle section of a series was to write. I contemplated bringing Claws Out to a close multiple times when I was struggling with writer’s block, but by the time I reached the finale, I’d found my motivation again and was keen to write another outing! I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters, given many of them had been constants in my life for several years.
Only appearing as a guest in series 11, Josh rejoined the main cast for series 12 to complete what would be the final line-up of the series, containing eight characters: Dylan, Jono, Yasmin, Lily, Freddie, Sammi, Jeremy and Josh. As I became more sure of series 13 being the ending, I began to think of where I wanted each character to end up. The first step was to reunite Yasmin and Josh, who dated earlier in the show’s run but separated following Josh being forced to assist David (Sammi and Jeremy’s father). I always saw them as an endgame couple so it made sense that they’d be drawn back to each other. By this point, Dylan and Jono were firmly back together, Lily and Freddie’s brother George had settled down together after being teenage sweethearts, while both Sammi and Jeremy were married, to Freddie and new character Felix respectively.
Introduced in series 8 and acting as a main character from series 9 to 11, Oscar Madden-Whelan (Texas Watterson) represented an intriguing moment for me as a writer: navigating a brief moment of Dylan and Jono being apart. Though I never wavered on my decision to keep them together, the eighth series began with Jono believing Dylan died at the end of the previous series, and after a few months had passed, he began to move on, dating high school newcomer Oscar. Though Dylan and Jono reunited and this proved to be very short-lived, Oscar later developed a connection with Brett, and they departed as regular characters after series 11, but not without exploring grief, polyamory and queer self-expression.
I celebrated the tenth series of Claws Out by extending the regular run of nine episodes to twelve, and expanding the main cast from eight to ten, with Jeremy (Jack Dylan Grazer) joining the main cast, and Brett returning after a one series break. I aimed high with this series, finally introducing Freddie’s father, whilst also establishing a storyline that saw Dylan and Jono torn apart by necessity. Before they go their separate ways, they get married in the series 10 finale, with series 11 picking up seven years later. In that time, Dylan has begun to move on with new boyfriend Harry Callahan, portrayed in the main cast for series 11 only by Charlie Gillespie. Ultimately, Dylan and Jono reunite, and Harry loses his life before series 11 finishes, making him the only main character in Claws Out to die. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a happy ending, I don’t like killing these characters off when I’ve spent so much time developing them!
One trend I noticed particularly in the later series was how much more difficult the middle section of a series was to write. I contemplated bringing Claws Out to a close multiple times when I was struggling with writer’s block, but by the time I reached the finale, I’d found my motivation again and was keen to write another outing! I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters, given many of them had been constants in my life for several years.
Only appearing as a guest in series 11, Josh rejoined the main cast for series 12 to complete what would be the final line-up of the series, containing eight characters: Dylan, Jono, Yasmin, Lily, Freddie, Sammi, Jeremy and Josh. As I became more sure of series 13 being the ending, I began to think of where I wanted each character to end up. The first step was to reunite Yasmin and Josh, who dated earlier in the show’s run but separated following Josh being forced to assist David (Sammi and Jeremy’s father). I always saw them as an endgame couple so it made sense that they’d be drawn back to each other. By this point, Dylan and Jono were firmly back together, Lily and Freddie’s brother George had settled down together after being teenage sweethearts, while both Sammi and Jeremy were married, to Freddie and new character Felix respectively.
An early wallpaper I created for my computer, featuring the main cast of Claws Out's first series.
In deciding to bring Claws Out to an end, I did explore the option of a new spin-off involving Dylan and Jono. The working title was the imaginative Dylan & Jono, and would have seen the couple move to another town and meet a teenager, Edmund Franklin, who was a newly bitten werewolf that they’d later adopt. I later decided against a spin-off, but this storyline was integrated into Claws Out series 13, the final outing of the series. Edmund is introduced in the first episode of the series and strikes up a bond with Jonah Ruben, George and Freddie’s younger brother. Also in this series, Lily gives birth to Belle following an exploration of how the supernatural lore adjusts to pregnancy, while Yasmin is forced to confront the disconnect between her and her mother.
I wrote much of Claws Out in moments of boredom, from quiet moments at work, to otherwise-tedious train journeys. Initially, I wrote each episode very fast, with series 1 to 4 being completed in a year! On the other hand, series 13 itself took over 18 months to write. This speaks volumes of my commitment to the series and how keen I was to complete it, even if I worked at a very different pace.
The main reason I chose to finish Claws Out, though, was that I felt I’d taken most of the characters as far as I could. I didn’t want to write anybody else out, given how attached I was to them all, so I knew it was time to say goodbye in a different way. It wasn’t an easy choice, though – I’d written these characters as a beacon of positivity, a friendship group where acceptance is a given and support is never in question, because above all else, they are each other’s chosen family, biological or otherwise. I wanted to end the series on a high, knowing I was still writing at a good standard to ensure every character ended up where they were supposed to.
Writing this piece just hours after publishing the final episode, I’m not sure it’s sunk in fully that I won’t be writing any more scenes for Dylan, Jono, and the rest of the pack. These characters have been constants in my life for over eight years. One thing I know for sure is that I feel immense pride that I was able to stick to my word, because as I promised to myself, Dylan and Jono ended up together, and it wasn’t in doubt for a second. I was able to close out their love story exactly how I wanted to, in the same treehouse where they had their first kiss. I’m now less than a year away from turning 30 years old (as much as I’m in denial over that), I'm a couple of months away from beginning a new role at work, and it’s time for me to embark on a new adventure with my writing, but I owe so much to the characters I developed briefly in a Notepad file in 2018, because I now can’t imagine not having a project on-the-go, and what’s more is that I’ve now proved to myself I can complete the most ambitious project too.
I wrote much of Claws Out in moments of boredom, from quiet moments at work, to otherwise-tedious train journeys. Initially, I wrote each episode very fast, with series 1 to 4 being completed in a year! On the other hand, series 13 itself took over 18 months to write. This speaks volumes of my commitment to the series and how keen I was to complete it, even if I worked at a very different pace.
The main reason I chose to finish Claws Out, though, was that I felt I’d taken most of the characters as far as I could. I didn’t want to write anybody else out, given how attached I was to them all, so I knew it was time to say goodbye in a different way. It wasn’t an easy choice, though – I’d written these characters as a beacon of positivity, a friendship group where acceptance is a given and support is never in question, because above all else, they are each other’s chosen family, biological or otherwise. I wanted to end the series on a high, knowing I was still writing at a good standard to ensure every character ended up where they were supposed to.
Writing this piece just hours after publishing the final episode, I’m not sure it’s sunk in fully that I won’t be writing any more scenes for Dylan, Jono, and the rest of the pack. These characters have been constants in my life for over eight years. One thing I know for sure is that I feel immense pride that I was able to stick to my word, because as I promised to myself, Dylan and Jono ended up together, and it wasn’t in doubt for a second. I was able to close out their love story exactly how I wanted to, in the same treehouse where they had their first kiss. I’m now less than a year away from turning 30 years old (as much as I’m in denial over that), I'm a couple of months away from beginning a new role at work, and it’s time for me to embark on a new adventure with my writing, but I owe so much to the characters I developed briefly in a Notepad file in 2018, because I now can’t imagine not having a project on-the-go, and what’s more is that I’ve now proved to myself I can complete the most ambitious project too.