Sevenfold: Behind the Scenes
Sevenfold began as a quiet spark at the very beginning of my freshman year of high school, when I found myself curious about the concept of the Seven Deadly Sins. That curiosity quickly deepened—not out of rebellion, but from a lifelong interest in the human mind, soul, and the complex dance between good and evil. Growing up as a Christian, I was drawn to the gray areas of morality, specifically the aspects of people that we often don’t discuss.
Then, in my junior year, I was introduced to East of Eden by John Steinbeck—a book that didn’t just inspire me, but mirrored the kind of story I longed to tell. From that point on, I found myself increasingly drawn to stories that examined human connection, inner conflict, and the hidden corners of our thoughts. Over the years, the result became Sevenfold.
As the story took shape, I knew I didn’t just want to focus on sin—I wanted to reflect its counterpart: the Seven Heavenly Virtues. What emerged was a story that goes beyond the simple binary of good and evil. I’ve learned, through life, that the world isn’t that clear-cut. Sometimes those we call “bad” are just broken, and those we call “good” carry shadows too. I wanted to create characters that embody that truth—people you might see in yourself, or in someone you love. Through all of these characters, I wanted to capture the voice of not just one audience, but everyone. Market-wise, that is a big no-no. But over time, I formed a deep connection with each and every one of these characters. Whether you're the youngest sibling or the oldest, a parent, a leader, a friend, a lover, a fighter, a mentor, a writer, a daughter, a son—simply, a human being—there's a piece of you reflected in them. Each character was shaped to embody both light and shadow, the admirable and the flawed, the ‘good’ we strive for, and the struggles we often hide. Through them, I hoped to show the full spectrum of what it means to feel, to falter, and to grow.
Each of the fourteen royal characters in this novel holds pieces of my experiences, my observations, and my heart. Some days, writing them was exhausting. The topics in Sevenfold are dark, raw, and emotionally heavy, and I had to shut off the computer and take a day for myself. But I pushed through, because I know some readers may feel unseen or unheard. Sometimes, we don’t have a friend to talk to or a sibling who will always be there to listen. We only have the thoughts in our minds and some words on pages. My hope is that this book becomes a kind of companion for them, the way other books have been for me.
This novel has been with me through some of the hardest, most transformative years of my life. Seven years—from the beginning of high school to the end of college. All the while, juggling jobs, volunteer work, family responsibilities, church offices, and full-time studies. At times, it felt impossible to keep going. There were moments when I balanced all of these at once. But at the back of my mind, this book was one of the projects I knew I needed to stick with no matter what. The story insisted on being told. Over time, it stopped being just a story and became something more personal—a diary holding my deepest, innermost thoughts and feelings.
Within these pages is a piece of my soul. Something I offer with love and care. I have the highest hope that it’ll speak to yours too.