Ciao, beautiful souls! ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜
First of all, thank you so much for all your reads, likes, and comments.I started writing this story mainly for myself, to challenge something that's always given me terrible performance anxiety: writing something long.
Surprisingly (and way beyond my wildest expectations), it's been going… pretty smoothly!
Maybe because, like with anything in life, starting is the hardest step. But once you begin, you build that momentum that keeps you moving forward.
Or maybe it's because I've read and devoured so many stories in this genre that I can already see the road ahead quite clearly.
I don't really know, but I'm genuinely happy to be surprised by the process.
Don't get me wrong: writing is hard work.
Even if it's romance* — a genre that, in my opinion, is still a bit underrated — it's no easy ride. Especially if you're trying to make it make sense, feel real, and be enjoyable.
But I have to admit: it's also so much fun to write!
Sharing all these ideas with you out there fills me with joy and gratitude.
Life is freaking wonderful!
So, I'd like to take this chance to tell you a bit of the backstory behind The Intuitives.
This story was born way back in January 2021.
I still remember the exact moment: I was in the shower LOL.
A few days before that, I'd somehow ended up in a strange corner of the internet, reading about Italian folklore, specifically Venetian folklore.
And there, under the water, I thought:
"You know what would be cute? A BL story set in Italy, but with a magical twist, inspired by local folklore."
At first, my intention was simple: I wanted to tell a small story, drawn as a graphic novel.
Just a few pages, enough to give shape to that world I was imagining.
But the more I dug into legends, atmospheres, and characters, the more ideas filled my head.
The world expanded, the protagonists grew deeper, and the lore became richer and more complex.
That "small idea" kept growing until it turned into what The Intuitives is today.
In the meantime, the characters changed faces more than once; some characters stayed, others went in completely different directions.
But a few traits were always there from the very beginning: Milo's look (more or less!), and Fiore's eyes.
My babies! They've changed so much ♡
Especially Fiore! In the beginning, I pictured him as delicate, with androgynous features — that kind of beauty that confuses you and makes you question your sexuality, haha.
Fast forward to January 2024.
After three years, I decided to pick up the idea again, because it had never really left my mind.
Back then, it still had its working title My Fairy Crush, and it's funny that the folder where I keep everything is still named that way.
And no, I don't think I'll ever change it.
Anyway, January 2024. I told myself:"That's it! THIS is the year! I'm bringing this story to life!"At that point, I was still planning to draw it. The project had evolved from a graphic novel to a webtoon, those vertical comics you scroll through on your phone.
But, of course, before jumping into drawing, I needed to sort out the entire lore: settings, characters, timelines, events, the whole plot...So I wrote, wrote, and wrote for almost six months, until the time came.
Everything was ready!
Well, the structure, at least.
The dialogues weren't quite there yet, but I kept telling myself I'd figure them out while storyboarding, since I could already see everything play out in my head.
And then one night, there I was, starting to draw the prologue… and nothing.
Mental block.
That damn performance anxiety again, always showing up uninvited.
I could see it clearly in my head, but I just couldn't draw it.
Then came a big international project at work, fun and exciting, but so demanding. Between that and my creative block, the story had to stop for a while.
Let's skip ahead another year: June 2025.
Something around me changed. Something inside me changed too. And for the first time ever, I truly felt: this story needs to come out.
I have to tell it. For me. Because I need to. One morning, I simply told myself:"Sara, just write it. You'll figure out the rest later."
And so, here we are. After almost four months of consistent writing, nearly every day, in the evenings after work, weekends spent at home instead of going out, with discipline, conviction… and above all, joy. So much joy!Isn't writing amazing, my friends? I don't even remember what I was anxious about anymore.
✷
I'll wrap this up with some good news: The Intuitives will return on Tuesday, November 25, both in Italian and English, simultaneously!
The release schedule will change too: there'll be two chapters per week, one every Tuesday and one every Friday.
I'll also leave a question in the comment section below. If you'd like to answer, I'll appreciate!
See you soon!— Sara Emme
*It was rightly pointed out to me that "The Intuitives" isn't really a romance — and that's true.
When I first started writing it, in my mind it was a romance. Then, somehow, it just decided to become something else.
Love stayed, but not as the plot itself; rather as a driving force, a spark that moves the characters, pushes them to change, to look inward, to make uncomfortable choices.
For readers expecting a "pure" romance, where love is the main focus and a happy ending is the goal, this story might feel a little different… and that's perfectly fine.
I'm genuinely grateful for the observation: I like to think it's all part of the process: learning, understanding, evolving.
About the world, and about myself.