Heartstopper's second TV series will "be a little bit darker," according to the reigning YA author Alice Oseman, who spoke at the Hay Festival.
The creators of the popular graphic novel series bearing the same name also revealed that Isaac would appear more in series two.
I'm really happy that Isaac will feature asexual and aromantic representation, Oseman said.
The 28-year-old author considers herself to be both aromantic and asexual.
While an asexual person has no sexual attraction to anyone, the term "aromatic" refers to people who don't typically experience romantic attraction.
The main character Charlie (Joe Locke) has a good friend named Isaac, who is portrayed by Tobie Donovan in the Netflix series. He was a brand-new character created for the TV show and was absent from the books.
Oseman entered the stage after lengthy lines formed in anticipation of her event, with many teenagers clutching their books in the hope that she would sign them backstage.
She was one of the most anticipated literary celebrities to appear at Hay on Saturday and was overjoyed to learn that Heartstopper ice cream, which is made with strawberries and rhubarb, was even being served at the festival.
I still have trouble comprehending the journey and the extent of Heartstopper's success, Oseman told the audience.
The (TV) scenes that are verbatim from the comics are especially surreal. It's amazing to watch my ideas come to life.
"I had a strong commitment to writing in prose. This was supposed to be a one-year project, I thought!".
Seven years later, two new books are in the works, and at the beginning of August, Netflix will release series two of the TV adaptation.
Heartstopper has been adapted for the small screen by Oseman, who also serves as the show's executive producer. Rotten Tomatoes gave the first season a perfect score.
"I simply care a great deal about Heartstopper. When I first started, it was and still is my passion project. Since it is so important to me, I make sure that it never transforms into something I despise, which is always a risk when authors create book adaptations.
"However, I'm incredibly fortunate to have had so much control. "I was really involved in writing it, being on the set, and all the different aspects of the show," she said.
While Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao) determine whether they can be more than friends, the new series will follow the ongoing romance between Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick as they deal with exams, a school trip to Paris, and a prom.
Second season. We're exploring some ideas that may be a little darker than season one in order to capture the excitement and magic of season one while also conveying a sense that the characters have matured a little," Oseman said.
"The love stories are becoming a little bit more sophisticated. I like to think of it as an elevation of season one. ".
At the age of just 17, Oseman wrote her debut book, Solitaire, which was released at the age of 19.
A good agent "would not see your age as being detrimental at all," she claimed, despite the fact that she didn't mention it in any of the emails she sent to potential literary agents.
With the Heartstopper books, the companion web comics, additional novels, and the TV series, she has undoubtedly had her hands full since then.
Last year, Oseman had to stop updating the Heartstopper webcomic due to "burnout and intense stress.".
In her speech at Hay, she admitted to being "a workaholic but I do try to make the effort to have downtime.".
While she admitted to listening to audiobooks to unwind, she has no plans to start reading fan fiction anytime soon.
She laughed, "Fan fiction should be avoided by all authors.". It's hazardous water. ".
Her fanbase includes older adults as well as teenagers, some of whom are recalling past events, particularly those who grew up gay or had identity issues.
One woman in the audience remarked that she was in school during the implementation of Section 28 and waited until her late 20s to come out as gay because "I didn't know it was a thing.". She thanked Oseman and expressed her gratitude for his books for her as a child.
The books are obviously intended for teenagers, but Oseman said that it has been wonderful to see that they have also attracted an amazing audience of older readers.
It simply proves that, for whatever reason, everyone is interested in reading about queer joy. ".
At some point, the Heartstopper series will come to an end, and Oseman informed the audience that she already knows how it will end and when it will take place ("roughly when Nick leaves to go to university. ").
But we don't expect her creative faculties to wane any time soon.
"My love for writing and drawing is what gets me out of bed every morning. Simply put, it's something I adore, and my stories are what keep me going. They give me a sense of purpose.
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