Before My Oxford Year was a book or a movie, Whelan was originally hired to work on a screenplay that Burnett had started. However, as she began assisting on the screenplay, Whelan thought the story needed a longer version, so she transitioned from writing a script to writing the novel.

Towards the end of My Oxford Year, Jamie, due to cancer, finds his immune system beginning to falter. He begins suffering from pneumonia, which is in an aggressive state. The lovers envision their dream of a European trip together, and slowly, Jamie breathes his last in the embrace of Anna.