Wild Ride, the Prequel: Argh
May192009
Jen, our fabulous editor, has asked for a prequel to Wild Ride to be used as a teaser on the SMP website. She said it didn’t have to be very long, but as you may have gathered during the convulsions we went through writing the novel, the back story on this sucker is complex. So we narrowed the prequel down to one night, forty years before the novel starts, when everything goes wrong. Forty years later (2010) there will be consequences and vengeance and all that other stuff, but that’s a different story. This is not the place the story of Wild Ride starts; this is a different story. A shorter story. A darker story. A story that’s making me insane.
The problem with this prequel is that it’s grim. It has to be grim to set up the real story. But who wants to read about death and betrayal and orphans, for God’s sake? So I’m thinking maybe we truncate this a little, not take it to its real conclusion but just to the point where they go into battle, like the end of Angel, before the disaster happens and everybody cries. Of course, that’s exactly Bob’s kind of ending so I may not be successful here. Also, I think it’s wimping out.
But I really don’t want to write about everything going wrong. It’s so . . . depressing.
Bleah.
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29 Comments to 'Wild Ride, the Prequel: Argh'
On May 19, 2009 at 12:30 am Cindy Procter-King said...
I love reading about death and betrayal and orphans. Depressing can be fun!
On May 19, 2009 at 1:03 am Moth said...
“not take it to its real conclusion but just to the point where they go into battle, like the end of Angel, before the disaster happens and everybody cries.”
Just my own personal opinion but I HATED the series end of Angel. I’d rather see the disaster and death and bodies instead of something just…ending.
On May 19, 2009 at 5:36 am Laura Wilson said...
It’s kind of like the new Underworld movie. You know what’s going to happen because it’s been talked about in the previous ones and it’s bad. Who wants to go see that? Good luck.
On May 19, 2009 at 8:24 am JulieB said...
I wanna read about orphans! I have a very grim orphan story that I really need to be in the mood to write. It’s positively bleak. I usually feel most inspired to write it around Halloween.I think it would be very hard to write it in the spring, on deadline.
Maybe Bob can take it into battle at the end…
On May 19, 2009 at 8:24 am JulieB said...
Plus, knowing that it’s a prequel will entice the readers to buy the book and read on for justice!
On May 19, 2009 at 8:26 am Susan D said...
Hmmm. This sounds dangerously like that other P-word. And we know how you feel about prologues.
On May 19, 2009 at 8:49 am Strop said...
Well, you did say your career was moving in a darker direction. Maybe this is a challenge on your hero’s journey.
On May 19, 2009 at 8:55 am McB said...
“But I really don’t want to write about everything going wrong. It’s so . . . depressing.”
And it might be a bad idea to set up the readers with a downer. If it’s supposed to be our introduction to Wild Ride, you have to make us want to go back there. If it’s depressing, it could push people away.
And assuming that within Wild Ride some of this back story leaks out, taking us to the edge of The Ugly Thing That Happened should be enough. It’s not a prequel, it’s a cliff hanger.
On May 19, 2009 at 9:14 am Marcia in OK said...
Good stuff is meaningless if it isn’t what offsets the bad stuff. Death and betrayal and even orphans happen. True victory over such things would make an interesting, gripping story, and I’d want to read it. Knowing about the Big Bad Stuff sometimes helps me appreciate and want to follow through with worthy characters because I want to see them overcome and build their own place. (Their own place doesn’t have to always be the HEA in a romantic story, but it does have to mean something to them in relation to where they’ve been in their own journey.)
And, I just love to read about the history of things – even the not so nice stuff is interesting.
I’m pretty sure that none of that made any sense, so I’ll be back later.
Good luck. (Please, don’t wimp out, just because it is uncomfortable or different. This is a different book, you’ve told us to expect that and if you write it, we will read it.)
On May 19, 2009 at 9:32 am Brooke said...
That’s a tough one. If it’s meant to drive sales, it should probably be in the same tone as the book itself, right? Which definitely has its dark side, but you guys have a way of bringing the sparkle. How many words are you talking about? Can you do a think where the two main characters bump into each other years before they’ll actually meet, with the seeds of the problem already starting to show?
On May 19, 2009 at 9:34 am Mary Stella said...
If this is meant to be a teaser and enticement on the webpage, could the prequel being too grim also turn away potential readers who are new to the Crusie/Mayer magic?
On May 19, 2009 at 10:41 am robena grant said...
Don’t know if you read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. We did it for bookclub. It had a a prequel/prologue of about four pages set in 1952 in an entirely different setting to the story, with the story starting in the seventies. I don’t normally like P’s but this one was interesting. It had a sense of mystery with a slightly sinister undertone and you knew that something really important happened on those pages, by the line “we trade one life for one life.” That gave me that little chill/thrill of expectation. Yet, the story started out soft, lots of description, dogs and boys and country living in Wisconsin. The action didn’t get going until halfway through the book (560 something pages) and it led to a rather strange ending. But the whole way through I kept that scene in the P in mind and knew it would come into play because it was key to the entire story.
So just give us a taste of something sinister, dark, exciting, etc. it will anchor us and give us more understanding about Wild Ride. You can do it!
On May 19, 2009 at 10:53 am Jenny said...
Right now I’m just confused.
This has to work as a short story. Bob and I are wrangling now to figure out what it’s about since I think it’s about my girl and he thinks it’s about his guy–yes, we have been here before–but I’m open to anything as long as it makes sense on its own. The story has to get the ending it sets up, I just don’t know what the story is yet.
I know, I shouldn’t post while I’m flailing around. But that’s most of the time.
On May 19, 2009 at 1:36 pm Slave Driver said...
Okay I’m really tired right now, so I’m going with everything Marcia in OK said.
And I hear that posting while flailing is good exercise. It’s the new pilates, or Ti Bo.
On May 19, 2009 at 1:51 pm McB said...
Well, leave out both your girl and his guy and focus on the supporting cast. From the glimpses you’ve given us before I gather that they don’t know the back story at the start of Wild Ride, or don’t believe it. So focus on what happened, not who it happened to.
On May 19, 2009 at 2:16 pm Louis said...
Ah, but, Ms J, Your flailing around results in delightful reading.
On May 19, 2009 at 2:57 pm Diane (TT) said...
Well, put me down in the “not liking death and betrayal and orphans” camp. There was a series of books that took place in the “present” (fantasy series, so “when” is negotiable), where a nearly-exterminated magic race was coming out of hiding – I can enjoy that sort of thing. And I could read the first few books of the prequel series, but couldn’t finish them (as the massacres got going). And when the author seemed to be setting up her “just got out of the dreadfuls” hero (in the “present”) for another round of death, betrayal and, in this case, resentful bastards, I just stopped.
However, for the prequel to Wild Ride, SOME people survived, right? So there must be some degree of hope for the future. If it were I, that’s how I’d frame it: terrible happenings, but a few treasures (whether it be your girl or his guy or both) saved from the ashes. My tolerance for unmitigated misery is low, but I can endure some tragedy – after all, we all have to, at some point, right? Probably not helpful, but there I am.
Good luck!
On May 19, 2009 at 3:47 pm Jenny said...
The prequel is forty years before Wild Ride, so some of the cast repeats, but the hero and heroine aren’t born yet. Hero is conceived the night before, heroine during the story. So it’s about the supporting case, mostly hero’s parents. We’re still trying to figure out who the protagonist is. It’s the details that get you.
On May 19, 2009 at 3:55 pm Katie Mack said...
If it’s all depressing and tragedy and death, then it won’t be fun to read. Interesting, but not necessarily *fun*. It would be nice to be left with a feeling of hopefulness, even though I’ll have to wait for Wild Ride to have that hope confirmed.
On May 19, 2009 at 3:57 pm me said...
Maybe this is where you can put the teddy bear with glowing eyes you said you cut out of the original.
On May 19, 2009 at 4:22 pm colognegrrl said...
I can’t help it. I think you’re DOOMED.
On May 19, 2009 at 6:50 pm Jenny said...
CG, you’ve been hanging out with Bob, haven’t you?
On May 20, 2009 at 7:03 am Reb said...
I guess you and your wonderful editor have already covered this, but why a prequel? Why not just put the first chapter up as a teaser? It sure works for me.
On May 20, 2009 at 12:17 pm Mary Stella said...
Can you tell it from FunFun the Clown’s POV?
On May 20, 2009 at 4:27 pm Janice said...
Could do some kind of crystal ball or tarot or I Ching scene, where there’s a prediction, something that would stir curiosity about the hero or heroine, about “Wild Ride.” Haven’t read it, of course, so this is brainstorming in the dark.
Some kind of psychic happening. Brief awakening of some kind of demon or other-worldly being who predicts or warns or … Clash of good and evil which points to upcoming clash 40 years later. What about clash of Grandparent with same demon as in Wild Ride, and parent of hero or heroine
finds out about it or just has promonition. And/Or prediction that child conceived might be doomed to deal with demon, but maybe parents don’t know this, only fear for child. Or because of parents actions or grandparents actions or inactions, the child is thus cursed/destined to deal with demon. Running on here. Not sure this is helping.
On May 20, 2009 at 8:23 pm PG said...
We know from children’s literature that all the cool, exciting stuff happens to orphans or half-orphans. See Anne of Green Gables, Sarah Crewe, Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, et al. We kept reading Philosopher’s Stone even though (because?) it opened with a description of the Dursleys and the loss of the Hero’s parents and an infant Harry being dropped off as a foundling to live with those Muggle jerks. I have confidence you can pull this off.
On May 21, 2009 at 12:46 am Ericka said...
what do they say? there are no happy endings ’cause the story never ends? besides, the dark makes the light brighter – it’s why so many of us like it. i’m sure that whatever you and bob end up churning out will be wonderful… even if it includes monkeys and clowns.
On May 22, 2009 at 10:48 am Shari said...
You know I love your stuff especially for the wisdom and good feeling I usually leave with after a reading (or re-reading). I must say I am really intrigued to see where this is all going to lead in Wild Ride.
On May 24, 2009 at 11:26 pm inkgrrl said...
CrusieNoir… woot!