Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Very Strange Thing

Last week I promised to explain the Very Strange Thing that happened as I began writing the final (sob) book in the Sammy Keyes series.

Book #18.

Eighteen!

Are you aware of what a wonderful number eighteen is?

It's two nines.

And, as you regulars may recall from a previous post, nines are amazing!

And eighteen is two  of them.

Sorry. I know. The Very Strange Thing, right?

But first, I couldn't have imagined a better reception for Showdown in Sin City. I loved all the jumping up and down and the sincere compliments about the plotting threads and the character development and people saying that it was the best book yet. The best book yet! People just don't say that about the 16th book in a series...but they did! It was wonderful and amazing and so...satisfying. It was a long, winding, skid-filled road to get to Sin City, but we arrived to a hero's welcome and it was awesome!

Speaking of winding and long roads, I know, I know. the Very Strange Thing.

Sorry!

Maybe I'm just trying to avoid talking about the Very Strange Thing because it's about the Very Last Sammy which is (sob!) the very last Sammy!

But, see, that's the Very Strange Thing--I was expecting to be a blubbering idiot. From the first sentence I just knew I was going to be all weepy faced and runny nosed and very, very hard to be around.

And then I got to page three, and that's where the Very Strange Thing happened:

I started laughing.

At first it was just a snicker. I was kinda...well...maybe afraid to laugh. I mean, how could I be laughing?

This was the very last (sob!) Sammy!

And the story was so serious.

But the more I wrote the funnier things seemed to get until...well, I got kinda hysterical.

Maybe it's just hysteria from not dealing with the Very Last Sammy (sob!) in the proper manner. Maybe I'll end up chucking it all and starting over.

Or maybe the entire series has been funny, and just because this last book is serious and designed to be different, well that doesn't mean humor isn't the proper vehicle to take us to The End.

Or maybe I'd just rather laugh my way to The End, than sob my way there!

And now you know--the Very Strange Thing that happened.

Laughter!

See you next week!


25 comments:

Gabrielle said...

its gonna be serious... Interesting... But anyways I kind of get that way when i'm getting upset and frusterated,i start like laughing a little bit,but then i get upset. or when i get excited about something i get goosebumps or i get teary eyed,or both!! it dosen't make sense!! im not so happy that i could cry,i am not a crier,and why get goosebumps,i mean its not like im cold,i not the type of person to even get cold! Anyways now im getting of topic! It is funny how you started laughing,maybe you just replaced crying by laughing,better to laugh then cry. But i want to know what this books going to be about! i mean i know its not going to be in Sammy's perspective,and its serious,that all i know! But in a way i dont want to know. But im glad it dosen't come out for another 2 years,but i cant believe the series is almost over.:'( anyways i hope everyone has a good week!! :)

Kylie said...

That is strange. Maybe when you write the last chapter, or do the final "look-over" you will cry. I know when I get the last book I will cry.

And 18 is an exceptional number. I love finding patterns and cool things in numbers. Like how not only is 18 two 9, but if you add the 1 and 8 in 18 you get 9, which is a factor of 18!

Ky

Gabrielle said...

Hey! I never noticed that if you add the 1 and 8 in 18 you get nine! That's cool. I always add the numbers up on the clock and see what they add up to and then I add them together. I know that's kind of weird. But I was never known to be normal!! :-)

Jessica said...

Gabrielle, that's true for any multiple off 9: add their digits and you'll get 9 (or a multiple of 9, just keep adding the digits again until you get down to 9). You can prove that this is true with a little algebra: x * 9 = x * (10-1) = (x * 10) - (x * 1) = x0 - x, so the digits you're adding together are x - 1 (from the x0, you'll lose 1 from borrowing for the subtraction) and (10-x): (x-1) + (10-x) = x - x -1 + 10 = 10 - 1 = 9! That's true no matter what number you plug in for x (the proof gets a little complicated for numbers over a single digit, but it still works; I just wrote it out simply).

Wendelin, you said the last book is not in Sammy's voice, that its working title is "The Kiss Goodbye," and now you're saying it's serious. My brain is adding those 3 facts into something that makes no sense for a teen mystery series (so I won't even say it).

Regardless of whose voice it's in, it's not a SK book without some humor. I'm glad you're able to enjoy the humor yourself, and I hope you can continue to focus on the joy of writing it without "The End" intruding too much on you. I know that characters continue on in my head long after I've finished reading. You'll always have Sammy to visit, even if you don't write any more of her adventures.

Yusa said...

i'll be crying when i read it i know that. Sometimes i want to know more about Marissa
s life and problems and Billy... i dont know but i really am curious about Billy's life. And is there a release date fr Killer cruise yet? I barely finished Sin City and im already ready for the next one!! I just feel like these last 3 books are gonna be the tie off to the series and its sad because we already solved one of the biggest mysteries in Sin City. Her dad. The first mystery of them all. I hope us Sammy Keyes fans are like the Harry Potter fans and never really end....
--Yusa

Gabrielle said...

September 10 is when Killer Cruise comes out. :) I'm ready for the next book too!! But I can also wait cause its the last one until THE END. :(

Jessica said...

If we're making wishlists... I want not just Sammy's, but also Marissa's, Casey's, and Billy's family situations to be a bit more resolved by the end of the series (it looks like Marissa's will be, at least -- I don't need them all to be neat-little-bows-tied-up, but at least laces-crossed-starting-to-tie-tied-up).

And I loved the end of Showdown so much I nearly forgot about the stuff that happened in the very beginning (before Sammy left for Vegas), which started to address my concerns for Holly and how comfortable she is with boys given the abuse she suffered before and during her time as a runaway (I hope this isn't considered a spoiler; it was only *very* briefly touched on in Showdown, like less than half a page). I want more of that, too, please (not sure how much of Killer Cruise takes place in Santa Martina). Or a sequel to Runaway, from Holly's point of view, maybe in high school.

And Hudson! Though I like how mysterious he is, just a bit more info about him. I suppose Cricket was just a one-off character, so it'd be weird to bring her back now, but... who does she eat lunch with? Does Sammy even say hi to her when she sees her? And poor Dot is always kind of sidelined, though I'm not sure what I'd want to know about her. Maybe we could see the train café open. Or make Sammy testify in court -- every prosecutor's nightmare!

Yes, way too many wishes to be crammed into one or two books. I'm sure I'll love whatever is included, and my imagination will just have to do for the rest.

Yusa said...

Jessica: Yes i agree with everything you said!

Caria said...

I DON"T WANT IT TO BE THE LAST BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Isabel said...

Jessica: I totally agree.
Man, I just wiped away my tears...LITERALLY I'm trying nit ti cry right now. But when I'm done with the SK series, I am totally throwing a party! I will totally invite you guys! If I could....

Unknown said...

Maybe when she is done with SK (sob!) =(
She could write:

The Book of Billy Pratt


I could just see it!!!=)=)
I'm with everything Jessica said, but I'd wanna add the story of The Nap Nazi it sounds so funny and was mentioned in two books!=)
I love the saying Laughter is the best medicine for anything it is so true I ALWAYS feel better when I laugh it leaves you with a happy sparky feeling=)
I laughed so hard at certain parts of Sin City, it was one of the FUNNIEST books, even though I say that about all of them!!=)=)

Optimistic4ever said...

The Book of Billy Pratt... not bad :D

Can't wait for this last book. I still haven't gotten Showdown in Sin City though, so I need to catch up on SKs.

Sounds so interesting, and that's def very strange.

Yusa said...

Optimistic4Ever: I KNEW someone was missing! Where you been? Yes you need to read it!!!! You will love it! :)
And The Book of Billy Pratt is a great idea :) It has a nice ring to it.

Jessica said...

Bella, how could I have forgotten the Nightie Napper? Wendelin hinted that that mystery would be solved.

O4E, hope you get to read Showdown soon.

Hmm, a whole book of Billy Pratt. It would certainly be full of pratfalls. :D

Unknown said...

Ahhhhh!!! How could I have forgotten about the nightie napper!?
Well, add that one too, it will be funny and awesome to find out!=)
haha pratfalls that's a good one!! =D

Norma said...

Maybe this is you in shock right now. Like Kylie said, it might be after you actually finish, take a deep breath, and look at everything, it'll sink in, and then you'll cry. Whatever happens, we'll be here to laugh and sob along with you as you work through it.

Isabel said...

Bella: The Book of Billy Prat IS a super cool idea...I totally.

Gabrielle said...

A Billy Pratt book sounds... So cool!!! :D And i wonder who the Nightie Napper is!? I just realized we haven't found out yet! I don't want the last book to come!! :'(

Isabel said...

Yeah, who IS the Nightie Napper? Again I would REALLY like a Billy Prat Book. That would be awesome. SK is coming to an end SO fast!! :(

Unknown said...

I loved the parts where people would be like, Billy, were do you GET these things?! And he would say, from The Book of Billy Pratt!! =) That was awwesome =)

Yusa said...

I feel like the book of billy pratt should be more serious even though Billy is funny. Like more about his other life and father and all the stuff he hides behind his jokes. His quiet sensitive caring side and what he has to deal with. I dont know...

Isabel said...

Agreed, Yusa. Billy DID one time say something like his father didn't exactly improve him..... man I felt bad for Billy. :\ I love his jokes too. So maybe you could have his joke side and how he REALLY feels inside. About how he feels about himself, his family, friends, and all that.

Kylie said...

I would love a Biily Book! He is one of my favorite characters because he reminds me of me a little. We both trying to make things funny to hide our troubles.

And a second runaway, like when they are at highschool sounds great as well!

Wendelien do you have any ideas for books for when you finish The Sammy Keyes series?

Yusa said...

Remember that one time we like had 150 comments on one post :) That was so much fun....

Yusa said...

Ahhhh ive been reading our old comments on really old posts. We used to have long convos .... :D
http://etrtr.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-apology-to-gwaatp.html


http://etrtr.blogspot.com/2012/07/diamond-in-smelly-old-sock.html

And my favorites!!!
http://etrtr.blogspot.com/2012/06/hit-me-with-your-best-quote.html

http://etrtr.blogspot.com/2012/05/sammys-birthday.html


Memories ~