When even time won't take you seriously - with Andy Gavin
There's a young adult book I'm really looking forward to reading soon called Untimed--isn't that a perfect title? The cover's pretty intriguing too. And author Andy Gavin's previous book, the Darkening Dream, was very enjoyable (read my review here.)I'm delighted to welcome author Andy Gavin to my blog today to tell us a little about where the story and characters came from, whether our time, another time or none, but read on and find out. Over to you Andy.
Typically, Untimed
began from a fusion of ideas. Lingering in my mind for over twenty years was a
time travel story about people from the future who fell “downtime” to relive
exciting moments in history (until things go wrong). I worked out a time travel
system but had no plot or characters. Separately, in 2010, as a break from
editing The Darkening Dream, I experimented with new voice techniques,
especially first person present. I also read various “competition.” One of
these was The Lightning Thief (the first Percy Jackson novel), which has
an amazing series concept (if a slightly limp execution). I love
mythology and history, and liked the notion of something with a rich body of
material to mine. I wanted an open ended high concept that drew on my
strengths, which brought me back to time travel.
Some of the mechanics
from my earlier concept merged well with a younger protagonist, voiced in a
visceral first person present style. I started thinking about it, and his voice
popped into my head. I pounded out a chapter not too dissimilar from the first
chapter of the final novel. Then the most awesome villain teleported into the
situation. I can’t remember how or why, but it happened quickly and
spontaneously. Tick-Tocks were born (or forged).
The
Tick-Tocks are supposed to be mysterious, and I really wanted to reveal their
secrets layer by layer. It was even important that by the end of the book,
while you understand a lot more about them, you don’t really know exactly where
they come from or what they're up to. A great nemesis needs this. Think Darth
Vader or Professor Moriarty. Their secrets aren’t all on the table to begin
with. Additionally, one of my favorite emotions to play with is “creep.” My
first novel, The Darkening Dream, is all about creepiness, and I think
it’s much more effective and scary than plain horror. So the Tocks are supposed
to be creepy. Not exactly horrific, but just mysterious and creepy. That’s one
of the reasons they don’t talk. Creepy.
Charlie’s character
derived automatically from his voice, which I tried to make authentically 15.
And while he’s sweet, and fundamentally optimistic and good natured, realism
demanded a bit of an edge. Teen boys think about shit and sex. Sorry, but it’s
true. I rub up on issues that make some squirm, even if I deal with the
lightly: teen pregnancy, drinking, slavery, etc. But to sweep these under the
carpet wouldn’t do justice to the 18th century – or our own.
As to
Yvaine. Well, she’s based in part on the kind of girl I wanted to meet when I
was a teenager. This seems odd, considering how messed up she is, but like
Charlie, I didn’t have much luck with girls in High School. In the 80s, being a
“computer guy” and even worse, into video games, was pretty much the kiss of
death (see 16 Candles for reference).
Yvaine is smart, capable, and in charge, but she’s also damaged and emotionally
needy. I thought the combination worked.
Lastly,
I’ll talk about Donnie. I’ve noticed that the most effective jerks tend to have
some real charisma. Because of Yvaine, Charlie never really likes Donnie, but
he maybe could have briefly. Donnie holds his little band together throw a
mixture of intimidation, generosity, camaraderie and loyalty. He may be mostly
out for himself, but he really sees himself as the protector and leader of his
gang, and he acts this way to hold up his own self image. Even in the end, his
loyalty to Stump is his own undoing, which is kinda sad – but that’s life. Real
villains are heroes in their own stories.
About Untimed
Untimed is an action-packed time travel novel by
Andy Gavin, author of The Darkening Dream and creator of Crash
Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter.
Charlie's the
kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, his own mother can't remember his name.
So when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day
Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes
even the laws of time don't take him seriously. Still, this isn't all bad. Who
needs school when you can learn about history first hand, like from Ben
Franklin himself. And there's this girl... Yvaine... another time traveler. All
good. Except for the rules: boys only travel into the past and girls only into
the future. And the baggage: Yvaine's got a baby boy and more than her share of
ex-boyfriends. Still, even if they screw up history -- like accidentally let
the founding father be killed -- they can just time travel and fix it, right?
But the future they return to is nothing like Charlie remembers. To set things
right, he and his scrappy new girlfriend will have to race across the
centuries, battling murderous machines from the future, jealous lovers,
reluctant parents, and time itself.
Read the first two chapters here: http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/untimed/sample/
About Andy Gavin
Co-founder
of video game developer Naughty Dog and co-creator of Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter has a lifelong passion
for storytelling. Turning his focus to writing, he’s crafted a pair
of fantasy novels that bring to life versions of our world where all the myths
that should be true, are.
His
debut novel, The Darkening Dream, fuses intense action
with a love of history and all things supernatural. On the eve before creation
God created ten special things, among them the Archangel Gabriel’s
horn, destined to sound the End of Days. But what happens if you’re a seventeen
year-old girl and an ancient evil thinks it’s hidden in your basement?
His
second novel Untimed, chronicles the crazy adventures of a boy no
one remembers, who falls through a hole in time and finds himself lost in the
past.
Comments