Monday, April 11, 2011

A Sneak Peek at the Plot for EVERNEATH 2

Good Monday, yo. 

Thanks for all your questions in Friday's post. Because of you, we are sure to have a stellar debut of our vlog: Three Authors answer Questions. (We're trying to come up with a more descriptive title...)

So, on to the post. The truth is, I've been sitting in front of a blank blog post for about half an hour. This is probably due to two things:

1. I worked out this morning. Now I can't move. Even to type.

2. Now that my copyedits are in, I really have to focus on finishing EVERNEATH BOOK 2: NIKKI'S DANGEROUS RIDE.

I can't give away too many details, but I will say that Nikki takes a ride on her boyfriend's motorcycle against her mother's express wishes, and ends up in a horrific crash that leaves her in a coma. When she wakes up, she's not the same girl she used to be.

She's rude, selfish, and completely unsympathetic to her family's concerns.

And oh yeah, now she has a twin sister. 

So anyway, I have a lot of work to do... wait. Sam is reading over my shoulder. He says the plot of book two sounds contrived. And a little familiar. 

Hold on a sec...

Okay, apparently that is the same plot as Sweet Valley High #7: Dear Sister. 

It's time for Jessica to be the responsible one...  will she ever get the old Elizabeth back?
I don't know why I didn't notice. I guess it is true that there is nothing new under the sun. But I should've realized something wasn't quite right from the start, given that Nikki's mother is dead, so how could she warn Nikki about the danger of motorcycles?

The bigger question is: why did Sam know this?* 

Okay, looks like I'll have to go with plot idea #2: Don't Let Nikki Drive the Bus

All 17-year-old Nikki Beckett ever wanted to do is drive the bus. But a traumatic event from her past (her mother's death, and her twin sister's coma) resulted in a psychological block in Nikki's brain that left her with no opposible thumbs. 

When a strange apocalyptic event leaves everyone in Nikki's small town armless, Nikki must make a decision: Let the pigeon drive the bus to the grocery store... or drive the bus herself, opposible thumbs or no.

Will Nikki let the pigeon drive the bus? Or will she overcome her psychological shortcomings to...

wait. It's Sam again. He says that although the idea isn't as tired as the first one, it still might sound a little like this:
Is it really something that needs to be pointed out? It sort of seems like good common sense.
Fine. Looks like it's plot #3: EVERNEATH 2: THE TRUTH ABOUT STACEY.

Nikki's best friend Stacey has a secret. She isn't feeling well-

What, Sam? WHAT WHAT WHAT?

FINE! There goes my "Best Friend Gets Diabetes" plot.

Back to the drawing board.  

Do any of you have any plot ideas? Preferably ones that don't involve comas, diabetes, or ornithological anomalies? 

*In the interest of protecting Sam's manliness, I'll admit he had nothing to do with this blog post, and he has never read a Sweet Valley High book, and we did not bond over Sweet Valley High #10 Wrong Kind of Girl.

22 comments:

  1. Ha ha! You are hilarious. I LOVED the Babysitter's Club! :) And I did read a few Sweet Valley High books when I was younger... ;)

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  2. Chantele- I totally read all the SVH books in elementary school. I thought I was so grown up!

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  3. Cute post - very funny! Love your banner!

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  4. I remember that SVH book - well both of them really - ok, I think I read all of them too. Even the ones that were just "created by" Francine Pascal and not actually "written by" her. Remember the one with the fat friend that used to wear tent dresses to school and everyone was mean to her?

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  5. What about if Nikki finds out she's really a wizard with frizzy hair? Wait, I think I'm going to hold onto that little gem for myself.

    Good luck!

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  6. Paula- I totally remember that one! Francine Pascal was my hero.

    Amanda- Too late! I'm stealing that idea! I'll name the main character Hermiothighs.

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  7. Oh my God, you really took me back with Sweet Valley and Babysitter's Club. Mary Anne was my idol when she started dated Logan. It gave hope to plain brunettes everywhere.
    Maybe you could borrow another page from Sweet Valley, AND Charles Dickens- there was a SV where Jessica is visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future and sees the error of her selfish ways. Like you said in the last post, there are no new ideas anyway!

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  8. Gina- Sweet Valley and Charles Dickens go together like peanut butter and Windex! But since you brought up Dickens, I will give you a REAL hint about the Everneath series: A strong thematic element in the series is based on one Dicken's classics. :)

    That is the truth.

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  9. Loved SVH and BSC... I admit it. And I cried when Stacey got diabetes. It still brings a tear to...

    erm... Great post, Brodi! :)

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  10. Jenn- How could you NOT cry when Stacey got diabetes? We all have hearts, don't we? :)

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  11. Whatever! Sam totally wrote this post. It has Sam written all over it ... quite literally!

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  12. There's a set of blond teenage twins in my ward named Jessica and Jordan. I think of Jessica as the "bad" twin. :)

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  13. Jenni- You're totally right! He wrote it last night. He was up all night.

    Robin- Ha ha! It's only natural to assume a twin named "Jessica" is the bad one. :)

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  14. Hehe, loved the post. :) I loved the BSC series.

    Story ideas, hm...
    An Everliving girl wants Jack, and Nikki tries to protect him?
    Nikki, friends and enemies are trapped in one place, and they have to work together to get out?
    Cole kills someone, and Nikki and Jack have to keep other people from discovering the Underworld really exists?

    ...Too cheesy and cliché? ^^;

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  15. What does ornithological mean?? And sorry I'm no help with plot ideas. But sure love Mo Willems. You could pilfer from him - I'm sure he wouldn't mind. As for Dickens, are you shootin' straight? If so and you're telling the truth, I'm dying to know which book...

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  16. Stephanie- Those sound perfect! Especially the one about being trapped. Reminds me of a corporate retreat or something. :)

    Cath- The technical definition of ornithological is: Bird Stuff.

    And yes, I'm shootin' very straight about the Dickens plot point. I'm a little hesitant to say which book, because the plot point is pretty gigantic, and to me the book screams this certain plot point. But I'm sure it wouldn't be that obvious. I would just feel so exposed.

    Email me if you really want to know! :)

    p.s. Hint: It's not A Christmas Carol.

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  17. Oh I LOVED Babysitter's Club. I even started my own when I was 8 or 9. I also pretended I had diabetes once in third grade, because I thought everyone would be nicer to me and I'd be cool like Stacey. It didn't work, btw. In case you were thinking of trying it.

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  18. Sara- Oh that is so funny you pretended! I loved the BSC. My writing group wants to BE the BSC. :)

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  19. I just found out my cousin's wife is your cousin! If that makes any sense...
    Karen Miller Blacker? You know her right? Please say yes because I'll feel like a total dork... Anyway, just wanted to tell you that! ;)

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  20. Chantele- Oh yeah! We're totally family now!

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  21. Thank you for making the BSC a part of your post. If you are looking for a plot line to... borrow, might I suggest BSC #34, Nikki and Too Many Boys. That one is crawling with adventure, and you don't have to create a character named Stacey.

    Have you played the Sweet Valley High board game at my house yet? If not, I sense a SIX sleepover afoot!

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