Egad. What to say about Episode 1 without giving the whole thing away? There’s so much I want to tell you, so many beans I’d spill if I could but . . . I know five other authors who would string me up by my toes. REMADE opens with a lot more questions than answers, but I can assure you - those answers are coming! Just not in this episode and certainly not in these notes.So what can I share? Here’s something - the opening of the original story bible that I gave the other writers and folks at Serial Box HQ to get this whole thing up and running. It’s a peek (lightly redacted to avoid spoilers!) into what I was thinking when I dreamed REMADE up, and it opened with a confessional:
“I will admit that when I was a lonely teenager, I dreamed of being alone with the girl of my dreams, the one who barely even knew my name. I would fantasize about being stranded together on a desert island . . .
Those were good dreams.
Sometimes the daydreaming would get bigger. What if instead of me and my girl, it was the entire science class who washed up on that island? Who would emerge as leaders? Who would fall in love? Who would fight and would anyone be killed?
Breakfast Club: Extreme Edition
I'll also admit, even today I sometimes play the same daydream game with the strangers in the subway car, but this is New York, so it's usually kind of scary and gross. Still, that's what's at the heart of ReMade, beneath all the crazy sci-fi and survival action, it's about these kids - strangers for the most part - stranded together. Who will emerge as leaders? Who will fall in love? Who will fight and who will be killed? The future of humanity will hinge on the answers to those questions.
Okay, so on to the crazy sci-fi!”
You see, it didn’t open with this kind of technology versus that kind, or thoughts on quantum theory or alien intelligences or predictions about AI and the singularity or any of that stuff (though we got to it!). What we did open with was the common experience of being human. That’s what my favorite fiction is about, and this episode begins with that, with a flawed character dealing with feelings we can all relate to – and with a very human moment that turns tragic.And then his world, and hopefully yours, is blown wide open.Now, I’m running a little long on word count here, so let’s finish up with a few bullet points:
- The questions – we got answers. Be patient.
- The characters – you haven’t seen nothing yet. I hope you’ll have your favorites and I hope they make it. (We’ve got ours and they don’t always!)
- Did I mention the authors? Carrie Harris, E.C. Meyers, Andrea Phillips, Kiersten White and Gwenda Bond! C’mon!
- Lastly, the readers – we want to hear from you. Week to week readers and binge readers alike, please reach out to us and tell us what you think. Serial fiction thrives on that feedback loop, so whatever makes you happy, angry, curious or sad – please share!
Come back next week for “Hungry” by Andrea Phillips – I think the title of that one says it all.Until later!Matt
