**A note: if you haven't
read Untouchable and you don't want to be spoiled, do not continue to read this.**
Writing a sequel is always a different experience than
writing a one-shot story.
As I’ve
explained in The Story Behind Invincible,
the story in general just sprang up on me. This was not the kind of story I had
planned on writing; originally it was just supposed to be a side project as I
did other things. But as I wrote it, I began to get more involved in the story,
and once that happened, it became my main priority.
I was so wrapped up in Troy’s story that while I was writing, I began
to think about what would happen before it even happened. This whole process
happened during the writing of Invincible, and even though I was still in the
beginning of the story, I sort of knew what was going to happen to Troy by the
end of it. Once I knew that, I fast forwarded to what would happen next after
Invincible and what else would happen to Troy.
It was kind of ridiculous, really, but the character and his story was
so amazing, so great to write, that I just had to continue the story. If I
hadn’t done it, I would’ve never forgave myself, nor would have Troy and his
family, so from there, I knew what I had to do.
So, as I was in the middle of Invincible, I began to
sketch out Untouchable and some
of book three, and asked myself, "What happened?"
Frankly, I was surprised by the answer because it was
giving me a story I wasn’t quite expecting. More importantly, Troy did
something I wasn’t expecting.
I should probably mention to you guys that I am a
character writer. Having such strong, rich, developed characters motive me
every day to write. Though sometimes it can be hard having a sense of who your
characters are, and putting them in a situation that’s out of their nature.
Sometimes the good writers, I’ve learned, are the ones that accept their
characters truthfully.
As I started plotting Untouchable, it became clear
to me that in Invincible, Troy commits
to becoming a superhero, without ever once thinking about what price he'll have
to pay. Once I knew that, I realized that the focus would be Troy’s discovery
of this, with deadly consequences following it.
One of the first things I knew Troy would have to
sacrifice was his relationship with Taylor, meaning that they would have to break
up.
But it was so hard for me. I didn't want them to
break up. I tried the best I could to talk him out of it, trying to figure out
a way to save them. But that didn’t happen because Troy continued to refuse me.
That goes to show you how much of a character writer I am, and that was one of
those decisions where I had to accept Troy’s choice, no matter how I disagreed
with him.
But as I got closer to writing it, I realized that maybe
Troy was right to do that. You see, Troy cares about Taylor deeply, and the
very thought of her being in danger terrifies him, (while, deep down, he
believes he's not good enough for her). The fight with the Catchers acted as an
example of the former, forcing him to put her safety first before their
relationship. Although he loves Taylor, he was determined to save her life, and
thought the best way to do that was to leave her.
Is he overreacting? In some ways, yes. Is he stupid to do
it? Absolutely. But he couldn't see any other way to protect Taylor. No matter
how strong and powerful he is, he always fears Taylor being used as his
weakness, making him valuable to his enemies.
So there I was, facing the idea of Troy leaving Taylor.
It was hard for me to accept, but once I got over it, an interesting question
fell into my hands.
If Troy left Taylor because he loved her so much, how
would he react afterwards? What would you do if your true love, not some school
romance and not some random girl, but your true love has left you?
This was one of the questions I needed Troy to answer.
What would Troy Conner do when he leaves his true love? And more importantly, how would this affect
his other relationships? How will this affect his responsibility as Lion-Man?
And so the premise of Untouchable came into being, along with its
title. To follow up with Invincible,
which title reflected Troy’s feeling, I needed something else to reflect the
spirit of the story. As Troy feels he can’t be touched, in spite of all the
things in his life falling apart, I thought it would be appropriate to name the
book after Troy’s feelings in the story.
Now for those of you who have read Untouchable, by now you’re probably upset about what transpires in
the story, whether it be the rift in Troy and Taylor’s relationship, the
confrontations between him and Jack, and all the other intense situations that
are placed on his shoulders throughout. It’s not that I love inflicting negative
feelings on my characters (though what good book doesn’t contain harsh conflict?)
but I knew these trials would have much effect on Troy that I knew had to be resolved
and carried on through the rest of the series.
In Invincible,
Troy wholeheartedly commits to becoming a superhero, without ever once thinking
about what price he'll have to pay. In Untouchable,
Troy has to face the consequences of that choice. So every aspect of the novel—every
character, every action sequence, every decision—revolves around this
storyline.
Without all the lives lost because of him, and the presence
of the villain, Whirlpool, Troy would’ve never learned what it means to hang
onto hope and the morals he values most, gaining a strong sense of his beliefs
and learning to mend with each pain instead of crumbling. And without the separation, Troy may have
never realized how much he’s underestimated Taylor’s feelings for him, and that
they both have a hand in choosing to
be with each other. No matter what obstacles stand in the way or how imperfect
he thinks he is for her, Troy learns she wants to be with him.
With this, Troy gets a step closer to where he (and
myself) needs himself to be going into the conclusion of his journey.
At that point, with all these things simmering in my
head, I soon began to write them on the page. *shaking my head* If only things
were that simple.
When I wrote the first book, no one really knew
what is was or really expecting it. With
Untouchable, it was pretty much the
same thing. Then halfway through the writing, Invincible came out, and it hit me immediately that people were going to read it. So
the editing process proved to be a little more difficult (due to the book being
written on and off for two years because of putting out the first book, school,
ect.) and put it in perspective for me how much every little scene, dialogue,
sentence needed to work.
Not that it’s a bad problem to have. In fact, to be in
the position I’m in is the best. It’s very hard to explain what writing these
books have meant to me, having the dream of telling stories coming to reality
after wishing upon them since you were a five-year old kid. Sometimes people (random or members of my family) complement
me on accomplishing so much at such a young age, and I really don’t how to
react to it. It’s honestly never something that crosses my mind a lot, even
though I’m constantly reminded of it.
It may seem naïve of me, but I don’t write for
the prospect of getting noticed at a young age, or for monetary gain (though it
is a nice perk). I write purely because I love to tell stories, and its moments
where I see people reading the book or messaging me to tell me how much they
love it and connect to what it says that move me the most. Or when I get my
hands on the finished copy for the first time, flipping through the pages,
staring at the cover, seeing my name at the bottom of it, that makes me realize,
“this is doesn’t happen to everyone. You should be proud.”
For instance, writing one book alone is something
to be proud of. Not many people can have the perseverance to do it, or have the right
story, or the platform to present it. You essentially have to take a leap of
faith. So once you write a second book, you basically have to do the same thing
over again, but can use what you’ve learned from your first experience to make
it easier and improve.
At this moment in time, I’ve learned a lot through my
experience of writing the first two books, helping me grow and mature as a
writer. With this knowledge, writing book three, which I’m in the middle of
working on, is an easier and exciting process, and I can’t wait to bring you
guys the finale that lies ahead!
