Several months ago I decided to write a Caffrey Conversation story to post in December, and I called it "Ghosts of Christmas Past." So why am I posting a story called "In the Driver's Seat" instead?
"In the Driver's Seat" is set in December of 2003, just like my original idea was. Peter is in his first days as the leader of the White Collar task force, and Neal is in his first days as an employee of the FBI. They both have a lot to learn, and adjustments to make. It's a scenario where it's easy to feel like you're not in control, and where you can put pressure on yourself to take control -- to put yourself in the driver's seat.
My plan had been that Neal would remember a series of past Christmases, seeing how his life has changed over the years. There might have been a similar series of memories for Peter. I've learned, however, that my stories often have a mind of their own and deviate from my beloved plan.
I noticed that I had several scenes taking place in cars, and many memories about being in cars. That brought to mind all of the canon instances of Peter driving and Neal in the passenger seat. As Silbrith pointed out, I've often made reference to cars in my stories, including a conversation in By the Book about Neal totaling Henry's car.
Eventually I clued in to the theme, and explored how Neal feels about his new job. Is he in the driver's seat? Should he be? Is Peter in control, or is it really up to fate? I don't definitively answer those, but explore it from several points of view. True to the "conversation" theme of the Caffrey Conversation AU, Peter and Neal talk to friends and family about their new working relationship.
That's how I started the month of December with a 7-chapter story that wasn't called "The Ghosts of Christmas Past." Oh, and did you notice that I'm posting chapter 8 of that 7-chapter story today? It's just one more example of a story taking over and smashing my plans for it. Fortunately I've learned to enjoy the part of writing where it feels like the story has taken over and I'm just along for the ride.
I am glad the story took over this way we get both yours and Penna’s take on the same period she took your basic idea and ran with it I have enjoyed both stories
ReplyDeleteThanks! Silbrith and I enjoyed returning to the same time period recently with Harlequin's Shadow and In the Driver's Seat. Sometimes we talk about our stories as if they were characters, with personalities and strong wills, and it's fun to share that perspective on the blog.
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