The last two birthday celebrations I wrote for Peter involved big surprises, and while he had fun, he prefers being more in control. Knowing he has a big birthday coming up, he decides to take the lead in the planning. This time he knows exactly what to expect. Right?
In an interesting coincidence, after I started writing this story I attended a class called Diverse Narrative Structures, led by author Henry Lien. One of the first topics was about story structures that signal to the reader what will happen vs. structures that rely on surprising twists. I like to think Peter's 40th birthday celebration includes surprises both for Peter and for the readers.
One source of inspiration for this story was the use of cars in White Collar canon. In the pilot episode we see Neal steal a luxury car, and later there's an episode involving a luxury car dealer where we learn of Peter's love of Lamborghinis. Also in the pilot episode, we see the first of many conversations that take place in Peter's car. I definitely enjoyed opening this story with that kind of scene.
Throughout the series we've played up Peter's love of cold weather. With his birthday falling in January, it was the perfect opportunity to introduce a theme of ice and cold. I hope everyone who wants a break from summer heat enjoys the opportunity to join a cool celebration with Peter!
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