No worries, I am still finishing up a Soft Place To Land (I have even started plotting where my next fanfic will take these characters). But as I was plotting some of the highlights I envision happening next I thought about how all of my stories have surprised me in some way. So I thought as a fun little post I will share some of what I call the “cutting room floor”.
I Believe in the Mystery:
I never intended for Rafe to be a long-term character. In fact, I originally saw him as working for Romeo to keep an eye on Tony and report back his whereabouts. But then I started to like Rafe and he provided Tony with the one thing that I felt Tony needed, a father figure. I was actually unsure of what Rafe’s outcome would be until the very end. But I like how he has become an adopted member of the Santos family.
I was also going to bring back Shayne but instead I wanted to form a bond between Marah and Jonathan, something I think the show should have done.
What Matters Most:
I have always tried to add a lot of classic soap elements into my stories. From characters coming back from the dead to amnesia I try to add a lot of *cue dramatic music* big beat reveals. And in true Marah and Tony fashion whenever they are happy here comes a big wrecking ball. The villain in this story was going to be Eden but I was organizing my Marony clips and Catalina mentioned having brothers. And I wondered why GL never pounced on that great opportunity. A brother coming to avenge his sister? I just really had a great time diving into this villain and well, let’s just say there is a reason I never killed Carlos Riviera.
The biggest cutting room floor moment in this story was that I was going to have Eden claim she was pregnant by Tony and when Marah gives birth she was going to steal the baby and claim it was hers. Such a classic soap story but the story was long enough already (I try to keep chapters short for easier reading) and well I always hated Eden. So instead I went with the other classic soap beat and had Marah have a brain injury that caused amnesia.
A Soft Place to Land:
This one was such a slow burn for me. I had to break Marah and Tony and build the, back up again. But I tried a new writing technique with this one. I had a lot of plot points mapped out and then I just would sit down and write. It has taken me longer because real life gets in the way more but I have liked the twists and turns. In this one I have tried to bring back some classic sets that fell by the wayside through the years. I brought back Towers for I Believe in the Mystery and In A Soft Place to Land I brought back the Roadhouse, and brought a community center to 5th Street because I miss big 5th street moments like the fire and Frank and Eleni’s wedding. Really I just loved how BIG Springfield was in the 90s.
And the most surprising moment for me writing this one was Dr. Richard Salas being Carmen’s illegitimate child. Did you see that coming? Because I sure didn’t. In fact, when I began plotting out the bare bones of A Soft Place to Land I originally thought Richard was going to be Miguel’s but somewhere along the way he became Carmen’s spawn. And it isn’t over yet, I may have a few more twists ahead.
What are your favorite “classic soap opera” beats?
I Believe in the Mystery 