The initial inspiration for You Wish was a series of questions. What if someone were granted three wishes in today’s society? What if that person were forced to make the third wish with the whole world watching, expecting a wish that would benefit them personally and improve the world at large? And, finally, what would the final wish be?
As I composed the early drafts of You Wish, I didn’t know what the perfect final wish would be. At first blush, it might seem simple to make a single wish that would change the world for the better—eliminate world hunger, establish world peace, end war, or just grab a zillion dollars for yourself and let everyone whine about how selfish you are. But even though the noblest attempts to make the world a better place might seem workable on the surface, each of them could have fatal flaws that aren’t readily evident. Jake Parker and I embarked on a journey together to find the answer.
You Wish was originally a screenplay. By its nature, a screenplay is a bare-bones version of a story—all dialogue, stage directions, and scene suggestions. That means too much of the story has to be left unexplored. The decision to tell that story as a novel gave me the freedom to delve into the nuances of Jake’s evolving character in the midst of the chaotic world around him. That changed things. A lot. As a novel, I could take the story way beyond addressing the “what if” questions.
I chose a fourteen year old as the protagonist of the novel because that puts him on the cusp of the transition from childhood to adulthood where he can still have enough innocence and inexperience to hold on to a hopeful view of the world—even if that world doesn’t deserve it. But don’t get me wrong; I had no desire to write a dark tale about the current state of society. Instead, I chose to layer Jake’s adventure with a good dose of humor. But the novel’s underlying message remains serious.
You Wish is a composite. It’s a coming-of-age tale, it’s magical realism, and it’s social satire. Several of the adults in the novel receive tongue-in-cheek treatment. These characters represent extremes—sometimes stereotypes—but they are a reflection of real segments of our society.
That said, I strove to write a novel that was ultimately uplifting and satisfying. You’ll have to read You Wish to see whether or not I made it work.
Recommended Article: You Wish – a Review
