Like many authors, I write a treatment before I start writing the actual novel. A treatment is a brief summary, a blueprint if you will, of who the characters are and what the story will be about. It helps solidify ideas and creates a starting point. However, once I begin writing, I put the treatment aside and let my characters loose. When the novel is complete, I’ll go back and look at the original treatment. To say the final story turned out differently would be an understatement. So, just for laughs, I’m posting what was in the original treatment for my debut romance novel, The Reunion.
Warning! Spoiler alert!
Many of the main points from the original treatment were included the final novel, such as leading man Ian showing up unexpectedly at Gillian’s opening at a Denver art gallery. It also included her subsequent return to Denver to hide out from her homicidal ex husband. However, a subplot about Ian selling his house and moving into a condo with his son, Larry, never materialized. Thank goodness. It was boring and did nothing to enhance the story. Likewise, many other scenes in the final novel were never included in the treatment. This includes a pivotal moment when Gillian nearly drowns.
The most notable change, however, had to do with the characters themselves. In the treatment, Ian’s ex wife, Laura, was shy and demure. A savvy businesswoman, she ended up being anything but shy and demure. Laura speaks her mind. That’s why Jeremy is so direct.
And speaking of Ian’s oldest son. In the original treatment, Jeremy was a villain. Aggressive, if not nefarious, Jeremy would only have a small role before being written out. Gillian befriends him and he then tries to force himself on her. She, of course, turns him down. Rejected, he soon enlists in the Marines and ends up being deployed to Afghanistan, leaving a furious Ian who blames it all on Gillian.
Nah, that definitely wouldn’t have worked. Ian would have never had such an evil son. Then Jeremy told me he wasn’t a bad guy either, although he is still drawn to Gillian. After rescuing her when she nearly drowns, he competes with his father for her affection. This created a whole new subplot which became the second half of the book. Many readers tell me it was their favorite part of the story.
The end of the story was fairly close to what was in the original treatment. Now I can’t tell you that because it would spoil it for the those who haven’t yet read the novel. Suffice to say that it all works out, and Gillian ends up with the right guy.
Marina Martindale