Here's a story that came to me while watching Castle. What if Chuck Bartowski wasn't a Buy More employee, but a famous novelist. He also gets the intersect from his Stanford roommate, who didn't get him kick out of school. Well lets just say fun in-sues. If you're wondering I am still working on Chuck vs. Starting over. Over ¾ of the next chapter in that one done. By the way I don't own Chuck or Castle if you were wondering.
Stranger than Fiction
Chapter 1: New and Improved Chuck
I graduated from Stanford with my Bachelor's Degree in Literature, in 2003. Jill and I broke-up two weeks before graduation and parted ways on good terms. We had dreams we wanted to achieve. Too young to settle down and not ready to commit to one another. I didn't have many friends in college, but I had Bryce Larkin. Now-a-days we might speak and trade a few e-mails once every few months. Last I heard he was an accountant living in Washington D.C. With me on the beach in Malibu, California we were worlds apart and growing further since graduation.
Right out of Stanford I knew what I wanted to do and that was getting my first novel published. I was living with my sister and Devon at the time. It was about secret-agent Blake Adams, who gets captured in Iraq and is presumed dead. He fights to get back to the ones he loves. Since I was a kid I loved spy novels and James Bond. So, it was inevitable that I would write about that obsession. After a year of extensive research. And doing everything an agent would have too, which included weapons training, desert and jungle survival, endurance training, and how to evade and escape capture. I sent my novel out to all the publishing companies.
Getting all those rejection letters was disappointing. It was like they were telling me writing should just be a hobby and not a career. "Don't worry Chuck its a great novel and soon everyone is going to realize it. Those publishing companies are going to be sorry one day." My sister was always giving me encouragement to fight for what I wanted. I was ready to give up and get a job at Buy More of all places, when it happened. The letter came. I was afraid to open it at first because of the other twenty rejection letters that sat on my desk. But with Ellie by my side I opened the letter from Four Star Publishing.
"Oh my god Chuck!" She screamed in my ear. I had to re-read it twice just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. "You did it. I knew you would always be a huge success, just don't let it go to your head okay." I knew she was joking as she said it.
"I'll always be your little brother. You have nothing to worry about." I was a humble guy to begin with. No amount of fame or money would change that. The people closest to me would always come first. Morgan was the first call I made, he was excited for me. We got drinks and had a blast to celebrate my big break.
Things moved rather quickly after that, I spent three months working with my editor Hannah making changes and polishing the dialogue. The book was titled An American Hero's Vengeance, the first book in my Vengeance Spy Series. When it was released soon after. I didn't know what would happen. Everyone at Four Star Publishing had faith in the book. This gave me hope that it would do well. On its second week of release it made it onto The New York Times bestsellers list and I knew my life would never be the same. It hit number one on the bestsellers list three weeks later and stayed on the list for 35 weeks.
Soon after it made it on the bestsellers list, I went on a book tour to promote the book, and signed a five book deal soon after. The first thing I did with my first big pay-day was buy Ellie a house in Malibu and bought the house next door for myself. I surprised her by driving her to the house. It was beach front property with 4-bedrooms and 5-bathrooms. It a single-story house, painted white, with a nice sized deck. I drove up to the house and asked her."What do you think?"
"About what Chuck?" She questioned.
"This house. Its for you and Devon. You've given up so much for me and I wanted to do something nice for you." I said with all the emotions I felt.
With tears in her eyes. "I didn't do it for a house Chuck. I did it because I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, you know that right?"
"Of Course." I replied handing her the keys and giving her a hug. "I just wanted to make your life easier and I'm going to be your neighbor, which is best for keeping my private life private. You aren't going to sell my picture to the tabloids or TMZ?" I said smirking.
"Never. Its just strange thinking of my baby brother as being famous. This is the nicest gift anyone could receive. Thank you for the house, it means the world to me" I was so happy to hear her say that. "Now Devon and I can finish paying off our medical school loans. Maybe even start a family soon." She told me with a smile.
I offer to buy her a car but she declines. My house has 6-bedrooms and 7-baths. Its painted baby blue, with two-stories, and a wrap-around balcony. I asked Morgan to move in with me. He was my closest friend and he would never betray me. Soon after, I offered to pay for him to go to business school. He accepted because I told him I needed a manager to guide my career. Morgan was the only one I could trust to be honest with me and not be in it just for the 10%.
As for a woman in my life, well after I became a famous novelist there was always the book groupies who I would never trust. They came out of the wood work and I would always question their motives. Were they into Chuck Bartowski or the millionaire novelist? I've had a few girlfriends since Stanford, but never got too serious with any of them. Its hard when I'm constantly researching content for my books, writing, re-writing, promoting, and being involved with numerous charities. Who has the time?
Anyways its getting close to my 26th birthday and I've accomplished a lot in my young life. Having three books that have hit number one on the New York Times bestsellers list would make any author happy. The three books written in my Vengeance Spy Series are An American Hero's Vengeance, Covert Vengeance, and True Vengeance. With the last book in the series coming out at the beginning of next year, Final Vengeance. My life was falling into a place of complacency. I wanted a wife and children to come home too. Someone to share my dreams and my fears with. It didn't seem like that was happening anytime soon.
Not knowing my life was about to be turned on its head. My writing had become predictable and that's a death-blow to any author. So, maybe adding a little excitement is just what the doctor ordered. What's the worst that could happen? You had to ask?
A/N: What do you think? Please review, its the only way for my writing to improve. In the next chapter we have Chuck 26th birthday to look forward too. Let me know if I should continue. I might focus more on this story if people are liking it better then my other story. So if you are reading Chuck vs. Starting Over in a couple days. I will try to update both stories regularly. Also a beta would be appericated if at all possible. My ideas don't always translate on the page. Thank you for reading until next time.