Oh hey, another one of these. This one is special because this was actually a request, one by user DragonEmperor999. I'm actually glad they requested it because I did have an idea for a re-write that popped in my head the last time I was reading this one, to get materiel for my Out of Context Twitter account. Yep. The reason this one to took a while is because...it took too long for me to really crack the code. I know the idea I wanted to get into but I wasn't sure how to portray it per say. So chances are high that even when I post it, I may look back and wish I made a tweak or 2 to this. But ah well, we'll see how this goes.
I kinda like this book as it is but that's despite some notable flaws in it, as per usual. One that many bring up is that it takes too long for the Blob to actually show up, as we end up wasting time on other stuff. I get that if we focus too much on it, that stuff may get old quick but it's still an issue for me. I wasn't totally sure how to tackle that but I think some of the other stuff I came up may make up for it if this theoretical version would still have that problem.
Okay, so in the book, Zackie started writing the blob story on that typewriter at the moment that he did, because he was angry at a prank his 'friend" Adam pulled. He wrote it out of anger and it is implied that the Blob is a representation of Zackie's own feelings. I don't think it was meant to be read into that way but the seeds are there due to the way the scene is set up. I found that interesting and it gave me the idea that I started this re-write with. Hell, the idea of a story being someone's way to vent their feelings was even used in the Goosebumps movie. Seriously, that movie establishes that their version of Stine came up with the monsters as a way to deal with the stuff he dealt with in this movie's version of his life. Guess it's fitting they used the Blob when it was clearly meant to be Monster Blood.
Anyway, let's get on with this. We're keeping the setup the same, and that includes Adam, the jerk friend who is so bad to Zackie you gotta wonder why Zackie and Alex keep him around. That''s the center of our version. Zackie is too chicken to kick him out of the friend group, even though Alex keeps voicing her concerns about keeping him around. In this version, Adam will dare Zackie to enter the mysterious run down store when they find it, instead of Zackie thinking it is a good idea to do so like in the book proper. (Basically, we're making Adam the reason all this happens).
Perhaps we'll keep some of the stuff with them starting the story, so it'll give them reason to believe the typewriter indeed brings stories to life, which is important. If that Blob will be taking his time, perhaps we'll make the stuff the typewriter brings to life a bit more interesting. Perhaps after Adam mocks them for thinking the story started the sudden rain, he goes on the thing and writes that Zackie's dad gets hit by a truck. Zackie is appalled by this action, than remembers that Dad went out for ice cream before the rain started and realizes he has to push him out of the way of the truck.
It's a bit extreme but it makes for a way more fun set-piece, eh?
Zackie is able to do so and now he's especially mad at Adam, who still maintains it was all a coincidence. (Keep in mind this version will keep that they use the thing to summon Adam over there, Adam just assumes he forgot why he came over). They are convinced by now and Alex makes Zackie promise not to use it to write his story, and he agrees to it. He starts to flesh out his planned Blob story further and he decides to inject some stuff inspired by his dealings with Adam, because he's just that frustrated with him.
He goes to Adam to show off the story, hoping that perhaps some of what he wrote in the story will give him a hint. Not only does this not work, but he mocks him further and rips up the story. Pissed off, Zack goes home and wanting to vent, turns to the typewriter and vents things out via writing his blob monster story. Keep in mind, this version isn't the same he gave to Adam, he just wrote that a Blob monster attacks a town and such. Along with writing a part where Adam gets eaten by it. Before you can say "Whoops, you messed up Zackie", his mom asks him to go the store, just like in the book proper.
Thus, he finds himself face to face with the blob that the type-writer brought to life. Now, the Blob acts of how own volition now that it is real, instead of only doing what Zackie wrote and such. Oh and here the Blob would happen a bit earlier instead of whatever page he shows up on, so we can drag this out slightly more. Perhaps Zackie hides in the store and has to hope the Blob didn't see him come in, but whoops, he did and the Blob straight up eats the Store, with Zackie escaping before he can do so. (The blob has a big mouth, he can eat buildings whole now, whatever)
The scene where Adam gets eaten still happens, but here it is because Adam made sure to write that it happens. Adam finds Alex and they race home to get to the typewriter. Now, in the book they reveal it actually isn't the type-writer itself that is doing all this. Zackie got a shock when he touched it for the first time and we discover that Zackie has the powers on his own, and thus he thinks the blob away. That was...a choice but at least it was foreshadowed by having nothing happen when Adam wrote in the thing.
This threw a wrench in what I was planning for my re-write, especially with the take-away I am getting to. Do I keep that twist or not? In the end, this idea hit me: In this version...it is indeed the typewriter doing this and anyone can bring stuff to life, as Adam's whole truck thing from earlier will establish, and my version will lack the "Zackie has the power inside him stuff". However, it hits Zackie that the Blob could end up eating the thing before they can write on it, and they would be up shit creek without a paddle. Alex is like "Man, if only you had the power to do this without it". Boom it hits him. Everything you write in the thing actually happens, they know this now. So maybe if Zackie write something like "Zackie discovered he had powers that can make anything happen!":, then maybe this will allow him to do it for real!
They make it to the typewriter and Zackie indeed writes what I just said and sure enough, he now has these powers, which he tests by...uh, making Alex hit herself, idk. With these powers, he makes the Blob vanish and brings Adam back. Adam has no memory and mocks Zackie, and Zackie responds by telling him to piss off and that he is no longer welcome in their friend group, finally concluding that whole arc. Having learned his lesson, he wants to ensure nothing like this happens again so first, he writes that Zackie no longer has the powers. Sure enough, this makes them go away and he straight up trashes the thing, and takes it apart so that they won't even be able to use it again.
Yeah, I slightly amazed myself that I found a way to have him think the blob away while still not having the power be inside him due to a shock or whatever, he gave them to himself with a magic typewriter with no backstory! Way more logical, right? So everything is addressed? Not quite. If you recall, the book had a twist that reveals this was all a story by some blob monster.
That was...another choice and in my version, that would make even less sense. So let's do something kinda like that: This version reveals this this whole story was just a story Zackie had written, and he was telling it to his class as part of some creative assignment or something. Real Life Zackie indeed was upset at Adam and wrote this story as a way for him to address his own feelings, and hoped that having him get rid of Adam in this story would give him the courage to do so in real life. Sure enough, after Adam mocks Zackie's story in front of everyone, Zackie tells him he is out of their friend group, and eh, the teacher punishes Adam for being rude to Zackie like that. And yeah, we end here, no further twists needed. (I realize this twist makes the opening fake out chapter weird in the context of this all being a story in universe but shhh)
So there we go, I turned a simple blob story into a story about dealing with toxic friendship and all that. Hey, the setup was there, I just needed to...flesh this all out so it can work as a story. My problem in making this is that I felt i would accidentally imply that using your fiction as a way to vent your feelings is bad and I really did not want to give off that give. As long as you execute it well, writing is a great way to help you get out this kinda stuff. In the story, Zackie's problem was still using the typewriter, not that he wanted to vent himself a tad through his writing. That's why I needed to make it so that the typewriter does all this and someone needs to write in it, and that Zackie does not have the power within him at the moment. Otherwise, suggesting that him using it was the issue would be dumb if the power is inside him in the end.
I think my compromise with Zackie worked out well in that regard. So there you go, the hardest re-write to pin down has finally been been jotted down, I can sleep well now lol.
So that about does it for this one, a bit longer than usual but hopefully this is all looks good. I've been stewing on other ideas but wanted to get this one out before moving onto my other ideas. But yeah, feel free to request and I'll see what I can do, I hope the requester enjoyed this. See ya.