I spent the last six weeks engrossed in the stretch run of a manuscript that was due on March 1st. During that phase of the process, the big finish, I’m focused and absorbed. I don’t want to eat, or shower, or change my clothes. I’m locked in on writing the book, therefore neglecting some of the other administrative duties that come with being a professional writer: school visits, book festivals, fan mail, etc. In the middle of February, I received a brief email from “Detective Andrew K.”
It read . . .
Hi Mr. Preller,
My name is Andrew, and I am a huge fan of your books. They really inspired me. Specifically, I enjoyed the Jigsaw Jones series.
Now, I am a detective. I hope you’ll make some new books soon.
From,
Andrew
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I wrote back . . .
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Andrew,
Wait a minute. What do you mean, you’re a detective?
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You solve mysteries? You work for the FBI? Are you an old guy leaning back in a chair, feet on the desk, smoking a cigar? Or a kid, inspired by Jigsaw Jones, who solves mysteries?
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Please tell me more.
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(And thanks for reading my books.)
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My best,
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James Preller
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Andrew replied, again briefly (a busy detective, I assume), to clarify the situation. Here is the entirety of that response . . .
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First of all, I’m a kid. Who is 8 years old. And your last answer was correct.
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I zinged back a response . . .
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Andrew,
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Good to hear back from you. Thanks for reading my books. I’m glad they inspired you.
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Best of luck, detective!
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James Preller
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I figured that was it. Now I’d have to go back to work on my manuscript. But the best (by far) was yet to come. This time, Andrew’s email arrived with an attachment . . .
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Hi Mr. Preller,
I wanted to write more but I can’t type well. Please check the picture.
From Andrew
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So, yeah, that was awesome and deserved a more detailed reply . . .
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Dear Andrew,
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I’ve been traveling, sorry for the delay in my reply.
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I loved your letter. Thank you for taking the time to write it.
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Do your seven chickens have names?
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I was visiting with a group of school children just yesterday and one asked me, “Are you Jigsaw Jones?”
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I explained that it rarely works that way, where a writer and a character are the same exact person, so I could never say, “That’s me!”
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I’m not as smart as Jigsaw, or as focused and determined, but we do share a lot of similarities. Same sense of humor, I think, and similar world view.
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I am the youngest of seven children, and my grandmother lived with us late in her life. When I began writing Jigsaw Jones, I made him the youngest in a large family. I had his brothers call him “worm,” just as my brothers did to me. And, yes, I gave him a grandmother who lived in the same house.
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So I guess, in some ways, I’m a Jigsaw Jones “clone” just like you. That means we’d probably be friends if we ever met — or, who knows, maybe fierce RIVALS!
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Stay safe, Detective!
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James Preller
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