Christopher’s Comments (group member since Nov 17, 2013)

Christopher’s comments from the Discussion with Christopher Mechling - Peter: The Untold True Story group.

Hi Guys!

It's been a while since I've posted in the group thread. As some of you may know, I have more books I am planning to release. We have not set release dates yet, as I am still doing some work, but I have decided to begin building a review team now in preparation for my next book launch.

This week, I am issuing a fun challenge to my friends and followers on Goodreads:

1. Read my book (or read it again)
2. For those of you who don’t have a copy yet, it is free right now on Kindle and Apple, and you can also buy paperback or hardcover copies from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
3. Find as many Peter Pan Easter Eggs as you can. (For the purposes of this challenge, an Easter egg means any events, characters, dialogue, mannerisms, objects etc found in Peter: The Untold True Story that remind you of the fairy tale of Peter Pan. It may be helpful for you to also read a copy of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan.)
4. This is supposed to be fun, so please don’t stress yourself out in the process.
5. Private message me the Easter Eggs you found and any feedback you would like to share. Constructive criticism is welcome (more or less) and of course, if you enjoyed it I’m always happy to hear that.
6. If you like the book, consider giving it a rating or a spoiler-free review.

If you’ve already bought a paperback copy of Peter: The Untold True Story and read through to the end, then you’ve seen a sneak preview of one of my next books. If reading an advance release copy and giving feedback sounds like fun, this is a great opportunity for you.

During this event, I will do my best to respond to each person who sends me a private message, but please note we will only be able to select a limited number of people to actually join the review team. Also, keep in mind that the shipping date for advance release copies is still months away- we are just building the team right now.

Thanks so much for your support!

Best Regards
Christopher Daniel Mechling

Destiny wrote: "Hello. What I want to know is where did you come up with the idea for your book and why you decided it would make a good story?"

The book is based on the true life adventures of Peter the Wild Boy. When I learned about him, I immediately made a connection with the character of Peter Pan, and I was fascinated by the idea that a real-life Boy Who Never Grew Up could have existed in England a century before the fairy tale was written.

So I read more, and started putting more pieces of the story together, and I am more convinced now than when I began that the true story of Peter the Wild Boy is the origin of the fairy tale of Peter Pan. Barrie himself hinted that the characters in his stories were drawn from real-life.

Of course, J.M. Barrie is responsible for writing his classic work, but I believe he drew inspiration from this poignant 18th century story, and that is why I wrote the novel.

Sara wrote: "...what drove you to write about Peter? What were the external and internal forces that made you decide that Peter Pan was your thing? "

Well for starters I wasn't driven or forced to write about Peter- generally I never write from that perspective. Sometimes I write from my imagination, sometimes I write about things I encounter. I learned about the historical life of Peter the Wild Boy, made a connection between it and the fairy tale of Peter Pan, and decided this was something I wanted to share. So, I wrote a novel to capture the feeling I had about this character.

Sarah wrote: "How did your own personal feelings affect the way you wrote your book and the evolution of the characters as the book progressed?"

Funny thing about that- as the author I generally know the plan of things well before they are written, but occasionally my characters do something unexpected. In this project, two characters surprised me by falling in love with each other and getting married. I could not deny their happiness. With the help of King George, we were able to arrange a suitable wedding and reception, and it turned out to be a wonderful event, but it was not something we discussed ahead of time.

This was not the only occasion when my cast took the script into their own hands. Peter, as you might expect, proved himself to be quite the rascal, and I love Princess Caroline too much to question any unexpected choices she might have made. In my process writing, I typically feel what the characters feel and so, if Lord Hervey decides to ad-lib his lines a bit, I give him some rope. It keeps everybody on their toes.

The relationships between the characters are at the heart of this book, and I see bits of myself in all of them. Someone else asked me this week what I am most proud of in my book- I guess the relationships are a part of the answer to that question. Peter and the Firefly, Peter and the Doctor’s Family, Peter and Rose, Peter and King George, Peter and the Deer, King George and Princess Caroline, Princess Caroline and her mother and sisters, Princess Caroline and Peter, Peter and the Queen, Peter and Frederick, Peter and Hervey, Caroline and Hervey, Peter and Tomochichi, Peter and his band of kids, etc.

Supranee wrote: "How do you feel the secondary characters (Lost Boys, Tiger Lily, Captain Smee) have contributed to the development (and/or idolization) of Peter Pan within Neverland?"

In my own book, the supporting cast of characters is very important. Peter is defined by his interactions with others, and by their perceptions of him. The same is true in Neverland.

Barrie conjured eighteenth century pirates, Indians, lost boys, and the fairies of Kensington Gardens, into Neverland along with Peter to create a children’s fantasy adventure that marked the Boy Who Never Grew Up as a hero, a leader, and the very ideal of wild youth. And then, having set the stage, Barrie laid the course for Peter to be undone with the introduction of Wendy Darling.

Jenna wrote: "Were you always fascinated with the story of Peter Pan as a kid? Did you have other favorite characters besides Peter Pan?"

I am very eclectic in my choice of heroes. Alongside Peter Pan, you will find a monkey, a seagull, a ragtag band of rabbits, a Terminator, a wandering samurai, Joan of Arc, William Wallace, and many others.

JoAnne wrote: "I would like to know what inspired you to write your version of Peter Pan??"

I’ve answered this question in several ways already, but I’ll try to inject something new here, to keep the conversation fresh. In his song “Hurt,” Johnny Cash sang, “You are someone else; I am still right here. What have I become, my sweetest friend? Everyone I know, goes away, in the end… If I could start again, a million miles away, I would keep myself; I would find a way.” I love that song, and I never connected it particularly with this book before- but those particular verses fit in well with the theme. Peter does not change, but everyone around him does. Eventually he loses people dear to him, an experience which threatens to claim the very thing that defines him- his innocence- yet in the face of it all, Peter finds a way to bring light, joy, and hope, not only for himself, but for the ones he loves.

Linda wrote: "I believe there is a bit of Peter in all of us and I am curious as to the 'untold story'."

The appeal of the untold story for me, is how the flesh-and-blood Peter managed to live into his seventies and remain an innocent Wild Youth. We see his journey through the eyes of the people who knew him, and we feel how he touched their lives. There is love, action, and adventure, but at the heart of the story is this conflict- how does Peter endure in our world? In the fairy-tale of Neverland, Peter Pan did not have to face certain realities, but in real-life, Peter did have to face them, and still, his innocence triumphed.

Tyler wrote: "What are your viewpoints on life, death, and immortality, especially when writing?"

I’m tempted by your question to write something esoteric, theoretic and vaguely poetic about how one can achieve immortality through writing, but the truth is that life is more precious than any words written on a page, and I hope you live every day of your life to the fullest.

My mother died of cancer a few years ago, and I am grateful for every moment I spent with her. There were difficult times, to be sure, but we made the most of what we had together. If you want to be a great writer, go and do your best to live a great life. Sooner or later, you will find the meaning of the words you are looking for.

Kirsty wrote: "My question is, what made you decide to write this book?"


Love.

Joanne wrote: "Do you wish you could be Peter Pan???? Hopefully we can all have a bit of Peter Pan in us, right?"

Yes- I would be very happy to never grow old but always remain young, and yes- Peter is there, in all of us, if we care to pay attention.

Jan wrote: "What made you decided to write the true story versus writing a retelling of the disney version?"

I had no specific desire to write a Peter Pan story, although I loved the book and the movies. But when I found Peter the Wild Boy, it was like a light turning on. After discovering the true story, how could I not write this book?

Michelle wrote: "When writing this book, did you only research Peter, or did you also read about other feral children that have studied throughout the ages? "

When I was young I learned about a girl who was found in the wild, and the experiences researchers had trying to help her acclimate to normal life. One thing that stood out in my memory was hearing how happy she was to run out of doors naked in the freezing snow, while her guardians stood by in heavy coats. In writing this book, I certainly did take an interest in the stories of other feral children, but the primary focus of my research was on Peter himself.

Traci wrote: "What makes your twist unique to other stories retold out there and how did you come up with the concept??"
Well, there are a lot of authors out there today that are reimagining the stories of popular fictional characters, but I haven’t heard of as many novels being written about the real-life people who inspired those fictional characters, and I am not aware of any other books written on the premise that Peter the Wild Boy was the true-life inspiration for Peter Pan. As for how I came up with the concept, as I’ve said, I didn’t set out to find Peter, Peter found me.

Charity wrote: "When you began writing your book, how many first sentences did you go through till your mind slipped away and your first page started coming together?"

As I recall, I slipped into that other place pretty quickly.
The very first words I wrote were from the narrator,

“All children grow up, all but one.”

Then I wrote a description of the scene to be visualized…

We see a covered wagon passing along a road in the German countryside. Ahead there is an ancient forest. It is the time of fireflies, and the air is filled with their colorful wings. One particular firefly meanders its way toward the wagon. We hear he voices of a married German couple arguing.

You see, my earliest draft of this story was in screenplay form. In the final draft of my book, The Princess Caroline introduces her narrative like this:

“All children grow up, all but one. His name is Peter and by now, all the civilized world has heard of him. He has captured the public imagination and become a legend, a subject for poets, philosophers and psychologists to write about, and for children to dream of. The children’s tales might be lacking in some details, but on the whole they are more accurate than most other accounts, for children will always understand Peter intuitively, as I did when I first met him.

“I shall endeavor to tell you the true story of my friend Peter, because he cannot tell it to you himself. Afterward I hope you will love him and defend him as I have for the remainder of your days. Pass on to others a true account of the wild boy who would not grow up, who danced with kings and won the hearts of princesses. He defied logic and reason, lived and loved with an innocent heart, and found peace in the midst of a turbulent world.”

Then the prologue begins:

The German city of Hamelin was already familiar to legend when Peter’s story began. The forests outside the city were said to be enchanted, and many folk tales were told about events that took place there. The most famous of these tales you have probably heard- that of a Piper whose music had the power to charm animals and children alike, and how the call of his pipes ultimately led many children into the wild, never to return. I do not know the truth and the fiction of that tale, but it has been suggested to me the legend of it may be related to the Greek stories of Pan, God of Nature as well as of Shepherds and Flocks.
Now no one knows exactly when our wild boy Peter was born, but one thing is clear, he left his parents when he was still young, before they could teach him the lessons that turn a little boy into a man. I have always pictured the scene taking place at twilight in the countryside. A covered wagon traveling down the country road headed toward the ancient forest. Since it was summer, there would be fireflies in the air in great numbers, and perhaps one firefly in particular would meander her way toward the wagon. If she were listening, that firefly might have heard Peter’s parents arguing…

I think there is a longer excerpt from my book you can read here at Goodreads.com on the book page. Better yet, you can buy a copy from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, or my personal website, and read the complete story!

Belinda (TheBookBuddies) wrote: "What was the hardest part of writing this novel for you?"

Finding the time to write was probably the hardest part. Besides that… portraying Peter’s character while having him say very little was a challenge, but also there was the challenge of capturing a sense of the magic of a fairy tale within the constraints of a story based on true historical events. Yet, truth can indeed be stranger than fiction, and I found I did not have to try too hard to bring the tale I envisioned to life.

Jamie wrote: "What made you decide to write about Peter Pan?"

They say that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. I felt very lucky to have discovered the true story of Peter, and to have had enough prior experience writing to feel ready to tackle such a subject.

Beverly wrote: "What was it about the original Peter Pan that spoke to you the most? Was there a moment or a scene that made you think "I need to tell his story"? As far as writing in general goes, what is the most useful advice anyone has given you about the craft, and what would you tell other aspiring writers (such as myself)?"

Peter Pan is innocence triumphing over all. I always liked the story, but I never had any inclination to write another version of it, until I found there was a real Peter, who similarly retained his innocence throughout his life.

Advice on writing… one of the things that my father has always suggested to me is to write out my idea first, and edit afterward. I have found this to be very good advice. It’s easy to get stuck when you overanalyze your work in process. There will be plenty of time to do that later.

Outside of my immediate family, the person who gave me the best advice about writing was Ray Bradbury. I wrote something about my experiences with him in my preface to Peter: The Untold True Story. Ray was a great inspiration for me.

On the day I first met Ray, I remember he said to the group, “Now, I know that you’ve all come to hear me talk about the Art of Writing, but I am going to talk to you about Love…” Ray believed we should do what we love, love what we do, and fill our lives to the point of overflowing with the things that inspire us.

From conversations we had, Ray knew I was working on finishing some large projects, and recommended to me that I publish some short stories in the meantime, to introduce myself as an author. He wanted me to get my work out there. Peter: The Untold True Story is 220 pages long, so it’s not exactly short by Ray’s standards, but just the same, I am glad to have begun introducing readers to my work.

To any aspiring writers reading this, I would say start today. Write what is in your heart. Persist, day after day.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn had to write his novels on cigarette wrappers while in prisoner in the gulag, and then the guards found the papers and burned them, so that he had to write it all out again. But writing sustained his spirit through that difficult period, when others perished. He survived, and so did his writings. Do not give up.

Book Affectionist wrote: "Is any of this book inspired from your childhood or a child in your life? "

The novel is about Peter, as I have come to know him. When an immortal youth sits down on top of your desk and tells you his life story, you listen carefully. Now when I think of Peter, am I reminded of my own childhood, and of other children I’ve known? Of course. But I imagine my readers are similarly reminded of their own experiences. Barrie had it right when he had Peter Pan say, “I'm youth, I'm joy, I'm a little bird that has broken out of the egg.” Peter springs from a place in all of our hearts.

"How did you come upon this story? Do you intend to do more books like this novel, exploring the history of such beloved tales that inspire us?"

Discovering the origin of Peter Pan and then writing a novel about it was an unexpected joy. I did not set out to find Peter’s story- Peter found me.

"What other stories have you written?"

Peter: The Untold True Story is the first book I’ve published, but not the first I’ve written. I have many more books to share, and look forward to announcing my next title. When that time comes, my Goodreads fans will certainly be among the first to know. Until then, however, I hope you will patient with my silence.

"What authors inspire you to write?"

There are many authors whose work has inspired me. In the preface to my book, I give thanks to Ray Bradbury in particular, because I was fortunate enough to have known him personally.

"What do you think is the best portrayal of peter pan in social media(disney, etc.) and why? Did that have any influence on the book as well?"

I enjoyed the 2003 live action film version of Peter Pan, as well as Finding Neverland (2004). I’ve watched both these movies several times over the years. However, as I’ve said, the inspiration for my book was Peter himself.

Marine wrote: "What are you the most proud of in this book?"
I love all the poignant little moments that enrich the story, and how the larger emotional arc is maintained. I really appreciate when readers share the scenes that made them laugh out loud or cry.

Many readers have described becoming attached to Peter through the course of the book, and the fact that I was able to evoke such feelings for a character who does not speak much throughout the story is something I am proud of. That was one of the central challenges of writing this book- Peter the Wild Boy is known to have been only spoken a few words through the course of his life in the eighteenth century, and yet he did communicate in very intuitive, human ways, and inspired deep interest and attachment from the people who knew him.