SPN fic: The Secrets of Copper Country [Story Notes and Thanks]
Story Notes
So, I was falling asleep in a motel bathtub in Northern Lithuania, like you do, when the plot bunny for this story first came upon me. It was just before Xmas, and I had been thinking about one of my all-time favorite nostalgic seasonal activities: watching my faded old TV-to-VHS recording of the late-80s adaptation of The Secret Garden, which aired on some local station during Xmas of 1989 when I was a kid.
I had just posted some Sam/Dean fic a week or so prior, and was still thinking about the boys, too. In my chilly watery reverie, it occurred to me that there could be some interesting connections made. (Did I mention that I was half-asleep? In a motel bathtub After a long journey?!) I got out of the tub, jotted down some ideas that would prove barely legible the next morning, and promptly passed out.
When I got back to the States, I pulled out the crumpled paper and started asking myself if I should really consider doing Big Bang at all. I didn't know if I'd have time - lots of other stuff going on IRL - and I had only ever written two fics before. Though I'm still quite fond of them both, they were neither very long nor widely-read.
Finally, I decided that if - by Sign-Up Deadline - I could find someplace realistic to set the tale besides New England (because that would be way too obvious, right?!) and come up with a fleshed-out plot idea, then I would indeed sign up, and see what happened.
I pretty much stumbled upon the setting of Copper Country by Googling "midwest victorian mansion thingy" or something. I don't even remember now. But once I started reading about the history of the area, I was fascinated, and my ideas came together from there. All the pop-culture references came pretty organically, too (i.e. the horror movie and rock song references).
I have never been to Michigan, but I learned a ridiculous amount about the Keweenaw before I typed a single word of the Fic. Most helpful (apart from current local interest websites), were a couple of scholarly tomes by historian Larry D. Lankton, about the area's 19th-century copper mining culture. My prologue and epilogue are especially indebted to his work.
The Manor, of course, does not exist, but I believe I've managed to make all the location-related elements of this story historically accurate at best, and plausible at worst.
I hope I haven't butchered Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved children's classic The Secret Garden too much for those readers who grew up adoring it. I apologize if I've offended anyone by using it in this way.
I'd like to think I got in tons of good references to the novel - direct, indirect, structurally, linguistically, and whatever-else-have-you - but still veered far enough away that no one will be faced in any negative fashion with the prospect of omg never being able to look at it the same way ever again.
I don't have a Story Soundtrack, but for obvious reasons, the Unofficial Song has got to be Stone Temple Pilots' "Wicked Garden" because I could not resist the impulse to pun. Please forgive.
Thanks
Last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, thanks very very muchly to the following:
- My two Beta Readers, kitsune13 and doctor_dorothy! Even though I didn't change too much in the end, their suggestions and corrections helped immeasurably in the streamlining of things. Readers rest assured that all remaining mistakes and weird stylistic choices are my own.
- To my artist, sarahtoga! Truly a pleasure to work with someone so talented and passionate. Go give her beautiful art some love!
- balefully, who held my hand through the first few thousand words to help reassure me that this story was actually worth writing.
- And of course to the amazing Big Bang Mods, for putting together this whole Challenge with finesse, and for their encouragement and patience in the face of my various preexisting scheduling issues. I've long thought of Big Bang as my own personal holy grail of SPN fic, and it's been an honor to actually get to participate.
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Thanks for reading!