Tim & Chuck

FOREWORD - written by best friend of Author

Fun fact: a forward is written to tell you why you should read a book or story. I did have to look that up just to confirm, but I find it ironic that I am, in fact, writing the forward to a book that is not yet entirely written. I have watched as this book has taken shape: constantly evolving, growing and changing, Tim & Chuck looks nothing like it did when god (the author, jokingly, we're not blasphemous) started putting pen to paper--or fingers to keyboard, as it were. Here, let me explain.

Originally, this was supposed to be a series of short vignettes about a millionaire moonlighting as a regular guy and his corgi who had an abnormally posh name (Charles). Then Tim received a houseplant... Now, Tim & Chuck is the story of a man,

his dog,

his four houseplants (acquired at various times),

his adopted pet pigeon (who is very likely indestructible),

the stray cat who tries to eat the pigeon (and adopts it instead),

the little girl down the street (who he adopts as his baby sister),

the little girl's parents (who sort of adopt Tim),

the older man he plays chess with in the park,

his actual baby sister (who is still in College)

his best friend from college (who is basically his brother),

his best friend's fiance (that Tim actually met first),

both of their parents (who have also sort of adopted him),

the woman running a bakery (who he happens to find very pretty),

her father,

seven brothers,

two sister-in-laws,

two nieces and nephew,

his secretary,

the head of the photography department,

a leading intern--turned manager,

And the bartender who knows him and his close friends surprisingly well after only seeing them like three times.

Like I said... It's changed a little bit.

All that to say I've seen this story change, seen these characters fleshed out and explored, and I have looked forward to the day this book would be published for far too long. I actually had to explain it to the author once and I think I did an okay job, so here goes: This story (Written very TV-show coded, by the way) reads so much like fanfiction it is shocking. Now, I know I might have lost some of you there, but stick with me. I have read a lot of books, published or otherwise, and some of the best writing I have ever experienced is from Fanfiction writers. The definition of fanfiction is also very open. As it is, there is the general modern understanding of fanfiction (Pride & Prejudice, and Zombies, City of Bones, etc.) and the lesser understood brand of fanfiction (Like Dante's Inferno, or Paradise Lost--both of which could be considered fanfiction of the Bible--and a self-insert fanfiction, at that).

What I love about fanfiction is that it takes a set of characters and gives you an infinite, indefinite adventure: You can see these characters try new things, go places they never could have in context, test themselves and their limits. It is the wonderful, ever expanding universe that you already love. Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule and not all fanfiction is like this; I will be the first to admit that some fanfiction really is just awful--I will back click faster than you can say, "Why?" at the first sign of bad grammar or formatting.

But Tim & Chuck feels like that to me: the constant exploration of this man as he moves through his late twenties and finds out how his world is subject to constant change once he is willing to open himself up to the people around him. He starts out content with his best friends, his sister, and his dog. He likes his work, has moved into his own house, and is perfectly fine living in the bubble he has constructed for himself.

Then one thing happens and the constant domino effect it has on his life is staggering. But all of this happens in such a way that it takes a few people who know him really well seeing what has slowly become normal for him with no warning for Tim to recognize just how much his circumstances have changed. And as he becomes more aware of the changes, he becomes more comfortable with the changes happening, leaning into them instead of shying away.

This story has all the hallmarks of a good fanfiction: meet-cute, found family, angst, fluff, and so much more than I can properly describe without telling you the whole story myself. But I'll try to end this quickly (bear with me).

In music, there is something called the Shepherd's Tone. It is an auditory illusion that leads the listener to believe the tone they are hearing is constantly rising or falling as the composer desires. I could explain how it works, but you also probably know how google works--and don't want to sit through a music theory class from someone who can't play chopsticks.

This story is written in such a way that you get the same feeling as a shepherd's tone: the constant rising of the story as Tim learns and grows and changes. But when the rising changes to a sudden plateau (Spoilers), the cut of the tone remains, ringing in your ear like silence. All of that build up feels like it has to go somewhere, and when it stops it leads you to keep reading because you no longer have the ability to stop. You run to keep up with the story, and then have to keep going or risk a proverbial faceplant.

Tim & Chuck is a wonderful adventure that explores new characters like they were already loved. I told the author that it is almost fanfiction of New York City--Ironic as we have both pretty much only ever lived in the same city, on the same peninsula in Florida. Anyway, I digress.

All that to say, if you managed to read all this, you should really just read the story...

With all my love for this fledgling masterpiece, get going!!!