We can make a lot of jokes about George RR Martin taking 10+ years on The Winds of Winter, but that's nothing compared to Mr. McFly. He was already working on the book in 1955, so what happened?
share[deleted]
The story he was working on in 1955 that Marty tried to read was not the one he ultimately wrote. In fact, the cover art of his novel shows the radiation suit that Marty was wearing when he appeared as Darth Vader to George in the middle of the night, so the novel story was based on some part of his interaction with Calvin Marty Klein.
Meanwhile, George was no longer sitting at home by himself writing sci-fi stories after he and Lorraine kissed and fell in love at the Fish Under the Sea Dance. The new George was now fully occupied with being a boyfriend for the first time as well as the new BMOC. Priorities can change in an instant when you're a teenager.
Later, George got married, got a good job and raised a family. I'm sure now that his life was better, writing stories was put on the back burner until his kids got older.
Wow!
That was a solid answer, well done
Yet he was already known as a writer.
In BTTF 2 the newspaper from 1973 reports on the death of local author George McFly.
I really like strntz' answer - but you're right; George was already an author in 1973.
I always assumed that he was a short story writer before the first novel was completed/published.
Like strntz said, writing may have gone on the back burner for a few years - so I think a combination of these: he had another good job while the writing took a backseat, but he still managed to get some short stories published.
... so I think a combination of these: he had another good job while the writing took a backseat, but he still managed to get some short stories published.
I tend not to use sequels as fact sources for movies Wears, but you're technically right, clunky writing and all (the script, not yours!). They needed a headline for Marty to read and react to. Seems like the sequel script writers didn't consider that ramification of George's writing when doing the sequel.
If George was just an every day 40 hour week worker Joe, it wouldn't be headline news, at least not to the point they used his full name instead of "local man murdered". It's just as bad as the front page headline for Doc being committed for insanity. Small town indeed.
So to smooth over the clunky writing, I guess a better answer is that George was a local writer of some renown who didn't get a full novel published until Marty's return in 1985, but it doesn't change the primary reason of George's life being different from Marty's intervention and more filled with other more important things to do.
again he would have had to mail everything back and forth even in 1973......takes a long time regardless of what you're writing short stories. books....etc
There is no instant publishing to MASSES. It was much more competitive back then.
I didn’t think it was his first book. Do they actually say that?
shareLorraine says "Your first novel!!!"
shareIt's kind of unbelievable - they should've left that line out, so things would make sense, but makers of this movie CLEARLY didn't care if things make sense or not (there are so many nonsensical, contradictory, or 'not-fitting-the-character-they-invented'-things and moments in this movie)..
I mean, George was writing stories, novels and who knows what else already in 1955, how could his FIRST novel be written in 1985 or so?
Maybe she meant 'Your first PUBLISHED novel' - but she could have said almost anything else and it would've made more sense. For example "Your first book!" or "Your first story that was published as a book format!" or "What do you want for dinner?" or "So now you are OFFICIALLY a writer!" or..
Besides, how did they get their money and riches if not from George's writing?
It would've made SO much sense if the 'novel' was anything else except 'his first'. For example, 'your longest story' or 'your thicket book so far' or 'your biggest seller' or whatnot.
Wouldn't Lorraine also have felt a bit weird about reading basically her OWN STORY in the book, just from another perspective (of course we don't know how much reality George used, and how much imagination), and put two and two together?
This is one of those moments in the movie that could've made a LOT more sense so easily.
It doesn't matter how much of a 'relationship' George is in now, he would still continue writing, if he has a 'calling' to write. No one could make me stop doing a similar creative thing, no matter what kind of relationship I would be in - and if he doesn't have a 'calling' to write, then he could never be a successful writer anyway.
This movie just wants to pile on conveniences on top of other conveniences without realizing or even exploring the implications of doing that.. they just wanted a 'happy ending' that feels SO tacked-on compared to the rest of the movie, no wonder nothing about it makes any sense. It's almost as if they let someone else write it..