The story isn't over yet

“Editors lose interest when the event is no longer newsworthy or relevant…” Lee Gutkind advices before going on to add that extensive research – such as the premise of this blog – can help attract an audience to a topic already covered in other forms of writing. By reading The Strange Beside Me and Conversations with a Killer and researching other non-fiction novels on Ted Bundy, it seems my idea is one of the few that is written by a party uninvolved with the case or Bundy himself.

Although the case of Ted Bundy ended many years ago, other stories from the past have been reintroduced into the media for an audience’s entertainment value. And, to my personal surprise, they were extremely popular. Some of the more ‘successful’ stories include Captain Phillips, Saving Mr Banks, The Impossible and Blackfish. 

In terms of audience, these various films could be considered so strong in their genre because they all attacked issues in a new way, introducing brand new information whether or not the majority know the facts. It is this structure that I wish to incorporate in my creative piece; Ted Bundy’s murder spree is well known but not many know his past or his motives. I intend to put all the evidence in one place in a creative genre not attempted before to my knowledge.

But the audience isn’t the only reader to consider; potential publishers also have to be considered. 

Unlike an audience, publishers won’t be looking just for entertainment from a creative non-fiction piece. Publishers, people who will be well educated on what has been done in their industry before, will be looking for something unique. From what my research has uncovered, it is an idea that doesn’t incorporate personal experiences. My idea would purely be the story of Ted Bundy and his victims, one that flows with the same narrative structure as Kate Summerscale’s The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. 

My take on this case may present similar information as researched novels, but it will also incorporate a fresh look on the subject. Now able to look back on the evidence and the life of Ted Bundy, the entire story would be brought together in a fresh narrative. The story may be over for Bundy, but it isn’t for this blogger.