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The War Bug Book Mark

False Start in the Virtual World

I guess the biggest problem with The War Bug is that I got it all wrong at first. Too many main characters, too many sub-plots, too busy busy busy. After a year and a half (this also included research, plotting, character development and other shit), I scrapped the whole damn thing and started all over again. I think this was a good thing. Helluva good thing. But I’ll let you decide for yourself. Here’s the original script.

Download Original Script (PDF 279KB)

How The War Bug Started

The War Bug was inspired by a ZDU course I took in building online communities. The course focused on the commercialization of the Internet by huge online communities that would offer everything from special rates on insurance and other services to their members (including the ability to list something you might want to purchase and have merchants bid for your sale) to daily communication with like-minded people. 

Well, I thought, doesn’t that just figure. According to my course, the Net was destined to be controlled by virtual monolithic corporate entities. I thought about this a lot. I pondered and I pondered. What would happen if the corporate moguls forced people to choose allegiances, and what if that choice meant an almost complete withdrawal from the real world? Now, for many this would probably be preferable to their real-world lives. In fact, when you consider the amount of time people spend online chat rooms, game sites, porno sites, reading email, sending email, shopping, browsing...

I think you get the picture. It wasn’t a big jump to the world of The War Bug where they could even have homes and families online.

But along come those damned old multinationals, fucking things up for everybody. This is the story about how they do it, and the war that knocks them on their asses.

The Ant on the Cover

Nope. There’s no ants in The War Bug. Not a single ant. But there could be. Somewhere between the lines. Maybe. Squashed between verbs and nouns. Puctuating a sentence maybe.

And Speaking About the Original Script: An Interview with the Deleted Sara Beth

biffmitchell.com: Do you hate Biff Mitchell for deleting you right out of existence in the re-write of The War Bug?

Sara Beth: Yes. I’m very bitter. My novel debut has been delayed. If he drops me from the sequel, I’m going to kill him. I’ve heard that others are planning his death. I’ll join forces with them.

biffmitchell.com: How do you feel about your character in the original version and in the sequel?

Sara Beth: I feel a strong resonation with her because of her name. I’m a big believer in numerology…er…nameology.

biffmitchell.com: How do you feel about appearing in the sequel?

Sara Beth: I feel a certain amount of trepidation about being sliced from the first book, so I better not jinx it now by saying anything about it except…Biff, I know where you live. I’ve driven you home when you’ve been in drunken stupors. I know what you did last summer. But I won’t say anything about that.

biffmitchell.com: But, really, Sara Beth, what will you do to Biff if he drops you from the sequel?

Sara Beth: Have you seen Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2? I have that jump suit.

biffmitchell.com: How do you feel about the kind of world depicted in The War Bug? …the online universe.

Sara Beth: In a way it sucks. I mean, now there’s twice as many peons to compete against; the real ones out here, and the virtual ones in there. On the other hand, if I could have my own little world in there…where I could be Queen. Well…

biffmitchell.com : How to you and Cassie Mae get along in real life?

Sara Beth: Equitably. (Uneasy silence) (Piercing icy glare)

biffmitchell.com: So…

Sara Beth: All I really want to know is…where is my Gucci purse?

The Ant on the Cover

For those of you with dread fear of giant killer ants ... there is no giant ant in The War Bug. The War Bug is actually a smart-assed computer virus that is more pig and dog than ant.

Get your War Bug Sleeveless at biffmitchell.shop