The Neighbor Wager Inspiration by Crystal Kaswell

The Neighbor Wager Inspiration

by Crystal Kaswell

I’ve never been one of those authors who lacked ideas. Most of the time, I have far too many, not too few. Everything I watch, everywhere I go, every conversation I have is a possible source of inspiration. So I don’t take any one source too seriously. I only pay attention to the ideas that stick around.

The Neighbor Wager was one of those.

I’ve always wanted to write my own version of the film Sabrina. It’s one of my favorite Billy Wilder moves (The Apartment and Some Like it Hot come first). Wilder’s movies have such a great mix of wit and compassion—my two favorite qualities in a story. Then there’s the love triangle. I always want to write a love triangle, but somehow I never make it to the final draft with one intake.

Initially, I always envisioned a more straightforward sort of reboot. A girl who had two brothers fighting over her. Then my publisher suggested gender-swapping the book and a lightbulb went off.

After all, this is an OLD movie, one with OLD archetypes. If I took those archetypes and retold the story my way… well, that would mean a lot of fun with flipping gender norms, which is one of my favorite things to do. It’s a challenge in romance—readers expect a very specific slice of masculinity and femininity—but, thankfully, the rom-com subgenre allows a bit more experimentation.

First, I went from cold hearted billionaire to tech CEO. Romance readers are used to heroes with guarded hearts, heroes who do bad things for good reasons (or bad reasons). Heroines? Not so much.

But I’ve never been all that agreeable. I like my heroines that way too. I like tough women who won’t compromise on their dreams. Maybe they aren’t as “likable” that way, but I think they’re more realistic, and more interesting. (And better role models too.)

In The Neighbor Wager, Dee isn’t just out for herself. She wants the best for her sister too—her idea of the best. She has to learn to step out of that older sister knows best role. That’s an easy feeling for me to tap into, as an older sister myself.

Next, I turned the playboy brother into a slutty sister. Sure, I could use a euphemism here, but even in 2024, this is how some readers will label Lexi. Lexi is the type of character you see all the time in romance… as a hero. She loves sex. Casual sex. She seduces guys for the fun of it. She never catches feelings. She enjoys herself and moves on. Now that she’s falling in love with her boyfriend, she’s terrified of commitment. A character we’ve seen in male form a billion times. But one we almost never see as a woman. (We do see “slutty” women in shows like Fleabag and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but they tend to have sex as part of a self-destructive pattern of behavior, not because they like it. Typically, only male characters are allowed that relationship to sex.)

Next, I turned the hopeless romantic girl-who-comes-back-a-woman into a boy-who-comes-back-a-hunk.

This one felt the most foreign. Sure, Netflix remade She’s All That, but, otherwise, it’s super-rare to see men featured in makeover scenes. We don’t really talk about the transition from boyhood to manhood. Yes, a lot of romances have adorably boyish heroes (especially in New Adult and college stories) and a lot have hyper-masculine heroes, but it’s pretty rare to see a guy grow from a dork to a sexpot. We don’t even have a word for a male sexpot, really.

Writing a romantic character was hard for me too. Despite my job, I’m not a romantic person. Romance, as a genre, isn’t always romantic in the rose petals on the bed and kisses at midnight sort of way. But I so loved the idea of pairing a romantic hero with a hyper-practical heroine. That’s been my experience in life. I’m always the more pragmatic one in relationships. 

Then, I had to put it all together.

The premise of The Neighbor Wager is relatively simple. Two sisters—a studious older sister and a fun-loving, popular younger sister—grew up next to a dorky boy next door. Said boy was hopelessly in love with the beautiful younger sister. Much like every other boy in a 10 mile radius.

The younger sister never paid him any attention. Until now. See, he comes back from New York City a hunk with tattoos. And since the older sister is on the verge of a major commitment and looking for any way out, she gloms onto him.

There’s just one problem. The younger sister and her boyfriend are supposed to be the poster couple for the sisters’ new dating app. The older sister simply has to keep her sister away from the boy next door. And she’s willing to do whatever it takes.

The boy next door has other ideas. See, he’s a romantic. He’s willing to step away for true love, but not for anything else, so he makes a wager with the older sister. They’re both trying to convince each other of their idea of love, his romantic, hers practical. If he wins, she steps aside. If she wins, he steps aside.

The wager isn’t really about the prize. It’s about proving, to the other person, that their world view is right. And what is art if not a way to explore our view of the world? Romance versus practicality is a timeless match up. It was fun to examine it through a different lens than normal. I hope to do it again sometime.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Crystal Kaswell writes scorching hot new adult romance novels.

She especially loves flawed characters who help each other heal. Her books are the perfect mix of heat, humor, and heart.

When she isn’t writing, she’s chain drinking tea, dancing, or debating which fictional character would be the best in bed. Originally from Southern California, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she spends the rainy winters dreaming of sunny skies and balmy beaches.

Sign up for her mailing list to get exclusive bonus scenes, teasers, and cover reveals http://www.crystalkaswell.com/subscribe/

 

THE NEIGHBOUR WAGER

The science of attraction is getting seriously tested…

Meet River. He used to be the nerd next door…only now he’s all grown up, got a sleeve of tattoos, and women seem to like him. A lot.

Even Lexi, the girl of River’s teenaged dreams, all bubbly sweetness―never noticed him. Until now.

There’s only one problem. They’re not meant for each other.

Now it’s up to Deanna, the super pragmatic, algorithm-fueled brains behind the new dating app Meetcute to make sure they realize it.
River might be certain he knows true love when he sees it, but Deanna knows differently, and the future of her company is riding on it. All she has to do is prove to him that what he’s feeling for Lexi isn’t love. Not even close.

…even if it means making him fall for Deanna, instead.

Challenge accepted.

BUY HERE

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing