Writing The 39 Clues: A Jude Watson Exclusive

People always ask me if I have a writing routine. I do -- every morning I get up right before sunrise, and I go right to the computer. It's dark and quiet. Even the birds are still asleep. I like the feeling that I'm the only one awake in the whole world.

Until The 39 Clues came along, that is. Didn't I mention in my previous blog entry that things got complicated?

It happened like this: I grabbed a mug of tea, like I always do. Opened the file marked "39 CLUES #4." Stared at what I'd written so far after a grueling day of work the day before:

CHAPTER ONE

Brilliant, right?

That morning, I thought I heard a footstep outside. I held my breath. No, just the leaves skittering on the porch, I told myself. We'd been warned by our editors to be careful, but there was no need to get spooked. I started to type.

If Amy Cahill had to list what was wrong with eleven-year-old brothers, their habit of disappearing would be . . .

Another noise. Definitely not leaves on the porch this time. Definitely . . . footsteps. I got up and went to the front hallway. Slowly, something was being pushed under the frame of the door.

I bent down and picked up a plain brown envelope.

JUDE WATSON
39 CLUES

No return address.

I flung open the door. The porch was empty. I stepped out. Nobody there. Nobody on the street, nobody walking away. Spooky.

I'd been instructed not to open any strange envelopes. I knew I had to be cautious. Who knew I was writing the next 39 Clues book? Only a few trusted people.

Or, at least, I thought I could trust them. Riordan, Korman — they were solid. But that Lerangis guy . . . I wasn't so sure about him. Hey — don't get me started on that episode in the Chinese restaurant. Nobody is that crazy about fortune cookies.

I reached for the letter. I thought about the old saying curiosity killed the cat.

But I wasn't a cat person.

Slowly, I tore the seal. Inside was an airline ticket to Moscow. There, I was to change planes to travel to . . . Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Sure, no problem. Just hang a left at Cleveland and keep going.

I ran back to the computer and googled. Kyrgyzstan was in Central Asia, smack in the middle of a bunch of high mountain ranges. Lovely meadows were perfect for hiking, and intrepid travelers could spend the night in a yurt. Horse trekking was popular. So was fermented mare's milk. And a game involving a headless goat carcass — don't ask.

I am not, and never have been, intrepid. I write about heroes. I don't act like them.

Which Cahill branch could be operating in Kyrgyzstan? Who sent me the ticket? No way I was going on some mysterious journey to someplace halfway around the world I'd never heard of. I don't know how to ride a horse. I'm not even sure what a yurt is. And I'm afraid to fly. No. Way.

Just then a slip of paper fluttered out from the envelope. I watched it spiral down and land on my shoe.

Hesitate, and all is loss
Follow them to the slanted cross

I took a gulp of my cold tea. But just in case . . . where was my passport, anyway?

— Jude Watson, Author of The 39 Clues Book 4: Beyond the Grave

Comments

[Comment #1]

Hesitate, and all is loss
Follow them to the slanted cross. Cool! Still thinking about that saying though. =) Could take a little bit unless I get a hint from my fellow Lucians.

[Comment #2]

That sounds really cool! Makes me want to read The 39 Clues books :)

[Comment #3]

It's nice that the author's are sharing their experiences with their reader's.. It makes the hunt for 39 clues more fun.. but isn't this a misleading clue for the 5th book...
Just being cautios...

[Comment #4]

Hey, that is pretty cool. I love the 39 clues. the bad thing is that the 5th book comes out while I'm away. Maybe I can pre-order it to my hotel!

[Comment #5]

The 39 clues are getting more exiting by the minute! But something strange is happening... I am seeing a lot of M's everywhere.. I better contact my fellow Ekaterina about this...

[Comment #6]

wow r u ok

[Comment #7]

Awesome!

*goes to order 39 Clues book 1 from library*

[Comment #8]

what did you do next? if I were you, I'll follow the instructions. and maybe the Madrigals sent it to you or the Lucians because Moscow, Russia is a Lucian Stronghold

[Comment #9]

remember,dan led the kabras to kyrgystan as a trick. moskow is a lucian stronghold...
is kyrgystan a(gulp)madrigal stronghold?

-the betrayer
p.s.what on earth is the slanted cross?!

pps. i wish those cobra-kabras were not in my branch!