Trainwrecks: An Introduction
What is Trainwrecks and Why Should I Read It?
Welcome to the official home of Trainwrecks, a free-to-read fiction serial that follows the lives of six diverse best friends from 2004 to 2015. The story is set mainly in the Seattle adjacent town of Renton, Washington, with occasional trips to Bellevue, Tukwila, Kirkland, and Seattle proper. It is a love letter to Millennial culture and the pains, challenges, and excitement of growing up in the mid-2000’s. (The title of the series comes from this Weezer song.)
Each week, readers will receive one narrative chapter and one epistolary chapter that is made up of group chats, text messages, and eventually, social media posts. In addition to that, paid subscribers will get bonus chapters and content that dives deeper into each individual character’s background or the events of the narrative.
Who Will Enjoy Trainwrecks?
Millennials
Fans of YA, New Adult, Romance, and Contemporary Fiction
Nerds and geeks of all kinds
Music lovers
Anyone who had a weird group of friends in high school
Fans of Heartstopper, Jenny Han, and Rainbow Rowell
People who spent way too much time on Newgrounds back in the day
Fans of the enemies-to-lovers and best friends-to-lovers tropes
Christians who would like to see themselves more realistically portrayed in media
Anyone curious about serial online publication
Readers who love a character-driven narrative
Even if you don’t fall under any of these categories, give it a try! The characters promise to do their best to be entertaining. (Dimitri guarantees he will be.)
So Who Are These Characters, Anyway?
Art by mangomangoj on Instagram
You know that group of friends you had in high school made up of people you grew up with, shared hobbies with, or simply took the same classes as? This is them! The weird and energetic artist girl, the guy who thinks he’s better than everyone else, the quiet kid who wears all black, the girl everyone wants to hook up with, the cool guy with all the newest CDs, and the girl who’s known which college she wants to attend since birth.
You can read more about Luna, Dimitri, Sebastian, Jasmine, Duke, and Victoria on their respective character biography pages, which will be posted over the next two weeks!
Any Content Warnings I Should Know About?
Yes. Dimitri and Jasmine’s storylines in particular will go into CSA and substance abuse, while others will have discussions on mental health, sex, and suicide. While none of this content will be explicit, it can be triggering for some readers. Warnings will be posted at the beginning of these chapters so they can be skipped, and a non-triggering summary will be provided in the next chapter. Resources for survivors will also be included.
Okay, I’m Interested.
I was hoping you’d say that! Trainwrecks: Season 1 (2004-2005) premieres Monday, September 2, 2024. Subscriptions to Official Trainwrecks are 100% free, and each chapter will be delivered directly to your email inbox every Monday and Friday. But if four pieces of bonus content for $5 a month sounds good to you, you can upgrade to a paid subscription any time.
Subscribe for more pre-release information, including links to the official Trainwrecks social media accounts, more in-depth character biographies, and the cast’s Spotify playlists.
About The Author: Carla Burns is an award-winning author who refuses to stick to a single genre. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Born in Puerto Rico in the late 1900’s, she has lived in places like Washington, Hawaii, Japan, and Colorado. She married her best friend after eleven years of thinking reeeeally hard about it.