"The first is that instead of writing a sequel, which is what most people do, this is in fact a prequel. Although we didn't know that when we began the process"
About this Quote
Collins is letting the audience in on a small creative gamble: the kind of narrative pivot that sounds strategic in hindsight but, in the moment, is more like improvisation with high stakes. The line has the loose, candid rhythm of a locker-room explanation, not a studio press release. That matters. Athletes aren’t typically granted “author” status in storytelling; when they talk plot, they tend to talk in terms of momentum, legacy, and what comes next. Collins flips that expectation. He’s not chasing the obvious sequel - the safe continuation of a winning season or a successful brand - he’s backing up, reframing the entire arc.
The subtext is control. A sequel accepts the public’s timeline: you did a thing, now do it again, bigger. A prequel rejects that demand and claims the right to redefine origins, to make the past newly useful. It’s also a soft defense against audience skepticism. “We didn’t know that when we began” reads as disarming honesty, but it’s doing PR work: if the prequel move doesn’t land, it was discovery, not miscalculation; if it does land, it becomes proof of authenticity.
Contextually, it speaks to modern sports culture where every career is content and every decision is narrative. Collins frames process over product, suggesting that identity - in sport, in media, in legacy - isn’t linear. Sometimes the most radical “next step” is going back and changing what the beginning means.
The subtext is control. A sequel accepts the public’s timeline: you did a thing, now do it again, bigger. A prequel rejects that demand and claims the right to redefine origins, to make the past newly useful. It’s also a soft defense against audience skepticism. “We didn’t know that when we began” reads as disarming honesty, but it’s doing PR work: if the prequel move doesn’t land, it was discovery, not miscalculation; if it does land, it becomes proof of authenticity.
Contextually, it speaks to modern sports culture where every career is content and every decision is narrative. Collins frames process over product, suggesting that identity - in sport, in media, in legacy - isn’t linear. Sometimes the most radical “next step” is going back and changing what the beginning means.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
|---|
More Quotes by James
Add to List
