Just a few hours left!
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 09:11PM As my giveaway to win the first ever Special Edition copy of In Search of Monsters winds down, I thought I'd post the commentary I've written for the intro story to the collection, "Looking Through You" just to give everyone a taste what makes this edition so special. Each and every story will be preceded by commentary just like this, detailing that's story's journey from idea to publication. Hope you enjoy it.
If you haven't already read "Looking Through You," you should. It's excellent if I do say so myself. Download it for free here.
"Looking Through You" Commentary
Stephen King says that the seeds of all stories exist in the ethos in some way or another and that it’s our job as writers to dig them up, give them life, and let them unfurl for the reader. With Looking Through You, that’s exactly what happened for me.
It began with just that single opening line—I wake up screaming—and took off from there, flowing relatively easily, as if the story were already a part of me and all I was doing was writing it down. The voice of the narrator felt very natural to write and every section (with the exception of the end) came very quickly to me. This sort of writing was unlike what I was used to, but very refreshing.
The premise itself pulls from my life and my first house. Lying in bed, I could see the door of my spare bedroom just across the hall. As I drifted to sleep, my crazy brain would begin to wonder if maybe, just maybe, that rarely used room might be haunted. And if it was, what would I do? Who would believe me? And from that kernel of a premise, this story blossomed.
The rest of the story also grabs pieces and parts from my life – the old woman across the street is very blatantly based on a very sweet lady in my old neighborhood, the dreary cellar in my grandmother’s house, the game my girlfriend and I play at Maymont Park here in Richmond, dreams I’ve had. These elements give to the story what I hope is a feeling of realness, almost a familiarity that allows the reader to relate to the two main characters as much as possible. This is important in most stories, but absolutely elemental to the success of this one.
Because ultimately, this is much more than just a simple ghost story. It’s a story about life and about living, about the struggle we all go through to understand the world and our place in it.
Reader Comments (1)
What happened to the awesome posts this guy used to write? What about that special edition book you were giving away? I think many will agree that your fans miss you. Let us back into your imagination and mind! Post again!