I had the pleasure of editing The Window by Dave Cole (a Dancing Lemur Press title). When I chose a guest post and needed to come up with a topic, there was one thing I was curious about...how did Dave come up with the idea for "the window" in the story?
Keep reading for Dave's answer...
How Did I Get
the Idea for The Window?
Guest post by Dave Cole
There was a screech of brakes. I quickly looked out of the window, but I wasn’t a witness to what had happened. All I saw was a late model Honda and a kid on a ten-speed bike. There were words exchanged between the driver and the bike rider and then both were on their way again. That was it, nothing more. I could have simply gone back to my work and that would have been the end of it. Yet there was something there, something that stuck in the back of my mind for the remainder of the day.
As I settled into bed that night, the questions began. What if the car had hit the kid? Would I have run out of the house to lend assistance, dialing 911 on my cell phone as I dashed down the stairs? As I transitioned from half-awake to half-asleep (trust me, there is a difference), the questions moved from the pragmatic to the abstruse. What if I could have prevented the accident? What if I had been able to warn the kid before he rode off on his bike that morning or stood at the end of the street and signaled the driver to slow down? As I slipped into full sleep, a final question entered my mind: What if I had a window that would allow me to see into the future?
That final question was still on my mind the following morning when I transitioned from half-asleep to half-awake. And from that question came the basic premise of The Window. I didn’t have much to work with—no characters and certainly no plot—just a setting, an attic with a mysterious window. Even as I began writing I had no idea where the story was going to take me. I didn’t even try to plot it out, just rode along on the journey. There were surprises along the way, twists that I didn’t know were going to happen until they did. The ending was not at all what I expected. I must admit it was fun to write that way, entertaining myself as a reader while the person wearing my “writer hat” pecked away on his keyboard.
Stephen King was once asked in an interview why he wrote horror stories, and his answer has always stuck with me: “What makes you think I have any choice?” I think he is one hundred percent right. The best stories come from deep within us. They are the ones that touch a reader in some way, maybe bringing a tear to their eye or quickening their heart rate. They do it because they touched us, as well. These are the stories we don’t need to think about because they almost write themselves. Maybe they’re always there, waiting to be written, just waiting for a trigger, something as insignificant as a screech of brakes.
Dave is from St. Louis and has a degree in Computer Science. He is the author of The Math Kids series for middle grade readers. When he is not designing data center management software, he is usually reading, writing, or coaching elementary school math teams. He loves writing and his wife loves that he has found a hobby that doesn't cost money!
Please leave a comment for Dave!
It's amazing when one tiny thing can lead to a whole story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Dave today.
It was definitely my pleasure!
DeleteI love reading how authors got their ideas. Your mind is clever and creative, Dave.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how a little thing can lead to a full-blown discussion in my head.
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ReplyDeleteAn excellent post Chris, Dave appears to be a great author, Thanks for hosting him.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Yvonne.
Now that's how to play the what if game! Well done, Dave.
ReplyDeleteIt's those what if questions that get you every time.
ReplyDeleteI'm like Brian with enough trouble in the present that I don't need to borrow any from the future!
ReplyDeletehttps://fromarockyhillside.com
This sounds like a fun and intriguing read. I like the inspiration too. It always comes down to those "What if" questions.
ReplyDeleteThat's totally fun. Those what if scenarios that creep in and take hold are some of the best. Congratulations on The Window!
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