Yesterday I told you all about
Jessica, the Halloween surprise my
publisher arranged for my readers. Today, I thought I'd give you a
behind of scenes look at how this short story came to be. I usually
prefer to write full length novels as opposed to shorts, but this one
was sort of thrust upon me. I wrote this story almost two decades ago
during my freshman year of college. The story was influenced by two very
interesting people--Jessica Pirnik Gittle and James T . Kirk.
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| Jessica & Laura-Wildwood Catholic High School-1993 |
This is a photo of me with Jessica. She was one of my best friends in high school. We did
everything
together. We were in the chorus, the yearbook staff, the school
newsletter (I was editor, of course), the ecology club, and just about
every other club that wasn't a sport. I don't do sports. We met when we
were freshman in high school because we were seated alphabetically. Her
name was Pirnik and my maiden name was Rice. Yes, it was a small school
so there wasn't anyone in between us in our homeroom. So, this is my
best friend who I laughed and cried with, who always supported me in my
writing and in all my crazy schemes. Yet, she never got a part in one of
my books. She doesn't even remember this, but she used to bug me about
it all the time. It wasn't until after we graduated from high school and
I was in college that I finally put her name in a story. That story, of
course, was Jessica.
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| Fall Formal at Stockton-I was 17 |
|
So this brings me to James T. Kirk. I bet you thought I meant the one
from the spaceship. Well, no offense to the captain, but that's not the
James. T. Kirk I'm talking about here. I'm referring to a professor at
my old college, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. I was in his
creative writing class back in 1994, and one of our projects was to
write a Halloween themed story that was set on the college campus.
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| This is me at Lake Fred-1994 |
At first, I wasn't into this project at all. I like inspiration to flow
naturally. I don't like trying to force it. I remember sitting in my
dorm, chewing he edge of my pen, coming up with nothing, and the
deadline was the hours away. Then, feeling a homesick moment, I started
to flip through an old photo album I had brought with me. I saw that
picture of Jessica and I together. It reminded me that she had asked for
her name to be a story. I thought it would be even better if her name
was the
title of the story. From that point, the idea flowed pretty flawlessly.
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| Nature Trail at Stockton |
Bringing the campus into the story was even less challenging. It's truly
stunning, especially in the fall, and with its circling trails and lily
covered ponds, it's the perfect setting for all kinds of spooky
happenings. I changed the name of the college before publication, but
the scenery remains
pretty much the same. Stockton is surrounded by acres of woods and
there really is a beautiful lake there named Lake Fred. There isn't
really a White Lady haunting the lake, at least not that I know of.
Still, I if I were a guy, I wouldn't want to be wondering around Lake
Fred all alone on Halloween night...
So that's the story behind the story. If you want to grab a copy of this
short paranormal thriller for yourself, its available exclusively on
Amazon in e-book format for only $0.99.