The Idea Behind the Story – Part 2

This week I’d like to share some of the origins of the stories featured in my second novel At the Drive-In: Small Town Tales. Told as a series of short stories, the book includes multiple tales sharing a common setting and a number of related characters. The format is inspired by such classics as John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of Heaven and Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio. A more modern example is Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. (I would highly recommend all three of these!)

I have often referred to At the Drive-In (and its sequel) as my unofficial memoirs because so many of the stories are based on actual true events from my years as a coach, teacher, and administrator. The title and the structure developed out of the very first story I wrote for the project “The Boy Who Cussed” about a principal dealing with a special education student with Tourettes. This one is almost entirely true and provided me with the idea of building the stories around the iconic (fictional) drive-in. Most of the other school stories from the book contain at least a grain of truth.

One of my favorite stories from the collection is “Friday Night Lights” which revolves around a high school football player who steals a particular item from an opponent’s dressing room. This is actually based on a true story passed down from my brother Cecil. He is also quite the storyteller (a trait we both inherited from our father). In truth it was a basketball team and I honestly have no idea of most of the details or the aftermath, but I’ve worked with enough coaches and principals to know how most of them would have reacted. As a coach, I’ve also taken teams into extremely hostile environments. Put all those elements together and you get my version of the story.

Both of my children participated in drama while in school, but my daughter Caitlin was the one who was truly passionate about One Act Play. My star Beta Reader Mary Beth spent some years sponsoring UIL drama. Thinking of those two in particular gave me the inspiration to write “Black Romeo” which looks at the drama produced by the casting of a high school play. Believe me when I say from experience, there is often more drama behind the scenes than appears on stage!

“Meow” was inspired by my wife. (And no! She is not a battered or abused wife!) Cora Peters is the most tragic figure in the novel and this story is meant to show her true kindness in spite of all she has endured. As I wrote the story, I imagined how Patti (as a true cat lover) would act or react in the situation. I loved being able to display another side to the character.

And finally, in “Funeral” the concluding tale, I borrowed from my brother-in-law to present a sermon celebrating the long life of a beloved character. At the actual funeral of his ninety-two year old grandmother, Eric preached a similar sermon describing in detail the world in which she had been born and raised. He highlighted the enormous changes she had witnessed over her lifetime. It was a wonderful tribute and I used the same concept to eulogize one of my novel’s central characters.

Come back next week, and I will conclude this brief series with a look at my upcoming novel Return to Eastlake, and the ideas that sparked these stories.

The Idea Behind the Story

Writers are often asked where we get the ideas for our stories or books, or to sound more lofty – our inspiration. In my case, the answer is simple. I get my ideas from my daily life, the books I read, or the movies or TV shows I watch, or my true life experiences, or sometimes from family or friends who share their experiences. I thought I would take some time this week (and possibly the next two or three) and share a little background on some of my writings and reveal a few of my sources of inspiration. To begin, let me talk about my first novel, The What If Project.

The idea for the novel came from some very diverse influences. I have always been fascinated with time travel, and I love a good time travel adventure, but I really wasn’t interested in writing science fiction. One of my favorite old movies is Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. At a garage sale a few years back, I picked up a copy of the novel by Richard Matheson. I loved that it focused on the story and the people instead of the sci-fi aspects. Instead of some kind of time machine, you had a character who literally willed himself back in time through a form of self-hypnosis. No science or technology, no complicated explanations, just a good story with interesting characters.

My second major influence was the TV show The Sopranos, “the story of a New Jersey mob boss who deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.” (from IMDB.com) I love the scenes of Tony sitting across from his psychiatrist Dr. Melfi in her office. So of course, Jack, my main character would need someone to talk to about his issues, and since the doctor has supposedly discovered a way to hypnotize her patients and send them back in time, he is obviously more than willing to be a part of her project. And like Tony Soprano, Jack is a reluctant patient, as well as one who definitely needs some help.

A frequent setting to the story is the quad, an area at the center of the small college where Jack is working and the doctor is teaching. My alma mater, East Texas Baptist College (now ETBU) has a nice little spot right in the middle of the campus with a small fountain, and I borrowed the setting from my own memory banks just the way I remembered it. When Jack goes back to his childhood, I pictured the house where I grew up and the park at the end of the street. (There is a park there, but not the one I describe in the book.)

I won’t confess to everything, but many of the fine details in the backstory of the main characters come directly from my own life, little biographical touches that people who know me might even recognize. My first car was a green Mustang. My high school girlfriend’s name was – well, enough about me. A particular family member often joked about being attracted to Redheads. You get the message, right?

Anyway, the old saying is that you should write what you know and I guess that’s true. My characters are based on people I know, so if you don’t like them, or find them acting in strange or unlikely ways, I’m sorry, those are my people and that’s how they are! And in all honesty, a bunch of stuff is totally made up! It’s a work of fiction after all.

Let me know if you find this interesting, and come back next week for the real story behind the small town tales from my second novel.

The Virus – My Thoughts This Week

Well, the Coronavirus finally got a little closer (and a little more real) this week. A few extended family members tested positive, and a couple of others were potentially exposed, but tested negative. Living in a small community, the threat has seemed fairly mild for my household, but things do change.

I still wonder if shutting down the economy and destroying tons of small businesses was ever really warranted. It’s hard not to believe politics are driving the issue more than actual health concerns. I suppose it would be much easier to accept all the governmental restrictions, if this truly were a health issue (and if this weren’t an election year).

My biggest problem is the media and the manner in which the whole pandemic has been covered. I am perfectly willing to give up (temporarily) some of my rights as a citizen for the greater good. I care enough about my fellow human beings to restrict my travel, and social distance, and even wear a mask when needed, but I want (and need) to believe that the facts actually support those decisions.

And therein lies the problem. The mainstream media is driving a nationwide panic and nobody seems to have any real solid information on the virus. Is it the most deadly virus ever seen in the world or no more serious than the seasonal flu? More like the Spanish Flu or the common cold? Between the CDC and WHO and Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx and all the other so-called experts, most of us have no idea what to believe.

Does the virus live on surfaces? Wash your hands! Is it airborne? Wear a mask! Is it really easy to catch or really hard? Are the elderly and sick most likely to catch it? Who knows. Do the shutdowns work? Are protesters immune? Will mail-in ballots save the day? Listen to the news. Don’t like what you hear? Come back tomorrow, it will probably be totally different by then!

And what are we going to do about schools? Obviously, we still have a lot of questions with little or no answers. As for me and my family, we will do our best to follow safe practices and hope that we all stay healthy. We will continue to pray for those affected in our family, in our community, and around the world. And we will trust in God to see us through. May you find the same assurance in these troubled times.

Hamilton: An American Musical

I have long been fascinated with Early American history and our battle for independence. I've read several books on the subject and watched numerous movies, shows, and documentaries, as well, with great interest. So of course over the weekend, I had to watch Hamilton (available exclusively on Disney+).

I'm not really a fan of rap or hip-hop, but I do love a good musical, and I've always been intrigued by this one. Anyway, cut to the chase, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I would definitely recommend that you take the time to check it out (although I caution you to remember that everything you see and hear is not necessarily historically correct. More on that later.)

First let me mention all the things I loved about this production which features the original Broadway cast.

·         The actors! Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hamilton, Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr, Phillipa Soo as Eliza, the fabulous Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson. I could literally just list everyone, because they were all great! And the singing was excellent!

·         The music! (And lyrics!) I'm still humming songs a day later and I'm eager to see the whole thing again! Might even have to pick up a copy of the soundtrack!

·         King George! (Played by Jonathan Groff.) I imagine the real king probably reacted to our independence in much the way he is shown. Well, maybe not by singing. And he is hilarious!

·         The love story! (Or love triangle to be more exact!) Almost Shakespearian and that is definitely meant as a compliment. (Also, historically accurate according to many sources.)

·         The political intrigue! My frequent readers know I have a great interest in politics, both old and new. I only wish that hadn’t slighted poor John Adams (whom I still consider to be a greatly underappreciated hero of our country!)

Based on the last several points, it should come as no surprise that my favorite songs are "You'll Be Back" and "What Comes Next" by King George, "Helpless" by Eliza, and "The Room Where It Happens" by Burr. And as a father, how could I not love "Dear Theodosia" by Burr and Hamilton singing a love song to their newborn children? Of course, I could keep going all the way through the complete list of songs. They're simply that good!

My dislikes can basically be summed up by saying the entire story is decidedly biased in favor of the title character. Hamilton is portrayed as an orphan and immigrant who works hard and rises up to become one of the Founding Fathers who singlehandedly won independence and created America. (To be fair, I've not yet read Ron Chernow's biography Alexander Hamilton which served as the inspiration for Miranda.) But honestly, in almost everything else I have read or seen, Hamilton is generally considered to be somewhat of a scoundrel. He is much more often considered a villain, rather than a hero.

So, stop me when you've heard this before, but isn't it time we stopped taking not-so-good individuals and glorifying them with statues and murals and songs and plays and such? Just saying! There is no doubt that Hamilton made major contributions in our fight for independence and in the formation of our country, but I question whether or not he was as important as the play presents him.

Anyway, here are just a few examples of the spin applied to turn Hamilton into a Saint.

·         If you based your knowledge of the American Revolution on this alone, you would think that George Washington was basically an incompetent, and without Hamilton guiding him, we would never have won the war.

·         You would also probably be convinced that without Hamilton, we would not have a Constitution (or a working form of government at all).

·         The idea that Hamilton “threw away his shot” in the duel that resulted in his death is very suspect. There is definite evidence that he fired a shot just above Burr’s head, although no one knows who actually fired first.

Other works generally portray him in a much more negative light. He was a suck-up to Washington and used his influence to climb the ranks and gain power. He married into the Schuyler family to achieve wealth and social position (then had a year long affair that turned into our country's first political sex scandal). Despite his epic rap battle beat down of Jefferson in the play, in reality, he possibly owned slaves himself and only took up the anti-slavery cause when it benefitted him politically. He was a back-stabber who betrayed his friends and allies (particularly Adams and Burr) for political gain. For good or bad, he was a relentlessly ambitious man who used people for his own advantage. As Burr calls him out in the play, he “takes, and takes, and takes.”

History isn't always pretty, but if Miranda chooses to focus on the good in Hamilton (and gloss over some of the bad), that’s okay. The world would be a better place if we all learned to see the best in each other and be a little less judgmental. (I guess I’m taking back my earlier comments on glorifying imperfect people.) Aren’t we all basically imperfect? And we can still acknowledge great accomplishments when we see them. Just saying!

Bottom line - watch the show! It’s great! Congrats to Lin-Manuel Miranda for an absolutely fantastic job! And if you find it interesting, go read a book or two and get the real story. It's almost always more interesting anyway!