The Idea Behind the Story – Part 3

And now for the final part of this series! My upcoming novel is a sequel to At the Drive-In which I am calling Return to Eastlake. Originally, I had not planned to write this one, but I kept remembering great stories that I had forgotten to include in the previous collection, and before long, I had a full set of new tales to share.

Of course, I still had plenty of school stories! “Call of Duty” is about my first year as an administrator and is largely inspired by several excellent school secretaries with whom I was privileged to work (and a superintendent who introduced me to the ugly world of school politics). The main plot is based on an actual incident (scandal) that took place years ago in a nearby district and some of the people from my school career might remember the events. Most of this one is completely true, although some of you may find it hard to believe!

“Dress Code” and “Testify” are also basically true stories. Principals frequently complain about the way students (and their parents) challenge the dress code and insist on pushing the boundaries. And administrators do occasionally have to testify in court proceedings. This second story accurately relates my two experiences in the legal system. Finally, “Law and Order” which is loosely based on real events gives me the chance to express my honest feelings about law enforcement in the public school setting.

Another interesting story comes from my good friend Dusty Radabaugh. Although I have taken quite a few liberties with the story, including adding some personal situations that are entirely fictional, much of the story is based on things that really happened while my wife and I sang in the choir and participated in several dramatic productions. In particular, the casting of a local high school student to play Jesus in the big Easter musical (and the resulting chaos) is still one of my fondest memories of Trinity, Texas. The Christmas productions were also great fun, including the year I played a Roman soldier!

My wife Patti introduced me to the world of true crime, and after our marriage, I read some great books and developed a great interest in books and documentaries about famous unsolved cases. At the Drive-In features a story about a carhop who goes “Missing.” In this book, I revisit the case in “Unsolved Mysteries” and eventually answer the questions left open by the earlier story. Honestly, the entire set of stories is complete fiction. Hopefully I made it sound real enough to pass for some semi-true crime.

And lastly, after I had finished the novel, my son Scott shared a story about something that happened at the private school where he taught for several years, and I couldn’t resist writing this cautionary tale of romantic entanglements at work. I borrowed the basics and used Scott himself as the model for my young teacher with a band and church job on the side. Having seen more than a few awkward situations at different schools myself, I wrote “Lonely Hearts Club Band” in two days, adding it to the book.

Just to remind everyone who knows a writer – if you tell us a good story, it could very well end up in a book someday! Just saying! Hope you enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the mind of an author, and I hope you pick up a copy of Return to Eastlake when it comes out a few months from now. In the meantime, leave a comment and let me know what you think.