I was content yesterday. Yesterday I was oblivious to the newest story idea that’s managed to worm its way into the bowels of my brain. Yesterday I could sleep.
I blame my editor really. I had recently sent her a collection of short stories I had written. On one of my stories, The Apple, which I’ve posted before on this blog, she said that there was too much going on in this story for it to be a ‘short’ story. She wanted it further developed. I started thinking about how I could develop this story in a way that was different than Pulled since both dealt with an abusive relationship (to be fair, I was writing both Pulled and The Apple at the same time). What I didn’t want is to be stuck writing a different story with the same theme, when it hit me. The scene that is The Apple could easily be modified into the days that Naya went to high school. Instead of the character of Jackson, it could be a friend that she had been forced to leave behind once she started dating Seth.
The ideas for a prequel have been churning ever since. It would be a venue to explore not only Naya’s messed up past, but also Seth’s. It’s that part of the story that intrigues me. What was his childhood like. After all, monsters aren’t born monsters. They’re created.
Now all I have to do is finish Pulled Back so I can work on it. Easy right? Sigh. I’m gonna need a lot more Swedish Fish to tide over this muse.
Danielle Bannister, Author 