I’m writing a ghost story for an anthology that MLR Press is putting out called SCARED STIFF. It’s four ghost stories from Josh Lanyon, Sarah Black, William Maltese and myself. We all said ‘cool a ghost story, great!’ and wandered off to write our own, having nothing more in common than a ghost theme and a word count.
We all turned ours for edits and suddenly we find out that Josh and I had written so many similar elements in our stories that it defied explanation. We never once discussed our stories with each other. I’m not talking about the usual ghost things like flashing lights and creaking boards, I’m talking the same character name, the same location, the color eyes, the same character features, mention of numerous character habits and plot points that defy explanations! A lot of things I used I did so because they were unusual! It’s like we were channeling the same ghost when we wrote. It’s eerie and more than a little creepy! I feel weirdly connect to Josh now through this story, a common spirit between us. The stories both read very differently, because we have different styles and voices, and, well, let’s face it, Josh is a much better writer than I am by a mile, but the common elements are uncanny!
I was getting geared up to write another ghostly romance, but I think I’ll wait for a while! The next time I get a chill or it feels like someone sits down on the bed beside me at night when I know I’m alone, it’s going to be hard not to pass it off as just my overactive imagination!
I think I have to go now. I feel like someone is staring at me from that dark corner over there. Yep. I going to turn on some more lights now.
Written by Laura Baumbach
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Kimber wrote,
Ooo, Laura, that *is* really spookie. *insert spookie Dark Shadows-like music* Yeah, I know, I’m seriously dating myself with that TV reference. Lol!
So will the two stories stand as they are? Or did you decide between you to change some things to make them more different?
Link | September 13th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Laura Baumbach wrote,
We decided not to change the things that were similar but to beef up the things that were different. More spooky weirdness of the story kind instead of the writer kind.
Link | September 15th, 2007 at 6:27 am
JL Langley wrote,
oh that’s wild. Jet and I did that, although I don’t think Jet knows it. I need to send her the story. But she had me jumping through hoops and writing a totally new story in one weeks time. It was wild, I wrote it and was about to turn it in and Jet wrote to ask me if I’d critique Leased 2. I did and went “Holy Cow!” I wrote my editor and said “I have to have more time!” So, I started from scratch and wrote the story in Spirited in a week. The other story is still sitting in a file completely done but way too similar to Leashed 2 to do anything with. But I’m thinking on it. I may turn the heroine into a hero
Link | September 15th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Laura Baumbach wrote,
It was completely spooky, especially for a spook story! Josh and I write nothing alike so it was just so weird to find out we think alike! It makes the stories even spookier than they were before.
Link | September 17th, 2007 at 9:43 pm