The Spark Behind the Story

Every author has that one moment where they realize their imagination is a force to be reckoned with. For me, that moment happened in the middle of a theater script-writing class during my undergraduate studies.

Our assignment was simple: take a classic childhood story we loved and recreate it. I suppose I let my excitement get the better of me-or perhaps I was just daydreaming as usual-because I missed the part about using an existing story. Instead, I sat down and let my imagination run wild. By the time I was finished, I hadn't recreated a classic; I had written my own original tale: The Big Escape.

I remember turning it in with so much confidence, certain I had earned an A+. When the grades came back, and I saw a B, I was confused! I approached my teacher to ask what had happened. She smiled and explained that while I hadn't followed the directions to adapt an old story, the one I had created from scratch was actually wonderful.

"You should look into writing stories on a regular basis," she told me.

That "B" was the best grade I ever received. It was the push I needed to stop just daydreaming and start sharing my worlds with others. The Big Escape has lived in my heart since that classroom assignment, and I am so thrilled that it has finally made its way from my imagination to your bookshelves.