My Friend Stephen

tribute to my friend Stephen. kinda.

I’ve known Stephen for almost thirty years. When I first met him in the eighties, he looked the picture of misery, nothing more than a bag of bones. He looked like Ichabod Crane with Glasses.

I’d gone to a bar for a quick drink and there he was, occupying a corner table, nursing a beer. To this day, I’ll never know what drew me to him. Don’t they say everything happens for a reason? I took my beer and asked if I could share his table. He just nodded and I sat there, observing him out of the corner of my eye.

Before long, he started telling me about himself. He said he was an aspiring horror writer and that he couldn’t finish his first novel ‘cos he was out of ideas. Now, being a prolific writer, blessed with a fertile imagination, I.. (What? It’s the truth, isn’t it? No, I’m not bragging.) gave him a few ideas to improve his story. He’d showed me the manuscript. I honestly didn’t think much of the plot, and the characters weren’t fleshed out enough. I vaguely remember it was about a guy falsely accused of killing his wife after he’d found her in bed with another guy. The husband was thrown in jail. And that’s where Stephen stalled. Well, at the time, I had plenty of ideas gambolling in my head, occupying space. I had no use for them so I tossed him a few. Stephen was thrilled and couldn’t stop thanking me, which was embarrassing as the bar had started to fill up.

The long and short of it is that I made his insipid story more interesting, tightened the plot and made the MC more believable. I concocted a brilliant (even if I say so myself) escape from Shawshank prison that took the unfortunate man twenty years to put in place. He ran away with the director’s savings, swimming through a mile of sewers. Later, the book was turned into a movie, if memory serves me right. I met Stephen and his wife Tabitha and their daughter Carrie at the opening. He was literally shining with pride.

That first novel launched his career. He never looked back, and to think that I practically wrote the damn thing. Cast your bread upon the water. Huh. Yeah, right.    

Author's Note

if you've read horror stories, then you must have spotted what's buried in this one.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

Your ego knows no bounds. You really are a fountain of amazing ideas, but this one stretches your credibility just a tad. Still, I'm always entertained by your fertile imagination. What makes this little ditty sing is the subtle laying down of recognizable details, rather than a big boastful blow.

[Woody]

:) I'm sure you know I'm not the boastful type. in fact I'm the opposite of my alter ego here.
I enjoyed slipping in a few of his most known writes. it was fun.
muchas gracias signorita (that's a new one)

[barleygirl]

Yes, your shy modesty is what I find most attractive . . . *smile*

[Roland Petrov]

At first read I was wondering what was so interesting about this, but then I caught on! Very clever indeed, Woody. Just recently two killers escaped from a maximum security prison in New York through the sewer. Someone's going to write a book about that one.

[Woody]

aah Stephen King given ideas to crooks, I see. if you ask me, they should ban sewers in prisons and let them drown in their own s**t. but, sadly, nobody heeds my advice.
thank you very much Roland.
I hesitated long before posting this but then thought my readers had the right to know the truth.

[Roland Petrov]

If you ask me, they should ban prisons and simply put prisoners into sewers.

[Woody]

haha makes sense!!! since they seem to be attracted to them.

[Will Neill]

I seemed to have missed this one Woody, Stephen King is one of my hero writers and to find out you had an influence on his books makes you my new hero. I have a few unfinished plots I could do with some help with...any chance you could look at them. (Loved it) Will

[Woody]

Hi Will. long time no see. oh yes, I've read tons of his books. that man is from outer space.
God, I'd be honoured to help, Will. certainly.
oh and glad you liked it. thank you.

[Will Neill]

I was only kidding

[Woody]

damn, you had me there!!

[Will Neill]

I know lol

[Will Neill]

Buzz lightyear signing off. Be back soon.

[Tom]

Stephen King just got his lucky break before you Woody, so don't be too dismissive of your own literary skills, Mr King could not write and make us laugh the way you can !

A interesting concept, sometimes one must eat a little humble pie before a banquet !

[Woody]

hahaha that was my "twisted" tribute to a giant of a writer with an incredibly unending imagination. I've read many of his books. didn't like them all but many have transported me to outer space.
I'm humbled by your praise, Tom but even though he writes in the horror genre, he slips in a few snippets that clearly show he's got a good sense of humour.
thank you dear friend :)

[Tom]

Yes indeed Woody, I also enjoy that genre, always great to see a bit of humour thrown into a melting cauldron full of ?? To break the tension !

[Terpsichore]

Ah, got it, 'twas just me being dumb. T

[Woody]

nah, it's me Terps. I do have quirky ideas and it takes time to get used to the way I think.
no hidden messages, no thought-provoking writes (I leave that to plenty of writers/poets here) just an attempt to bring a smile :)

[Lydia Shutter]

No, you were not bragging....you do have a wonderful imagination. You have hidden a lot of horror story titles in this....Carrie, Shining, and a few others! Just goes to show you...never share your ideas unless you are guaranteed to get credit...or cash...for them. Lydi**

[Woody]

haha it's all for fun, I assure you Lydia but thanks heaps. I'm glad you saw those titles. have you read Misery by any chance. turned into a great movie (james Caan and Cathy Bates, I think).

[Lydia Shutter]

Yes, they starred in it. I read the book and saw the movie.....very good!

[Mashoosh Kateb]

We always imagine having a conversations with people that we admire. I really enjoyed this. I myself would like to sit down with Poe, Wells and Rodenbery.

BTW, he still looks like an Ichabod Crane with Glasses.

[Woody]

Hi Kateb. thanks for stopping by. glad you enjoyed this one.
that's not a bad idea. why don't you sit down with Poe, if you're a fan of his. have a conversation with him about the Raven.

[Marie]

So you were the talent behind one of my favorite novels. And the movie too. I understood it all perfectly, and I understand the concept of "taking poetic license" too, which is what writers do with the facts.

I think you're quite capable of writing a great novel youself, if you chose to focus on it.

[Woody]

thank you very much Marie. awfully nice of you to think that.
this was a tribute. in a weird way. the man is gargantuan.

[Marie]

Yes he is. He isn't writing for money now; he has plenty of that, also fame. I think ht writes because he has to, because his muse--or whatever it is--won't let him alone. And I'm grateful for that.

[Great Aunt Astri]

I know the feeling. So many I have helped on their way, yet I remain anonymous, unknown! Your story was really polished, and made a good read, even I expect to those who didn't grasp its significance

[Woody]

thank you so much Aunty. it can indeed be frustrating when your favour is not returned or at least acknowledged. but if you are a good person at heart (like I know you are), you'll continue to lend a hand and expect nothing in return.
having said that, I'd like to clarify that my intention with this story was purely for entertainment purpose. unfortunately, those who do not read horror stories will not be able to see it as I intended it to be.

[Great Aunt Astri]

Ah. Well I haven't read a horror story since I was a teenager!

[Terpsichore]

Tell you what, as a piece of fiction, this is really well written, polished, as Samuel says, but excuse me for being a bit thick, but aside from the point, 'cast your bread on the waters and all that, I don't quite get it?

Seems to me that Stephen King is the one in the frame, but didn't he write Carrie way back before the eighties, which was when Rita Hayworth Shawshank redemption was penned. T

[Woody]

as always your visits are most appreciated, Terpsichore. thank you.
now I'll try to defend my piece.
once in a while, I'd get a silly (seldom!) idea and want to try it. I imagined being the one who helped Stephen launch his career and become the phenominal icon that he is today whilst I'm here on WC writing short stories and generally making a fool of myself.
as for his first novel, I'm well aware that it was Carrie but I took the liberty of making Shawshank Redemption his first and gave him a daughter (which I believe he doesn't have) and named her Carrie. TARAAA!!
convincing? thanks again Terps :)

[Valentine]

I've never read horror stories, but I do enjoy what comes out of that pointed head of yours. Valentine

[Woody]

hahaha it's not. it's oval, last I checked. thank you Dear :)

[Valentine]

You are a comical character. Kathie