The idea of this story was taken from a dream my father-in-law had before he passed away in 2009. The premise of his dream revolved around a jigsaw puzzle that kept changing, but other details of his dream were murky. He had told my wife’s sister that the dream had haunted him so she thought the concept would be a good springboard for a story. I allowed it to stew in my head for a few months but I didn’t start typing until my wife recently reminded me again of her father’s dream.
I used a military veteran as my protagonist since my father-in-law, my son and I are all military veterans. As a father and Operation Desert Storm veteran, I also understand how worrisome it is when a loved one gets deployed, especially to a hostile region. I decided to tap into that worry and fear associated with the terrifying thought of “what if”. Once I got going, the rest just came together.
What I have found for myself and writing is that sometimes it is best for an idea to steep in my head a while before I try to make any sense of it. And when I get stuck, I just read more. Reading tends to unclog the blockage.
I am very grateful to the editors at Electric Spec for choosing my story.
Interesting! Thanks, Clifford! Be sure to check out all the new stories on November 30, 2023!
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