Horace and Oscar – The Story Behind the Story

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” That’s what they say, right? Today, I have a brand new story up over at Story Warren called “Oscar and Horace Visit the Lake” that’s a good example of that saying. Because I love to hear about the creative process and how stories emerge and evolve, I thought I’d share a little about how this particular story was born. Here goes:

A few months back, my friend Jon posted this photo on his Facebook feed: a whimsical shot of his newborn baby Henry’s stuffed giraffe looking wistfully out the window during a rainy afternoon.

Something about the photo was instantly compelling. I thought – and told Jon – “There’s a story in there!” Wheels started turning. The summer rolled on.

Then, Jon posted this second photo, introducing a second character, the stuffed bunny in the blue coat.

I knew it was time. I rolled up my sleeves and went in search of the whole story about these two characters. I started with the obvious question. “Who is this giraffe, and why is he looking so forlornly out the window?” Couple that question with the follow-up – “What’s with the conspiracy to escape the crib?” and I began to form the basic outline of the story. These little stuffed animals began to take on personalities. One – the giraffe – became Oscar, a nervous homebody who loves comfortable chairs, his blanket, and the company of good friends. The other – the rabbit – became Horace, the dreamer, eyes on the sky. Naturally, Horace persuades Oscar to break out of the nursery and visit the lake across the lane. Then there was a goose, some especially anxious moments dangling from a door handle, and the story was off and running (Like Oscar and Horace).

Thanks to Jon Hartt (www.harttphotography.com) for a couple of gorgeous, evocative photos! I hope you and your family enjoy the story, and a little peek behind the curtain.