The ocean is scary and that’s ok.
The first thing I remember ever being scared of was the Atlantic Ocean. But even though I was scared, I couldn’t resist jumping in the water. Needless to say, I learned to swimming very quickly. Today, I still can’t go in the ocean without facing that childhood fear. It’s just part of the experience.
I don’t believe we can eve really escape the things that make us afraid. That’s why I love stories about characters learning to face their fears.
The idea for Shark Summer started with wanting to jump into one of my favorite scary stories.
Real Fear, Fake Shark.
I’ve seen the movie JAWS a zillion times. It’s one of my favorite scary stories. It’s about a small island terrorized by a giant shark.
JAWS must be a perfect scary story because everybody knows what JAWS is, even if they’ve never seen the movie. This is because ultimate human fear is perfectly captured in Bruce, the giant mechanical shark that stars in the movie.
The Vineyard, 1974.
When I love a movie, I get really curious to learn what happened behind the scenes. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot about the filmmakers who made JAWS as well as the time (1974) and place (Martha’s Vineyard) in which it was filmed.
I’ve always wondered what it was like to be there on the island of Martha’s Vineyard during that famous (to me anyway) summer of 1974 while JAWS was being made. Suddenly, it seemed like behind the scenes of this famous scary movie seemed like the perfect setting for a new scary story.
Off to the Library.
World building is a big part of my storytelling. So, before I start writing and drawing, I do a lot of reading. Believable world building, even for fictional stories, requires research of particular times and places. The internet has a lot of information but when it comes to learning the story of JAWS there are two books essential books you need.
In search of Authenticity.
Young and aspirational, the director of JAWS, Steven Spielberg, wanted his movie to look authentic. So instead of shooting on a sound stage in Hollywood, he moved his actors and crew to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer.
To capture authentic island life, they worked hard casting locals to appear on screen, filming at iconic locations all across the island and figuring out how to get a giant mechanical shark to eat a boat while floating in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Steven and his film crew went over deadline and over budget but ended up making the most famous summer blockbuster movie of all time.
A Real Shark Summer.
To me, the story of the film crew who went to Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 1974 captures the spirit of creativity, collaboration and the need to tell the perfect scary story.
When I finally sat down to begin writing my book, I imagined myself riding the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. I too was in search of the perfect scary story. But first I would need to find the right cast.
