Mother Loop Ruin courtesy Beth Carlson

Stuck at home for Thanksgiving, with both my kids stuck in theirs, writing a holiday blog was hard going. I dug deep to find a topic that wasn’t a) sappy or b) self-pitying and came up empty. Then my husband and I went for a muddy morning walk on Mother Loop*, and I got my mojo back.

I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of time to think when I walk. Yesterday that time was devoted to finding a subject for this blog post. It was ninety percent walking and very little inspiration, but in the end, perseverance paid off.

We’d modified our track to avoid walking through long grass and didn’t pass by my favorite Mother Loop* site: The stone remains of a truly old house. All that’s left is a hearth, the cellar walls, and a few ancient apple trees. It always makes me itch to write a ghost story.

I love ghost stories. My two favorites are The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope and Tryst, by Elswyth Thane. They’re romantic, not horrifying, and might not pull an audience today, but I loved them many years ago and love them still.

Both novels belong in a category that didn’t exist when they were written: Young Adult. The main characters are in their late teens, and grownups stay out of the action and mostly out of sight. Unlike many young adult novels published today, there is little-to-no violence and no sex at all. Instead, the novels rely on well-developed characters and engrossing plots.

Either book would make a marvelous film.

I have a screenplay app on my computer and wonder if I could pull off writing a film script for one (or both) of these two novels. If that isn’t something to think about on a cold and rainy day in November, I don’t know what is.

Do you love ghost stories, too? What’s your favorite? Please write your choices in the comment box below or send an email to storiesbyjudith@gmail.com.

*Berkshire Natural Resources Council. (Check out their website for fantastic walks.)

Thanksgiving Fugue