The Green Mile | Page 6

in g,
w rit te n b y W ard en L ew is E . L aw es) f ir e d t h e d ark er s id e o f m y
i m ag in ati o n. W hat, I w ondere d , w ould i t b e l ik e t o w alk t h ose l a st f o rty y ard s t o t h e e le c tr ic c h air , k n ow in g y ou
w ere g oin g t o d ie t h ere ? M at, f o r t h at m atte r, w ould i t b e l ik e t o b e t h e m an w ho h ad t o s tr a p t h e c o ndem ned
i n ... o r p ull t h e s w itc h ? W hat w ou ld s u ch a j o b t a k e o ut o f y ou? E ven c re ep ie r, w hat m ig ht i t a d d ?
I h ad t r ie d t h ese b asic i d eas, a lw ay s t e n ta tiv ely , o n a n um ber o f d if fe re n t f ra m ew ork s o ver t h e l a st t w en ty o r
t h ir ty y ears . I h ad w rit te n o ne s u cce ssfu l n ovella s e t i n p ris o n (
R ita H ayw orth a nd S haw sh an k R ed em pti o n),
a n d
had s o rt o f c o m e t o t h e c o nclu sio n t h at t h at w as p ro bab ly i t f o r m e, w hen t h is t a k e o n t h e i d ea c am e a lo ng.
T here w ere l o ts o f t h in g s I l ik ed a b out i t , b ut n oth in g m ore t h an t h e n arr a to r's e ss e n tia lly d ecen t v oic e; l o w -k ey ,
h onest, p erh ap s a l i ttl e w id e-e y ed , h e i s a S te p hen K in g n arr a to r i f e v er t h ere w as o ne. S o I g ot t o w ork , b ut i n a
t e n ta tiv e, s to pan d-s ta rt w ay . M ost o f t h e s e c o nd c h ap te r w as w rit te n d urin g a r a in d ela y a t F en w ay P ark !
W hen R alp h c all e d , I h ad f il le d a n ote b ook w ith s c rib ble d p ag es o f T
he G re en M ile ,
a n d r e ali z e d I w as b uild in g
a n ovel w hen I s h ould h av e b een s p en d in g m y t i m e c le arin g m y d esk f o r r e v is io ns o n a b ook a lr e a d y w ritte n
( D esp era ti o n -y o u'l l
s e e i t s o on, C onsta n t R ead er). A t