Dean Koontz: Strange Highways

Apparently, major magazines often fiddle with writers' prose, and writers don't care much. But I sure care, and I can't bear to relinquish authorial control to anyone. Therefore, I asked that the script be returned, told them that they could keep their money, and put "Trapped" on the shelf, telling myself that I had not really wasted weeks and weeks of my time but had, in fact, come out of the affair with a valuable lesson: Nota bene —never write for a major national magazine, on commission, unless you are able to hold the editor's favorite child hostage through publication date of the issue that contains your work.

Shortly thereafter, a fine suspense writer named Ed Gorman called to say that he was editing an anthology of stories about stalkers and people being stalked. "Trapped" came instantly to my mind.

Kismet.

Maybe it makes sense to be an eternal optimist.

Anyway, that's how "Trapped" came to be written, that's why it contains elements familiar to readers of Watchers , and that's why, if you see me some day, you'll notice that my forehead has a lovely oaken luster.