WMTPG, Vol. 11: Lost In The Waves by Justin Heckert

1. What are some of the most memorable details? How do you think he got them?

I loved the McDonald's scene. I would guess in asking questions about Christopher he found out that was his favorite place and probably met him and his dad there. The detail of how he ate the cheeseburger seems like something he witnessed firsthand.

 

He starts in media res. He has to leap. And I think he did it effectively, visual/verbal prompts or not.

 

Interesting story. At the one-third mark I was thinking the dad had had enough of the insanity and plotted to kill the boy in such a manner to make it look like an accident.

Warming to see they both survived.

Ballsy that he took him back to the exact beach.

It was written clean and easy like Hemingway.

I'd like to know who Heckert interviewed for the story.

Something still feels weird about it.

 

Weird, as in a guy who had his autistic son run off on him repeatedly was so careless to have him playing in the surf where he shouldn't be when the tide was running out?

 

Along those lines.

 

Trying to respond without reading others:

I liked the story. Very rich in specific detail, which I assume was almost all from Walt. The details make Walt seem like an asshole, though, so it doesn't really feel one-sided. There is a whole frigging ocean. Who goes swimming in the jetty?

The part about letting go of the kid, I totally understand. You can't save someone in that situation if they are fighting you. Lifeguard training would tell you not to touch them if you can avoid it.

Lot of the details are very rich and easy to picture, convey the scene, emotions, -- floating on the water, eating at McDonald's, the mother convulsing while waiting to hear about the son.

Also a lot of good, specific detail about the way the kid acts without someone having to tell you he's a handful or whatever.

I wish there was some more from the mother/stepdad. I can imagine how they feel but ... Also, maybe a graf or two to say why being in that particular spot in the ocean was more dangerous than swimming at the beach.

Probably the most memorable detail was Chris laughing as he is floating miles away from shore.