Saturday, November 22, 2008

So I Couldn't Just Stop with Seven...

Here's some more random facts about myself and books. Blame Gracen; she's the one who stirred up this memory, ha ha!

-I started reading romance books at the age of 12, after I started 'going' with my first 'boyfriend'. This you know from reading the comments yesterday. But why? Because I thought I was ready, now that I'd met the 'boy of my dreams' who announced we would probably 'never break up', since we were such good friends! And yes, while it lasted 4 years, I really felt none of the passion, romance, etc. Why? Because I was 12! Hormones didn't kick in until two years later, and we started drifting apart. I had a serious year-long crush on a senior when I was a freshman, and that ultimately led to our breakup. Also the fact we only saw each other once a week, and I saw my senior 3-4 times a week, plus went with him to Dairy Queen after Youth Group at church. Yes, I was allowed to 'group date' at almost 15.

-My mother let me read Clan of the Cave Bear at almost 17. A substitute teacher was horrified when I took it to class.

"Does your mother know what you're reading?"
"Yes; she gave it to me!" (My mom was on staff at the HS)

-I wrote and illustrated my first children's book as a senior for English. I still have the story and the rough sketches tucked away, and the kindergarteners and 1st graders loved it. Think Aesop meets Star Trek...well, okay. It was about two planets, one named Tide and the other named Mud. Obviously it needs work, should I ever venture into Children's Literature!

-My first attempt at a novel was a blatent rip-off of Woman of Substance. I needed a fancy meal, and copied it out of the dinner scene. It's still in my file cabinet! And I've taken the characters out of it and 'transplanted' them to Indiana, after I discovered the 'write what you know' advice! Plus, all my early heroines were sterile, either by birth defect or accidents which caused emergeny hysterectomies! (Yeah, right...at 19??)

-And to prove I've had stories floating around in my head since forever, did anyone else do this? I used to 'hate' playing Barbies or dolls with others, because they never followed the 'script' inside my head, and I wasn't verbal enough to tell them the story before we began! To me it was obvious what was supposed to happen next, but then all of a sudden, my playmate would come up with something totally off the wall, and it would ruin my storyline.

Okay...I'm off to get ready for Day #2 of the Santa Stroll. Had several people stop by and talk to me last night, and hopefully they will return and want to buy today! I also met another budding author to encourage!

I'll catch up on the rest of the blogs tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hope you did well at the Santa Stroll. Let us know. Sounds like fun.

As per Barbie dolls - you invoke a memory. My older daughter, M, was given a Barbie doll as a birthday present at her 7th birhday party. Being a total tomboy (some people claim she's really a boy - at least back then), she piped up (to my horror) "I hate Barbies!". I felt so horrible for the child who gave that gift. Now M feels terrible remembering, too, although I still think she hates Barbies.