Yesterday I got to meet one of my bloggy, writerly friends in person for the first time!
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, but Becky Avella and I had a fantastic time together. I think we could have talked for six more hours straight without stopping. In Becky's own words -- we were like twins separated at birth.
We laughed about how when we were kids we'd make elaborate character lists and maps of fictional places. We'd have all this done, start the book, get through chapter one, with a brief foray into chapter two-- then quit. On to the next book! But those chapter ones and all those characters we invented were so much fun.
I even pulled out my early writing samples for us to giggle over (thanks, Mom, for keeping all that stuff!). We even owned identical yellow Mead notebooks apparently.
Here are a few of my early "novels" -- the ones I actually did finish. These are complete at between 10 to 20 lined notebook pages each, and most of them are fully illustrated.
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| This "novel" has the date 1989 on the cover, which means I was 12 when I wrote it. The others in this collection are earlier books. I'm guessing I was 10 when I wrote them. |
I think it's cool, though, that as children we had hobbies we still enjoy as adults.
I know when I watch my son play Legos for hours on end, I can't help picturing him as an engineer someday. Probably jobs we enjoy the most as adults are jobs we played at in some form or another as children.
Did you have a hobby as a child that has lasted into adulthood?
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Love the covers on your books! And how fun to discover your long lost twin. :)
ReplyDeleteI was always big into sports, but alas, not so much now. I miss it for sure! I didn't write a ton as a kid, and I can't for the life of me think what I did other than sports. There must have something. . . . hmmm
Ha ha that's cute - and reminds me of many of the ;novels; that I penned when I was younger :o)
ReplyDeleteWriting and some form of scrapbooking. So cool you were able to meet up.
ReplyDeleteMentioned your comment on my blog today. It stuck for that long.
~ Wendy
I love your books. :) Unfortunately, most of my early attempts at novels were saved on those old-fashioned floppy disks, which, if they survived my parents' many moves, could be problematic gaining access to...
ReplyDeleteBut I do have one "notebook novel" that I wrote when I was seven. It is chiefly autobiograhical, yet heartrendingly speaks of my love for my grandparents and the injustices I suffered at the hand of my ten year old brother. ;)
It's funny, I wrote all the time as a child, in high school, in college, but it never occurred to me to pursue being a "real writer" until recently. I had the story in my head for years but I didn't start typing it out as a novel until a little over a year ago. I think I considered writing a hobby for so long, I didn't think I could actually do it for a living.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post, Amy. The covers are so cute. I was just looking at the books my kids made when they were in kindergarten and first grade.
ReplyDeleteNothing much concrete has survived from my childhood (we moved too much) but I loved reading, writing (on the walls because I'd run out of paper), drawing, building houses and forts with sticks and stones, and of course playing doctor. Needless to say, I think all these things made me who I am today, even though I was spanked for half the things I did.
I was shocked that you were only 12 in 1989 -- I was starting graduate school then. But then again, I shouldn't be shocked because I *know* I'm at least 10-12 years older than you.
love this, amy!
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I LOVE it, seriously.
ReplyDeleteEspecially the 'Miss Blood.'
And your 'little girl' handwriting. ;)
I love the illustrated novels. Robyn is doing this, right now, and it's so much fun for me. I remember doing stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteI made lots of books like that too. In Jr. High, my two best friends and I had a mystery notebook that we passed around, each writing a solution to the previous mystery, then writing our own mystery for the next one to solve. They weren't very terribly suspenseful, but it was fun.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love meeting internet/blog friends. Although I've only done it once.
I'm reading backwards from your most recent post and I'm all caught up! Spring flowers (me too!), waiting for queries (ugh. Me too.) Should we email frequently so at least there's something in the inbox?