“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein
I asked in my last post if any of you liked to know about how and why someone becomes a writer. Some of you – okay, two or three of you — said you enjoyed knowing a writer’s beginnings and path to becoming a writer. So, I decided why not share my writing beginnings as I did Saturday for my book party and as I have many times when I’m doing a book talk.
Perhaps because I love hearing about others path to writing and eventually writing a book or many books, I expect others to feel the same way. But then I like to hear why people decide to be a nurse or doctor, a preacher or a policeman, or – well, any occupation. I just like hearing other people’s stories. I might be assuming too much when I feel others, especially readers and writers, want to know why I love putting my fingers on a keyboard and letting words flow from my head to those fingers and start making a story on my monitor screen.
Of course, there were no monitor screens back all those years ago when I had dreams of being a writer and set out on the writing path. I love words. I love putting words together to make a story.
I don’t know exactly how old I was when I decided to write a book. I’m guessing around ten or eleven. I loved to read and had a book in my hands every moment I could. I liked reading Hardy Boy mysteries, and I thought it would be fun to be a Hardy girl. I never wanted to be be a boy, but I did think it would be great fun to solve a mystery. Since it was unlikely I’d have that opportunity, thank goodness, since there wasn’t much mysterious going on out on the farm where I grew up, I decided to write my own mystery. Naturally, I made myself the main character. A much cuter, smarter, and way less shy girl than I actually was. I roped in my sister and cousin as sidekicks. We all picked fictional names for ourselves. I’ve always thought Ann was such a plain name. Then you’d think I’d pick something fancy as my fictional name. Nope. I picked Jo. Seemed to fit a preteen detective. I don’t remember the name my cousin chose, but I think my sister wanted to be Carrie.
And so I took up pen or pencil, found a wire-bound notebook and wrote those first beginning words – Chapter One. I’ve written those first words many, many times since then, but probably never again with so much innocent confidence that I would be able to write a mystery. A whole book. I was that sure the words would come and they did. I filled up page after page of the notebook. I let my sister and cousin read it. I let my aunt and mother read it. I loved writing those words, and I was soon telling people that when I grew up I wanted to live in an isolated cabin in the mountains with two or three dogs for company and write books. I have always had those two or three dogs, but never became the writing recluse I imagined then.
“Words are our most inexhaustible source of magic.” – J. K. Rowling”
Those magic words did start coming, one following the last. I’ve probably written several million words since then. Many of my books have 100,00 words. Often more. That means I have to scribble a line through the offending words that don’t belong in my stories. But that wasn’t a worry when I was filling up that notebook. Then every word was golden.
And so that was when I first took up pen and let the words flow. But what happened next? Come back next time to One Writer’s Journal and follow me on down the road to being a writer.
Did you ever want to write a book when you were young? Were you an avid reader the way I was?
Oh, and the picture is me pretending to write a story all those years ago.
Comments 17
still like to read
I’ve always loved to read books, but never thought about writing one. Sometimes in school we had to write a small story. I enjoyed doing that, but I would never try to write a book. The words don’t come very easily to me.
Author
We writers love you readers. Of course, most writers are readers too. I often wish for an extra hour a day or better yet, an extra day a week that could be set aside for reading. And the words don’t always come easy for writers either, but somehow those words, easy or not, will pile up to make a story.
I love learning about the writing journey of authors. I loved to read and loved to write stories from the time I was able to hold a pencil and open a book. My imagination created the most interesting stories. I’m thankful for my parents, teachers, and librarians who encouraged me to write. 🙂
Author
It’s so fun to hear from other writers here, Melissa. I was such a closet writer when I was young that I really didn’t have that encouragement until after I published a book. My teachers never knew about my writing dream although I always got good grades on any writing assignment. My mom was always ready to encourage me and my sisters in whatever we aimed for, but I think when I first started writing, Mom probably thought it was something that wouldn’t amount to much. Just a kid’s play time. My aunt was more vocally encouraging when she read my early writing. But she was like a grandmother to me. Grandmothers are always ready to praise to high heaven. After I came out in the open and was finally able to say, yes, I’m a writer, a local librarian was very supportive and ready to help with any research request.
Ann, your life so mirrors my own that it gives me chills. Even marrying young. In addition to reading the Hardy Boy’s books, I also read Nancy Drew and Howard Pease’s books about a young boy who stowed away on a sailing ship and had great adventures. I read constantly and wrote when I was young. During the eleven and thirteen- year age range, I kept the students around me in study hall entertained with my writing. But, for me, after getting married, four children under six years old made it
impossible for me to find time to write. But, I kept reading and taught myself to type.
Before our marriage, my husband’s grandmother Gabhart got me hooked on genealogy and a war started in my mind. Write or work on genealogy. I found that I could prove that I could write for publication a couple of times and get paid for writing and photography. But, people’s true stories held more fascination for me. Genealogy won out. We, my husband and I, have gathered information and stories through trips and talking to people that I never knew existed. Yet, even in adulthood your books so parallel the stories I heard from my husband’s grandmother and mother. I’ve never regretted my choice. Except, I never dreamed collecting those first few documents and stories would eventually fill many file drawers, binders and boxes. Besides genealogy and writing, I sewed clothing for the me and my daughters, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, and for the past few years I have been making journals. Unfortunately, my age and mine and my husband’s health has now curtailed nearly everything. Yet, I have lived a full life and I let God help me to determine what I can do in my remaining years for myself, with the help of my wonderful family, my husband who has severe dementia and the example I can set for all our descendants, which are many. We even have a great-great granddaughter. I am eighty-eight years old.
Author
Thank you so much for sharing about your writing and life, Shirley. My sister is the one who gathered information about our family. I was satisfied to make up my families for my books. 🙂 But I can tell from what you wrote here that you found the stories you found about actual people fascinating. I do also find the stories I hear about those who have lived and passed on fascinating. Then I start imagining them in a story.
I haven’t been blessed with a great grandchild yet, but how very neat that you can see your family story continuing with this great great granddaughter. Family is such a blessing. I’m so sorry your husband is one of those to suffer dementia. That’s a disease that affects the whole family and especially those nearest to the one who loses those beautiful memories. My mother walked that hard path with my sisters and I taking each step with her. It was a rough three years as she steadily declined until she no longer knew us. But somehow, I knew the love was still there under the diseased connections that no longer worked properly. Prayers for you and your husband.
I was an avid reader when I was young, and have been all of my life! I did write a book once, after I graduated from high school and before I went to college, which was three years after I graduated from high school. I destroyed it long ago, though!
I came from a family of readers…we didn’t have a TV until I was in college…and have been a reader all my almost 75 yrs. of life. I’ve written a few simple stories over the years…my favorite is the one that I was required to write in my Children’s Literature class in college for my teaching degree. That book’s main character was Grace that parts of it were based on my own childhood as a girl who liked to play sports with my brother and the neighborhood boys and I really liked cars & trucks. (My Dad had me drive up to my Grandparents’ place by myself when I was 11 yrs. old to pick him up. I don’t remember why he needed me to do that but I confidently drove up there with no problem…course that was “back in the day”. ☺️) My Mama never curtailed my boyish activities but she made all our clothes and dressed my sister and me in frilly dresses for church everytime the doors were open. Plus, she and Daddy sang at revivals all over the place…so she balanced me out nicely and I still like to dress up for church. During my teacing career, I would have my students (the last 18 years were 2nd graders) to write and illustrate a book. We would go through the process of writing & editing & illustrating, then they would sew the pages together by hand, even the boys, and then covered the book ends with material or shelf liners (or contact paper sometimes depending on what their story was about) using lots of rubber cement. They all were as unique as each student was. I was so proud of them and the hard work it took for them to have such a treasure. I emphasized to them that I hoped they would always keep and take care of their book because when they got to be my age, their book would be a treasure to them that money could not buy.
I never really desired to take the time to write a book because it would take too much time away from my being able to read wonderful books like your lovely books, Ann! Thank you so much for doing all the hard work (that takes what seems to be forever to those of us who are eagerly waiting to read the next book 😄)…just for me to read it “lickety split”! I’m glad that I can read a good book over and over again and savor it…since I like to read the “first read” as fast as I can. ☺️
May God bless you with more and more wonderful characters and words filling pages so we may keep enjoying them! Thank you so much! 🤗📚❤️🙏
Author
Loved reading your comment, Connie. How wonderful that you helped those young students make a book. I know they had to be proud when they got it all assembled with a cover and everything. Good teachers are the best. Thank you for being one. I have to wonder how many of those kids kept those books. I would have if I’d been one of them. That’s for sure.
Sometimes I think it might be nice to give over my writing time to reading, but then I think yes, I have another story to share. I love to read, but I love to write too. And yes, I do sometimes wish I could write faster, but I could never write as fast as those of you who read “lickety split.” That’s how I like to read too, but I very rarely read the same book twice, except, of course, my books that I read a dozen or two times while I’m working on them and editing to try to make them better. I have at time listened to the audio version of a book I read some years ago and that can be interesting.
Thank you so much for reading my stories and for your encouraging words about my writing.
Author
I have writing that I probably should trash, Trudy, but I’ve kept every word or at least almost every word, except those I edited out. I still have the old desk that was mine as a teen before I married and its drawers are stuffed with notebooks full of stories that I know I’d be embarrassed to read now. I even still have that partial novel I started when I was ten or eleven somewhere. I really should clean all that out to save my kids having to sort through it while thinking why in the world diid Mom keep this.
It’s an accomplishment to write a book.
I think perhaps most avid readers will ponder the idea of writing their own story at some point in life. I once wanted to be a writer or journalist who wrote a syndicated column for magazines and newspapers. Erma Bombeck was my favorite. I still, from time to time think I should write a book about adventurous kids and their antics. But instead of creating words on paper, I chose to create with fabric and thread.
I’m very happy you chose to keep writing. I look forward to each of your books.
Have a great Independence weekend!
Author
I think you are probably write that many readers do think about writing a book. Actually a lot of readers do write a book. 🙂 But as you indicate, there are many ways to be creative, Lavon, and needle and thread is one of them. But I’m sure you would do a great job of writing about kids and their antics. Erma Bombeck had a way of making us laugh, for sure.
Happy 4th of July to you and yours.
I love the picture and the story! I am so glad that little girl grew up to become a published writer! Oh ,The joy you have given me!
Author
How sweet of you to say that, Lisa. Very encouraging words to read for a writer like me. I am glad I have been able to write stories that readers like you want to read. Thank you for picking up my books and giving them a read.
The picture is from a long time ago and I notice in it that I have my pocket pinned together. Also that old bench was the most uncomfortable seat in the world even with pillows. LOL
I never wanted to write a book. But I was, and still am, an avid reader. I would take a flashlight and hide under my blanket with a book and the flashlight so my mother wouldn’t know I was reading if she looked up the stairs to the room my sister and I shared.
P.S. You didn’t ask, but I also think my name, Ann, is plain. My middle name is Elizabeth and I asked my mother why she didn’t name me Elizabeth Ann, since that is so much prettier, I think anyway! Also, when people ask how I spell Ann, I say “it’s just plain Ann, no e. I am not a princess!!”
And you said something about liking to learn why a person became what they did. I excelled at bookkeeping in high school and although I went to college for two years to become a teacher – I quit and got married – I was fortunate to get some entry level bookkeeping positions and was able to learn a lot more and worked my way up to where some CPA’s I worked with thought I had a degree because of my knowledge.
One last note. I always enjoy your newsletters. Thank you, Ann
Author
You are right, Ann. Ann is usually a middle name. My daughter and daughter-in-law and one of my grandkids have Ann for a middle name, but my sister, a niece, my mother, and one of my granddaughters have Elizabeth for a middle name too. So I suppose mothers just chose which way they like it best.
Sounds as if you liked keeping those numbers in order. I actually enjoyed bookkeeping when I was in a class in high school. But words called to me more than numbers.
Writers need avid readers. Thanks for being one.