Thanks for dropping in. DL Hammons at
Cruising Altitude is hosting this blog fest, along with Alex Cavanaugh, Creepy Query Girl and Matthew
MacNish. Today, we’re supposed to expose our
writing roots, so here goes.
My earliest memories of books go back
to when a neighbor used to bring home what I now recognize as the covers from
stripped books. My friends and I traded
these covers and kept ourselves occupied with the pictures. If my memory serves
me right, most of these books were bodice-rippers, and you know those carry
rich and glossy pictures.
I started reading early and always
excelled at English, so writing came naturally. By the time I was in second
form (eighth grade to Americans) I was writing love stories in exercise books
that I’d tape together. These ‘novels’ made the rounds in the classroom and
were popular. I can’t say why my interest in writing fizzled, but it did.
However, I made up for it by reading tons of books.
After not writing anything but
Minutes for a twenty-year stretch, and thinking I could make some money, I
decided to write articles on the craft of writing. I sold the first one I wrote
(never got paid the promised $10.00, but the article is still live on the net) and
haven’t looked back since. It’s a lot more fun writing novels though, so
nowadays the only articles I’m writing are for my workshop, or for publication
in the local paper.
My view as to who a writer is has
changed along the way. Before I was published, I thought I couldn’t call myself
a writer until I had exchanged money for my writing. I know better now, and
believe that as long as I’m enjoying the creative process and I’m still writing,
then I can call myself a writer.
I hope you feel the same way about
what you do.
Don't forget to stop by the list of participating bloggers here.
