Writer Twins

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. 

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.

 GREENA was the book I started and restarted at least a hundred times. I guess this is the finished product. I don't know if you can read the pencil-written chapter one, but it's quite sinister. Miss Blood as the evil director of an orphanage. What an original concept! *cough, cough*

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?


Don't forget: Tomorrow's the last day to enter my contest to win a signed copy of Bill Loehfelm's book THE DEVILS SHE KNOWS. Just click HERE for the easy-peasy contest instructions.