What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?
I STARTED READING THE BIBLE AT THE AGE OF FIVE. i STARTED WRITING IN MY LAST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL. tHE FIRST PEOPLE TO READ MY WORK WERE MY COUSIN WHO HELP TO TYPE IT OUT AND SOME OF MY FRIENDS.
The first books and stories I really got into were Edgar Allan Poe, and books on Greek mythology. Third and forurth grade and I was devouring all I could of both. Fantasy and the macabre were always my favourites as a young person.
I began to write in school of course. so my teachers were the first to read my writing.
I first really creatively wrote poems as a teenager, the words would just cascade out of me...it was a sickness really.
I recognised letters as distinct entities having separate semantic meaning by the time I was two years old. In kindergarten the teacher had me sit before the class and read aloud to them from my own book collection. I read voraciously and on a significantly higher-than-average reading level all through school; and by the time I was 15 I had begun composing original fiction based on daydreams (that had come from actual night dreams) with the idea of some day publishing it. I do not know what became of this juvenalia and retain only some copies of love letters and bits of a journal from that period (and would rather have the juvenalia; some of it, as I remember, was actually quite charming).
Being assigned 'The Great Gatsby' in 11th-year American Literature in 1974, which I insisted on reading before seeing the beautifully-done film of that year, was a seminal milestone. From that event onwards I concentrated on developing something to say via fiction and how best to say it. I wrote several short works based on 'Gatsby' and the themes of cross-clique love affairs before finally completing 'Love Me Do' in 1990. By that time I was involved in half a dozen other fiction projects, most of which remain unfinished though they have served me as a kind of proving ground on which I matured as an artist.   | | |
I'm sure it was a children's book. Honestly, I wasn't much of a reader as a child until I actually had to do reading in college. My first serious writing happened when I was a high school band director writing articles for music magazines which led to an invitation from a publisher to write a book
I knew I loved books and writing when I was in grade school and the teacher would assign a book report and I would do 2 or 3. Back then my family would be the first to read what I wrote. Now, my husband is the first to read what I write or listen to me read to him what I write.
The autobiography of Malcolm X. I was inspired to write as apart of my formal studies in college. I then found a unique curiosity to respond to article I would read on subjects of interest. I must also acknowledge that there was a few people who praised and encouraged me to continue to write and express my views. I believe that the first people to read some of my work were peers, then college professsionals and series of college assessments of writing exams. Then at the peek of my educational plight my close friend said let's aspire to write a book. So I did, in aspiration, knowledge, discovery, disappointment, glory then grace to see it come to past.
My first read was just some kid's book - I remember thinking reading was never going to happen, and taking library books to bed only understanding one word in eleven! The usual struggle, but at some point mastered it and never looked back, like most people. The first books I remember choosing and enjoying were the Narnia Chronicles and fairytales. I recall thinking the former were a bit deep, and to read them when I was older. I certainly got more out of them at eleven and twelve. The Hobbit and Earthsea Trilogy were others.I grew up with poetry - Shakespeare was recited to me when still a baby, and I was introduced to De La Mare, Tennyson, Keats and others as part of the furniture.
I started writing at eleven. partly because I had a school mag and really supportive English teacher. But it was quite artificial - acrostics and stuff. As important as reading was listening - I was made to learn my first poem, The Jabberwocky around seven. And my second was Skimbleshanks and for some reason a Gilbert and Sullivan song. I then learnt Ben Jonson's Witches' Song for pleasure - and it now features in my storytelling shows! I started writing song lyrics and poetry at thirteen because I was hated school (I'd had to move schools), and non stop from fifteen, taking it seriously at sixteen. An ocean of poetry and also terrible plays, a full length fantasy story and two 'novels' - one very in the fantasy genre, and the other not bad but unfinished about city life, but I've lost them I think. Also short stories - some alright, some unreadable! full of 'existential angst'.
My English teacher praised my efforts at eleven. After that I didn't show many people - friends would always say 'no we don't want to hear your poem/story - you're good at English, so we know it'll be good' - and I thought 'yeah...thanks.' It became about what it was like to be growing up, so I stopped showing the stuff to adults. Then at college, I showed my drama tutor my terrible 'novels' and he was encouraging if frank. Poems were very occasionally read to the odd friend. I wrote prolifically, (a hundred poems on one topic alone) and read as well, going to the library to find poets I hadn't read yet while my mates were in the pub! I found Geoffrey Hill's Mercian Hymns at seventeen and that changed things. I knew I would understand it better later, and so bought a Collected works of his which I was right about - I really valued it, but he only became my favourite poet after I finished my first degree. I went to a writing circle for a while and all the adults and the other person near my own age there were encouraging. Then at college proper I studied Writing and Philosophy so my tutors had to read my work! And I grew and gained in critical faculty immensely from that. I also had a long suffering best friend who used to kindly listen to everything I wrote as I wrote it! It was such a relief after school, because they were the kind of schools where if you wrote poetry or read it you were a weirdo. So to have somewhere where you could be normal and where you could be marked and graded on the subject you were 'best at' was just amazing. We read some great books as well as honed and shared writing, as the Writing half had a contemporary literature course as part of it which was very useful. And I did another option in classic literature, as I'd always loved that as well. Another great thing about the degree was learning to critique and strip down your own work, edit, and the difference between poetry and therapy! I.e. dismal lyrics vs. artwork. So basically having felt alone in the wilderness, I was then in a summerland. For a while. | | |
The first thing I read that wasn't assigned in school was the Lord of the Ring trilogy. I first started to write novels when my husband was in Iraq for the bazillianth time. My children were both off in college, I decided not to work (the stress is too much when you have a job and a loved one in a war zone), so I had to do something to keep myself busy. My mother became obsessed with reading each chapter.
That's a difficult one to answer! Because both of my parents love to read, I've grown up around books. I remember The Chronicles of Narnia, Watership Down, Alice in Wonderland, and The Hobbit being read to me. Once I was reading solo, I think the first books I read were by Dick King Smith and Lucy Daniels.
I remember writing my first ever story when I was learning how to use speech marks. It was about a meeting between two rabbits called Tom and Sarah, and must have been about 50 words long! I was six at the time and I think my year one teacher was the first to read what was ultimately my first ever piece of fiction!
Comic strips, text books of the elementary school. My family and my teachers were the first to read my things
I'm not a very avid reader. I check out headlines from newspapers and websites. I began writing on professional wrestling doing recaps of television shows. I now write opinion columns on professional wrestling on a week to week or as needed basis. As far as who reads my work, whomever logs in to the website can read my work. I have over 350 published articles available.
My first major influence was Dr. Suess. I loved the rhyming and the humor. My grandparents encouraged me to read and write at a young age.
The First book that I ever read was "Where The Wild Things Are". I began writing at a very early age. I would write down my thoughts, and feelings, and that took me into journal writing as a young adult. My children were the first ones to read any of my writing.
The love of reading is among my first memories. My Mom, who raised seven kids, rarely sat down. But if a task could be done with one hand, she would have a book in the other hand. She read thousands of books. I'm guessing some of the "Dick and Jane" stories were among my first reading. From the time I discovered the school library it was my favorite room. I'm sure my Mom read my "writing" before I knew my "a,b,c's. It was also my Mom who encouraged me through the years and challenged me.
Our home was full of books. We were encouraged to know how to read before we went to school. Too many years ago, but it was probably mysteries or westerns. Both parents were excellent teachers. We are a story telling family. My Father was funnier than any I've seen on Saturday Night Live.
I was encouraged by my parents to read and write. My first outside encouragement was an English teacher who told me: "Never stop writing". I never have. They were the first to read my efforts. |
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