What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?
There was always a subtlety for me in the transition between being read to and reading - one slid into the other (and occasionally slides back when I listen to an audio book). So the books that were read to me as a young girl - Sendak's Little Bear and Where the Wild Things Are, Ping, Dr Seuss's On Beyond Zebra, The Lorax and The Cat in the Hat, and Goodnight Moon were probably my earliest books. I began to write almost as soon as I could make the connection between the amazing stories being read to me and the words on the page -- I wanted more and made my own. My mother was probably my earliest reader and she's still my earliest reader for most of what I write.
The first books I ever remember reading were the Blue Bob books when I was really little, and then I graduated to Henry and Mugg chapter books and finally in first grade to Harry Potter. My first 'book' that I tried to write was about a balloon farm - and idea stolen from the already published book called The Balloon Farm. My grandparents were the first to read it, seeing as I wrote it at their house.
I've read everything at one time or another - romance, sci-fi/fantasy, thrillers, mainstream, etc. A good title can always grab me.
I started writing in junior high and high school. I wrote really schmaltzy poetry and all my girlfriends wanted me to write poems for them to give to their boyfriends. I began writing professionally about thirteen years ago. I now write women's fiction with the occasional essay thrown in.
I can't remember a time when I haven't read. As a child I loved the feel of books, and to this day, much prefer to read than watch TV.
I began writing my first novel in my mid-forties, although I'd always enjoyed sharing stories and events in my life with friends in other parts of the country and abroad.
A work colleague was the first person to read my novel, and because of her encouragement I submitted it to a publisher.
Victor Hugo novels in English translation (especially, Toilers of the Sea) are my earliest memory of reading. My brother taught me to read before I began school in Tokyo, Japan. For many years, I was a voracious, omnivorous reader. In high school, I began to write poetry and short fiction. A school newspaper's literary supplement was my first publication venue. Then, as now, I kept my work close to my chest, not sharing it at all until publication.
I don't remember what I first started reading, but I was sold out on Trixie Belden books and read every one of them. I started writing almost as soon as I could hold a pencil. I'd write little nonsense stories and then I'd hide them away. I only found out just recently my mother read everything I'd ever written! :)
My mother diligently took down my stories after I crawled in bed at night from the time I was four until I could write them myself at six. I was always more interested in writing (creating stories) than in reading. I shared my stories with my family and friends.
James and the Giant Peach. I started a tiny post punk fanzine in London in 1979 called "Then and Now" with my friend (designer and typographer) Jeremy Leslie. The first people reading this were other fans at venues like the Marquee, Red Cow and the Nashville Rooms.
I first read Misery by Stephen King, My first book Everyday Realities was published around 2000 the first person to read it was me .
After high school, I spent two years at night school to get the right credits and 70% average to gain acceptance into York University. While at night school, I took a creative writing course. I have always written lyrics, or poems, to myself. In fact, I remembered as a teenager I would imagine myself writing rock songs. That first night class led to a Creative Writing course held at the Continual Education Program at Ryerson University. At Ryerson, author Barbara Gowdy was a great creative writing instructor. I have never read, or studied, her books. I remembered Ms. Gowdy said to the class to write a page, describing a place, or a place. We did that on our own time, came back, read our stories to the class. In this class I saw and experienced the immediate positive reaction and encouragement from my classmates and from Ms. Gowdy.
The very first books I remember reading were Dr. Suess books. I couldn't get enough of them. I read them out loud to myself. To this day I can't buy children's books that don't rhyme.
I began writing when I was young. I would write daily in my personal journal. It was how I escaped reality.
The first writing ever published by little old me was a bio in my book Chicken Soup for the Girlfriend's Soul.
I never really seriously considered becoming an author. Then my husband of 12 years died in 2008 at age 49. He threw a blood clot approximately 15 hours post-surgery for a hip replacement. We held his funeral on what should have been his 50th birthday. I started writing as a way to express my thoughts and my grief.
I started writing in high school for the school's newspaper. My colleagues read several of my articles during the years. And of course my parents. What did I first read? WOW maybe a book for school ages ago :)
Probably lots of things but I think the first books I got into as a kid were The Hardy Boys. Those fellas sure met a lot of smugglers!
I started to write to stop people bugging me about how I should start to write.
My first regular published work was with the Cork News a newspaper with a circulation of about 60,000 where I wrote a weekly food column. Its a little odd to go from not writing to writing something read by 50+ thousand people a week.
I guess I'm a big fan of the Go Big or Go Home motto.
I stopped writing it to concentrate on my finishing my first book, the need to produce 1500 words a week every week made it hard to devote enough time to write the book.
In my teens I fell in love with Stephen King Books. Salems Lot was always a favorite of mine.
I went through a period in my life that I had something I needed to express and just couldn't find the voice to do it. So I wrote it instead. Before I knew it I had finished a novel.
I talked about what I was writing with my husband Alan. He was such a great sounding board and he had really good advice. Then when I was done I let a good friend of mine Cindy Sturdevant read it. |
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