I honestly can say I don't remember what I first read, I have read so many things in my short life.
Writing I do know came when I was bored in school during class and didn't have anything to do, In fact even today I still get my best stories done in class when I font have anything to do.
The first people to read what I wrote were probably my friends and I say probably because I have been writing since fourth and fifth grade and I don't' remember who first read them. But since then it has always been my friends I go to first when I think of a story idea or have just started one and want their opinion on it.
What did I FIRST read? Wow. That was a long time ago. Probably How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Little Engine that Could. Both took me to an imaginary world that seemed vivid and magical, something that would continue as I discovered King Arthur, The Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Prydain, and Ray Bradbury. I think I began to write in the 5th grade, and teachers were my first audience!
I cannot remember the first book I read. When I was a child I read everything I could get my hands on (Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Jules Verne). Eventually, I more often felt drawn towards fantasy, science fiction, and action adventure, but my reading tastes remain eclectic.
How I became an author is an interesting tale. During the 1990’s I was a successful technical consultant to Fortune 500 companies. It was a job that I loved, and the money was great. I had a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters. As any caring parent would, I always encouraged my daughters to excel at whatever they do, often using the phrase, “You can do whatever you set your mind to do.” That phrase literally changed my life.
One day in 1997, after discussing a recently read fantasy novel, my youngest daughter challenged me to write my own fantasy novel. After understanding that her challenge was sincere, I turned my thoughts to proving my prior words of encouragement. I created a map of a fictitious world and mentally developed a plot. One month later, my first book, Origin Scroll, was complete. That experience opened up the world of writing to me, and I found that I loved the creation process. I used many of the same skills that I had honed during my years of consulting to develop my characters, plots, subplots, strategies, and systems of magic. I then spent the next two months creating two sequel novels, Dark Quest and Ancient Prophecy. Those three books became the Targa Trilogy and the foundation of my Alcea Collection, which now spans seventeen volumes in three series.
The Targa Trilogy was written for my daughters, and they were the first of my readers. As if in repayment for my earlier endeavors, both of my now-grown daughters continue to offer me words of encouragement as I once offered them.   | | |
I started by reading adventure stories when I was a child: I loved Robin Hood and King Arthur. Even as a child I gravitated to stories about heroes who were leaders because of their personal qualities. My family read my first efforts, but discouraged me from pursuing writing as a career.
I first read baby sitters club, then biographies. My teachers were the first to read then my parents.
The first books I can remember reading - barring the inevitable fairy tales and bedtime stories - were mostly 'nonsense'. My dad had the complete works of Edward Lear which I read so many times that I can still recite many of the poems (Owl and the Pussycat, Jumblies etc.). I also loved the 'Bottersnikes and Gumbles' books of S A Wakefield (I loved the Desmond Digby ilustrations) and Norman Hunter's 'Professor Brainstawn' books with his mad inventions so ably illustrated by W Heath Robinson. But my absolute favourites were the 'Uncle' books of J P Martin. They were deliciously surreal and enthusiastically illustrated by a young Quentin Blake. Martin had a pecualiar genius with names and Uncle's (an elephant) world was populated by people with names like Firlon Hootman, Jellytussle, Butterskin Mute and Abdullah the Clothes Peg Merchant. Apart from this kind of silly nonsense, most of my reading was science oriented. I was obsessed with dinosaurs (and still am) and I loved anything about the future; space travel, Dan Dare, future technology etc. In my early teens I started to read classic old sci-fi classics like Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian books and John Wyndham. | | |
First memorable books; Tales of Beatrix Potter & Roald Dahl's canon (my first "favourite" was The Twits). I didn't really begin to consider writing as a career choice until I was about 16 when I began to enjoy the creative writing module of English, so I can assume the first peers of my writing were the staff at Bramhall High School
The first books that got me reading were JK Rowling's "Harry Potter" series. I still love them. Rowling just has so much imagination. I've no idea how I began to write but my parents were probably the first to read whatever I wrote.
I don't remember what I first read. The books that haunt me from childhood are 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson and one about a ghost named Miranda. I began to write as a kid, as soon as I was able to form sentences. I've kept journals I wrote since I was 4 years old. My family were the first to read what I wrote.
This will sound crazy (maybe not) but the first things I remember reading were stories from this bible for little kids my mom bought me when I was born. It was my version of Tales from the Crypt. That shit is scary, yo. I began writing early because I started reading early. Thanks to my grandmother whom watched me during the days. One of the very first stories I wrote was about a Lion that came and ate my baby brother. That was later read by my first grade teacher. She seemed happy about it at the time.
The first novel I read was Huckleberry Finn. I started writing in junior high when I set out to write an epic norse poem. My family liked it, so I kept writing.
The first book I've ever read was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull when I was younger and I've been inspired ever since. I began writing poetry when I was about 13 years old. I allowed one of my best friends to read it. In 2ooo, I started writing what I believed to be my first book. I've never been published and I let about two people read it. They still ask me all the time when ... When. They don't realize how hard it is to get someone to read what you've got.
I read very young - I could read by the time I was about four and I loved Winnie The Pooh. I started reading Enid Blyton when I was about five and by the time I was 13 had moved on to Steinbeck, Allan Paton, and Stephen King (and yes it is a strange mix I know).
As a kid my library books were always half and half - for every fiction book there was a non fic one. I began writing fiction at about age 7 or 8 I think -I used to write little stories as a kid and I guess my grandmother was the first to read them.
I remember at high school I used to write stories and they would be passed around the class.
I gave non-fic a twirl at University but wasn't hooked and wandered off in a haze to do something else.
Serious fiction and non-fiction I began to dabble with about 6 or 7 years ago and friends and other writers were the first to read.
My online critique group was the most influential and helpful - they were brutally honest whether it was good or bad which helped me build confidence and style. | | |
That's a tough one, it was so long ago. I started reading books when I was five. I was always ahead in reading in school. I started writing in fifth grade, I was in an advanced English class, and I discovered poetry. My teachers were thrilled with my work and encouraged me constantly. That's when I started writing short stories, I had so many ideas in my head. My mom was the first person besides my teachers, to read the stories I had.
I am and always have been an avid reader. I cannot recall the first work I read, however; I have always loved biographies. I do not like non-fiction work, although I have read Tolstoy.
I began to write even before entering college. I majored in Journalism as well as several other things :) I fancied myself being a newspaper reporter but became a project manager. I was so miserable that I turned back to my photography and writing. I have written for many publications (print) and now am writing on assignment on various internet publications as well as my own work.
I have a wide variety of readers, from all walks of life. A great deal of my personal writing is Christian reading and something I feel I must do. |
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