Origins
Before I start in on the next blogfest I want to say THANK YOU to all the Tumble 4 Ya participants! I had way more fun than I should've reading about your 80s crushes and truly appreciate each post. I'll do a retro recap later this week, but for now...
Today is the Origins blogfest hosted by D.L. Hammons, Katie Mills, Alex J. Cavanaugh and Matthew MacNish in which we explain how it is we got started on this writing thing. Just like we've all got different writing styles/genres/etc., I'm sure we're all going to have varied Origins stories, so this is going to be interesting.
I've always been enthralled by words, and looking back, I see they've played an important role in my personal history, whether writing up quarterly reports in my former life as an investment consultant or drafting a memo for school parents in yet another former life as president of the parent-teacher organization. But creative writing didn't grab me by the throat and refuse to let go until a month or so after I finished reading the final installment of the Harry Potter series.
Rowling made it clear she wasn't going to give us more, but I needed more. I couldn't stand the pathetic way Snape's story had ended, and I had to give him something happy in his mortal life. I only meant to scratch out a few thousand words, a scene or two...but I had to know more, and...well, as writers you know how that goes---before I fully understood what was happening, the other stuff of my life got relegated to bite-sized pieces of time so I could sneak away to my notepad or computer every chance I got.
Soon it wasn't just the story itself that held me captive, but the writing. The words, the flow, the editing, the reworking, the everysinglethingaboutit. I ended up with a complete novel-length fiction, but more important than that was the realization along the way that this writing thing wasn't just one of my fickle obsessions. I'd found my missing piece. And after finishing that story, I just kept going.
I've always been enthralled by words, and looking back, I see they've played an important role in my personal history, whether writing up quarterly reports in my former life as an investment consultant or drafting a memo for school parents in yet another former life as president of the parent-teacher organization. But creative writing didn't grab me by the throat and refuse to let go until a month or so after I finished reading the final installment of the Harry Potter series.
Rowling made it clear she wasn't going to give us more, but I needed more. I couldn't stand the pathetic way Snape's story had ended, and I had to give him something happy in his mortal life. I only meant to scratch out a few thousand words, a scene or two...but I had to know more, and...well, as writers you know how that goes---before I fully understood what was happening, the other stuff of my life got relegated to bite-sized pieces of time so I could sneak away to my notepad or computer every chance I got.
Soon it wasn't just the story itself that held me captive, but the writing. The words, the flow, the editing, the reworking, the everysinglethingaboutit. I ended up with a complete novel-length fiction, but more important than that was the realization along the way that this writing thing wasn't just one of my fickle obsessions. I'd found my missing piece. And after finishing that story, I just kept going.
Not quite as exciting as getting bit by a radioactive spider, but I'll take it.
To see what got other writers going, click on the big O.
Comments
And your '80's blogfest really was a rousing success!! I got my most pageviews in a day ever for that post. :)
Allison (Geek Banter)
And had fun the with blogfest last Friday!
Each of our stories are gems whatever genres or age groups we write for....not all us are literary geniuses...some are here to entertain and maybe even rankle. :)
I haven't tried fan fiction before, but have thought about it. Sometimes a story is so gripping that I want to change or add to the ending.
Your newest follower,
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed this.
But alas, I am no Gabaldon!
I can see why Snape's, somewhat pathetic, demise got you to pick up the pen!