Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
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January 8 question - What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?
This is going to sound a little weird and a lot naive ... which incidentally may or may not describe me as well...
I have been a voracious reader since I was 4.
Loved books. All books.
I created stories in my head from the same age. Adventures for my imaginary friends and my toys, then scenes for favourite TV shows and books.
Never, not even once, thought about writing them down. Maybe because we had exactly 2 creative writing assignments in school - both in grade 5 and limited to 1 page.
When my kids were little and both napping (miracle!!!) I decided to write down a scene I'd been thinking about for a couple of characters from Star Trek: TNG.
It was fun, so I did it again. And again. Eventually I had 180k+ words.
Probably terrible words, but it was so much fun!
It took me another MS (almost 200k words) before I realized that "real people" wrote books and that maybe I could be one of those "real people" writing books too.
Yep. A little weird and a lot naive.
How about you? Anyone else try their hand at fan fiction? Any fellow Trek fans? Anyone else a little weird and a lot naive?
Next Gen fan fiction - very cool! Now that's a great way to start.
ReplyDeleteIt was - and it was such fun. Angsty & over-the-top but fun!
DeleteI've never written fan fiction, although once I started writing, I couldn't stop.
ReplyDeleteMy mother said most of my first words came from a book on animals (which I still have) so I was reading before the age of 2.
That's awesome! Love that you still have the book!!
DeleteI'd love to write a PERN story one day - such a vivid world
Hi Jemi, yes a little weird and naive for better or worse that still describes me. Have a great New Year.
ReplyDeleteHope 2020 is good to you Stephen!
DeleteI wrote at a young age, but only have one story and a diary :) to look back on. Oh and poetry.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you still have them - that's awesome!
DeleteI've never tried fan fiction, though I do occasionally write a scene for my own books that makes me feel like I'm writing my own fan fiction.
ReplyDeleteAnd I chronically feel weird and naive. :)
I've learned to live with weird & naive - it's not so bad! :)
DeleteBeen a voracious reader since I was around 4 years old too. Remember reading Moby Dick and Little Women on my own before entering the 1st grade. Moby Dick threw me for a loop for awhile because I didn't realize at first that Moby Dick was the name of a whale and not a person. But Little Women had a hold on me, in particular Jo March, who I wanted to be when I grow up. And a wish for sisters.
ReplyDeleteNever written a fan fiction but once had a story idea inspired by Heroes Reborn and the manga Hot Gimmick.
Happy 2020! :-D
Little Women was a huge force for me as well. I remember the devastation when Beth died - and then reading it again to see if I could get that bit to change!
DeleteFan Fiction has given many writers their start. It's awesome!
ReplyDeleteIt is awesome! I'm often tempted to jump into other worlds as well!
DeleteA scene for STNG - how cool and a great way to start writing!
ReplyDeleteI've always been a ST fan - and writing a story in their world was so fun!
DeleteHappy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThat's not weird at all. At the age of four, you recognized a precious gift that was put inside of you. I find that so cool.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Thanks Pat! I can still picture the world for my imaginary friends - and I still know where the secret entrance is! :)
DeleteI started reading at a young age too and made up stories in my head from TV shows I watched. I didn't make any connection to actually writing. I only started after reading Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteWe're quite similar! I adore Harry Potter and think it has inspired so many many people to tell stories of their own!
DeleteFunny where one scene can lead. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I know! It sure built from that one scene!
DeleteStar Trek has been a huge inspiration for me. DS9 is a series I hold very dear. Are you looking forward to Star Trek: Picard?
ReplyDeleteDave
Dave Wrote This
Can't wait for Picard!!!
DeleteI've always loved the ST world - can't wait to see what they do with this new show!
Not weird at all. I believe/hope that everything a writer sees/hears/feels/reads is grist for the mill. And writers are my heroes.
ReplyDeleteYou're so sweet, Sue!
DeleteI love taking the real world and making it into something new and different :)
That's great - love that we all found our ways into this journey through so many paths!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I didn't know we were so much alike. I, too, have always had stories in my head. I thought everyone did, until one day I learned that they didn't. That's when I started thinking seriously that maybe I should write them down.
ReplyDeleteIt took me SO LONG to realize it wasn't typical to have all of those stories running around. Still can't imagine how that feels!
DeleteThat's a great story about how you realized you were a writer. But share how you got both kids to nap at the same time.
ReplyDeleteLOL - I do believe that was pure luck!! :P
DeleteI agree with Elephant’s Child, I don’t think it’s weird at all. You are definitely one of those “real people” that can write and do it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteYou're so sweet, Mason - thank you!
DeleteThe only fan fiction I tried was based on the movie They Live :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know that one - but it sounds scary & I'm a wimp so that's probably why!! :)
DeleteI got my start in writing by writing Harry Potter fan fiction. It wasn't until then that I realized I actually enjoyed writing. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. JKR has inspired so many with her stories - love HP!!!
DeleteWell Jemi you've come a long way since then. Your writing for WEP has been outstanding. I just know you're going to keep on going to bigger and better things!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Denise! I'm hoping that 2020 is the year I finally get my longer works out there!!
DeleteHope great that your love for books started so early!
ReplyDeleteThe library was my favourite place to go!
DeleteI was a Trekkie for the original series, and TNG, before I stopped having a TV. And I have written what amounts to fan fiction--not for Star Trek... for the Anne of Green Gables series. That last book, about Anne's daughter, really left me with some unanswered questions and I had to write about 40K words to get the answers! (And spend 10 years researching WWI).
ReplyDeleteOh! I LOVE Anne - read that entire series several times as a kid. And the original holds up as an adult. Never thought to write in her world but I wish I had!! I love that you found your answers!
DeleteI haven't tried writing any fan fic, but you're not the first person to start writing that way.
ReplyDeleteThough I'm not a Star Trek fan, I did watch TNG because of Wil Wheaton. However, I ended up liking Data the best.
Yes! Data is a fabulous character - the classic straight man who gets so many of the best lines and can pull it off!
DeleteA lot of people have started their writing careers by writing fan fictions and quite a few of them got published. Write what you want and as long as you keep at it... you are good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Damyanti! We'll see :)
DeleteHope to have Dementia project out and about first!
Haha! I have a 160K mistake! But I gained a lot of wisdom from it. I wish I would have written down the stories I used to tell my kids. I started to with my youngest (of four). My older kids have talked with me about the stories I used to tell them. We've pieced a few together; still missing vital info, though. Guess I should make some new elements up. :)
ReplyDeleteI think my mistake is on a floppy disk somewhere! :)
DeleteLove that your kids can remember them so well - those were good stories!!
weird and naive? perfect MG book! haha
ReplyDeletehad fun reading about your origins =)
Happy 2020!
LOL - you're absolutely right!!! *puts in the SNI file*
DeleteOh, my writing origins sound a lot like yours. I also made up stories in my head, but never thought about writing them down. This state of not-writing lasted me for years... until one day, just like you, I realized I could write my own stories and hopefully share them with others. So I started writing.
ReplyDeleteVery similar indeed! Took me a while but I'm having fun with it too :)
DeleteI can't believe you only ever had those two writing assignments! I'm grateful so much of school involved writing for me. I'm glad you found your writing voice and started writing things down.
ReplyDeleteI know - as a teacher I made sure my students ALWAYS had the chance to write!!
DeleteI loved hearing how you got started writing. I always loved reading and writing and luckily had amazing teachers who let us write creatively.
ReplyDeleteI started writing a picture book that was sparked by a story my grandfather told me almost 15 years ago. But, after it didn't work out I was bummed and then inspired to start a MG story using the same idea. :)
Happy New Year!
~Jess
I hope one day you get to do that picture book as well! Although MG is a fabulous fit for you :)
DeleteHa! I love your writing story. I don't find it weird or naive at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynda! I think some things just happen when the time is right :)
DeleteI love your story on how you got started! Yes, real people write books! ;)
ReplyDeleteI felt silly when that statement finally clicked in my head! :)
DeleteFan fiction has given a terrific start to a lot of writers! Excited for you this year as you get ready to publish. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth - it's getting closer!
DeleteAw, this is great! Love how you've been creating stories practically all your life, even if it took you a while to start putting them to paper. (Definitely not weird or naive!)
ReplyDeleteYou're sweet Heather! Thanks :)
DeleteHi Jemi!
ReplyDeleteI love how you started, thanks for sharing your story!
Thanks Kelly!
DeleteNot weird at all - before I started writing seriously I thought it was some arcane art that only a chosen few could do. I didn't think I could write a book, then I realised it's just about putting one word on the page at a time. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOne word at a time - exactly right!!
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