2018 is here and I’ve joined in again with the MFRW 52 Week Blog Hop. Hello to returning authors and welcome to new authors. I hope everyone had great holiday celebrations. This week’s topic is ‘Favorite Thing I’ve Written.’ You can check out other favorite stories here.
I have a few WIPs that I like. Nothing else is published yet other than this blog, but the first story I ever wrote will always be special to me. I ‘self-published’ it when I was 8 years old using cardboard cut in the shape of a hardcover book (it even had a spine), green construction paper to resemble a book jacket and a magazine photo of a young girl glued to the front. I stapled the story pages together and glued them inside my book. I had dreams of being a writer at that age and had already written plays that family was duty bound to act in. Back then I had no fears of bad grammar or story rejection because I made good grades in English class and considered myself brilliant. The story was based on Michael, my first crush and a classmate of mine, who was the most beautiful boy in the world. Both of our last names began with the letter C, so we sat near enough to each other for me to gaze at him all I wanted without me getting caught. I finally understood why my older cousins got all sappy over some of the boys at church. I developed plans for me and Michael that involved him noticing me, us smiling at each other, saying hi, passing that all-important note asking if I liked him, getting married and living happily ever after. See how simple life and love was when I was 8 years old.
Michael’s name became Charles in the story so he would never, ever know I wrote about him. My main character, Amanda, lived on a farm in the late 1800s with her parents and her cousin Abby. Since Amanda had to be older than 8 years old to marry Charles, I placed her age at 18 years. The family had been invited to a dance in town. Everyone dressed in their Sunday best climbed into the wagon Amanda’s father used for hauling supplies and lumbered to town. The music was loud and lively at the livery stable where the dance was held. Charles stood at the door with his dad greeting people. He saw Amanda and promptly fell in love. He smiled at her, went over to her family, asked her dad could they dance. Her dad agreed. They danced, fell deeper in love and married a week later. The end. That’s so dreamy and wonderful, right?
Five years later at our 8th grade Valentine Ball when we were 13 years old, Michael asked me to dance. We danced to three songs. *Sigh* Dreams do come true. We had a happy for now ending because, at the end of the school year, Michael’s family moved out of state. But our love will forever be immortalized in my very first romance story.
Tell me about the favorite things you’ve written.
Loved your post! A romantic from the get go! I love that he danced with you! SIGH – yeah I’m a romantic at heart as well.
Eight years old? Truly, Alicia, you are a born romantic.
I know right? I proudly get my romantic tendencies from my dad, who in my eyes, was the world’s greatest romantic.
That’s so sweet!
That was wonderful! And, you triggered a few memories as well. I used to bind my ‘novels’ that way as a child. What fun! Thanks for sharing!
It was fun to look back at the book and photo and remember. Thanks for stopping by.
OMG! I don’t know what I’m most impressed on. You writing such a romantic book at 8 or you being able to recall in such detail, the book and the inspiration. I have a terrible memory. LOL You certainly are a born romantic! Enjoyed your post.
I still have the book I made from years ago and a photo of Michael and me at the 8th grade Valentine’s Ball. Those two things helped with the memory. I didn’t post the photo of us because I wasn’t sure about posting it without his permission.
OMG that is such a sweet story! I love your post!
Love this! What a great story. I’m glad you got to dance with your dream guy and that you’re still writing!