Writing: My First Love

Sometimes I forget.

I work with a 22-year-old kid who is just beginning his writing journey. And when I ask him how his book is going, his entire face lights up—he’s so in love with the story he’s telling.

He tells me it’s, “Wild. Nothing else like it.”

I remember when I was a young writer and every story was new. Every story was filled with dreams of publication, riches, and glory. Those were the days before I discovered Critique Partners and I called my sister with a spectacular line of dialogue I’d just coined. After all, someone had to hear it. I was a literary genius.

{SIGH}

Yep, those days are gone.

I still believe in my writing but I now realize it’s more of a marathon than a sprint. And that the prize might not be riches and glory but just some hard work.  And I’m okay with that, but sometimes I wish I could go back to the innocence of believing without boundaries. I think its youth in general. Like a teenager who thinks they can climb mountains, race cars along Main Street, and jump into the deep end of the ocean without recourse, so goes the young writer.

So—to recapture that moment, I propose a challenge. Find a piece of your writing that you are particularly proud of. Maybe it’s a spat of dialogue, a great turn of phrase, a unique character description---and post it for us to read. Like I used to do by calling my sister.

Mine is from Bix (of course). I love this bit and I’m not sure anyone has quite appreciated it like I do. It’s taken from an early scene in which Bix discovers a bike and his mother thinks that his assassin father  has found them. She’s gone a bit crazy as they investigate the bike in front of their home.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Darby snake around us and snatch the card before Mom can throw a body block at her.

I love it because of the image of Mom throwing a body block at Darby just cracks me up.

So—what’s your line?

PS--the mock up of my cover is from my friend, Braxton Cole, who did it as an incentive :)