Origins Blogfest. My first ever terrible no-good story.

Kinda cool. I don’t join many blogfests but I thought it would be fun to walk back in time to when I first started writing and why. And also read my fellow bloggers’ Origins stories. Check them out here. Thanks to the creator, DL Hammons.

For me it wasn’t about writing. I know, weird, right? I should have stories about how I wrote my first story at the age of one and knew that’s what I wanted to do my whole life.

But no.

I can say that I’ve always loved creating things to sell.

Go back in time: *cue music*

I lived in my favoritest house ever, the one with an attic filled with homemade gymnastics equipment, a huge sledding hill behind our barn, free sweet corn in the summer, a bike ride away from an ice cream store. The place where I’d create gymnastics routines and competitions with an old inner tube and one of the old metal swing sets that would now be condemned.

One summer I created my own line of cards. I made one for all the holidays with original artwork. I don’t think I ever tried to sell them but I had fun creating.

As I got older, I loved a good story, but I got lost in homework, friends, and later college. I loved creating lesson plans for students and teaching.

Fast Forward in time:

One year, I found myself married, substitute teaching, and farther away from friends. Somehow I ended up on the computer writing this terrible story. I scratched that and a couple years later my first full-length story starred the life of an ant. (I think because we had these horrible black ants in our first apartment.)

Henry always wanted to get ahead and be someone he wasn’t. When he got to the next stage, he’d complain about that stage. I found the life cycle of the ant fascinating. It ended with Henry realizing he was a Henrietta and a queen ant. And he/she still wasn’t happy.

I even decorated the borders of paper with ants and printed my story on that. #cornyIknow

But if I look back at that first story, it holds elements I still love. Secret identities. A bit of history. A main character discovering his/her true self. Humor.

I’d love to say I jumped in and then wrote my first novel and started querying. But it took longer.

Even farther in time:

About seven years ago, I’d watch movies and just get this feeling. I call it the story aura. It was really the desire to create stories and write.

I gave it a lot of thought, took the plunge, and never looked back!

And now my first short story in the IN HIS EYES anthology will be released on Valentine’s Day. And my first YA novel, A SPY LIKE ME, will be released in spring of 2012.

Kinda cool. I promise, I didn’t doodle spies in the border!

Now I’m off to see how others got their start.

, , , ,

30 Responses to Origins Blogfest. My first ever terrible no-good story.

  1. Heather Sunseri February 13, 2012 at 10:58 am #

    I’m not one who has been writing her entire life either. I sort of evolved into the love of creating stories.

  2. Natalie Aguirre February 13, 2012 at 11:53 am #

    I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t start writing until I was older. Such a cool story of how you started writing. Thanks for sharing it.

  3. Laura February 13, 2012 at 11:54 am #

    Thanks! And I’ll be spending time today visiting the other blogs in the hop rather than replying here! Can’t wait to read everyone’s!

  4. Sheri Larsen February 13, 2012 at 12:22 pm #

    So thankful you had those ants! lol

    I love how you’ve shown a writing journey can take time to deepen, while we live. Your success is so inspirational. Thanks for sharing this.

  5. Stina Lindenblatt February 13, 2012 at 12:27 pm #

    Even though I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 9 years old, it wasn’t until much later that I actually tried to do it. For the longest time, I believed you had to be born a writer, so I obviously wasn’t one. Eventually I realized that’s not true. It just takes a lot of work and practice, as well as some amazing how-to books, crit partners, and beta readers. 😀

    So, are you ever going to publish an ant stories?

  6. Louise February 13, 2012 at 12:47 pm #

    Love reading your story! I think it’s fascinating how many different roads can lead to a writing career -or even just a passion for writing, for those who don’t choose to make it their career. I suppose that’s one reason stories are so diverse – because the people writing them, and the journey it took to get to that story, are so different.

  7. Miranda Hardy February 13, 2012 at 12:57 pm #

    I like the ant story. Great beginning.

  8. Ansha Kotyk February 13, 2012 at 2:33 pm #

    I love hearing about your writing origins! You wrote of ants! Are squirrels next?

  9. Karen Lange February 13, 2012 at 3:05 pm #

    Really enjoying this blogfest. It’s good to learn more about you. Congrats on the short story and novel – so excited for you! 🙂

  10. Margo Berendsen February 13, 2012 at 3:35 pm #

    loved this: “But if I look back at that first story, it holds elements I still love. Secret identities. A bit of history. A main character discovering his/her true self. Humor.” – I can barely stand to look at my first story, it’s so corny (instead of ants, I had unicorns sketches throughout. Complete with rainbows). But you’re right, it had the elements of what i still love in a good story!

  11. susan swiderski February 13, 2012 at 4:28 pm #

    Hey, it takes some flowers longer to bloom than others. The important thing is you’ve bloomed! (I think I’m one of those century plants.) Nice to meetcha. (Fun blogfest!) Please count me in as your newest follower. (But you can keep your ants!)

  12. Laura Marcella February 13, 2012 at 4:50 pm #

    I didn’t know you have a novel coming out oh-so-soon! I need to add you to my blog buddy must-reads page! That page gets a lot of hits. Congratulations, Laura!!!

  13. Patti Nielson February 13, 2012 at 4:53 pm #

    “Story Aura”. I love that. I think I got that as well. I just always wanted to create something.

  14. Jessica Bell February 13, 2012 at 5:14 pm #

    The ‘story aura’. LOVE that!

  15. Danyelle February 13, 2012 at 6:18 pm #

    I love hearing about how writers started writing. 🙂 Isn’t that story aura incredible? My favorite part of writing. 😀

  16. Leigh Moore February 13, 2012 at 6:18 pm #

    First, I’m LOLing at your edgy ant story… So was “Henrietta” a flamboyant queen or just somewhat diva-ish? ;p You are too hilarious.

    It’s wonderful that you’ve always been creative–wish you had one of those cards to show! Can’t wait to read your story in the anthology, and I KNOW Spy is a super story! LOVE~ :o) <3

  17. Emily R. King February 13, 2012 at 6:29 pm #

    Wonderful beginnings!
    I love a success story. : )

  18. Steven Symes February 13, 2012 at 9:04 pm #

    One thing I love is that we writers come from a lot of different backgrounds and bring interesting perspectives with us when we write. Good for you that you felt the itch to tell stories and took the plunge!

  19. jeffo February 13, 2012 at 9:16 pm #

    Great story, Laura, thanks for sharing. The ant sounds pretty interesting, and I love the border with ants on it.

  20. Lisa Green February 13, 2012 at 10:26 pm #

    Pretty awesome story! You’ll have to auction that first one when you become famous. ;D I can’t wait to read your book.

  21. Lydia K February 13, 2012 at 11:30 pm #

    What a great way to describe it–a story aura. So that’s what it’s called!

  22. Brinda February 14, 2012 at 12:31 am #

    This post has left me with a desire to read more about Henry/Henrietta the ant! Congrats on your success as a writer.

  23. Lynn Rush February 14, 2012 at 12:45 am #

    Awesome story!!!! thanks for sharing. I love hearing how everyone started out. SWEET!

  24. Botanist February 14, 2012 at 2:09 am #

    Someone else who wasn’t always a writer from the age of one! I’m so relieved to find I’m in such good company 🙂

  25. Leslie Rose February 14, 2012 at 3:36 am #

    I think we all need “story aura” t-shirts. I always get a kick out of hearing the circuitous routes to writing. Thanks for sharing yours.

  26. Kelly Polark February 14, 2012 at 3:37 am #

    Cool blogfest! It sounds like you had a lovely childhood.
    I also used to create cards for everyone I could think of. I now have my kids make cards for all of our holidays (except the yearly Christmas cards, because they’d need 100+!). The family would rather get one made by my kids than a stranger anyway!

  27. DL Hammons February 14, 2012 at 6:24 pm #

    I’m forming a hypothesis that a LOT of writers lie dormant for a good many years before they’re emotionally ready to tell stories. That’s my story…and I’m sticking to it! Loved you ORIGIN! 🙂

  28. Alex J. Cavanaugh February 14, 2012 at 8:57 pm #

    That’s the thing – creative people tend to be creative in many ares of their life.
    Congratulations on the short story! Thanks for participating in the blogfest.

  29. Traci Kenworth February 15, 2012 at 10:44 am #

    Great story!!

  30. Marcia February 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm #

    I love the ant story. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

Leave a Reply