WRITING

I Don’t Remember Writing

Day 8 Preptober writing prompt challenge

Day 8: What is your earliest memory of writing?

SHRUG!

This question has absolutely done my nut. Thanks, Kristy Westaway for writing these challenge questions— and that is only in mild sarcastic font *wink*.

I remember reading my first horror story out in fifth grade when I was ten years old because I can remember the amazing reactions of blank faces and dropped jaws and loving that I did that. I even remember the dream I had when I was seven that prompted the story. I have the little booklet — because yes, I turned it into a book! I traced an epic image for the cover and stapled it together. But…

I don’t remember writing it.

This question prompted me to dig for my earliest memory of actually writing and I’m struggling to find any in childhood even though I say, “I’ve always written.” I have tangible evidence of that fact, but none of the memories. I don’t remember making the booklet above — but I have the tangible evidence that I did.

What the hell is that all about?

Ok, so lets, work backward then and see how far we can go.

I remember WRITING MY FIRST NOVEL

I’m currently re-writing and re-branding it as Blood of the Covenant with a new understanding of a deeper story I was unaware of in the first telling (all the queerness I wasn’t able to embrace before). I’ve been posting the chapters as I update them here:

I remember writing this book on the back porch of the Queenslander house I lived in, and I remember the moment I finished it because I was in Tasmania for three days shooting a short film. I had an early call time on the last day but I sat up until 2 am because I couldn’t stop and I remember writing the last line, sitting on the lounge. And then I cried.

Age: 33

I remember WRITING THE RUSTY SILVER STEEL

This is a huge jump back in time, so that’s a positive. Rusty Silver Steel was a short story I wrote while I was living in a granny flat on my blood-parents’ property.

I remember writing it because it was a pouring out of angst and frustrations. I was angry at someone (read that as feeling very low, unloved, and jealous) who had just driven to and from my place in their brand new car that their parents bought them to complain about their parents. Now, CURRENT me knows that possessions and gifts do not equal love, but PAST me was stuck in the headspace of, my parents bought me a car too, an old one that was on its last lap around the block, and then told me I had to pay them back with interest. I didn’t even have a damn license. So yes, I was in a mood.

Age: 19

I remember WRITING…

Thinking… Scanning memory banks…

I remember WRITING THE BURNING CAMPFIRE!

Ok, yes, another memory. Definitely an earlier one as it was for a high school exam and it was based on a prompt. As always in English exams, I went straight to the creative writing section and spent most of my time on that requesting extra paper. I remember that one because I stopped at one point. My character swore and I had this tiny little moment of, can I swear in an exam? Well, my character said it, so it had to go in. That was the moment I learned (though I admittedly forgot — or suppressed — for many years) that my characters write the story and I’m just their scribe.

Age: 16?

That’s it, folks!

I can’t find an earlier memory of actually writing. I wonder why. It’s really intriguing to me. OH WAIT! Nope, I found one. It’s not much earlier, but it’s valid.

I remember WRITING SOMETHING…

No idea what it was called. BUT, I remember it as my first intended novel. It never happened but I still like the concept. Twins are separated at birth (and I just realized I have a real thing with twins in my books — interesting). In a nutshell, one of them kills someone in self-defense and doesn’t ‘feel’ anything negative like she expects. It takes her on a slippery slope of psychopathic exploration. In another part of the country, the unknown twin begins having horrific dreams of killing people that slowly drives her into a mental breakdown. That’s the premise. I may still write it one day. Steal it if you wish — we’ll write different stories anyway :)

Age: 15?

That’s really it, folks!

That’s as far as the memory banks go. I mean, I don’t have much of an accessible memory back before 15 anyway, so I shouldn’t be too surprised, but writing is my passion, so it’s a little unnerving.

Does it matter? Maybe. Maybe not. I feel if I just keep trusting my characters and myself, we’ll all be just fine.

Rainbow Circus Update

I’ve set up a publication through which to share all the Rainbow Circus fun through NaNoWriMo and beyond.

Jack and Mario are ready to play and these daily challenges have really helped me connect to them and discover who they are. I’m looking forward to what else I’ll discover over the next week of the challenge.

I still don’t have a title for book 1 yet. The next step is all the planning!