My latest idea is a Meet Your Neighbor running feature. It builds on my premise that every life contains dozens of stories. Every life is lived in a different way. It's the stuff of a writer's wet dream. All we need do is draw it out of people. Here are some examples from my life.
I once stood shoulder to shoulder on the bank of an Alaskan river as the salmon ran. Anglers were pulling in fish as fast as they could cast, but I never even had a nibble.
I once kissed the famous blarney stone, and it's nothing like you would expect.
I won a jump rope jingle contest when I was in first grade. It was perhaps, my first writing gig.
An English teacher in high school drove me crazy, and I hated her class until I turned in the journal we were required to keep. She wrote the kindest words in the margin including a special one that read: Beautiful. You should write for a living. I didn't believe her, but I've never forgotten, and I still have the notebook. (Thank you Mrs. Ann Jenkins) I believe you now.
I once "saved" a young boy from drowning. Well, he thought he was drowning, but it was really nothing more than his head went under for a second or two. He was terrified. I'm told he remembered me for years.
As a child, I had more than 50 stuffed animals, and they all had names with complete background stories. I still remember them to this day. (I really have been writing my whole life)
As a little girl, I would cry when my mother forced me to wear a dress. I'm still more comfortable in jeans.
Dolls creep me out. Really creep me out.
You get it. Not sure when we'll launch this project as Linda is about to go to press, but each one of those memories is a short story. Share your memories below. I'd love to open your cover to take a peek.
No comments:
Post a Comment