Origins Blogfest! and Pinterest

Very slow progress. Steady, but slow. I just want to sit there, eating that ice cream, and spend the weekend reading. I think I'll set aside next weekend as Reading Weekend, just to try to make a dent in the TBR hills, especially all my author friends' books .

Although, the other day, I came up with a new trick that seems so obvious, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I was all stalled and lazy and just wanted to read, so I thought:

Why don't I WRITE the kind of scene I feel like READING?

And I did! I might post a snip, once I've done a little editing.

Then, the next day, I got a little distracted by my new Pinterest boards. It's like Tumblr, but with images only.

Here's one of the images I'm going to add on there,
Quentin Blake's illustration for the Folio Society book bag:


And now... Origins!

This fun blogfest, which officially begins tomorrow, is hosted by DL Hammons, Alex Cavanaugh, Katie Mills, and Matthew MacNish.
"Post your own origin story. Tell us all where your writing dreams began. ... It all started somewhere and we want you to tell us your own, unique, beginnings."
It all started with my Scottish teacher, Mrs Allan, in the first grade. I wrote this story:
Where was All I did not know what All was or where it was
The Adventure was nice but where was All the cow? - I did not know
Soon it was an adventure
I went out to find him he was no where I went up with a jet he was with the moon
Though I don't actually remember showing the story to anyone except my teacher and my mother, it must have sparked something, because I've been writing ever since.

I attempted my first novel in fourth grade. It was called The Strange Girl, and was about a new girl at school and the tribulations that ensued. I wrote it, and rewrote it, on yellow notebook paper. Somewhere in there, the girls TPed someone's house; my mother's only editorial comment was "you can't use acronyms your readers won't understand."

And the rest is - a long and convoluted - history. Now I write same-theme articles for the newspaper Bizim Anadolu with my mum. And, here's a list of all my stories to date, as part of The Rule of Twenty. Since that list, I've started Rome, Rhymes and Risk, and have a pile of new ideas on the back burner - some of which came from dreams, something I'm still excited and slightly scared by.

Jessica Bell, along with Chuck Sambuchino of Writer's Digest, is hosting a writer's retreat in August - The Homeric Writers' Retreat and Workshop.

How I wish I could go, and have all that time to start drafting new stories, by the Aegean Sea!


Comments

Miranda Hardy said…
Love the story from 1st grade. Glad to see you are following what you've always wanted to do.
Kate said…
Hey I am SO SORRY! I totally missed your comment about wanting a Pinterest acct. Blogger hid it from me! Glad you got one, though. I will definitely check yours out!
DL Hammons said…
I wish my memory was that good. I don't remember anything from my grade school years, except the memories where trauma was involved...like stitches. Unfortunately I had a lot of those. :)
Robin M said…
thanks for sharing. I don't remember anything from my grade school years. Hubby can remember every single teacher and friend. Oy! Great idea to write what you want to read. I was just thinking about that since in edit mode and need some right brain activity.
Li said…
I've spent this cold, blustery Sunday in my PJs reading, snacking, and doing some catching up. I just had my first ice cream in over a year (had dental problems) and it was delicious!
I'd check out Pinterest, except I'm afraid I'd spend waaay too much time there. *Sigh*
Deniz Bevan said…
Thanks, Miranda!

Don't worry, Kate - Pinterest are giving them out. Took about a week to be accepted...

Well, DL, I do remember accidentally breaking my sister's front teeth...

I'm not much better, Robin; I can remember writing-related stuff, but everything else is helped by having photographs - otherwise I'd forget it all!

Yum, Li, that sounds like a great day! I caved for Pinterest, but still haven't gotten on Twitter...
Trisha said…
For me, it begins today, but I'm going to wait till evening to post for it!

This is sort of why I love to write, too - I want to write what *I* have always wanted to read. ;)
Deniz Bevan said…
Can't wait to see yours, Trisha!
LynNerdKelley said…
I know how you feel about not finding time to read. I'm in the middle of moving and now babysitting my grandbaby full time and there's not much free time left. This sounds like a fun blogfest. Alex and Matthew sure come up with some great ideas for blogfests. I signed up for the Valentine's bloghop. We're posting kissing scenes. I'm posting one from my poor neglected WIP. I signed up for Pinterest but haven't had time to figure it out yet! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Nas said…
Oh, Deniz, I wish you do get the chance to write by the Aegean Sea! Now I'm off to check out your Pinterest!
Zan Marie said…
I love your little story! So much fun to know where a writer starts. Mine start was bad, bad poetry at 8 years old. ; )
Vicki Tremper said…
Omigosh, seriously? A writing retreat in Greece? That would be awesome, but completely out of the realm of possibility for me. Anyway, love your first story! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to learning more about your newest endeavor. My first novel was at age 12 and was a murder mystery set on a cruise ship. I didn't finish but a classmate called it vivid.
Rek Sesh said…
An early start....no wonder you are galloping away with your novels. Loved your little story.
Jayne said…
My TBR pile is so huge it's in danger of collapsing on me. I dread to think how many books are waiting for my attention. I'm sure I used to read faster once upon a time! I have a pinterest account to but haven't activated it yet. I'm curious but not sure if I want another 'thing' in my day, but it does look so lovely and easy to use.
What a fun pinrest photo.

An attempted novel in 4th grade? Impressive! I was a late bloomer.
Anonymous said…
I like your comment: write the kind of scene you like to read. I say write the kind of STORY you like to read. But of course the story starts with the scene!

Oh, wouldn't that be wonderful to go to the Aegean Sea. I wish you could go!
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs
Carolyn Abiad said…
Amazing1 So do you write in Turkish too?
nutschell said…
I love that you remember your story from first grade :)
Great to meet you through the Origins blogfest.


your newest follower,
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Trisha said…
Yeah, I would love to go to that Homeric retreat too. But alas, it's far away from me!

This is a great story about your writing beginnings. Love that little story you wrote in 1st grade. :)
Deniz Bevan said…
Can't wait to come by and see your kissing scene, Lyn!

Glad to follow you on Pinterest, Nas!

I only started the bad poetry in high school, Zan Marie :-)

Ooh, that murder mystery sounds interesting, Vicki!

Thank you, Rek!

We should trade TBR piles and see what happens, Jayne!

It was a very short novel, Theresa :-)

Thank you, Ann! Maybe I could host a writer's retreat in Montreal, instead...

I try, Carolyn. I wrote a few short stories as a kid, and I've written essays. But otherwise...

Great to meet you, too, Nutschell!

Thank so much, Trisha :-)
Julie Dao said…
Love all of your answers! If I were in a fairy tale, I'd be the exact same character as you - the loyal teammate rather than the butt-kicking princess (because let's face it, would most princesses lift a sword? That one princess couldn't even sleep on 12 mattresses with a pea at the bottom). And I also love the question mark, but I think the exclamation mark is my favorite!!! !!!!!
Cherie Reich said…
I joined Pinterest today. It's fun so far. :)

Aww! Great origins story! (And who doesn't know what TPed means?)
Deniz Bevan said…
I like your exclamation marks, Julie!

Followed you on Pinterest, Cherie!