It's book week on TFC, though it has been rather quiet around here. Perhaps my fellow authors are hiding away writing like I have been!I have always been huge into books. I'd guess that most authors loved reading from an early age. My parents are both big readers and definitely encouraged that love. We spent a lot of time at the library. We didn't have cable until I was ten and I don't think we had a regular video membership until I was eight or nine because we just got movies from the library. I always did the summer reading challenges at the library growing up and usually won them.
I started drifting away from the library a bit when I got into high school because I didn't feel like there was much there for teens. I was definitely reading adult books at that time because there were only a couple YA books that reflected me and my life (Weetzie Bat and the other books by Francesca Lia Block and Girl by Blake Nelson). I've gotta say I'm jealous of teenagers now who have a much wider variety of books to choose from! Then again, part of the reason I started writing about teen characters is because I wanted to create those characters I thought were missing from literature.
People ask me all the time if I think I'll write something other than YA someday and I'm sure I will. I would love to write urban fantasy, but most of all I would love to write a pirate story. Yeah, you heard me right. Pirates. Why? Because the first story I was ever obsessed with as a kid was "Peter Pan." I was four years old. I made my mom read it to me over and over. But who was my favorite character? Not Peter. Not Wendy, the main female character. I loved Captain Hook and the pirates. And I told my mom that I wanted to read more pirate stories, preferably with girl pirates. My mom sighes heavily whenever she tells this story and says, "Stephanie, do you know how hard it was to find pirate stories appropriate for a four year old? Let alone girl pirates?" Yeah, I pity my mom and the librarians she employed to help her with this task. Ultimately Mom just had to keep reading "Peter Pan," which was fine with me fortunately. But I guess it is no wonder why I'm obsessed with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies now and especially love it when Elizabeth Swan is out there on the seas kicking butt. It fills a void that I'd had for twenty-some years. And now I'm sure there are more pirate books out there, even for four year-old girls. But don't be surprised if I write a pirate story one day. I'm just waiting for the right idea to strike...
So what about you? What was the first book or story you were totally obsessed with?
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6 comments:
I loved Peter Pan because my name is Wendy. Also loved Barney Beagle and would spend countless nights staring at the pictures of the dogs going home with the boys and girls who looked so much like them. Great post, Steph!
There were so many! Harold and the Purple Crayon stands out- I loved how he created his own world and longed to do the same thing! And then later, The Little House on the Prairie Series really rocked my world!
I LOVED the classics. Heidi, Heidi Grows Up, Little Women, Jo's Boys, Little Men. What Katie Did....... I couldn't get enough of these books....
Although Hook is not in it (but new pirates are!) may I suggest the new Peter Pan adventure that's VERY different from all the rest?
Click on my name to see!
BELIEVE!
There was a book about a girl putting on a performance at home - I rememember a patched-together curtain for the stage and a black cat...wish I could remember the title!
This is so funny but I was also OBSESSED with Peter Pan! I memorized the whole version of the book we had, and my parents thought I could read at age 2. But really I was just reciting because I LOVED it so much.
I adore the idea of GIRL PIRATES and can't wait to see your sale announcement on Publishers Weekly! ;)
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