OK – it’s SHOW & TELL time. When I go into schools to talk about how I got to be an author (a long and odd tale, usually involving fresh produce, much shouting of the word ‘PLOP’ and some unfeasibly large underpants) I invariably talk about the first books I wrote.
These were done between the ages of 14 and 16 (I think). Four stories, in all, about me and my two friends, Val and Lou, in Famous Five style adventures. I sent three of them off to Penguin Books Ltd in 1981, and for my pains received my first ever rejection letter. I carry it proudly with me wherever I go.
Anyway, the point is, these early scribblings (whether words or pictures) are vital to what happens later. Like the foundation bricks of a house you are later going to build. (I think I’m up to the damp course by now).
So I reckon my fellow authors must have some of these too. And if so – I want to see them! So – come on, boys! Dig ‘em out, scan ‘em in and post ‘em up! Share a bit of your early genius!
Ah c’mon!
Two pages from Websters On The Warpath, the third of my quartet of early novels. Note how neat the handrwiting was! And the psychotic personality clues in the weird curve of those ‘y’s… I don’t do this any more. Honest.
18/05/2009 at 10:50 pm Permalink
This is great! Fantastic illustrations too.
Sadly the age of computers had taken hold by the time I started writing anything, which is a shame really, because it means that all of my first stories look exactly the same as my latest stories.
Then again, I don’t think I wrote many ‘first stories’. I started a novel when I was about 13 and that’s about it. It was going to be an epic. I finally finished ‘part one’ six years later. It was about 50,000 words of almost complete gibberish.
I do have notebooks full of handwritten passages and sketches, but they’re not from my teenage years, they’re current! Maybe I’ll scan some of them and post some images at some point.
18/05/2009 at 10:54 pm Permalink
Me again. I just found an old poem on my computer. I must have written this in 1996 or 1997, aged 15/16:
There’s something special in the air,
Or is that the wax upon your hair?
And tell me this, which does seem queer:
Why burn a candle in your ear?
I have fleas upon my shoulder,
And this here candle serves to scold a
Few. Well that makes sense, it seems.
Does it shed light upon your dreams?