tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post8951977517297589519..comments2024-03-19T02:31:33.746-07:00Comments on Tossing It Out: I Wrote This Post Fifty Years AgoArlee Birdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-58167674779231827772011-12-12T22:39:42.698-08:002011-12-12T22:39:42.698-08:00Trisha -- Pretty lengthy story for an 8th grader.
...Trisha -- Pretty lengthy story for an 8th grader.<br /><br />Carol-- I surprised that you don't have at least one influential teacher. I had some really good teachers. I feel like I was given a well rounded education.<br /><br />LeeArlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-55928277537807113782011-12-12T13:03:02.406-08:002011-12-12T13:03:02.406-08:00Great post! I don't have any samples of my wri...Great post! I don't have any samples of my writing from back then, or really any memories of particularly encouraging teacher. I wish I did.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915400068613145577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-79494410406277576402011-12-11T16:29:18.488-08:002011-12-11T16:29:18.488-08:00Great post, Lee! As for teachers who influenced me...Great post, Lee! As for teachers who influenced me, probably my year 8 teacher who let me hand in a story 2 weeks late 'cause it still wasn't finished (it was dubbed "the novel" even though it was only around 5k in the end).Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16927558937796802496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-81387356059696001752011-12-11T13:53:58.769-08:002011-12-11T13:53:58.769-08:00Emily - Thanks for stopping by.
Eve -- I think a ...Emily - Thanks for stopping by.<br /><br />Eve -- I think a lot of kids with writing aspirations may tend to write above the reading levels of their peers.<br /><br />Donna Shields-- I have always been interested in writing.<br /><br />C Lee -- It would be so cool to find those teachers and give them autographed copies of your book. I'm sure it would make them feel good.<br /><br />Pat -- I've always had the personal museum philosophy of you never now when something will be needed.<br /><br />Donna Hole -- I like to see the comparisons. I think in many ways my writing from college is better than what I write now, but it was probably due to all of the academic exposure.<br /><br />Buck -- It's fun to see our roots and maybe we gain something from it.<br /><br />Paula -- As I've heard somewhere, teachers are making an investment in our futures so hope they invest well.<br /><br />Kelly --Not sure where I got the word "flamey", but I liked it well enough to use it more than once.<br /><br />Disconnected -- You should find a use for all of those old ideas. It's good when a teacher offers a fusion of ideas beyond the normal required curriculum. Mrs. Kingston used to play a lot of music for us--I learned a lot about classical music in her class.<br /><br />Carolina -- It was good that you were able to establish a long running relationship with a teacher in high school. I was able to do that in college. We didn't have many choices of English classes in high school other than the basic ones for each grade level.<br /><br />LeeArlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-1487908809805843442011-12-11T13:04:21.738-08:002011-12-11T13:04:21.738-08:00The first teacher that made me see others might be...The first teacher that made me see others might be interested in my writing was Mrs. Metelko, a teacher I'd had for several different English courses in high school. I've always hoped to see my books in print so she could read them someday.<br /><br />I think it's lovely you're able to trace serious inspiration back to this. It's really good work!Carolina M. Valdez Schneiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11589934533051907801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-85438159295814432022011-12-11T11:09:00.125-08:002011-12-11T11:09:00.125-08:00Lee-
Almost forgot.
While my mother may or may n...Lee-<br /><br />Almost forgot.<br /><br />While my mother may or may not still have the early stuff tucked away somewhere (she's been in a home for five years now), I have a few boxes with everything from high school on, which includes a whole bunch of starts on science fiction & fantasy novels, mystery noves, and several binders full of song fragments and completed lyrics.<br /><br />Whoever has to clean out my house after I leave for the Great Gig In The Sky will have a treasure trove of ideas at his or her disposal!<br /><br />Or at least a lifetime supply of bird cage liners.<br /><br />LCDiscConnectedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07013919800637508392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-23257504849383415212011-12-11T11:03:01.828-08:002011-12-11T11:03:01.828-08:00Lee-
Sorry, just getting around to reading this.
...Lee-<br /><br />Sorry, just getting around to reading this.<br /><br />There was a teacher who inspired me to write-Thomas B. Williams, my tenth grade English teacher.<br /><br />His first assignment was a short story, and he encourgaed us to be creative about the boundaries for such an assignment.<br /><br />Then he played a song, "Singring And The Glass Guitar," which was an eighteen minute piece on the second side of an album called "RA" by a band named Utopia.<br /><br />Who happened to have a guitar player named Todd Rundgren.<br /><br />So not only did Mr. Williams inspire me to be creative, but he introduced me to a musical passion that would continue for the next thirty-five years and counting.<br /><br />Thank you, Tom.<br /><br />LCDiscConnectedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07013919800637508392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-4608139071684435972011-12-11T09:31:19.128-08:002011-12-11T09:31:19.128-08:00"Flamey fire" is worth a giggle, but it ..."Flamey fire" is worth a giggle, but it definitely shows promise for a 4th grader! You were clearly on the path.Kelly Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01752857506190488860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-87028010494406964932011-12-11T08:44:52.279-08:002011-12-11T08:44:52.279-08:00It's so cool that you still have this writing ...It's so cool that you still have this writing sample! (I must admit I'm a bit of a pack rat too!)<br /><br />It's obvious that at a young age, you were embracing thoughts and feelings with words and were building your "voice" to share. A great beginning Lee. How fortunate you were that your teacher recognized your gift!Paula Sladehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923061193682673368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-46888684458072642682011-12-10T21:15:41.454-08:002011-12-10T21:15:41.454-08:00Amazing! Felt like I rode a time machine to see t...Amazing! Felt like I rode a time machine to see the origins of the great writer we know today. I actually wanted to get into entertainment when I was younger. I did write a little book in the fifth grade. We bound it and everything. Struggle for Survival was the name. Guess I still carry that flair for dramatics now. Thanks for the flashback!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-22724480397582490112011-12-10T20:50:22.284-08:002011-12-10T20:50:22.284-08:00I have a couple things from when I was a child; an...I have a couple things from when I was a child; and I still have my first "novel" attempt from freshman high school.<br /><br />Interesting to see how far we have come as writers now.<br /><br />........dholedolorahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08715849844092553699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-91317097384809862732011-12-10T16:17:19.694-08:002011-12-10T16:17:19.694-08:00Wow 50 years ago, surprised you even kept it or th...Wow 50 years ago, surprised you even kept it or that it lasted haha. You and your magic psychic powers must have really saw this post coming..hahaPat Hatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07745293224202430152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-34251880167055481042011-12-10T08:29:04.083-08:002011-12-10T08:29:04.083-08:00Mrs. Kingston had a knack for spotting writing tal...Mrs. Kingston had a knack for spotting writing talent lurking in those fourth grade metaphors.<br /><br />I was lucky to have two teachers in school who inspired me to use my imagination. I dedicated my second book to them and if I knew where they were, I'd so love to send them each a copy. I also wish I had a sample of some of my early writing. It would be wonderful to reach back to that time and remember.cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-66725830636002266202011-12-10T06:07:07.504-08:002011-12-10T06:07:07.504-08:00That's some serious awesome writing coming fro...That's some serious awesome writing coming from a 4th grade you. You were destined to write :)Donna Shieldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04607270459657152401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-89051385253930841182011-12-10T02:10:44.019-08:002011-12-10T02:10:44.019-08:00Hey Lee, What a terrific post! It's wonderful ...Hey Lee, What a terrific post! It's wonderful that you still have those things from when you were a kid! I saved a bunch of my kid's stuff too.<br />I remember always wanting to write, although I don't remember having any major influences other than books I would read.<br />I remember wanting to write a kid's book when I was around 9 or so..it was going to be a chapter book about a family of river otters whose home is being overtaken by developers. (Please hold all laughter until the comment has come to a full stop,lol!) <br />I thought that since I was a kid, I could write it so kids would want to read it. It proved to be too lofty a goal for a nine year old, and so was eventually scrapped. I wish I still had some of the chapters I'd worked on, it would be neat to read now! <br />You did have remarkable hand writing, and your use of metaphor is remarkable for a child...it's no wonder you became a writer! <br />Hope you're having a great run up to Christmas!E. M. Prokophttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12395951217528199963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-3470427436193273652011-12-09T20:21:33.500-08:002011-12-09T20:21:33.500-08:00How cool!How cool!Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669247067972937201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-31406934650751242192011-12-09T18:23:30.826-08:002011-12-09T18:23:30.826-08:00S.Stauss -- So happy you came by and I hope you wi...S.Stauss -- So happy you came by and I hope you will return often.<br /><br />Nicole --I'm glad that Ms. Satchel impacted you so greatly. Now we know who to thank for your wonderful comments and blog posts.<br /><br />Tracy -- It's in the roots of my writing. I'm glad I kept that one. I might have some other samples from back then but I haven't run across them.<br /><br />LD -- I agree. If nothing else it's a discipline and kids need more activities to help them focus. Kids minds flit around with too much diversion these days.<br /><br />Carol -- I tend to have thoughts like you describe. My mind is a flurry of different things. Sometimes I just have to write them down.<br /><br />Karen -- Sometimes the simplest little word of encouragement can have the biggest effect on a person's life. We never know what it is that we say that will influence a child for the rest of his life.<br /><br />LeeArlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-82876900540116517782011-12-09T17:22:49.568-08:002011-12-09T17:22:49.568-08:00Congrats on being "published" so early! ...Congrats on being "published" so early! Things like that are kept, as my Mom would say, "for posterity's sake".<br /><br />I had an English Lit teacher who told me I was a good writer. That gave me a real confidence boost.<br /><br />Have a great weekend!Karen Langehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177923284595298347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-11072239852695401192011-12-09T16:35:18.274-08:002011-12-09T16:35:18.274-08:00No. No. And no.
However, I've always been an ...No. No. And no.<br /><br />However, I've always been an ardent reader. And I have always had stories, characters, narrative, and dialogue floating around in my head. Very little of it went together, and rarely did anything make a story.<br /><br />I thought everyone had thoughts like that. I mentioned it to someone once and they said they didn't. That's when the light bulb came on and I wondered if I was supposed to write it down.<br /><br />Maybe I'm a slow learner.Carol Kilgorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15168273312704732896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-9925839007592496982011-12-09T15:56:13.155-08:002011-12-09T15:56:13.155-08:00While I was enjoying your post (the old one), I co...While I was enjoying your post (the old one), I couldn't help but look at the original paper and think what a shame it is that many schools aren't even teaching cursive anymore. They say it's obsolete. I think it's beautiful.LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-27752285493669802692011-12-09T13:04:07.447-08:002011-12-09T13:04:07.447-08:00Lee! That is so awesome. I can't believe you w...Lee! That is so awesome. I can't believe you wrote that in 4th grade with such wonderful descriptions and detail. So cool you still have it and what a wonderful memory.Tracy Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578915029993861396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-41518910991320074882011-12-09T12:54:07.327-08:002011-12-09T12:54:07.327-08:00What a paragraph! The description kind of puts rea...What a paragraph! The description kind of puts readers in there, at the scene and I can't get enough of that line "You can feel water and fire shooting into your sweaty face." Alrighty then! :)<br /><br />Yes, I have a particular teacher who influenced my desire to write. Her name is Ms. Satchel, my English teacher during my sophomore year in High School. She used to tell me to save all of my writing and she used to stress this, like life itself depended on it or something...I mean, she would be so serious and the tone of her voice would be so matter-of-fact, that it was scary. I would think to myself "what's the use?" because I had no interest in writing, as a profession. <br /><br />At the time, I also had no interest in saving ALL of my writing...I mean, who in the world is going to want to keep dozens of floppy disks laying around the house, you know?!! However, I did listen to her and Yes, I did save my work and writing, on loose paper, notebooks and disks, etc. whatever I had my writing on, I would keep it.<br /><br />No, I did not have aspirations to become a writer when I was a child. My aspirations were in Fine Arts, specifically drawing or illustration of some sort and them my interests moved into film and video.<br /><br />Therefore, I find it quite interesting that many years later, I appreciate Ms. Satchel for making me realize that writing is important and should not be taken for granted.<br /><br /><a href="http://madlabonline.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">The Madlab Post</a>Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08965945636486620938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-24749190778028561742011-12-09T11:46:45.727-08:002011-12-09T11:46:45.727-08:00I love this! What a great link to the past and wha...I love this! What a great link to the past and what beautiful writing for a 4th grader. Well, for anyone, really. Glad I stumbled upon your blog. I love your writing.TangledLouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771682524596744447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-76589401892775421222011-12-09T11:03:35.562-08:002011-12-09T11:03:35.562-08:00Hilary -- We can never predict when life's cir...Hilary -- We can never predict when life's circumstances will inspire us into unexpected action.<br /><br />Jenn- It sounds like you were doing some pretty creative story-telling.<br /><br />StMc-- Thanks for the kind words and the great comment. I was gonna say that I see an excellent blog post in this story. You ought to expand on it. I hadn't thought of the blogfest idea but it would be cool. And I know what you're saying to Suze--I'm in the same boat and now I'm trying to patch a lot of leaks so I don't go under. Rules suck, but consequences can be even worse.<br /><br />LeeArlee Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11663942782929929334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149224757183756660.post-67237331568115437302011-12-09T10:55:15.549-08:002011-12-09T10:55:15.549-08:00Hey, SUZE ~
Another INTJ here!
As a youngster I t...Hey, SUZE ~<br />Another INTJ here!<br /><br />As a youngster I think I tried to follow instructions to the best of my ability. It wasn't until I got a little older that I burned all the rule books and struck out on my own path...<br /><br />Hmmm... Maybe I should have stuck to the rules a little more 'cause life is HARD out here on my own, and I think I've become hopelessly lost (but I'm making good time!) <br /><br />~ D-FensDogg<br />'Loyal American Underground'Stephen T. McCarthyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00249125637725791567noreply@blogger.com