Thinking Back...

How it all began. It all started with three brothers. Issac, Taylor and Zac. If you recognize those names then you are in good company. Yes, I'm talking about Hanson. The 90's teen bubblegum pop band. Why, you ask?

Because in all honesty, Hanson started my writing career. Hanson and one girl we all know and love, named Barbie.

We all have to write in school and I always remember enjoying my English lessons best. I loved to write poems and short stories for school. I loved to read and be read to. But it wasn't until the 6th grade that I started writing for myself, for fun. My best friend and I were a little late in the game when it came to giving up Barbie and the hours of fun two girls could have creating the ultimate live action soap opera. Because of our slight obsession with three young blonde musicians our all-night Barbie productions started having a similar theme each time we had a sleep-over.

Three brothers in love with the same girl.

If that doesn't fall into the 'Mary-Sue' category, I don't know what would. Eventually it came to me that if I could collaborate with my best friend to create this dramatic of a story line that we were both so into, I could come up with other dramas. I started writing my first book. Now I can barely remember the plot, the conflict or anything of importance about one character named Rosalyn Masters. But I do remember that it was thrilling.

Writing about falling in love and fighting with friends and lovers was fun! It was pure imagination, pure escape and I dug it. Even more thrilling? Sharing my work with my best friend. Hearing her excitement over the story gave me such a boost. Knowing that she wanted more, she wanted to know what would happen in the end, was a driving force for me to write more.

I don't think I ever finished that story. But it doesn't really matter because it was my start. From then on I was a writer. Thinking about it now I could seriously crack up at the fact that almost everything I have ever written has had some sort of music or fame thread woven in. In high school I moved on to the magical world of fan fiction! Thanks to Nsync, Britney Spears and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Writing, to me, is fantasy on paper. And when you're 12 that fantasy is Hanson being in love with you, when you're 15 it's Justin Timberlake being in love with you and when you're 25...it's readers being in love with your work.

Thanks Hanson. Someday when I finish book one of "The Girl Next Door" series. It WILL be dedicated to you.