Boys In Trouble..Part I

I don’t write about my own childhood.

“Hurricanes” a short story in Summer Shorts published by Blooming Tree Press is the closest I’ve come to writing about my own childhood. “Hurricanes” is based on a true experience that happened when I was twelve, although the wisdom the character learns reflects the knowledge I know as an adult, not as a twelve year old.

But, usually I don’t write about my own childhood. Although if I did, there are three stories I would tell. Here is one:

Working at Six Flags Over Mid-America–Yes. I worked at Six Flags in the games department. One summer I wore a pin striped shirt and tiny blue shorts and handed balls and collected quarters from customers in Old Chicago. The next summer, I wore a red kilted skirt/shorts with a white shirt and worked as a Games Assistant in Old Britannia. I worked the night shift. 4-10 on the weeknights and 4-11 on weekends. And I loved it.

Every summer there were always kids fired for stealing money. It was easy to do. We handled a lot of change in our tills and there were always kids who figured out how to steal quite a bit before they were caught. The kid who was caught was taken up to the office and fired. We all dreaded being called into the park office.

One day, I got the call to the office. The supervisor walked me up–a supervisor who I remember as being very cute. They were usually college age, and we were Juniors and Seniors in High School. Most of us drooled over one of them at some point in the summer. I got into the office, and they set it up like I was going to be fired. I thought I might throw up. I knew I hadn’t stolen money, but they seemed to think I knew someone who had (This was likely. I always knew and was usually friends with the guys who ended up getting caught. They were usually the guys who were fun, good-looking, and very charming. A problem that still happens today! And this is a theme in my new YA! A girl who is in love with a boy who is trouble.)

So, there I was, shaking in my summer shorts. (And it was hot. We were always HOT in the humid St Louis summers. Our uniforms drenched before we walked out the door).

Finally, they told me I had earned employee of the week and got to wear a gold badge instead of my white plastic badge for the rest of the summer. Everyone had a good laugh over my expression when I realized I was being awarded.

I’ve never written that story. In fact, I forgot about it until now. But what I did realize is that I do play on a theme in that personal story. In my current novel, I have a very smart, good girl who is in love with a boy who is in trouble quite a bit. Perhaps, he doesn’t steal money from his till at an amusement park, but Shantel has the same feeling I had when I was sixteen and in love with those guys who lost their jobs after taking a few rolls of quarters.   

More in another blog about The Middle School Donut Store….another story where I knew the boys in trouble….

Three Editor Day

When I thought about being a writer, I pictured myself writing books, mainly young adult novels, and having one editor. Today, I had a three editor day. And not one of those editors was for a young adult novel.

When I got up, I already knew that I would be talking to one editor. I had a scheduled conference call with an editor about a non-fiction book idea. But, the magic of writing is that sometimes nothing happens, and sometimes A LOT happens and today was one of the magic days where A LOT happened.

I checked my e-mail, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down to tackle a novel idea that is taking shape from some backstory work I did on a character last spring. I can’t seem to get back to the main novel idea, but one of the characters was pulling at me this morning. I reread some of his back-story and realized there was probably a much younger novel in the back-story. So, with another swig of coffee, I got down to work.

I worked steadily for an hour, writing and cutting, and seeing where the 850 word goal I had set for the day wanted to take me. After about an hour in a half, and stuck on the epiphany moment of the scene, I flipped over into my e-mail. Low and behold, while I had been working, an editor had responded with a positive yes to a query about an article I had sent two weeks ago.

I smiled, and got back to work on finishing the 850 words with my eye on the clock and watching for the time when I needed to unhook my internet and pop onto my phone line (yes, they are connected. I confess. I still have dial-up. The advantage is once I’m on the internet, I don’t hear the phone ring and my writing time is not disrupted).

At 11:30, I headed toward the phone and the conference call with the editor in New York. I was a bit nervous. I was picthing an idea for a non-fiction book. I kept telling myself, it’s just like pitching at a conference, only not face to face. The call lasted ten minutes. I smiled as the phone beeped and I pictured an old New York Brownstone in Brooklyn. At one point, a siren went by on her end, and again, I pictured open windows, hot summer air streaming into a small office, somewhere in NYC. 

Ten minutes later, I got off the phone and headed back to my computer. My mind buzzed with thoughts about the article and the non-fiction book proposal. I clicked back into my e-mail. Two e-mails from editors at Blooming Tree Press. One message instructed me to send my phone number so I could be contacted about the shipment of Summer Shorts. I immediately sent my phone number.

At the end of the day, the phone rang. I smiled as I glanced at my caller ID. Miriam Hess of Blooming Tree Press. Editor number three with the best news of the day….Summer Shorts is on it’s way to my house! Three boxes of the bulk order!!! Just in time for the book party on September 9.

When I thought about becoming a writer, it didn’t occur to me that I might work with more than one editor. I never dreamed that I would write short stories, articles, and non-fiction books. I had only dreamed about the young adult novel. Today, I’m glad that the magic of writing has a much bigger picture than I might dream. It’s great fun to have a three editor day!