So, I’m beyond thrilled to have my first guest blogging contributor, the fabulous YA author, Eileen Cook. Not only is she fantastically talented, but I suspect we may be related in some twisted, obscure way. We both love fabulous shoes, love cooking, love our dogs… the list goes on and on. Most importantly, we both love to write and boy, is she good at it– her latest, The Education of Hailey Kendrick, about a good girl who breaks a big rule in a big way, is out this week.
But let’s go back to the beginning, shall we? What sent Eileen down the road to becoming an elegantly-shod, hysterically funny YA author?
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Stephen King made me want to be a writer. When I was about nine I picked up his book Salem’s Lot, at the library, in addition to my usual stack of choose your own adventure books, Nancy Drew mystery, and the latest from Judy Blume. At the check out the librarian took one look at the book and made a face similar to what might happened if you took a big bite of cottage cheese that was months past the expiration date.
“You don’t want to read this,” she said. “This is a nasty book. Nasty.”
Instantly my interest in the book went from mild to passionate. Nasty? How delightful. I didn’t want to read this book, I needed to read it. My mom took the book from me and after reading the flap determined that I could read the book if I wanted, but warned me it would be scary.
I waved off her concern. Pffft. It was just a book. It was all made up. I was a very mature nine. I understood the concept of make believe versus reality. How absurd would it be to be scared of something silly like that? I went home and began the book that very night.
I slept with the light on for at least two months. I’d lay in bed quivering with dread as I heard vampires slowly lurching down the hallway.
The strange thing was that I still knew it was made up. This Stephen King fellow had imagined the whole thing. Even though I knew it wasn’t real, what I felt was real. That was the first time I can remember the distinct plan that I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to create stories that would make people feel. What he had done seemed magical to me- to imagine things and then bring them to life.
When I read Gone with the Wind I wanted to scream in frustration with Scarlett. How could she not realize that Rhett was the far better choice? I cried when Old Yeller died. Giant sucking sobs. I’ve laughed out loud with characters, cheered when they got their happy endings, and felt rage on their behalf knowing the entire time that I cared for nothing more than wisps of imagination.
So even though I knew I wanted to be a writer, for years I didn’t let myself see it as a serious option. It seems like wishing to be a princess or a super hero. A nice idea, but not very practical. I focused on getting a “real job” and let writing be my hobby. In 2000 I took yet another writing class. The instructor encouraged me to start sending my work out. She told me I was good, maybe even good enough to be published. I remember clutching my notebook to my chest and telling her I couldn’t. What if I were rejected?
She looked at me and said: “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you are already not published. The worst thing that is going to happen to you is that you still won’t be published.”
That was my light bulb moment. If I wanted to make imaginary worlds real, if I wanted to create the kinds of books that I loved to read, then I was going to have to take a risk. Yes it would be scary, but no scarier than Stephen King’s vampires.
And that was how I became a writer. (I’m going to skip over the vast amounts of rejection that came between the inspirational story and final publication)
What book made you want to write? Or what book made you feel those real emotions?
What a great story! Thanks for sharing with us, Eileen. I had a yoga teacher who once told our class to ask ourselves, “What’s the worse thing that could happen.” I’ve often reminded myself of that since I started writing. How lucky to have these wise mentors in our life.
Eileen, welcome to Magical Musings! Congratulations on becoming a writer. I can’t wait to read your book!
I always loved the Laura Ingalls books, but what made me want to become a writer was winning an essay contest in 4th grade. The subject was my dad, and I won 2nd place.
The essay was printed in our hometown paper and I felt like a star! My dad was pretty proud too. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a writer.
Unfortunately, I grew up and became ‘practical’. It wasn’t until after 9/11 that I realized what I really wanted to do was write stories full time. So glad I woke up and went back to being ‘impractical’!
Best wishes for many sales!
I knew I wanted to be a writer after I read The Little House on the Prairie books. How could a little girl (I thought she was little when she wrote them) write about her life and get published? How cool!! Later, I read Joanna Lindsay, Jennifer Blake, Rosemary Rogers and knew I want to write romance, I wanted to write a grown-up fairy tale with a happily ever after.
Hi Eileen. Thanx for joining us here at MM. Great story of your journey to publication. How fabulous. I’m totally with you on Stephen King. The first time I read Salem’s Lot I must have been fifteen. I watched every dark shadow for months, waiting for a vampire to leap out at me. Stephen King may not have been the reason I started writing, but he was one of the reasons I love dark UF.
Congrats on your release. As I ask every YA author … is your book appropriate for an eleven year old? We’re still searching for books that will pique my daughter’s interest. So far the “coming of age” books seem to interest her.
The Thorn Birds was my “naughty” book that the librarian wouldn’t let me check out. No big. I just asked my mom to take me to the local bookstore.
However, the book that made me want to become a writer and that I reread at least once a year was Anne Rivers Siddons’ HEARTBREAK HOTEL.
Oh my, how I love that book like crazy. And later on, when I became more aware of such things, I was stunned to realize it was her first novel (she’d published a non-fiction book of essays prior, but HH was her first fiction). And in learning more about her background, I was able to see how a writer could use their life’s experiences to inform the work and create something completely fictional from the bare bones of a real life event.
NEAT.
Hello Everyone!
Thanks so much for having me here. Special thanks to Barb who invited me and made sure I got my post done in time. : )
So many Little House fans- did you like the TV show or did it ruin the books for you?
Liz- I don’t think there is anything in the books that would be an issue (although there are a few cuss words- also completely vampire free)
Eileen, I’ve heard a lot of great things about your new release in cyber space. And thank you so much for sharing. I don’t think one specific book made me want to be a writer. I read so much, consumed books like air or food, so it was probably a cumulative feeling like the one you describe, of being involved in a world even though you know it is made up, that I wanted to be able to learn how to do myself.
Salem’s Lot scared the bageezeez out of me too!
Grr, I wanted to thump Scarlett hard upside the head and tell her to get over that whiner Ashly!
I still cry when I think of Old Yeller. :`(
So glad you could stop by, Eileen.
Great post! And poo on the one who told you the book was nasty.
I’m a fan of Stephen King, too. I love when stories stay with me long after a book ends–well, I love it provided that I’m not too scared to sleep! Now I must go learn more about Hailey’s education!
I don’t think I can cite one particular book, because I read so many in huge gulps as a kid. Strangely enough, the first thing I ever sat down to write was fan fiction of sorts based on the movie Aliens. I loved Ripley so much. I wanted to be her.
So I sat down at my mom’s old ribbon typewriter and pecked out my own novelization of the movie. All the characters’ thoughts and fears, the dialogue from the film, the setting. Who knows how it all read, but I spent months working on it.
I was eleven
And so it began!
Best of luck with your latest release, Eileen!
I don’t remember when I realized I wanted to be a writer– it was just something I did to release stress, and express myself. I read books constantly– anything I could get my hands on– Stephen King for me too. I think my first shocking book was The Exorcist though– I know my mom was shocked to find me reading it, but hey, it was in the school library! Oddly, I always knew I’d write nonfiction, and did for over 20 years, but it’s only been the last 2 years that I’ve been writing fiction. I think it finally hit me that I could take the mess in my head and put it on paper to form a story.