Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Write in the ADVENTURE genre (05/24/07)
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TITLE: Encouragement | Previous Challenge Entry
By Sharon Henderson
05/25/07 -
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“These books are in me I just can’t get them out. These children’s books need to come out and be read. They need to be used by teachers and parents to not only encourage reading but to teach about great places to visit, how to get there, how to act on the journey. The books are in there and they need to come out….”
Mick sat at his computer frustrated. He had worked in the airline industry for over 20 years. He was familiar with the other stories that children loved. Bob the Builder taught about construction. Thomas the Train had fabulous stories. The Veggie Tales, what a great success story.
He was so frustrated with his life. His lack of financial security scared him. He had never been one to write much of anything, but he knew what he wanted to do with this storyline.
His wife! Now his wife was a writer. She loved to write and tell stories and create something out of nothing using just…words. If she could do it, surely he could. Right?
He had a name for the series. “Jimmy the Jumbo.” But people who heard about it said it sounded too much like “Jay Jay the Jet”. Whatever that was!
So he humbled himself then sat with his wife and told her about his dream. To his great delight and surprise, she did not laugh. She didn’t laugh at him though she knew his writing level was not where it needed to be to write books. Especially to write children’s books that he wanted to get published.
He had no experience using a word processor, but that did not slow him down.
He sat at the computer, let her show him how to start the word processor, and was ready to write the great American children’s novel, no, book, no, series! Yes! That was it!
The blank screen stared at him. Hands on the keyboard, ready to type. “Move fingers, move!”
Nothing.
“How hard can this be?” he asked himself. “It’s just taking my cool little story idea, retrieving all the details from my fantasy-filled brain, and filling up the monitor screen.”
“Honey! Can you come in here, please?” Hoping against hope that with just a little encouragement from his beloved he would be able to jump start his writing career and leave the airline for good.
“Coming! What’s wrong now? Keyboard dead? Or are you done? Ready to print? That’s the easy part just click the little icon at….”
“STOP! Please! I really need your help. I know I have these great stories in me. I know that children will love to read them and will learn so much without even knowing that they are studying. I know this is the right thing to do…the ‘write’ thing to do…but nothing is coming out. When you write your short stories, you sit down with nothing and in as few as three minutes you have it all done.” His frustration had raised the volume of his voice so that she thought he might start throwing things. “All done! Complete with a moral and all!!! Why can’t I even get started?”
He wanted this so badly. She wanted it for him. Her mothering instinct took over. She wanted to listen to his ideas and write for him. But no… This was his baby, his project, his journey. This was his adventure.
She turned to him, lowered her voice almost to a whisper, looked him in the eyes and said “I love you. I believe in you. I want you to experience success. With God’s help, you…can…do…this.” She walked away leaving him alone with his thoughts and the keyboard.
He slipped out of the chair and hit his knees. “Lord, I know you gave me these stories. I wanted to write them for money and fame but now I know I want to write them for you. If you want these stories told, then take my hands and move them across the keyboard. If you don’t want these stories told, then don’t let any words show up on the screen.”
Mick got back up in the chair. His hands were on the ASDF and JKL; keys. He was ready to type, or not to type. He took a deep breath and looked at the monitor and saw a beautiful sight…
“Jimmy the Jumbo lived at a little airport on the edge of….”
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I am not certain this fits with the adventure genre, but I absolutely loved your story.
Keep writing like this and I imagine that you won't be hanging around the beginners circle for very long.