A little bit of writing

I mentioned a few days ago that I finally found a writing project that was seeming to stick. I have delved into the world of short story writing, with the idea of making a compilation of stories around a particular theme. In this case, the theme is boyhood.

I know that might seem strange, given that I am a girl and was raised with sisters. But I am enjoying the "wonder of boy" as I watch my three little guys growing. Thus far I have written two stories, each a different length and in a different style. The unifier will be simply that they all would happen within the world of little boys.

The first is called "In a Boy's Pocket" and follows the adventures of a few items that find themselves packed together in a young boy's pocket. It was inspired by the many loads of laundry I have done and the things I have pulled from the bottom of the washing machine, for I never remember to check the pockets before I put the clothing in.

The second is called "Marcus Grady" and is a first person narrative about an imaginative boy dealing with a bully at school. It opens with the sentence "I remember the day the earth swallowed Marcus Grady." The story is inspired from the bits and pieces I have painstakingly pulled from Colin about his days at school, with much exaggeration, of course. It also touches on the view of kindergarten from a kindergartener's point of view.

I have several other ideas still floating around up there, and I'm excited to continue writing. The process is slow, for I don't sit and write just because I have an idea (which is what I used to do.) In this case, when an idea occurs, I think about it as I go about the day and the week, considering the different ways it could go. At the end of a period, most times I haven't found something to inspire me to put "pen to paper." Then, as in these other two times, there are the moments when it all comes together, including the characters, the style, and the theme. On these days, I sit down and literally write the entire story in an evening.

This creative process is so much fun! I find myself even more observant of the boys, and spend much more of the day dreaming up little scenarios and conversations that might (or might not) evolve into something more.