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Chapter Books

The last time I was home visiting my folks, I came across a few of the many books I wrote when I was a kid. According to the copyright pages (yes, I always made one for each book 🙄), I was between 9 and 11 when I wrote these, and I still pretty much remember the stories even though it's been 30-odd years since I last saw them. 

I remember being particularly proud of my Encyclopedia Brown ripoff Dick Tionary, which was almost called Theo Sarus before I thought that sounded too much like a word-obsessed prehistoric creature than a mystery solver - not sure the title I ended up with was actually better though.


I think what stands out to me the most as a memory are the blank white books themselves. My mom would have bought them for me, and I would have stared at them for a long time before finally diving in to write and draw - no rough drafts here; just straight to print.


After I wrote them, I'd picture what they'd look like on a bookstore shelf or at the library, and I'd imagine people buying them or checking them out - to being a real author like the ones I idolized - Donald J. Sobol or Franklin W. Dixon (who knew what a pen name was back then?). Maybe I'd even meet Mr. W. Dixon and we'd nerd out over Hardy Boys deep cuts. 

I wrote before about getting published in Sports Illustrated for Kids, which was also around this time, and so being a writer didn't feel like too crazy of a dream - if I just kept at it long enough, it might just work out.  


And you know what - I occasionally still write about myself in the third person, and I still really enjoy reading books and writing poems and stories. 

Who knows - maybe someday one of my books will be on a shelf, and I'll finally get to high-five ol' Franklin...well, maybe not that last part, but here's hoping at least for the bookshelf.




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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I write books and music and also write about books and music. If you can't find me, look under a pile of paperbacks or guitar picks. slimchancepress@gmail.com