I enjoyed Friday's '80s fest so much that I am excited to kick of the new week with another blogfest. Today is the Origins Blogfest, hosted by DL Hammons, Katie Mills, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and Matthew MacNish. Huge thanks to all four co-hosts!
I am cheating a little bit with this post, as I recently posted about my writing beginnings over at Misha Gericke's My First Book, so I don't really have much to add to that post as far as when I started seeing myself as a writer.
But, after I read about this fest, I remembered a post I wrote last summer about my own first book, which I found while helping my mom clean out my parents' attic.
To give a short recap, I wrote my first book for a contest when I was in elementary school. The book was called It's a Dogworld After All, and it was about a group of dogs sailing around the world in the then far-off year of 2001.
I ended up winning second place in the contest, and I remember being extremely proud of the book. I loved writing it, and loved imagining this future world filled with sailing dogs and their adventures.
I couldn't help but smile when I read about this blogfest and thought of my post about my writing beginnings over at Misha's site, as I realized the "beginning" I wrote about for that post was really just a continuation of something I had started way back in 1980. I wrote about dogs back then, and started taking myself seriously as a writer when I volunteered to write for an animal sanctuary now. It took me some 30 odd years to pick up the thread again, and I made quite a few drastically wrong turns, but I'm glad I've finally found myself in the right place.
Thanks again to DL, Katie, Alex, and Matthew for hosting this great fest!
Your love of animals and writing have a long history. That book is just too adorable!!
ReplyDeleteSo cute, you look like quite the artist as well :)
ReplyDeleteJulie, this is wonderful! You should frame your first book and keep it where you can see it to remind you (on those bad days) of your love for writing...and dogs. :)
ReplyDeleteFar off 2001...yep. I love your book jacket. You were quite the illustrator.
ReplyDeleteIts a rattling nice post to read and incur info
ReplyDeleteI love that you wrote and illustrated it. The pictures are really great. I never attempted to illustrate anything.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
That's adorable! It seems you have come full circle.
ReplyDeleteLove the post,love the book, especially love the drawings. How great that you write today for an animal sanctuary.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you.I'll be back.
Love the pictures! You draw much better than me (even now). I didn't save much of my old writing. I should have!
ReplyDeleteNot only did you write it but yu kept it! A true sign of a writer. Great job (plus you be the artist as well)
ReplyDeleteIt never occurred to me to include snapshots of my early writing samples, but it's been fun to see other Origins with pictures!!! I love that you picked up the thread again even after such a long time. Proof that if something is truly important to us, it never really lets us go!
ReplyDeletenew follower - and my post is at how my writing dream began
@LG, thanks!
ReplyDelete@Siv, thank you. The drawings really made me laugh when I saw them again.
@Madeline, oh, thanks! The framing is a great idea.
@Brinda, thanks! It's funny to think how far away 2001 seemed back then.
@Jeremy, thanks!
@MJ, I think this is the first and last time I ever illustrated anything LOL. Thanks!
@Johanna, that's how I felt too. Thanks!
@farawayeyes, oh, thank you, it's great to meet you as well!
@Emily, LOL, the pictures totally crack me up, especially as I was so serious about naming myself as the illustrator LOL. Thanks!
@LynnMarie, I'm so glad now that I kept it. Thank you!
@Margo, thanks, great to meet you! I am looking forward to checking out your beginnings and your blog!
Such a cute book!
ReplyDeleteYou're such an inspiration to me, a fellow dog lover!
ReplyDeleteThis post is so positive and uplifting...the things in our youth that help shape us are always worth a revisit!
Thank you for sharing...and your drawings are so cute!
Jenny @ Pearson Report
Co-Host of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
Thanks for the peek into your past. I love that you found that early book of yours. Ya know, some things are just meant to be.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story!
ReplyDelete@Gwen, thank you!
ReplyDelete@Jenny, thank you, from one dog lover to another! :)
@Susan, thanks, I think you are definitely right about that. :)
@Christine, thanks so much!
Julie, you obviously have writing in your DNA! Love the first book. A very good subject (Austin says cats would have been a better subject! sheesh! :)
ReplyDeleteHow great that you kept it! I love the drawings. Fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThat book is really cute. Good for you to save it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for participating in the blogfest!
Cute cute pics.....well done for sticking with it after all these years!!
ReplyDeleteAw, you were a little artist too! Thanks for sharing pics of the book. Hmm...cue the wavy lines for a flashback...5th grade at Wayne School...Mrs. Arnhold asked me to get up to read my poem Alley Cat to the class, and I had no doubt that was because it was the very best poem she'd ever heard. So I guess animals played a part for me too.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so happy you had so much fun on the 80s fest. I did too. :)
Funny how many of us got our start w/contests! Me too. Loved your book cover! Nice to meet you via the fest.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO cool!!!! I love it!
ReplyDeleteawe, I love the posts that feature very 'early' works:) Loved the sailing dogs! Thanks for sharing your origins!
ReplyDeleteOh my! What an awesome example of your origins. Thanks, Julie!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at all of these writers who still have stories they penned in GRADE SCHOOL! What a wealth of memories...and I'm jealous!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your ORIGIN story with us. :)
@Carolyn, LOL, Austin would have to say that. I'm actually surprised I didn't include cats on the voyage too as I loved my cat back then as well. Thanks!
ReplyDelete@Mary, thanks!
@Alex, thanks, and thank you again for hosting!
@Mark, thank you!
@Nicki, aw, how cute about Alley Cat. I bet it was a great poem. :)
@Heather, thank you, it's great to meet you as well!
@Lisa, thanks!!
@Katie, thank you, and thanks again for hosting this. It's been a great fest.
@Matthew, thanks! And thank you too for co-hosting.
@DL, I'm amazed I kept this but I'm so glad I did, it was such a treat to find it. Thanks again for coming up with this great idea.
How wonderful you still have your first book! Maybe you can read it to Clancy :)
ReplyDelete@Carol, oh, good idea, I bet he'd like it. Or he'd yawn and go to sleep while I read LOL. :D
ReplyDeleteWow, so lucky to be able to retain your first work, the dogs looks cute too with the caps. I remember reading about your on Misha's blog. Its better late than never when it comes to reigniting our artistic passions.
ReplyDelete@Rek, thanks! I do feel lucky that I saved this, and so glad I found it again. I agree 100%, better late than never. :)
ReplyDeleteOh bless what a sweet beginning. I love that you kept your story too to show us. Fabulous!
ReplyDelete@Madeleine, thank you!!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie .. I think that's great that your mother kept your book, or you did too .. all those years ago.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating that things we love to do don't disappear .. they quietly sit - waiting for the right time to come back out ..
So pleased you're using your skills for the Animal Sanctuary - cheers Hilary
Aww! Such a cute way to begin writing, and your first book looks cute. :)
ReplyDeleteJulie!
ReplyDeleteI love how you still have a copy of your book. Thanks for sharing the pictures. love it!
Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
@Hilary, thanks! And you're so right about things coming back at the right time.
ReplyDelete@Cherie, thank you!
@nutschell, thanks! I really can't believe I still have it, it was so fun to find it.
Your book reminds me of one I wrote and put together with tape and cardboard--only my attempt at illustrations wasn't as good. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story!
How awesome that you still have the book! Love the illustrations too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story with us. I have kept my daughter's stories for just that reason.
ReplyDelete@Golden Eagle, oh, the tape and cardboard sounds fun, do you still have the book? I have to wonder why I chose this pink wallpaper for my cover LOL. Thank you!
ReplyDelete@Jemi, thanks!
@Sharon, that's great you have kept your daughter's stories, I'm sure she will treasure them when she is older. Thanks for coming by!
I love that you still have the adorable book that you wrote and illustrated in grammar school! The artwork alone was impressive, not to mention the very creative theme! Julie
ReplyDelete@Julie, thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteHow impressive that you knew what you loved at such a young age, and neat that you still have it. You deserved that prize. :)
ReplyDelete@Michelle, thank you! It's definitely true I have always loved animals.
ReplyDeleteI think it's fantastic that you authored and illustrated a book in elementary school. It's quite creative and well-put together. I can't remember if I had an assignment or contest like that.
ReplyDelete@Medeia, oh, thank you, that's very nice of you to say. I appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! I still have my first book too. On notebook paper. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, how fun, I bet your first book is great. Thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete@Jeremy, thank you! :)
ReplyDelete