Outtakes 92

In the Beginning

By Cait Collins

Do you ever think about the first story you wrote? What kind of paper did you use? Did you have a pencil or a pen? Did you use a typewriter, a word processor, or a computer? What was the theme of the story? How many characters? Do you even remember your first story?

Sadly, I don’t remember the themes or characters in my first story. I do know it was written on a Big Chief tablet. In my early school years, we used those red covered pads for everything. Not only did we learn to form our letters on those pages, we did math problems in the same book. At first I used a fat, round jumbo pencil.

In time stories were written on notebook paper or in my single-subject spiral notebooks. Ink replaced pencils. But I had characters. I’d fallen for Illya Kuryakin, the Russian Man From U.N.C.L.E.  My pages were full of the love that had developed between Illya and his female co-agent. In retrospect, the stories were really bad. What did a 15-year old sheltered girl know about men and love? The truth is, nothing, but it was sure fun to imagine their first kiss. They met in a restaurant, ordered wine, and when they said good night, their lips met. Fireworks exploded. Ah, romance.

Life experiences, experimenting, and practice have given me the tools to write better stories. But there are days when I remember Big Chief tablets, fat pencils, and Dick, Jane, and Spot. Those were the days.