The birth of a lockdown author
When I was 5 years old, I wrote a story at school called ‘The bear who wanted to be a bird’. It’s remained in a box of my mother’s treasured possessions for 35 years. I loved to write stories when I was young. But throughout my education, there seemed to be less and less creative writing at school.
Fast forward 30 years and I’m about to marry my beautiful girlfriend of 10 years. Writing a speech felt awkward, and then out of nowhere I decided to write a poem, which turned into a funny limerick. The words began to flow. It was funny and romantic and within 30 minutes I was finished. I didn’t know it at the time, but I’d written in perfect Iambic meter.
The speech went down very well with everyone. Over the next 10 years I wrote similar rhyming limericks for special occasions. My Dad’s best man speech was a particular highlight:
It's started at rotary (swingers for the wrinkly) Where Mick first met sue and his eyes went all twinkly Clutching his heart he'd seen nothing finer.
It was love at first sight or was it angina? My next victim he thought whilst licking his lips,
This one looks mobile, has use of her hips. You see Mick was a fox. A hunk women sort,
he had the pick of the grannies at tenbaney court. Geriatric love though didn't appeal,
Sue was much younger, could chew her own meal.
And so on…………………..
Fast forward to January 2021 and the whole country has been locked down for nearly a year. My routine consisted of working, picking up after kids and falling asleep at 8pm. I like many others needed an outlet. Something to occupy my mind. Something to break the routine.
One Sunday morning, Jenny was telling me about a colleague who had written a children’s book. Then I suppose I had one of those lightbulb moments. I thought ‘I could do that’. So, with phone in hand, I started writing.
Within 60 Minutes my first manuscript was written. I had unlocked a part of my brain I did not know was there. In the next week, 3 other manuscripts followed.
A lockdown author had been born. But as I would discover writing the story was the easy bit.
More to follow
