Menu
As nightfall descended, one of my cousins took me to her room, and we sat down at her desk. My cousin opened a blank document, and then I happily told her all about the story I wanted her to write down for me. My cousin typed everything without looking! Though I was no older than eight at the time, I carried the memory with me, hoping that, one day, I would be able to write as well as my cousin.
I always wanted to write something fictitious. God blessed me with a great imagination from childhood; I always created characters and stories in my head. Writing fiction sounded like fun! So, what did I write? Well, Chained didn’t come first. Young writers love to copycat their favorite authors. That’s precisely what I did. I wrote a copycat of Victoria Kasten’s Wild Stallion Series based on my collection of horse figurines. (Don’t get any ideas; it’s not that great!)
I was drawn to fiction for another critical reason: it lends itself easily to fact.
When I was about eleven, my older sister and I received a signed copy of a book a lady from church had written. Jericho Ride (by Betty Gaard) was an adventuresome novel with God, Scripture, and salvation permeating every chapter. Her work inspired me. I wanted to write about God and His Son in a way that did not make them like fictitious characters. I wanted to write about Scripture and salvation as facts – because that’s what they are!
Now that I had boosted my confidence by writing a copycat, I decided to write an adventure novel like Betty Gaard’s.
While sitting in my grandparents’ house, I finally thought of the perfect scenario. My only original idea was of a boy climbing up a pit while an enemy tried to drag him down. Then, I came up with the title: Adrian Falkner and the Pit of Sheol (Hebrew word for death, used in the Psalms a lot). The rest of the night, I continued to build my character and his story.
Oddly enough, it never occurred to me to consider who would read my books. I just wanted to write. One day, my brother found out about the book and read it (before I finished it). To my surprise, he liked it and wanted to know what came next! Then, two of my younger sisters wanted me to read it to them. So, right before bed for every night, I read aloud. I was delighted when they loved it! So, I wrote for my brother and two younger sisters (12-15 years old) from that time on.
God led me to youth fiction quite naturally, and I enjoy every minute of writing and sharing. Today, I am delighted to share my work with other youth.
Okay, so I write youth fiction, but let no one be left out. Three cheers for all my readers who are not “youth!” Young and old alike, I hope to touch your life with the Gospel and the character of Adrian Falkner.
From a very early age, my cousin sparked an interest in writing fiction. The fire of inspiration that started has been burning ever bright since! Oh, and I did get just as good as my cousin – at least, my sisters say so.
One Comment
I enjoyed your post. I shared it with Dr. Doris Henderson, a well-known educator in Greensboro, NC. She is 92 years old and is active as Outreach Pastor at Friendly Avenue Baptist Church, where I am a member. I asked Doris to share this with other educators. Keep going. You write beautifully, a rare talent these days!
Love,
Great Uncle Bob Cockrell