Childhood imaginings

I have just been reading Stephen King's 'On Writing' where he talks about his earliest writing attempts as a child and the imaginary worlds he created in his head. Reading this got me thinking about my own childhood and some of my earliest memories involving imagination.

I must have either read or listened to someone read Jill Murphy's 'The Worst Witch' because a school where young witches learned how to do spells was the theme for my imaginary world. It was not just me living in this world, but my then best-friend Sarah was also there. We would see each other during the day, then say "Bye, see you tonight at Witch School".

At night, in my dreams and imagination, we would both leave our homes and ride off on broomsticks to our 'other' school. Here we would meet up with our schoolmates and study spells, potions, transformations and how to fly. We had adventure after adventure, sometimes there were incidents in class where someone would mess up a spell and end up turning themselves into something unpleasant by mistake. Tricks were played on teachers, familiars were misplaced and friendships changed over time.

The part that I find most fascinating as I look back is that when Sarah and I would meet the next day, we would talk to each other about what had happened the night before at Witch School. When we discussed the night before we would have the same stories, when one of us started talking about "so-and-so doing this" the other would say "Yes, and then she did this". It was fun and incredibly entertaining.

All that fun and imagination seems to disappear as we get older. Although if I am being honest, I do still fly away to different places and worlds

My name is Becky and I abuse grammar

It has been quite a while since I wrote in my blog, a few months in fact. Part of that was because we spent some time in Wales, where - believe it or not - I actually improved. When we came back home I very quickly deteriorated and found myself back where I started. That was kind of depressing to be honest. My inner tendency towards negative thoughts took over and I have spent the past three weeks or so being kind of bleurgh.

I have consoled myself with trying to write some fiction. It was actually something I had started writing before, but then had a dramatic moment and completely changed it. The basics were still there, but I did feel as though I had improved the telling of the tale. Admittedly at the point I asked if any friends would mind reading it and critiquing it for me I had only written fourteen pages. In the almost-week since some friends very, very kindly agreed to have a read I have decided that, although it is incredibly kind of them, I really do not need them to give me an opinion or ideas on how to improve because it is - quite clearly - crap. I am sure that you know what it is like when you have decided that you just completely suck at something - and I do not mean that comment in any kind of 'Carry-On' way! On the other hand, I will be incredibly grateful to read any advice they give me on improving my writing. I do know however that I cannot write fiction, not even when large chunks of it are based on reality.

 Plus, and I am sure you know this part, I suck at grammar. I cringe every time one of my friends admits to being a grammar-nazi, because I know - I just absolutely know - that I abuse the poor, innocent comma. It really does not deserve what I do to it. I am sure the comma never asked to be stuck in places that it has no reason to be in, but I cannot help it. My brain just keeps insisting that they be inserted. I do need help in stopping my terrible addiction to grammar abuse.