Part III: Book-learnin' and such.

I’ve always been a writer. 

In the fifth grade, for an assignment we had to write a short story. I was reading “The Sword of Shannara” at the time (a great book if you’re looking for one) and wrote an epic tale of magic, sword-wielding and, well, lots of walking around.

‘Far as I can remember, the story had a lot of dialogue about “what to do next.” Should we go up to the castle or run around in the Misty Forest? Oh look, an orc. Then, four detailed pages of the epic battle between the adventurers and an unfortunate, foolhardy orc. He never stood a chance.

The story was supposed to be two pages long. I filled an entire spiral bound notebook. It was wide-ruled, but still.

I blame my brother. He’s 6 years older than me and he corrupted my soft impressionable brain with fantasy novels and D&D.  To this day, I’m obsessed with role playing games and have a weird obsession with dragons. Even my business cards a friend designed have dragons on them. We’ll see how those go over in New York.

Had I not read the first Shannara book in fifth grade (it took me all year – it was something like 700 pages), god knows where I’d be now. So, thank you, Warren.

If I were to sit down and try my hand again at penning a fantasy novel, I’m not sure I’d be better than I was in fifth grade. There really is a lot of walking around and deciding what to do. It’s like my family of Jews at lunch talking about what we’re going to eat next and where.

After I read “Angle of Repose,” by Wallace Stegner, a Pulitzer  Prize winner from the early 70s, I knew that it was true – older people are smarter, wiser, and better. I don’t know how old Stegner was when he wrote the novel, but he may as well be a 1000 year old tortoise with opposable thumbs. I bring it up because the book relaxed me. It relaxes me to think about it now. Here’s why.

There’s such a pressure to be the most original, inventive, creative person and be the first, the youngest, the prodigy. But “Angle” is none of those things. It’s just a book of wisdom from someone who knows more because he’s been through more. I’m not sure when the tide turns and your age starts working for you. It hasn’t for me, yet, but when it does I imagine my writing, my work, and my life will become better, wiser and more introspective.

With the review looming, it calms the nerves to remember that everything happens in due time. And though I may not be the youngest, or the first, or the prodigy, I have a lot more experience to draw for this game, and a lot more time to get better.

All right, time to go walk around and fight some orcs.