Like many writers, I first dabbled in fiction at a young age. But I also come by my literary aspiration honest(ly): my mom has a degree in English. When I was in . . . high school? college?, she became a seventh-grade English (Language Arts) teacher. Although his degree is miles from the humanities, when it came to writing and grammar, my father was a pedant.
I learned so much about proper speech, writing, and literature from them. We still discuss the finer points of usage and grammar (okay, sometimes), and our conversations are still peppered with literary quotations and allusions (sometimes).
My mother has also done some creative writing over the years. Of course, much of her work is too personal to share (like the fabulous poem she wrote ALL ABOUT ME 😉 ). However, she was published in her (our) alma mater’s literary journal—in fact, her poem concluded that year’s bound edition:
But the literary gene doesn’t stop there. My son (who just turned 7!) is already starting to pick up it up. I’ve mentioned a few tidbits about his fiction forays on Facebook and Twitter.
In December, he and his sisters were listening to a song about how you can be anything you want to be. Writer is one of the occupations they list in the song. My son, then 6, came up to me and said, “Mom, I’m glad you’re a writer. And I’ll never hate anything you write.”
This quickly transitioned into his own literary aspirations.
DS6 is writing a book. 150 words in, he’s got the playing computer games to procrastinate writing part down. #MyWANA
— Jordan McCollum (@JordanMcCollum) January 24, 2013
And here it is, in all its (unfinished) glory: the Book of RVs!
And then [Son] said “RVs are awesome!”
[Daughter], [Son]’s sister, said “RVs are as long as 60 feet they can go as fast as 60% of speed.”
The RV trucks can get to North Carolina in a few days. And as they drive, people drive RVs because they like RVs of certain kinds.
And as [Son] said that he can drive an RV, “as long as it doesn’t run out of gas I will drive safely to North Carolina.”
And then [Daughter] said “That RV that you have, brother [Son], I love that kind of RV. And all kinds of RVs.”
And [Son] said, “I love you [Daughter] and RVs are awesome with you and me.”
And as mom and dad
Said,” Good-bye” I drive
Away and The McCollum family waved good-bye, I waved out my window. And I Said, “good-bye” too.
Finally, last week, I finally gave in to his persistent request. He now has a sign proclaiming him “a famous writer of all!”
It would be cuter if I weren’t so jealous . . .
What do you think? Does a literary gene run in your family, or are you a lucky mutant 😉 ?
