Monday, January 11, 2010

What's your story...?

Yesterday my good friend and fellow book lover, K, said she started writing a book once. 
'For like - a day. Then I stopped.' 
I asked her what it was about. A curious look played about her face. 
'Can't remember.'
There's an old adage that says everyone has a book inside them. It's just excruciatingly difficult to get it out.
I have mates with such a gift for storytelling they could spin a yarn right off a passing Merino's fluffy white behind. But put it down on paper? Not likely.
One who springs to mind is renowned in Africa for her gift of the written gab, and often thinks about putting her pen where her paper is and pounding out a book. But though she undoubtedly has the skill, she has no pretentions towards literary greatness.
Briefly caught in the daydream of scribing deeply philosophical and profound works of colossal importance, she screams with laughter and the facade shatters to earth amid our howls of mirth.
'Mine would be indulgent trashy pulp. All about my mates...' she confesses proudly.
And I'd snap it up straightaway. There's a time and a place for stories of every nature. 
So tell me, if everyone does have a book inside them - comedy, tragedy, thriller, farce, whatever - who and/or what would yours be about?!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I would write about what life was like when I was a boy. It was so different to 'today', and much better in my view. there was less evidence of 'stress' and far much more evidence of 'good manners'. I saw an interview on TV last night with the author of that book about a lady detective in SA (don't know his name, for which I know Rosie will admonish me roundly). He also mentioned the importance of 'good manners'....he is on-the-ball! Today's generation will snigger loudly at the mention of 'good manners', but as always, they are WRONG!

Unknown said...

Mine would be a bit like the Spud novels, but (hopefully!) funnier as my school mates were hilarious without effort. Such a pity van der Ruit got in before me...