Sunday, February 26, 2012

How I Started My Writing Career

First, after all my whining, I must report that my eyesight has miraculously adjusted and I am no longer viewing a slightly out-of-focus world. I really thought I was doomed, that there was no way it could improve after getting steadily worse that first day. Now it's fine, though I have daily headaches from wearing the glasses themselves. That should work out, too.

Four days down, a-number-I-don't-want-to-count to go.

My husband dug up a folder with "Tammy Moran & Natalie Jacobus in the movies" with "Top Secret" and "censored" stickers on it. I remembered it immediately. Tammy and I spent HOURS of our childhood "making movies." I should probably give her a great deal more credit for my current success as an author. *makes note to give credit*

This is kind of hilarious. I think it was 8th grade that we wrote these up. She'd have been slightly younger, which is demonstrated in the casting. She paired herself with Patrick LaFontaine, hockey star. By the end of the booklet of ideas, I was writing in my actual crush, David Andry. My handwriting is eerily similar to what it is today, and there's a lot of editing.

Here are some examples. All typos, grammar errors, etc., are SIC.

Models without Makeup
Two famous models are posing for a new photographer. Little do they know, although they wear makeu clothes, a new x-ray camera has been developed for. A scandal sheet buys the pictures, and the girls fall in love w/ the two photographers that take these pictures, not knowing the story. Find out what happens by seeing the movie.

Understand my Love
Two girls think they are pregnant and are terrified because they are only freshmen. They tell their "fathers," and they "fathers" tell the whole school. They are not pregnant, and but they still have bad reps. As juniors, they really get pregnant, and get a lot of understanding from their boyfriends. But Lesil's father gives her the silent treatment, and Janet's mother wants to her to get an abortion. But she refuses. Will they keep the babies and get married? What will happen at school? Find out at the movies.

This one's my favorite. You've got to understand, I was an incredible Goody Two-Shoes myself. I don't know where we came up with this stuff!

Not so Innocent
Two girls [it's always two girls, of course, because we had to share top billing] are called "Goody Two shoes" by their schoolmates. In real life, they go on "school trips" to New York—they are actually Hookers. Will they ever get caught?

Like the capital H in there? Not just regular underage working girls, these two.

Here's one that foreshadows my current writing career:

On the Run
Two seemingly intelligent reporters are living in a penthouse on Park Avenue. How did they get there? They always get the best scoops because they were born with super-hearing, x-ray vision, and super-smarts. But the Mob is after their super-defense weapons, not yet known to the public.

Ahhh. Good times, good times.

4 comments:

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

This is so funny. My brother and I used to spend hours playing we were two gunfighters in the old west. Our bikes were our horses.
In my wildest imaginings, the characters in my stories were never hookers or Hookers. LOL
What would your parents have thought of those movies ideas?

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

Oh, my mother knew! One of the stories was "Orange is Not a Nice Color" and it was about Vietnam vets and Agent Orange. It led to a serious discussion. She was probably disturbed by all the sex, but I don't remember it. It was all very innocent stuff, and I WAS a goody-two-shoes! :)

Moran Music said...

I vividly remember the story "Orange is Not a Nice Color". Even though we had similar backgrounds growing up (absent father etc...) I never, ever, would have learned about political issues (and countless others) affecting the world if it hadn't been for you, Natalie! We made a great team and had so much trust in each other that we were able to spill forth these fun stories. Thank you to your amazing Mother for saving these artifacts.

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

My mom has to get the credit for the political/etc. stuff, too. She wrote a book about Vietnam that she thought got her and her co-author put under surveillance, etc.

We had such a fantastically complementary friendship, Tam! You taught me about music and creativity and drew this shy introvert out of her shell. I owe so much to you!