As a child I was often referred to as ‘a little bookworm’, or always having my ‘nose in a book’.
The first stories series I really recall having an impact on me was ‘The Little Storyteller’. This was a fortnightly story magazine and audio book. I still have my original copies. There is a fantastic website with more information about the series here: https://storytellerwebsite.wordpress.com and you can (and I often do) watch and listen to the originals on YouTube. I was also a big fan of Puddle Lane, one day I hope to get around to purchasing the entire Puddle Lane collection.
As I got older, I moved onto Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, and C.S Lewis. I had The BFG on audiotape and I would listen to it when we were on long journeys. When it was dark, I would look out the car windows and imagine that all the hills and mountains were the giants lying down asleep. With Enid Blyton, I started off on Merry Mr Pink-Whistle and then moved onto The Famous Five. The audiobooks of which I still frequently listen to.
During these years I would also create my own stories. There was Clumsy Cleo, an egg who would get into all sorts of accidents and mishaps. My attempt at a Famous Five story but set at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Myself and my friend James also tried to make our own comic. On reflection there was some dubious characters created!
I also got my first computer which was an Atari St. I loved playing the King’s Quest, Dizzy, and Monkey Island series. They were also a huge inspiration for me. Once a year I still pull out the old Atari St and hook it up to the tv. It still works like a dream.
Through high school my writing was limited to letters to school pals. We’d write letters or exchange a special jotter we dubbed ‘The Holy Book’ which we’d fill with nonsense. The school boiler cupboard was ‘rainbow rainbow land’ and we’d write stories about the ‘tallywhackering marshwiggles’ that lived there. You’ll see the C.S. Lewis influence!
