When I was a little girl in Clinton, New Jersey, I used to tell everyone that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. Through the years, my jobs have always involved writing of some kind. I wrote handbooks, edited newsletters, wrote calendar listings, and even became a reporter for our town newspaper. But when I started writing “That’s Another Story” two years ago, I finally felt that my childhood dream had actually become a reality.
Back in middle school, I used to write my stories out by hand in pink notebooks with purple pens. I mostly wrote dreamy poems about changing the world and peace on earth. As I got older, I began to experiment with more humorous writing, crafting imaginary soap operas about my friends and our teachers. When my parents got a Tandy 1000 computer with a dot matrix printer, I printed out multiple copies of the stories and passed them around at school. The attention I received from my peers was intoxicating. Forget the dreamy poems that no one would ever read; it was then that I realized that having an audience made writing a lot more fun.
And writing “That’s Another Story” is a lot of fun…as soon as I figure out what to write about. Each month, I spend hours and hours trying to decide what to write about and I’ve found many ways to procrastinate. I’ll take my laptop to Panera so I can brainstorm for an hour but I usually just order a chocolate croissant and browse the internet. Last spring, I started writing a story on “The Real Housewives of the Mohawk Valley” but once I discovered that you can watch archived episodes of the “Real Housewives” series on Bravo’s website, I spent hours and hours doing “research” but no actual writing.
I have tried getting story ideas from the internet by doing inane Google searches for things like “good story ideas” and “funny anecdotes” but they usually don’t help. Once, when I was really desperate, I Googled “hilarious family moments” and I got link to a YouTube video of a cat in a ballerina costume dancing to Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.”
The truth is the best stories come from things that have actually happened to me. Every time something funny or strange happens to me, I write it down in my trusty notebook. I carry my black notebook with me at all times because I never know when inspiration might hit me. A few recent entries in my notebook are:
- Elizabeth accidentally spilled a bottle of perfume at the Dollar Store. We quietly sneaked out of the store before we were caught but our shoes smelled like stale gardenias for a week. Smells like justice.
- I’ve seen my neighbor at the McDonalds Drive-Thru three times this week. Did she see me? Make sure to switch cars with my husband next week just in case.
- Henry’s friend teased him for “frowing up” in front of the class. Will Henry’s unfortunate vomiting incident mar his reputation for the rest of first grade?
My friends can also be a great source of inspiration and I frequently write about their adventures in my black notebook. All five of your kids have head lice? The dog ate your daughter’s hamster? You want me to break into your house and steal your hermit crabs? I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. I try to disguise their identities by changing their names in my stories but I’m probably not fooling anyone. Right, Sandy?
After I have finally decided on an idea, it takes a lot of writing and editing to craft it into a good story. Two years ago, my husband and I were watching “Project Runway” when I had the idea to write a satire of the show. Instead of up-and-coming designers sewing runway fashions, parents would compete to put together original Halloween costumes for their kids. Ben thought the idea was ridiculous but I took Tim Gunn’s advice and “made it work.” “Project Costume” was the first story I wrote for “That’s Another Story” and it was pretty funny, if I do say so myself. For those of you who missed it, you can read it in the next post (see previous post).
Over the past two years, my columns in “That’s Another Story” have alternated between happy, funny, sad, and serious, but they’ve always been about real life. I believe that there’s a good story behind every crazy, absurd, or touching moment we experience. I know that I have a lot more stories to tell you and I hope that you’ll keep reading. My grandfather always told me that someday, I’d write the great American novel. But that’s another story.
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