When I was a child, I loved reading, and I read anything I could find. But I detested sport, and even hated going for walks, so I spent most of my time with my nose in a book. I was the only girl in a family of four brothers, and I was quite quiet – but in the world of my books, I was strong and beautiful - the lovely princess with the handsome prince, the girl who fights enormous monsters, the star….
As I grew older, books became my life. I didn’t need to go out, or watch TV -I lived the highs and lows of my characters in their fights for success - I worried about the dancer who broke her leg, I cried when the rider’s favorite horse died and I was so happy when the doctor got through floods and thunderstorms to save the life of a stick child!
Of course, after time, I started to write my own stories. And of course, at first, I wasn’t very good at it! I found it easier to write about sad things, so my first stories were full of disasters, accidents and deaths. My father read one story and couldn’t quite understand why three characters died, a dog had an accident and a house burned down - and that was all before the end of the forth page!
Then one day my aunt said I should write about my own life. I was in bed with a broken arm, and even I got bored of books after a while. My aunt came to visit and brought me some paper and a pen. “Go on”, she said, “Write about your life with five brothers. Tell it like it is”. And so I did. (Luckily, my right arm wasn’t broken, so I could still write!)
Ten years after, my first story was published. And I used those early childhood memories. The main character is a writer. And guess what? She breaks her arm falling out of a tree, and her aunt comes to visit - and then she becomes a famous writer! And me? Well, I’m still waiting….
Midway City, CA 92655
Thu Nhat Anh Nguyen
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