Tuesday, September 29, 2009

FROM BUNNY BOOKS TO REALITY TV - HOW I BECAME A WRITER

Okay, so you're wondering who is this Nona Sebastian? What's she about?
What's her book about?

It's time I unfold a little of my background and how I became a writer. It all started with my gift of creativity that people discovered in me between preschool and first grade with drawing bunny cartoons and repeatedly drawing candy canes on the blackboard.
With a learning disability in language and speech, it didn't stop me from creating my first official book. A bunny book done in markers representing me and some of my classmates with a friendship matters theme. Followed by another bunny book, a love story between me and one of my classmates. In second grade, I technically published an 8 page story about an evil cat who captured a bird to cook in the oven. Her friend, the courageous mouse rescued her. He chopped the oven open with an ax- pretty realistic right? I made a few copies in what was back then, purple print.

Reading comics around the age of eight inspired me to do about four editions on four composition books, done in pencil, pen and crayon. It consisted a collection of comics of my mischievous toddler cousin and cleaning stinky houses. I even did a magazine and drawing the cleaning product and diet ads.

Then when fourth grade rolled around, it was smurfs, smurfs and smurfs. My sister and I were intrigued with Hefty Smurf being romantic with Smurfette. I made up some stories on another blank composition book with more paragraphs and pictures done in crayon. They were teenagers in high school. Reading Beverley Cleary's Otis Spofford and Ellen Tebbits was an inspiration. I was drawn to reading about boys causing mischief in class and competition and fights between best friends.

Becoming a tween, I got myself involved with pop music, thanks to the roller derby. Then getting into more genres like the 60's and heavy metal which took me away from writing a bit. It wasn't until being a full fledged teenager I began writing again. This time about significant days in my life that were special to me. One in particular was going to my first rock concert. Then my days of ninth grade in high school was about popularity and friendship, followed, a mini story about a guy I had a crush on and then another rock concert the year after. Then it was boys. At sixteen, I invented an imaginary boyfriend shortly before dating for the first time. He was a long haired metal dude named "Brad". So I figured, with all these imaginations of what our relationship would be like, hell write a story about it. This was when I wrote my first love scene, with a pen and spiral notebook on a hot summer day.

By the way, I wasn't much of a reader. I think it stemmed from being chastised too much by teachers about my poor reading Comprehension skills. I was only drawn to metal magazine articles about my favorite "hair bands" and the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High series.

Curious to hear about what's next? Stay tuned for my next blog - coming soon!