My Three Rs

These are my three Rs: reading, writing and romance. I was never good at arithmetic, so I kicked it off the list. I daydreamed through math class. Actually, I daydreamed through lots of classes. But I've read that the kids who sit around daydreaming, are the ones most likely to become writers--go figure!

The world of fantasy and imagination is much more exciting than reality. I watched the movie Finding Neverland with my kids last weekend. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it. The Scottish dramatist J. M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan (and portrayed on film by an outstanding Johnny Depp) says that with a wee bit of imagination, anyting is possible. This statement really rings true for the paranormal genre!

I love reading romances and find it even more fun to write my own. For the paranormal fans out there, let's time travel back to 1936. That's when one of my favorite books was published, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind. I love the movie just as much as the book! Since I cried at the end when I first read it in seventh grade, I daydreamed my own ending. After about two weeks, Rhett realized he couldn't live without Scarlett, so he came running back. Then they lived happily ever after. I know, not too exciting, but to a twelve year old, a perfect ending.

Let's move forward to 1991. That's when Alexandra Ripley wrote Scarlett, the sequel to GWTW. Can you imagine wanting to write the followup to one of the world's most beloved books? In my wildest dreams, I can't even imagine that! I never read the late Ms. Ripley's novel. Are you a GWTW fan? Did you read Scarlett? If so, tell me what you thought.

Now it's time to move into the 21st century. In 2007, Rhett Butler's People was published. In this novel, Donald McCaig gives readers a sequal and a prequel to GWTW. What a brave soul! But the writing must've been an exciting challenge for Mr. McCaig, who spent several years researching it. I haven't read Rhett Butler's People yet, but it's on my reading list! Have you read it? Share your thoughts!