The first story I wrote was fan fiction, although I had never heard of fan fiction when I wrote it. It may not have even been a genre in the year I was fourteen. The story was a takeoff on the popular TV show, Bonanza. In this story, which can only be described as action packed, I was the only daughter of Ben Cartwright. My three older brothers, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe, adored me and took me on horseback rides, rescued me from rivers, and protected me from bank robbers and ill-intentioned suitors.
I never showed this story to anyone, I was shy and uncertain about just about everything, and unfortunately, I don’t have it anymore. I wish I did, because just thinking about it makes me smile, and from where I sit today, it seems a reasonable story for a girl with six younger sisters, a high Catholic family, and a lot of responsibility to write. So call it fan fiction or plagiarism or just plain silly, but it was a great escape for a girl whose bangs were too short, whose arms and legs were too long, and who was wading into the riptide of adolescence. I’d like to read it.
Photo: The cast of Bonanza, 1959. From left: Hoss, Little Joe, Ben, and Adam. NBC Television via Wikipedia.