Writer Rewind--Remembering Friday Night Lights

I had the pleasure of hearing Libba Bray speak at a local conference. One of the many wise things she said still stands out in my mind--when writng for teens, it's important to remember. Remember how we felt as we navigated those tricky social waters. The fears, the angst, and the drama. And remember the good times, too.

Some of my favorite memories of high school are the Friday night football games. Now that my son plays on the high school JV team, I get to take a walk down memory lane each Friday night.

Kenny Chesney's song "Boys of Fall" opens with these words: "When I feel that chill and smell that fresh cut grass, I'm back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulder pads." For me, that sums up autumns during my high school years. Not because I played football, but because um, I was a cheerleader (no hating, please).

Here are some of my vivid Friday night memories:

• Doing an offense cheer when we didn't have the ball. #fail. Sorry to say, I still don't understand the game completely. You could explain it until you're blue in the face and my eyes would still glaze over. But the atmosphere is fun!
• My boyfriend (now husband) argued with players from the opposing team and got kicked out of the game. Hey, those players ran through our players' banner at half time, and that is a hangable offense in high school.
• Fellow students talking trash about our team, no matter how well our guys played.
• The marching band and drill team performing at half time.
• Students hanging out beneath the bleachers doing who-knows-what (well, I know, but I don't really want to know).
• Piling into the local pizza place after a home game.
• The rides home from an away game were rowdy when our team won, and somber when they lost.

One of my characters is on the football team, and I hope I successfully infused some of my fond memories of Friday night lights. But no matter what, it sure is fun to remember those days, and to watch my son experience it for himself.

What's one of your best high school memories? And if you're still in high school, do you enjoy going to the football games?

photo credit

When Writers Remember

Today our three boys started school. As a mom, I did the usual things such as cut the tags off their new shoes and laced them up, wrote their names in backpacks and on lunch pails, and took photos of their first morning.

For kids, their first day includes completely different rituals. They meet up with friends they didn't see all summer, jockey for position within their new classes, and size up their teachers.

A few months back I attended a writer's day, where Libba Bray was one of the speakers. Something she said stuck with me: as writers, we should remember what it was like when we were younger. What was it like on the first day of 5th, 8th, or 12th grade?

I remember scuff-free shoes, new pee-chee folders and sharp pencils. I remember hideous haircuts, short boys and tall girls. I remember friends who had gotten new braces over the summer, and girls who had increased cup sizes in just a couple of months.

Memories can be exciting, embarrassing, or painful. But when we remember, and pour those emotions on the page, it makes us better writers.

What memories jump out at you from first days of school? Please share the good, the bad, and the ugly!

photo credit: google images