Kissing & Fireballs: the complexities of co-authorship
My kids, J (5) & K (almost 4), have a friend over, a 6-year-old boy I���ll call A. I told them I was going to try and do some writing while they played, but our apartment isn���t very big and it���s sort of impossible to focus while they are crashing about. As far as I can tell, the game they are playing is like a fanfic mish-mash of Tolkien and Harry Potter, with just a touch of Sweet Valley High or something (kissing comes up at random moments).
The props: J. clutches a tattered copy of The Silmarillion and wields a foam sword. A. has constructed a sword out of cardboard and has taped various other toy weapons to his body and has a loop of rope slung over his shoulder. K. is wearing a cape and superhero mask and has a lightsaber, but he is currently sitting at my feet drawing dinosaurs.
J: We have to cross the Mountains of Terror, where there are���
A: Zombies!
J: No��� well, OK. Well, there aren���t zombies, there are giant spiders.
A: Pretend I know all about the Grim.
J: Pretend I do, too!
A: Yeah.
J: Hey, A���
A: Call me Harry.
J: But I like calling you A.
A: OK, let���s pretend Harry is my real name but A. is my nickname.
J: OK. So, we have to cross the mountains, and this is our map.��(shows map from the Silmarillion and they examine it together)
A: (picking up stuffed cheetah) Let���s pretend that this is a Baby Grim we caught to be our pet.
J: Yeah!
A: And we need climbing ropes.
J: This is going to be a very tough journey.��(sighs heavily)
A: Uh oh. I think the Grim are coming.
J: And Shelob is their leader!
A: Run! There���s more coming!
(They run back and forth. K looks up from his dinosaur picture to watch them)��
J: Here, put on this armor, it���s Mithril.
A: Fireball! Fireball!
J: Fireball! Aaargh!
(K stops drawing dinosaurs and joins the game)��
K: I have mifril armor too.
A: Who are you?
K: I���m Darth Vader. (breathes like Darth Vader)��
A & J exchange a look.
A: We���re not playing Star Wars.
K: I WANT TO BE DARTH VADER!
J: Well��� are you good or bad?
K: Good.
A & J exchange another look and silently decide to drop it.
A: (picks up stuffed dragon) I found an animagus!
J: Is he wounded?
A: No. Look, these two are kissing on the lips. (makes cheetah and stuffed dragon kiss)��
J&K gape, amazed. A. makes kissing sounds and keeps mashing the stuffed animals��� faces together.
J: (tiring of the kissing scene)��Oh no! Look out, they���re coming!
A: (dropping stuffed animals)��Fireballs! Run!! It���s The Grim!!!
Everybody screams and runs.��
I am transcribing this because I find it hilarious but I���m also vaguely unsettled at how closely their game mirrors my own inner monologue when I���m writing.
*Adds more kissing*
*Adds more fireballs*
