Agatha Said, pt. 10
It’s time for another Agatha Day! Usually this day falls on the first Wednesday of the month, but I pushed it a day due to the Vice Presidential debate. (On that note, please vote. I’m sure you’ve been seeing that reminder everywhere, but it’s so important. You have a voice. Don’t let anyone muffle it.)
In other news, the weather here in VA has turned beautifully crisp and I’m loving it. And while I love to write in every season, fall is my absolute favorite and seems to stir up extra creativity in me. While spring might be the season that represents new beginnings to most people, for me, it’s fall. And so today I’m sharing a quote that represents the beginning of something incredible for our dear Agatha Christie.
Agatha Said:
“Fired with all this [discussion of detective stories], I said I should like to try my hand at a detective story.
“‘I don’t think you could do it,’ said Madge. ‘They are very difficult to do. I’ve thought about it.’
“‘I should like to try.’
“‘Well, I bet you couldn’t,’ said Madge.
“There the matter rested. It was never a definite bet; we never set out terms — but the words had been said. From that moment I was fired by the determination that I would write a detective story. It didn’t go further than that. I didn’t start to write it then, or plan it out; the seed had been sown. At the back of my mind, where the stories of the books I am going to write take their place long before the germination of the seed occurs, the idea had been planted: some day I would write a detective story.“
The Context: Agatha is talking about her childhood and how her older sister, Madge, introduced her to detective stories through the tales of Sherlock Holmes, followed by The Leavenworth Case when Agatha was eight. She talks about how they used to love discussing their favorite mystery stories, and that memory leads into the statement that opens the quotation.
Why I Chose It: Everyone wants to know where the greats in every field began. When was the moment they decided to pursue that dream? And here we get a glimpse at it. Young Agatha, when talking about the detective stories she so deeply loves, wonders if she can write one. She’s immediately met with discouragement from her sister, which likely only strengthened her resolve. As Agatha points out, she didn’t start right then, but the seed was planted. The idea was there, and over the years, it would grow.
As they did for Agatha, the seeds of my own ideas and choices are planted long before they become anything. Some seeds just die in the dirt like some of my houseplants. Others lie dormant until one day they burst to life. Sometimes I don’t recognize the moment a seed is planted until the plant begins to grow and I trace its roots back to their origin. Sometimes the moment seems so insignificant and small, like this conversation Agatha had with her sister. It’s funny to read that conversation with the knowledge of the mystery legend Agatha Christie became.
Who knows what seeds might be within you, waiting for their chance to break through the surface? Who knows what seeds of ideas and inspiration you may plant in the hearts of others?
