I stumbled across a Lego story I wrote when I was a young buck yesterday called "The Pirate Secret." One of my favorite sets back then was the Renegade Runner, so it was only natural that I should drum up a story about the pirates versus the imperial guards.
I think someone sold that Renegade Runner set in a garage sale for peanuts, and I can't seem to find one on eBay for under one hundred bucks. I'm kicking myself for it now. I've been knee-deep in nostalgia of late - searching to buy sets I had as a kid, along with video games and such. Yet, most of the time, searching eBay, Bricklink, or Facebook Marketplace ends without hitting the buy button. It's hard for me to fork over all the money.
I digress. Even from a young age, my imagination flew wild. I recently published my fourth book, Neighborhood Watch, a psychological thriller about the perfect town gone wrong. It has won me critical acclaim, but my writing started well before this.
I read over this story yesterday, and this wasn't too bad for a young kid who was perhaps in second grade at the time. Below is the short story, grammatical issues and all.
"The Pirate Secret"
"There were two boys one was named Broadside and the other was named Redbeard. They were brothers. One day their father built a boat. The boys asked if they could go look for treasure. Their father said you can go but I'll have to go with you. Broadside and Redbeard were so excited thats all they thought about. The next day the father and the boy's went. Broadside found silver and Redbeard found gold. That night Redbeard snuck into Broadside's room. Redbeard wanted silver too. So Redbeard took the silver. When Broadside grew up he was an Imperial Guard. When Redbeard grew up he was a pirate. The brother's fought. Broadside wanted to get the gold and silver and give it back to the people who the pirates stole the gold and silver from. But Redbeard just wanted to keep all the gold and silver. So they kept fighting."
I remember wanting to pause the story in the middle and run to my friend's house to play, but my mom forced me to finish it before I could go. I owe a lot to her to advance where I'm at today. I also had a story about going to an island where the Lego came alive, but I couldn't find that one. Good stories start with good questions. Even though this story is littered with grammar issues, the bones are there for a decent read. Actually, an adult could flush this out for a dramatic read. Two brothers are close until one makes a fateful decision. The other doesn't forgive him, and they choose different paths in life. Those paths decide their destinies, and they can never get over their feud. The ending is still up in the air, but it would make a pretty good action/adventure story.
I'd love to collect the Pirates, and Imperial Guard sets now that I have more money to afford them. I wish Lego could take risks and open up more of their own lines as they had with Lego System. Those who grew up with Pirates, Islanders, Wild West, Space, Castle, etc., miss these. Star Wars and Harry Potter are great, but there is a reason these sets cost an arm and a leg. It's nice to see that Lego's Galaxy Explorer set brings back yesteryear, but we want more of this.
Anyway, I thought this post would be fascinating for lovers of Lego, nostalgia, and writers. Ideas are all out there, and if anyone knows more about getting ideas, it's fans of Lego. Just look at the Lego Ideas line. The original copy of that story is below. Who knows? Maybe I'll turn out another Lego story. I know I'll continue to incorporate nostalgic Easter Eggs in my works, though. Until then, happy building and happy writing.
I went all out and even added a cover to the three-ring folder!
This is pretty neat handwriting for an elementary school kid.
I think the drawings were a nice touch.
To find my books, go to this link for my Amazon profile or go to the Author page of this website.
Kevin Kenealy received his journalism degree from Eastern Illinois University and his English secondary education certificate from Trinity Christian College. He is also currently pursuing a master's in English Literature from Southern New Hampshire University. He worked as a reporter and designer for several local newspapers before he started teaching English, AP Lit, and journalism at the high school level. He wrote his first book, 20 Something at age 23, a book of poetry about growing up in your 20s and trying to figure yourself out. The book was featured in a local newspaper and can be found in local libraries. He completed his first novel Life and Death at age 31, a horror/thriller book that received local attention and is also featured in suburban Chicago libraries. In his latest book, Neighborhood Watch, Kirkus Reviews calls it, "Superb characters headline this chilling, slow-burn crime tale."