January 29, 2007
All grown up
Written by RobynDeHart in Writers and Writing
When I was a little girl, my most favorite thing in the world was Barbies. I loved them. I loved dressing them and fixing their hair. I never had one of those big Barbie houses, no, that was too limiting for me, I needed more space, more options than the doll house would provide. No, I made furniture by stacking paperbacks and covering them with washcloths (perfect sofa!), and I had a great bed and using all the space in my room, they always lived in a sprawling mansion. My friends loved playing with me because I would always create elaborate story lines and sometimes these games would last well into the night. There was always adventure and danger and romance. With lots of kissing.
It was a sad day when I had to put up those Barbies. Much later than all my friends I had tried to keep playing, but somehow the magic had died for me in between elementary and jr. high. I still have all my Barbies, tucked away in my big, red suitcase, and someday they’ll be played with again.
I learned a new way to play Barbies though. A new way to create those adventurous and romantic storylines with lots of kissing. And now I get paid for it. It took me a while to realize that’s what years of Barbie playing was for me, I was cultivating myself as a romance reader and writer, learning the rudimentary steps of story and character creation. Luckily some things have changed. I no longer have to name my Barbies (uh…characters) Toni or Ashleigh. Not that those are bad names, but they don’t really fit into Victorian times. And my heroes, unlike Ken, aren’t plastic everywhere and have more than just a subtle bump.
I think about those times though. Staying up way too late, listening to New Edition’s remake of Earth Angel or Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam’s All Cried Out, and playing Barbies who would dress in their costumes and go to Masquerade parties and dance and laugh and, of course, kiss. I had no idea then that those times were building on something bigger for me, no idea that I was rehearsing for the coolest job on the planet.
I love creating stories. I love coming up with characters that are unique and special in their own way, yet so familiar, you could swear you know them. I love watching these characters hit obstacles and grow and change and become stronger, better people. And I love making them fall in love.
Can you look back into your past and see tells of the adult you were meant to become? And the real question…did you love Barbies as much as I do…uh did?
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Shana Says:
Ah, the memories! I played with Barbies, but only until I was about 7 or 8. I don’t know why, but I never thought they were that fun. I liked Star Wars action figures much more.
In answer to your question, yes! I can totally look back and see that I was meant to be a romance writer. When I was about 8, I had this book called My Book About Me. It had places to record how many windows were in your house, how many teeth you had, how many steps it was to the mailbox. Then, at the end, there was a place to write a story. I write a romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia. That story is actually reprinted in the Little Black Book section of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY MEN I’VE DATED. When I was a fledgling writer and trying to decide if I really wanted to write romance, I happened to come across that story, and my path became very clear to me. Even at 8 years old, I was writing romance.
Robyn DeHart Says:
How cool, Shane. Yesh, when I was in the 4th grade I was in what they called ACE, which was an accelerated learning program where they would pull you out of regular class and whatnot. Well in the ACE classes we often did creative writing and I wrote my first romance called, “The Land Beyond the Sea” that year. It was about a monster and a regular little girl - guess you could call it a Beauty and the Beast story.
Kimberly Logan Says:
OMG, Robyn, this sounds so much like me that I had to laugh! Maybe I should have been a soap opera writer, because I tended to get very soapy and sexy with my Barbies. They were usually dancing to Eddie Money’s “Take me Home Tonight” and “Endless Nights” or Jody Watley’s “Don’t You Want Me” at those masquerade balls, and love triangles were really big with me.
My sister and friends used to hate playing with me because I was very particular about how the scenes were played out. And I really called them scenes. Everyone nicknamed me “Madame Director.” 
Helen Sibbritt Says:
Yes memories I had Barbie dolls and played with them I would make clothes for them out of scapes of material, but I liked playing shopekeeper best I used to make paper money and sell books and food anthing that I could put on my shelf and now I work with money. My 3 daughters had a lot of Barbie dolls as well when they where young.
Have Fun
Helen
Lois Says:
Oh I had my Barbies and He-Mans and Star Wars figures. I still have my Barbies and He-Mans and Star Wars and add to that Star Trek figures.
But hey, they make Barbies for us older girls now too, the fancier ones (which of course means more pricey at times! LOL) 
Lois
Buffie Says:
Oh did I adore my Barbies. I had a Barbie Dream House, with all the little furniture, and even the refrigerate with the little egg carton, milk carton, and all kinds of cans. I even had a Darcie Doll. Does anyone remember her? She was a little bit bigger than Barbie, and she was a fasion model with a portfolio and everything. Boy was she fun to play with. I grew up in Florida, so many of my Barbie got to go swimming in my pool with me. I kept most of my Barbie stuff, just too bad I have two boys. Maybe they will give me a granddaugther — in about 20 years or so!
AndreaW Says:
Shane!! I had, and still have, my My Book About Me! I loved writing in that. I recently bought one for each of my kids, too.
I loved Barbies…and have lots of collectable ones. I like the ones with period-type dresses. I also collected Star Wars figures and actually have about 15 or 20 of my original figures (not in the box). I’m not sure if I’m going to let my son play with those or not. Probably not. No, definitely not. LOL!
Robyn DeHart Says:
Oh yeah, kindred Barbie fans. I love it!
Shirley Karr Says:
Aww, you silly girls… I was playing with Matchbox cars. Dad was in civil engineering, and got the guys with the bulldozer to come over and make this really cool ramp by the big pine tree so we had a take-off ramp for our rope swing. Boy, those Matchbox cars could fly.
I did have a Barbie and Ken and GI Joe until I was about 9, and they went on grand adventures. Very detailed, specific adventures, so I was a storyteller even then. Not much kissing went on, which may explain why I like writing the action adventure scenes and still struggle with the kissy-kissy stuff.
Lacey Says:
Perfect post!
Clarisse Says:
I was born long enough ago that my first Barbie was the FIRST Barbie, the anorexic faced one with the black and white striped bathing suit (and if I still had her I could quit my job and write full time on the money I could make on her, damn it!). And back then GI Joe was a full size doll. Even then I knew that Barbie belonged with GI Joe, not Ken. But then, of course, GI Joe turned into a little tiny toy and the love story just got too tragic and weird for me to keep following it. But I always knew in my heart that while Barbie was with Ken, she was really thinking about GI Joe and that brief period of time when he was her equal. God, it was an Oprah book!
Jennifer Y. Says:
Wonderful post!
We have a lot in common. Other than the fact that I don’t write (and a few minor things), I could have written this post…kind of eerie. I never had a Barbie house either…I would use empty bookshelves as their house…I called it their apartment building. Instead of writing, I lost myself in reading books when I gave up my Barbies (much later than all of my friends). I would still daydream and create romances in my head as I did for my Barbies, but I never wrote them down. My Barbies are still in my closet complete with all the accessories.
I do get to play with Barbie sometimes with my niece, but somehow it is not the same. All of her Kens have “real” hair rather than the painted on kind and the Barbies are a bit risque in their clothing choices.