Nancy Drewsday

posted in: Nancy Drews-day Tuesday, Writing | 0

Secret of the Old ClockIf it’s Tuesday, it’s time for Nancy Drews-day! That’s right, a new blog feature to celebrate the world’s most famous girl detective.

Why?

I owe so much of my writing career to Nancy Drew. The Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene were my favorite childhood books. In fact, they’re my favorite books of all times.

As a young girl, I read all of her books – all 51 that were out at the time – and I read many of them over and over. The logical progression of a mystery seemed a perfect way to tell stories, so in elementary school I started writing mysteries about hidden treasures and stolen jewels and dognapping. `

If you’re not familiar with Nancy Drew, let me introduce her to you. Better yet, she’s quite capable of introducing herself.

Here’s the very first page of the very first book, The Secret of the Old Clock (1959 version), which pretty much tells you everything you need to know:

Nancy Drew, an attractive girl of eighteen, was driving home along a country road in her new dark-blue convertible. She had just delivered some legal papers for her father.

“It was sweet of Dad to give me this car for my birthday,” she thought. “And it’s fun to help him in his work.”

Her father, Carson Drew, a well-known lawyer in their home town of River Heights, frequently discussed puzzling aspects of cases with his blond, blue-eyed daughter.

Smiling, Nancy said to herself, “Dad depends on my intuition.”

An instant later she gasped in horror.

You just gotta love Nancy Drew.

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