How Beauty and the Beast Sparked My Love for Poetry and Writing

From childhood daydreams to published romance: My journey as a writer began with a single TV preview in 1987.

The Power of Childhood Stories

As a little girl, my mind was a treasure chest of stories. Knights in shining armor, damsels in distress, and epic romances filled my imagination. I created countless tales sometimes for pure joy, sometimes to escape difficult moments in my life. Most of the time, I was the damsel waiting to be rescued, but occasionally, I transformed into the strong heroine of my own adventure.

These weren't just idle daydreams. They were my first glimpse into the magic of storytelling, though I didn't realize it then. I was simply a girl who wanted to love and be loved in that all-consuming, passionate way that only existed in fairy tales.

The Moment Everything Changed

Then came 1987. A preview flashed across my TV screen (Beauty and the Beast) and something inside me just knew. This was my show. From the very first episode, I was completely captivated.

Vincent's love for Catherine was unlike anything I'd ever seen. And his voice, oh my God, was like fine wine. Whether he was speaking ordinary words or reading poetry passages to Catherine, he gave me goose bumps every single time. I couldn’t get enough. It wasn't just romantic; it was transcendent. He loved her as his forever, above anything else in his world. But what truly set my soul on fire was the way he would read poetry to her. Those beautiful, flowing verses sparked something deep within my imagination.

That was the moment poetry became real to me.

The Hunt for More

While I'd encountered some poetry in high school, it wasn't until Beauty and the Beast that I truly craved it. I wanted to understand the power behind those words Vincent spoke, the way they could make love feel eternal and magical.

When the show ended, I felt lost. Years later, when the craving to revisit Vincent and Catherine's world became unbearable, I turned to YouTube. For a while, kind souls had uploaded episodes, and I'd spend nights lost in their underground world. But eventually, those videos disappeared, leaving me heartbroken all over again.

The Investment That Changed Everything

Determined to have Vincent and Catherine back in my life, I searched Amazon and found it: the complete Beauty and the Beast collection for $59. As someone without much disposable income, that felt like a fortune. So I saved it in my favorites and waited.

For an entire year, that collection sat in my wishlist like a promise. When I finally landed a better job, I didn't just buy the DVDs, I also purchased four poetry books. I was ready to dive deep into the world that had captured my heart.

Reading some of the most beautiful poetry ever written while watching Vincent recite those same verses to Catherine, I felt something shift inside me. An inkling formed in the pit of my stomach, growing stronger with each episode: I wanted to be a writer. Although it wouldn’t happen until years later.

Finding My Voice Through Romance

I knew exactly what kind of stories I wanted to tell. I wanted to write romance where the hero was like Vincent (caring, strong, fearless, passionate, and brilliantly intelligent). My heroines would embody Catherine's spirit: fighters who were both smart and beautiful.

Do I always hit the mark perfectly? No. But in every story I write, I strive to create heroes who love their heroines above anything else in the world. That's the Vincent standard, and it's never let me down.

Poetry in Every Story

Even today, poems come to me as I write. I might not always include them directly in my stories, but thinking about how a particular verse relates to my characters' journey fuels my creativity and pushes me to the finish line.

If you're wondering what real love looks like, whether it's fairytale or reality, watch Beauty and the Beast. It's the gold standard.

Other Stories That Shaped My Heart

While Vincent and Catherine will always be my first love, other couples have left their mark on my writer's soul:

• General Hospital's Luke and Laura - Their epic romance showed me that love could overcome any obstacle

• Santa Barbara's Cruz and Eden - Pure passion and devotion that burned bright on screen

These stories live in the back of my mind every time I sit down to write. They remind me what's possible when you dare to love completely.

The Writer I Became

Looking back, I see how that little girl making up stories was always meant to be a writer. Beauty and the Beast didn't create my love for storytelling, it awakened it. Vincent's poetry didn't teach me to love words, it showed me their power.

Every romance I write carries a piece of that underground world where love conquered all, where poetry made hearts soar, and where a beast's love transformed everything it touched.

What stories sparked your creative journey? Share your own "Beauty and the Beast" moment in the comments below.