Real life experiences

My brother writes beautiful poetry. I write children's books. We've exchanged work and it's so fun to talk writing with him. As a good brother should, he pays my work high compliments. And I am in awe at how he can say so much with so few words. (He was kind enough not to remark that I could say so little with so many words.) In recent works, we both honored our father, a kind, gentle man who battled macular degeneration before his death. My brother's lyrical description brought tears to my eyes. In my middle grade novel, DON'T LOOK BACK, I relied on memories of Dad's experiences to create my grandpa character. Even my own words at times brought tears to my eyes, but that's when I knew I'd accurately captured pieces of my father's life. Real life is multifaceted, good and bad, pain and laughter, sorrow and joy. The trick in any artistic endeavor is to feel it deeply enough to recreate it, to relive it as you reproduce it, whether it's in a painting, a poem or a character.

Finishing a Novel

Authors express a variety of feelings upon completion of a novel: exhilaration, letdown, relief, anticipation...and the list goes on and on. I just completed my middle grade novel, DON'T LOOK BACK, and am going through a variety of emotions. Certainly I feel the exhilaration of writing the last chapter and typing the words "THE END." But I also miss working on it. My mentor, Claudia Mills, once paid me a wonderful compliment. She told me she loved my characters so much she wished they were real and she could go visit them. Her words were music to my ears. The truth of the matter is, I miss the characters myself. I loved creating their stories--their challenges, setbacks and accommplishments, and putting words in their mouths only they would say because that's how I created them. I've begun sending the manuscript out to literary agencies, and pray that someday I'll see that book in libraries and stores where children can meet my characters and hopefully love them, too. Now, it's time to shift my attention to a brand new story with brand new characters, all with their own gifts, faults and challenges. I can hardly wait to meet them!

Kids as Motivators

I attended a dinner a couple of nights ago held in celebration of volunteers and contributors to the Ridgeview Youth Services Center, a model program designed to treat young boys who have been sentenced by the courts to the Division of Youth Corrections (DYC) for serious crimes they committed. DYC is a wonderful Colorado state agency which oversees both state-run and privately-run (e.g. Ridgeview) programs for kids in trouble with the law. It was great to see several staff with whom I'd worked during my time as Director of Research for DYC. One of the speakers at the dinner was a former Ridgeview client who is soon to become a teacher. There are many similar success stories for kids whom, by the time they reach Ridgeview, many have given up on. A couple of years ago, a former work cohort and I partnered to teach a one-day class on life skills at Ridgeview through the Junior Achievement Program. It was a fabulous experience. The kids were respectful, attentive and eager to learn. We ate lunch in the cafeteria and listened while kids talked about the books they were reading. Their excitement was contagious and I could hardly wait to get home and work on my novel. There's nothing more motivating than the enthusiasm of kids, especially kids who are finally finding their way in a world that has been wrought with problems and heartbreak.

Challenges of writing childrens books

I'm amazed at the kaleidoscope of feelings associated with starting to write a new book. The slate is blank:

Terror: What am I going to fill it with? Excitement--The options are endless.
Terror--Who are the characters? Excitement--I get to create them.
Terror--What is the theme? Excitement--One that is near and dear to my heart.
Terror--What if I can't do it? Excitement--What if I can?


A foggy idea floats around in my head. It's there when I go to bed, when I wake up, when I shower or go for a walk. Finally, I sit at the computer and begin to write, but there's much to be done before I delve very far. I find that I can write several chapters, introducing the idea which is still quite vague at this point, beginning to reveal the characters whom I'm only beginning to know myself. I explore the setting trying to incorporate all the senses. Eventually, I get to the point where although the gist of the story has been in my mind for some time, I must hone down the specifics and make sure I know the theme and heart of my story before I go on. But by now, I'm excited. I read about my topic. I surf the internet. And think, think, think about my protagonist. What does she look like? Sometimes I sketch a picture even though I can barely draw a stick figure. What are her hobbies, strengths, and faults? What is endearing about her? How is she different from other girls her age? What does she want? Why can't she get it? If I could meet her right now, what would we talk about? What words would she use? Why? And on and on it goes until I can write dialogue and know when it feels right and when it doesn't. And clearly, if there's dialogue, she must be talking to someone. Who? What are they to her? What are their personalities, goals, problems, etc.

When I read books by great authors like Sharon Creech or Katherine Patterson or Kate DeCamillo, it fascinates me how quickly I know their characters, and how easy they make the writing process look, and then to work on my own novel and realize how difficult it is to make it look so easy. This journey of writing stories for children is an incredible challenge, but one I look forward to embarking on every day.