Amazing

Kids are amazing. They can come up with anything simply by using their imagination. When my youngest daughter was sad because she couldn't go inside Minnie Mouse's house in Disneyland, my older daughter built one for her out of a cardboard box. The two of them played for hours in the makeshift house. It was amazing. And my youngest was never again sad about not being able to go inside Minnie Mouse’s house. To her, she had been there, and now she could visit it anytime she wanted in her own room. All it took was a cardboard box and imagination. As a writer, I want to do be just like them. I want to take my piece of paper and imagination, and create something amazing.

Quirks

My son loves to collect rocks. Big rocks. Little rocks. Large rocks that I trip over on my front step. Rocks that go unnoticed in his pockets, and end up in my dryer clumping around. (That’s always fun.) Yes, my son definitely loves rocks.

The other day, I went upstairs to clean the bathroom, and I found a fresh set of rocks next to his bathroom sink. I assume he found them at some point during his day at school, put them in his pocket, and brought them home. He most likely remembered them when he was brushing his teeth, and put them next to the sink. So thoughtful of him.

But as I moved the rocks so I could wipe the dried toothpaste smeared all over the counter, I couldn’t help but smile. This is my son. It’s his quirk. And it makes him him. And, at the end of the day, I love this about him.

So what are the quirks of your characters? What makes them them? And what makes you fall in love with them?

Cumulative Picture Books

I had the chance to go to my son’s classroom again this week, and teach more about writing and picture books. This time I taught them about the cumulative picture book structure. Cumulative stories add repeating elements as the story progresses. When a new event occurs in the story, the previous events are repeated. Basically, the plot builds on itself. These stories can rhyme, but they do not have to.

The kids really enjoyed the cumulative stories. We read: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY by Lucille Colandro, and THERE WAS AN OLD MONKEY WHO SWALLOWED A FROG by Jennifer Ward. We then had an activity where the kids created their own cumulative stories. It was so much fun, and the kids really enjoyed it. There were a lot of giggles and smiles. And they were so creative. They came up with many unique ideas. Leave it to a kid to come up with the silliest and most outrageous concepts. That is exactly why writers need to think like a kid. That’s when creativity is at its best.

I am so happy that I get this chance to teach these children. I love being around them. I love their energy and excitement. I love how much they love books and writing. I love their zest to learn anything new. And I love that they love picture books as much as I do.

Mother's Day

Forget flowers, a new picture book is the perfect present from my children.

The Perfect Ending

Lately, I have been studying the ends of picture books. I have been trying to figure out what makes a perfect ending. It has been fun to analyze each book. I have come to find so many endings that I love and admire. And it is amazing to me that an ending can really make or break a book. The ending is the author’s last chance to make an impression on the reader. No author wants the reader to feel dissatisfied at the end of a book. In fact, an author wants the complete opposite. He or she wants the reader to feel completely satisfied when they turn the last page.

This rings true with me, because of an experience I had with my son a few years ago. We had gotten a book at the library that we were both really excited to read. We brought the book home, and started reading it right away. But when we got to the end of the book, the last page was missing. And of course, that was the page with the final punch line. Without this page, my son and I had no idea how the story ended. We felt dissatisfied and frustrated. It really bothered us to not know what happened. Later, we were able to get a hold of another book which contained the last page. Reading the end of the story, made such a difference in our feelings about the book.

This experience made me realize how important a good ending is. Without it, a book is just a book. But with it, a book becomes magic. And I, for one, want all of my stories to be magical.

On Hold

I love when I get an email from the library telling me that a book I requested is on hold. It makes me happy. I usually pile my children in the car and head straight there. Luckily, I have trained my children to think that libraries are awesome, and books are a special treat. Basically, we all love it when good books are on hold.

Ignored

Today when I asked my son to please help me clean up a mess, he repeatedly ignored me. Then, when I asked my manuscript to please help me come up with the perfect ending, it repeatedly ignored me. Good thing I'm persistent.

You Never Know

The other day my husband was going to go to the driving range. I sweetly suggested that he take our 4-year-old son. He looked at me and said, “I don’t know how that’s going to go.”

“Well I don’t know how the grocery store with three kids is going to go half the time,” I said to him, “but I still do it.”

Needless to say, he took our son to the driving range, and our son loved it. Now my husband takes him as often as he can.

I share this example, because to me it is like writing. One never knows exactly how a story is going to go, but that is ok. Sometimes the story will practically write itself. Sometimes it won’t. Sometimes the ending is easy and the beginning is difficult. Sometimes the title is causing all of the problems. Sometimes you don’t even want to try. But you have to try—even if you don’t know how it is going to go. Because your story, like my son, might just surprise you.

Just Listen

Sometimes my characters, like my children, won’t listen to me. I try to make them listen. I tell them. I beg them. And sometimes I force them. But more times than not, it doesn’t work.

That is when I usually feel like screaming and pulling my hair out. But we all know how that turns out. So instead, I turn things around and listen to them. And more times than not, that is when I have my best writing and parenting moments.

So take the time to listen to your characters and your children. You never know what they might have to say.