The leap from being a lover of books to becoming a lover of writing was not a very big one for me. I’ve always loved to write . In elementary school, I carried around a small spiral notebook and would jot down little poems. As a kindergarten teacher, I developed a program that utilized children’s picture books, not only for entertainment and enjoyment, but also to help young children deal with the challenges they encounter in those early years. But it wasn’t until my own children were born that I began to write my own picture book stories. And perhaps I have my husband to thank for that.
You see, my husband is an avid fly-fisherman and years ago he also refinished bamboo fly rods – he actually wrote a book on the subject back in 1986 that is considered the “bible” of rod restoration and repair. When our first child was a toddler, we often accompanied my husband on his business trips.
Keeping a very young child peaceful and happy while sitting in a car for several hours is no mean accomplishment. I was NEVER without a large pad of paper and a selection of pencils and crayons. While my husband was in his meeting, I would be “entertaining” our son with a story-on-demand about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. I still have many of those stories and hope one day to see them published.
My book for parents and teachers of preschoolers, based on the reading, crafting and cooking program I had developed during my teaching years, was published in September of 2010. And again, my husband was the catalyst for encouraging me to follow through on a project that I had toyed with for many years.
“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” are the well-known words of Thomas Edison. I think this holds true when it comes to writing. Whether it is a short story, poem, magazine article, full-length novel, children’s picture book or work of non-fiction, we need to:
- Keep on writing…revising…and writing some more.
- Read what other people are writing in your genre.
- Be open to suggestion and advice, but remain true to your own style.
- Connect with other writers…they will encourage you on your path to publication!
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- Picture books for children – reviews (guardian.co.uk)
- Little Boo: What Will You Do? (teamyello.wordpress.com)
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
I can’t imagine spending hours in a car with my kids so kudos to you for being able to do it and making it fun and entertaining!
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Hahaha! I had to make it entertaining…or I would have gone INSANE!!! 🙂
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Your background and experience will stand you in good stead as a writer, Vivian.
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Thanks, Nancy! With the moving preparations, it is getting hard to find the time to blog, read and comment…don’t know what to do. 😦
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This move is a one time deal . . . everything else can be put on hold. Unless you feel like you’re bursting at the seams to share something here.
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Thank you, Nancy…I really appreciate your good common sense.:) You are right…there is nothing that I MUST share…just force of habit and a desire not to disappoint. But I am stepping back from most of the blog reading and commenting…and will probably only do one post a week…if that.:) As my husband so ‘tactfully’ points out…I am not 25 anymore.:) 🙂
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I hope so, Nancy!
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Take a blog break or cut way back like the rest of us have this summer. You have other priorities! 🙂 That’s what you’d say to me. Your post was inspiring and I enjoyed it. But take care of the things you need to so you can move. 🙂
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Hi Pat! What great friends I have. 🙂 Thank you so much…this is very good advice.:) I promise to take it. 🙂
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You nailed it! The importance of reading what’s out there is a really important step in the writing process. One often skipped.
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Genevieve…how kind of you! You’d think, with all of us loving picture books so much, we’d do that step without thinking about it.:) Glad you liked the reminder!
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Awesome!
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Thanks, Erik!
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On one long trip, we gave the grandkids a Mother Goose book to follow along as we played a tape. We had made the tape–each adult choosing 4-5 favorites and reading them into the recorder–we skipped around in the book, saying things like, “Now turn to page 63. On the right side of the page…” Then we allowed time for them to get there before we began reading. It was a lot of work but also fun for us all, and the kids got a kick out of it.
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That is so creative, Marylin! You have the best ideas!
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I always respect a person who can write and write on demand. You must be a very good story teller. I could never tell a story to my children so I read them from books to them. Thanks to the writers like you who come to our help. Good tips. Thanks.
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Those are very kind words, Indira! And whether we read to our children from a book or tell the stories from our head, the important factor is that we are spending positive time with them and communicating with them.:)
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I agree and this the best way to spend time with them, indirectly teaching also.
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Thanks for stopping by, Indira! Glad you liked the tips. Sometimes we forget that our children are watching us and listening to us ALL of the time…even when they don’t seem to be paying attention.:)
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You are so right. I can’t say when my son observed but picked all the cooking tips form me. Its true they don’t do what you teach them but do what they see you doing. So we must be careful.
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I am impressed that you could supply stories on demand – I always need time to think… often years! 🙂 Good luck with the moving and don’t worry about blogging if you don’t have time. We’ll all still be here when you’re settled in your new home and ready to come back 🙂
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Your words mean a lot to me, Susanna.:) I know I am harder on myself than I should be…I am going to take your advice and the advice of others who have said the same thing. The process of going thru so many years of accumulation is definitely overwhelming. I’ll visit and comment as much as I can…but I will step back from blogging myself. 🙂
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