Those of you know me well know that I have a very weak stomach. I mean, the sight of blood, puke and sometimes poop makes me gag so bad I’ll just throw up; which brings us to this Thursday Adventure.
When Franklin was about a year old (he is now three) Rufus and I were in the family room playing a quiet game of Mr. Freeze (me) get’s captured. He and I had been playing for over an hour and Franklin was fast asleep. Rufus had decided he was tired of playing Batman. He wanted to play in his room so we cleaned up the mess and walked down the hall- only to find three large, smelly piles of dog poop on the carpet in his bedroom.
I don’t know how parents react in these situations, but I stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. My dog just didn’t poop in the house like this, so I was unaccustomed to this sort-of thing.
Rufus: Aunt Char-char, is that dog poop inside my room?
Me: Yeah…yeah, sweetie it is.
Rufus: Oh, no! Well. Looks like you have to clean that up.
Me: Yeah, Rufus, I know. Just give me a second, I’m gonna try and figure out what to do.
Rufus: (marches up to the poop and looks at it, ignoring my protests) Oh, man that stinks.
That’s when I threw up in the sink and called my brother. That was a Thursday Adventure I’d like to forget.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
(Sorry for the large number of posts today- my computer had a bunch of viruses, so I hand wrote these and just had time to put them all up)
I don’t know if any of you have ever read the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs before, but as a kid if was one of my favorites. My Mom was really big on reading to us- whether it was picture books or chapter books, she always took the time to read to us each and every night and I am so grateful to her for it. My love of reading started at a young age, and I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was about six which I feel was in large part because she was always reading to us.
When I heard they were making Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs into a movie, I was so excited. I wasn’t sure how they would do it with such a short book, but I was looking forward to seeing it none the less. I have to say, I loved the movie. Though nothing like the book, I thought it had lots of great adult/child humor and I knew that Rufus and Franklin would love it the moment I saw it.
The morning began at 8 am, and Rufus and Franklin were in their P-jams when I arrived, as usual. We had breakfast, did the usual grooming stuff then read the book, which lead to the following conversation:
Rufus: I think it would be terrible if giant meatballs fell from the sky. I don’t like meatballs.
Me: No? I could have sworn you loved them!
Rufus: (making a face) Yuck!
Me: (laughing) I know, I know, you don’t really like meat that much.
Franklin: Well, I like meat! I like meatballs! And sausage! And Salami! Especially Sausage because it’s delicious. Grandma makes me sausage.
Me: (laughing) I know she does! I’m glad you like meat. I have a great idea. How about we do a drawing of what we would like it to rain? After that we can watch the movie. I brought happy face stickers we can use to decorate our papers too.
Both: OK!!
We raced off to the kitchen and got to work on our drawings. We each decided on the best thing it could rain and came up with the following:
Rufus, who has a sweet tooth, said he’d like it if it rained ice cream or jelly beans. Franklin, who has a deep appreciation for meat, said he’d like it if it rained hamburgers and sausage. I picked potato chips, as I prefer a salty snack.
After, we watched the movie and decided that the monkey, called Steve was the best part about the movie. When I asked whether they preferred the movie or the book- they said the movie. I can’t blame them; Steve the monkey was really funny after all. We talked about how fun it would be to have puddles filled with chocolate milk, and what it would be like if pancakes fell from the sky. It was great fun! In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was another great Thursday Adventure.
I don’t know if any of you have ever read the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs before, but as a kid if was one of my favorites. My Mom was really big on reading to us- whether it was picture books or chapter books, she always took the time to read to us each and every night and I am so grateful to her for it. My love of reading started at a young age, and I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was about six which I feel was in large part because she was always reading to us.
When I heard they were making Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs into a movie, I was so excited. I wasn’t sure how they would do it with such a short book, but I was looking forward to seeing it none the less. I have to say, I loved the movie. Though nothing like the book, I thought it had lots of great adult/child humor and I knew that Rufus and Franklin would love it the moment I saw it.
The morning began at 8 am, and Rufus and Franklin were in their P-jams when I arrived, as usual. We had breakfast, did the usual grooming stuff then read the book, which lead to the following conversation:
Rufus: I think it would be terrible if giant meatballs fell from the sky. I don’t like meatballs.
Me: No? I could have sworn you loved them!
Rufus: (making a face) Yuck!
Me: (laughing) I know, I know, you don’t really like meat that much.
Franklin: Well, I like meat! I like meatballs! And sausage! And Salami! Especially Sausage because it’s delicious. Grandma makes me sausage.
Me: (laughing) I know she does! I’m glad you like meat. I have a great idea. How about we do a drawing of what we would like it to rain? After that we can watch the movie. I brought happy face stickers we can use to decorate our papers too.
Both: OK!!
We raced off to the kitchen and got to work on our drawings. We each decided on the best thing it could rain and came up with the following:
Rufus, who has a sweet tooth, said he’d like it if it rained ice cream or jelly beans. Franklin, who has a deep appreciation for meat, said he’d like it if it rained hamburgers and sausage. I picked potato chips, as I prefer a salty snack.
After, we watched the movie and decided that the monkey, called Steve was the best part about the movie. When I asked whether they preferred the movie or the book- they said the movie. I can’t blame them; Steve the monkey was really funny after all. We talked about how fun it would be to have puddles filled with chocolate milk, and what it would be like if pancakes fell from the sky. It was great fun! In the end, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was another great Thursday Adventure.
Make-believe.
I have no kids of my own- so I can’t compare Rufus and Franklin to my own. I used to work in a daycare though, and I have to say, the imaginations kids have always inspire me. There are no boundaries, no limits, and nothing is too outlandish for them to come up with. This is something I try to emulate in my own books, and I’m so happy this is something I continue to learn from my nephews.
One of their favorite games is called ‘real life (insert your favorite action hero here, e.g., star wars guys, Lego guys, superhero, etc).’ I usually have to be whoever they tell me to, usually Cap’n Betty (the alligator killing Cajun-Jimmy Stewart sounding character I invented). If we are playing Star Wars, I have to be Wicket, or Yoda. If we are playing superheroes, I have to be Mr. Freeze- apparently he’s my favorite.
Their favorite choices are as follows:
Rufus likes to be Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Luke, or Anakin from Star Wars. For super heroes, he likes being Robin or Spiderman.
Franklin likes to be Batman, in all situations. Batman is Franklin’s hero.
To get around Franklin’s make-believe breech of etiquette, the game is then referred to as ‘Batman meets Star Wars guys in real life.’ Captain Betty can fit into any scenario, because she is just an addendum to whatever game we play for some reason.
Now, in order to take part in these make-believe scenarios, one has to be very patient. I am often told what to say, how to say it, and have to repeat what is said over and over. For example:
Franklin: Ok, first I say, ‘that guy is bad news.’ Then you say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’ Ok? That’s what you say.
Me: Ok.
Franklin: That Guy is really bad news! (Whispering) Now you say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: I’ll take care of him!
Franklin: No, you say, I say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: (catching on) Ok. I say, don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!
And then we pretend to shoot the guy, or hit him with a torpedo and he’s destroyed.
Before you even ask, I have no idea why this process is so lengthily. For some reason, it is very important to both Franklin and Rufus that we repeat these same steps each and every time we approach any scenario. Does it make for a slow moving battle? Yes, but it’s a very amusing one.
Franklin very nearly dies (repeatedly) in battle, and then is brought back to life by whoever is closest. He is injured often, stranded places, and in general, wreckless in battle. Franklin seems to enjoy the drama involved in being saved or being brought back to life just inches from HIS IMAGINARY death for no matter how severe his injuries- he recovers from them immediately.
On the other hand, Rufus is terrific in a battle. He is very much how I remember his Dad being when we were kids. He is never hit; you always miss him with your fake bullets. He is never injured because he is just too quick for that. His battle skills are legendary and he has unparallel skill with a light saber, blaster, gun, sling-shot, bomb, grenade and torpedoes. Plus, he is always smarter than anyone else out there.
No matter what.
Once when we were kids, I waited in the loft of our barn with a plastic gun for a half hour as to ambush my older brother during a heated game of cops and robbers. I was certain this was the perfect plan, so I did not mind the wait. I was patient. I was diligent.
When the time finally came, somehow, miraculously, my well aimed immaginary bullet missed him, ricochet off a piece of metal on the wall and killed me instead. I died quickly and painfully in this pretend scenerio.
Playing with Rufus is much the same, but it sure makes for great Thursday Adventures.
One of their favorite games is called ‘real life (insert your favorite action hero here, e.g., star wars guys, Lego guys, superhero, etc).’ I usually have to be whoever they tell me to, usually Cap’n Betty (the alligator killing Cajun-Jimmy Stewart sounding character I invented). If we are playing Star Wars, I have to be Wicket, or Yoda. If we are playing superheroes, I have to be Mr. Freeze- apparently he’s my favorite.
Their favorite choices are as follows:
Rufus likes to be Commander Cody, Captain Rex, Luke, or Anakin from Star Wars. For super heroes, he likes being Robin or Spiderman.
Franklin likes to be Batman, in all situations. Batman is Franklin’s hero.
To get around Franklin’s make-believe breech of etiquette, the game is then referred to as ‘Batman meets Star Wars guys in real life.’ Captain Betty can fit into any scenario, because she is just an addendum to whatever game we play for some reason.
Now, in order to take part in these make-believe scenarios, one has to be very patient. I am often told what to say, how to say it, and have to repeat what is said over and over. For example:
Franklin: Ok, first I say, ‘that guy is bad news.’ Then you say, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him.’ Ok? That’s what you say.
Me: Ok.
Franklin: That Guy is really bad news! (Whispering) Now you say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: I’ll take care of him!
Franklin: No, you say, I say, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!’
Me: (catching on) Ok. I say, don’t worry! I’ll take care of him!
And then we pretend to shoot the guy, or hit him with a torpedo and he’s destroyed.
Before you even ask, I have no idea why this process is so lengthily. For some reason, it is very important to both Franklin and Rufus that we repeat these same steps each and every time we approach any scenario. Does it make for a slow moving battle? Yes, but it’s a very amusing one.
Franklin very nearly dies (repeatedly) in battle, and then is brought back to life by whoever is closest. He is injured often, stranded places, and in general, wreckless in battle. Franklin seems to enjoy the drama involved in being saved or being brought back to life just inches from HIS IMAGINARY death for no matter how severe his injuries- he recovers from them immediately.
On the other hand, Rufus is terrific in a battle. He is very much how I remember his Dad being when we were kids. He is never hit; you always miss him with your fake bullets. He is never injured because he is just too quick for that. His battle skills are legendary and he has unparallel skill with a light saber, blaster, gun, sling-shot, bomb, grenade and torpedoes. Plus, he is always smarter than anyone else out there.
No matter what.
Once when we were kids, I waited in the loft of our barn with a plastic gun for a half hour as to ambush my older brother during a heated game of cops and robbers. I was certain this was the perfect plan, so I did not mind the wait. I was patient. I was diligent.
When the time finally came, somehow, miraculously, my well aimed immaginary bullet missed him, ricochet off a piece of metal on the wall and killed me instead. I died quickly and painfully in this pretend scenerio.
Playing with Rufus is much the same, but it sure makes for great Thursday Adventures.
Cap'n Betty.
Cap’n Betty came to be on the banks of the Pierre Marquette river. My sister Whittney and I were stuck on a three hour rafting trip with my husband Ben and were trying to amuse ourselves. I enjoy our families’ yearly trip on the river, but towards the end I not only get bored, I get sand in my shorts which is just horrible. Anyway, Whittney and I kept saying things like, “There’s Gators in these waters!” and “I saw a gator eat a whole cow on these banks once!”
What can I say? I’m goofy and it was a very long trip, but a fun one because Whittney and I were cracking ourselves and everyone else up (with the exception of Ben who was annoyed because we weren’t rowing enough). I had on this goofy Captain’s hat, and my sister was wearing one that said first mate. We thought we were hilarious, as we usually do. I’m still not sure why Cap’n Betty sounded like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart; most likely because accents aren’t my high card. Anyway, that was the first day I discovered Cap’n Betty.*
One day when I was playing with Rufus and Franklin, Cap’n Betty came back for a visit. We had turned the sofa into our ship, which I called the Nautilus. Franklin was being Batman again, and this time Rufus was Robin (who incidentally had his own Robin Jet-ski and could do amazing tricks and jumps at any time and never be injured or die).
They were both sitting next to me when I remembered our rafting trip on the Pierre Marquette. So I turned to Rufus and Franklin and I said very seriously, “There’s gators in these waters. Not safe in these waters. I got a cage that takes you down deep…You go in the cage, cage goes in the water. There’s gators in these waters. Gators come…snap off your feet!” (Which I modified from Jaws.)
The boys just loved it! We fashioned torpedoes out of coasters and pillows and pretended the family dogs were the gators. Admittedly, the dogs were not thrilled with this arrangement, but you’ll have that.
The Lucy-gator and the Jade-gator didn’t stand a chance. With Cap’n Betty’s superior skills at the helm and Robin (Rufus) on the jet-ski, we managed to kill every gator in the water. Unfortunately, Batman (Franklin) didn’t fare so well. We had to fish him out after falling in a dozen times, and re-attach his legs and arms on numerous occasions. It was touch and go for a while, but in the end, he made it.
We shouted things like, “Don’t go in the water chief!” and “Smile you son-of-a sea turtle!” when there was a direct hit. This game lasted for nearly three hours until my brother got him. Since then, Cap’n Betty and the gators has been one our favorite Thursday Adventures.
*Side Note: My husband Ben will tell you that Cap’n Betty and her first mate were annoying. This is not true. He doesn’t know what funny is sometimes.
What can I say? I’m goofy and it was a very long trip, but a fun one because Whittney and I were cracking ourselves and everyone else up (with the exception of Ben who was annoyed because we weren’t rowing enough). I had on this goofy Captain’s hat, and my sister was wearing one that said first mate. We thought we were hilarious, as we usually do. I’m still not sure why Cap’n Betty sounded like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart; most likely because accents aren’t my high card. Anyway, that was the first day I discovered Cap’n Betty.*
One day when I was playing with Rufus and Franklin, Cap’n Betty came back for a visit. We had turned the sofa into our ship, which I called the Nautilus. Franklin was being Batman again, and this time Rufus was Robin (who incidentally had his own Robin Jet-ski and could do amazing tricks and jumps at any time and never be injured or die).
They were both sitting next to me when I remembered our rafting trip on the Pierre Marquette. So I turned to Rufus and Franklin and I said very seriously, “There’s gators in these waters. Not safe in these waters. I got a cage that takes you down deep…You go in the cage, cage goes in the water. There’s gators in these waters. Gators come…snap off your feet!” (Which I modified from Jaws.)
The boys just loved it! We fashioned torpedoes out of coasters and pillows and pretended the family dogs were the gators. Admittedly, the dogs were not thrilled with this arrangement, but you’ll have that.
The Lucy-gator and the Jade-gator didn’t stand a chance. With Cap’n Betty’s superior skills at the helm and Robin (Rufus) on the jet-ski, we managed to kill every gator in the water. Unfortunately, Batman (Franklin) didn’t fare so well. We had to fish him out after falling in a dozen times, and re-attach his legs and arms on numerous occasions. It was touch and go for a while, but in the end, he made it.
We shouted things like, “Don’t go in the water chief!” and “Smile you son-of-a sea turtle!” when there was a direct hit. This game lasted for nearly three hours until my brother got him. Since then, Cap’n Betty and the gators has been one our favorite Thursday Adventures.
*Side Note: My husband Ben will tell you that Cap’n Betty and her first mate were annoying. This is not true. He doesn’t know what funny is sometimes.
Monday, February 28, 2011
My Greatest Fear.
One of my greatest fears is to be caught sitting on the toilet, pants around ankles while doing my business. I blame this fear on my Aunt Nina.
When I was 10 or 11, we had a family Easter at the Fred Wall Hall in the small town I grew up in. My family is really big and we could no longer fit into anyone’s house comfortably, so renting a hall seemed like a good idea, and it was and still is for the most part. The restrooms in The Fred Wall Hall are spacious- which I dislike.
I much prefer a restroom where I can be very close to the door so if someone opens it I can use my foot to rudely kick the door shut and shout at whoever has the nerve to have to use the restroom at the same time as me. Wait your turn for the love of Pete.
Anyway, when I was a kid, my Mom insisted my sister and I wear those little girl dresses with yards of fluff and tights to holiday celebrations. I was ok with that, except the tights never fit me right and I could never get the crotch in the right spot because I was way too tall so it hung down and I felt like I walked like a penguin all the time.
Anyway, I had to go to the bathroom, and I went in to do my business. I was only on the pot for a moment when the door was unceremoniously yakked open by my opinionated old lady Aunt Nina. I remember turning red and yelping, and she quickly shut the door. In my rush to finish, I got pee on my leg and had to use TP to clean it up. I washed my hands, humiliated beyond belief, and opened the door. Aunt Nina was standing outside and do you know what she says to me?
“You should have locked the door.”
So I said back, “I did. You ever hear of knocking?”
I was fuming. I was embarrassed. I never cared for her much after that. I decided she had old lady super strength and her arthritic, yet powerful hands had overcome the lock just to spite me and it was years before I could look her in the eye again. Since that time I have not cared for public restrooms. I doubt I ever will. To this day, I hate large restrooms. Give me a small stall any time.
It’s safer.
When I was 10 or 11, we had a family Easter at the Fred Wall Hall in the small town I grew up in. My family is really big and we could no longer fit into anyone’s house comfortably, so renting a hall seemed like a good idea, and it was and still is for the most part. The restrooms in The Fred Wall Hall are spacious- which I dislike.
I much prefer a restroom where I can be very close to the door so if someone opens it I can use my foot to rudely kick the door shut and shout at whoever has the nerve to have to use the restroom at the same time as me. Wait your turn for the love of Pete.
Anyway, when I was a kid, my Mom insisted my sister and I wear those little girl dresses with yards of fluff and tights to holiday celebrations. I was ok with that, except the tights never fit me right and I could never get the crotch in the right spot because I was way too tall so it hung down and I felt like I walked like a penguin all the time.
Anyway, I had to go to the bathroom, and I went in to do my business. I was only on the pot for a moment when the door was unceremoniously yakked open by my opinionated old lady Aunt Nina. I remember turning red and yelping, and she quickly shut the door. In my rush to finish, I got pee on my leg and had to use TP to clean it up. I washed my hands, humiliated beyond belief, and opened the door. Aunt Nina was standing outside and do you know what she says to me?
“You should have locked the door.”
So I said back, “I did. You ever hear of knocking?”
I was fuming. I was embarrassed. I never cared for her much after that. I decided she had old lady super strength and her arthritic, yet powerful hands had overcome the lock just to spite me and it was years before I could look her in the eye again. Since that time I have not cared for public restrooms. I doubt I ever will. To this day, I hate large restrooms. Give me a small stall any time.
It’s safer.
The Thursday Adventures.
My loyal, albeit small, band of followers will notice that I have changed the name and address of my blog. This is because I found the subject of reviewing children’s books too limiting. I read all kinds of different books do all sorts of different things and have decided to write about whatever tickles my fancy.
I decided to call my blog The Thursday Adventures, because every Thursday I watch my nephews, who are three and four. Every week, I plan on recounting my The Thursday Adventures because they are just too funny not to mention. My brother would prefer if I did not use their real names so I will refer to them as Rufus and Franklin for the purposes of my posts.
It has been four years since I started watching the boys, but of course at the time, Rufus was the only one. Franklin came along and the three of us have had more fun together that I ever could have imagined.
Rufus is very intelligent. He is four years old and I often feel like I am speaking to a mini-grown-up when he tells me something. He uses words like ‘actually’ and ‘seriously’ all the time. As in, ‘actually Aunt Char-char, I think it would be better if you pretended to be Yoda today’ or ‘I think Yoda should seriously consider going in a different direction if he doesn’t want his head chopped off.’
I find it very important to follow these suggestions. If you do not when playing with my nephews, you are often shunned and forced to play a non-speaking person such as Chewbacca. If you are Chewy, you can only make grunting noises and use your wookie strength to rip limbs off of other characters.
Franklin is very different from his older brother. He is less serious and far sillier. He enjoys making up songs, and adding the word ‘poop’ to these songs. As in, “We’re going on a trip in our poopy rocket ship, zooming through the skies, poopy Einstein’s!’ His love of the word ‘poop’ cracks me up because I happen to agree with him. Poop is funny.
As an Aunt, I am unencumbered by the parental parameters most people face. I figure it’s my job to make sure they don’t fight, get into trouble, get hurt and have the best time possible when I’m over. That usually involves me wearing a cape in the back yard while playing Batgirl, or a dinosaur hat we pretend is a stuffed alligator I killed and turned into a hat. This is a roll I invented and refer to as Cap’n Betty and for some reason; Cap’n Betty speaks like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart. Cap’n Betty shouts things like, ‘There’s gators in these waters’ and ‘Smile you son-of-a-sea turtle!’ while chucking fake torpedoes at imaginary alligators.
Our battles our epic, our adventures are grand, and our bond is priceless.
Look for more posts about the Thursday Adventures each week. As for the rest of my posts, I will discuss whatever I happen to find interesting. This could be anything from a new TV show I have watched to what’s going on in my kitchen. Anything! Thanks to my loyal followers out there, I hope you enjoy the new posts!
I decided to call my blog The Thursday Adventures, because every Thursday I watch my nephews, who are three and four. Every week, I plan on recounting my The Thursday Adventures because they are just too funny not to mention. My brother would prefer if I did not use their real names so I will refer to them as Rufus and Franklin for the purposes of my posts.
It has been four years since I started watching the boys, but of course at the time, Rufus was the only one. Franklin came along and the three of us have had more fun together that I ever could have imagined.
Rufus is very intelligent. He is four years old and I often feel like I am speaking to a mini-grown-up when he tells me something. He uses words like ‘actually’ and ‘seriously’ all the time. As in, ‘actually Aunt Char-char, I think it would be better if you pretended to be Yoda today’ or ‘I think Yoda should seriously consider going in a different direction if he doesn’t want his head chopped off.’
I find it very important to follow these suggestions. If you do not when playing with my nephews, you are often shunned and forced to play a non-speaking person such as Chewbacca. If you are Chewy, you can only make grunting noises and use your wookie strength to rip limbs off of other characters.
Franklin is very different from his older brother. He is less serious and far sillier. He enjoys making up songs, and adding the word ‘poop’ to these songs. As in, “We’re going on a trip in our poopy rocket ship, zooming through the skies, poopy Einstein’s!’ His love of the word ‘poop’ cracks me up because I happen to agree with him. Poop is funny.
As an Aunt, I am unencumbered by the parental parameters most people face. I figure it’s my job to make sure they don’t fight, get into trouble, get hurt and have the best time possible when I’m over. That usually involves me wearing a cape in the back yard while playing Batgirl, or a dinosaur hat we pretend is a stuffed alligator I killed and turned into a hat. This is a roll I invented and refer to as Cap’n Betty and for some reason; Cap’n Betty speaks like a Cajun Jimmy Stewart. Cap’n Betty shouts things like, ‘There’s gators in these waters’ and ‘Smile you son-of-a-sea turtle!’ while chucking fake torpedoes at imaginary alligators.
Our battles our epic, our adventures are grand, and our bond is priceless.
Look for more posts about the Thursday Adventures each week. As for the rest of my posts, I will discuss whatever I happen to find interesting. This could be anything from a new TV show I have watched to what’s going on in my kitchen. Anything! Thanks to my loyal followers out there, I hope you enjoy the new posts!
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Write Time.
The truth is blogging is difficult for me.
Finding enough brief words to fill up a page and try and keep it interesting is not exactly easy for someone like me. You see, I write books. They are long, involved books for kids of all ages. They consist of picture books, and independent readers, but I have piles of ideas that I am constantly putting down on paper and holding on to until a later date. My ultimate goal is in getting one (or all) of these books published.
But getting your book published is not as easy as it sounds.
I am so often asked by people my book has been published yet (I have written 5 and I’ve been at this for nearly five years) AND THE ANSWER IS NO. In truth, the first book I wrote I was in such a hurry to get finished that I got it done, half-heartedly searched for spelling errors and grammar misuse, and sent it out. The characters were predictable, the plot was far too complicated, and the story was just ok. I can say that now, because I am more than a little embarrassed that my work went out in such a state.
It’s the truth. At the time, I thought my words were brilliance, as most writers do. At the time, I thought the publishers were crazy not to jump at the chance to publish my words, and that I was going to be the next J.K. Rowling.
When no one did take an interest, (I had two publishing companies ask to see the book, then politely reject it, and one agent show interest and then reject it) I realized I must have gone wrong somewhere. I took these rejections to heart.
So, back to the drawing board I went.
I signed up for creative writing classes, and found that the reason I was rejected, was because I knew nothing at all. There are rules to be followed and I made so many mistakes that marked me as an armature from writing my own copy write at the top of the page, to the way I wrote my query letter. So I started from scratch on these books, and to this day I continue to work on them.
Why did I bother if no one wanted them at first? Simple. I love it. I just love it.
There is no greater sound than my fingers plinking away at the keys as ideas burst from my own imagination and come to life on the page. Every character profile, every pain-staking word I choose helps me to define the success I hope to achieve some day. When the words are right, it’s a marvelous day- when they aren’t, well, I just try again tomorrow. It is as simple as that. I have learned through the process that sometimes it is best to step back, and reproach with fresh eyes. The words will come, they always do.
Do I still want to be the next J.K. Rowling?
No. I’d settle for just being me, able to earn a living doing something I love so very much…but if it did happen, wouldn’t that be something?
Finding enough brief words to fill up a page and try and keep it interesting is not exactly easy for someone like me. You see, I write books. They are long, involved books for kids of all ages. They consist of picture books, and independent readers, but I have piles of ideas that I am constantly putting down on paper and holding on to until a later date. My ultimate goal is in getting one (or all) of these books published.
But getting your book published is not as easy as it sounds.
I am so often asked by people my book has been published yet (I have written 5 and I’ve been at this for nearly five years) AND THE ANSWER IS NO. In truth, the first book I wrote I was in such a hurry to get finished that I got it done, half-heartedly searched for spelling errors and grammar misuse, and sent it out. The characters were predictable, the plot was far too complicated, and the story was just ok. I can say that now, because I am more than a little embarrassed that my work went out in such a state.
It’s the truth. At the time, I thought my words were brilliance, as most writers do. At the time, I thought the publishers were crazy not to jump at the chance to publish my words, and that I was going to be the next J.K. Rowling.
When no one did take an interest, (I had two publishing companies ask to see the book, then politely reject it, and one agent show interest and then reject it) I realized I must have gone wrong somewhere. I took these rejections to heart.
So, back to the drawing board I went.
I signed up for creative writing classes, and found that the reason I was rejected, was because I knew nothing at all. There are rules to be followed and I made so many mistakes that marked me as an armature from writing my own copy write at the top of the page, to the way I wrote my query letter. So I started from scratch on these books, and to this day I continue to work on them.
Why did I bother if no one wanted them at first? Simple. I love it. I just love it.
There is no greater sound than my fingers plinking away at the keys as ideas burst from my own imagination and come to life on the page. Every character profile, every pain-staking word I choose helps me to define the success I hope to achieve some day. When the words are right, it’s a marvelous day- when they aren’t, well, I just try again tomorrow. It is as simple as that. I have learned through the process that sometimes it is best to step back, and reproach with fresh eyes. The words will come, they always do.
Do I still want to be the next J.K. Rowling?
No. I’d settle for just being me, able to earn a living doing something I love so very much…but if it did happen, wouldn’t that be something?
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