Kraft

Welcome, folks. Lazy summer days abound, hence I'm keeping it short. I'm calling this one "Kraft" because of Kraft macaroni and cheese -- you know, the comfort food in a box. Add milk and butter. For some reason almost no kid will object to KM&C. So what in the heck does that have to do with writing? I think the familiar is something important to understand when writing books. I think there is a place for stuff outside our experience, but I also think it is important to be aware of what makes childhood magical, personal.

I think the magic of childhood is discovery of the familiar through new eyes. I'm young at heart. I still like to play, pretend, and imagine. I'll never grow too old to make a mud pie. To be an effective writer for children, you need to open up to the child you were. Go back in your memory. Pick an emotional moment in childhood. Whatever comes to mind. Happy. Sad. Excited. It doesn't matter.

What does matter is what was closest to the surface in your memory. That memory tells you a lot about what you should be writing about. Take some time and really put that memory on paper. Write about every detail, interior self and exterior world. When you are finished take the same scene and try writing it from a fictional point of view. I hope something exciting happens. Happy writing.
I put this doodle up in celebration of this year's ComicCon. I call this one "SuperHero Eggs".










I can't resist The Barenaked Ladies and this week's playlist hit: "If I had a $1,000,000." This is one I remember singing at the top of my lungs with my kids on cross country trips.





My quote for the week: "If I had a million dollars, we wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner, but we would eat Kraft Dinner"

My favorite line from "If I had a $1,000,000."