The WOWs of Writing - An Author's Story
Writing can be difficult at times, even for adults, let alone kids, but there is plenty to love! I personally love the shock of waking up at night with a great idea. I scramble to write the idea down in the dark with a little flashlight pen. These ideas sometimes turn into fun dreams. Or, sometimes you wake up in the morning, and the fabulous idea turns out to be silly. That's okay! It's still a thrill to get that spark.
The WOW Moments
While writing Light Speaks, I learned a lot about light, physics, animals, the environment, and even space exploration. One thing that made me say "WOW!" again and again were pictures from the James Webb Space Telescope. The book's illustrator, Luciana Navarro Powell, used these images as inspiration for the pictures of space and the Big Bang. Her beautiful artwork makes me say "WOW" too!
How Parents Can Nurture Young Writers
Writing is a wonderful outlet for kids of all ages. Parents can encourage writing by modeling writing time: set a time of day to write in a journal or creative notebook. If kids are reluctant to write, try to connect writing to storytelling in general. Talk about TV shows and movies as stories. Talk about what was good in the story and what wasn't. Storytelling can take many shapes. Some kids tell amazing stories out loud. A supportive and encouraging response could be, "Wow! That's a great story! You should write that down!"
Don't Throw Away Old Drafts!
I keep everything! An old draft or rejected story idea could spark some inspiration on a day of writers' block, when nothing seems to come to mind. Even if it's a story I end up disliking very much, I'll keep it as a reminder of what I want to avoid in my writing- ha!
A Writer's Inspiration
I'm inspired by all the people out there telling stories! Kids are some of the best storytellers, and they are a huge inspiration for me. I love to visit classrooms, bookstores, and libraries and hear kids talk about an experience they've had, a fact they've learned, or a wacky creative story they've thought up. I think it's inspiring that storytelling is part of the universal human experience. Early people gathered around fires telling stories thousands of years ago, and we still come together to enjoy stories today.
Christine Layton
Author and educator, Christine Layton has written eleven informational books for young readers including Light Speaks, Developing Self-Awareness, and Beyond the Solar System. Christine’s books celebrate the natural world and universal experiences. A childhood filled with journaling, drawing, story-telling, and daydreaming eventually lead to a career as an author. After writing for nonprofits, magazines, trade journals, and short story anthologies, Christine landed on informational books and picture books. She also loves to help kids and adults get excited about reading and writing. She visits schools and writing groups to give workshops on nonfiction reading and writing skills, like evaluating information and forming an opinion.
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