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CREATIVE CHILDREN: 7 Steps To Finding What You Love

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Creative ChildrenCREATIVE CHILDREN: 7 Steps To Finding What You Love

Creative children aren’t born, they are nurtured.  Sure, you have the occasional child prodigy, but most of us need to develop our craft to become creative children.  It takes practice and real dedication to become creative, so let’s get to work.

Step 7 taken from Another Piece of Saltwater Taffy, a workbook supplement of the adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy is this:

DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY   

You must take responsibility for the things you want to accomplish in life.  Nobody can do it for you.  Not your parents.  Not your teachers.  Not your mentor.  Not even the Dream Team you assembled in the last section.    This life … your life … is up to YOU. Read more

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENCE: The Job of a Tween

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MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIDENCE: The Job of a Tween

Middle school confidence can be a tricky thing, but having confidence in middle school is essential.  This is the reason I wrote Saltwater Taffy because I had zero confidence in middle school.

You might think I’m crazy, but there is actually a science to feeling good!  As a tween-ager, it is your RESPONSE-ability to feel good about who you are and who you are becoming.  It’s like this;

Your RESPONSE determines your mood

Have you ever received an A on a pop quiz or a final exam?  Have you ever heard someone say something nice about you?  This kind of stuff makes you feel good about being you, right?  I mean, feeling good, well…feels good.  Now, on the opposite side of the coin, what happens when you…

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MIDDLE SCHOOL TRAGEDY: Reading Sucks, Man

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MIDDLE SCHOOL TRAGEDY: Reading Sucks, Man

Reading sucksReading Sucks is the reply this children’s book author heard when handing out free bookmarks at the Abbot Kinney Street Festival this past weekend.  Sadly, it was delivered by a tweenage boy, who’s father simply shrugged to the behavior.  As a children’s book author, my heart nearly broke when I heard a kid say, ‘reading sucks.’  I mean, how did we fail with this kid?  Where did our system of education go wrong?  Sure, not only was this a tragic statement to hear from a child, but to witness the father’s blasé attitude only confirmed our theory on why the statement was heard: don’t blame the child, blame the lazy parent!

Here is the article I wrote that appeared in the Santa Monica Daily Press:

“Grilling hot dogs, homemade ice cream sandwiches and the snap-crackling sounds of barbecuing corn on the cob.  The organizers of the 2010 Abbott Kinney Festival were ignited this past weekend as the mercury rose enough to finally deliver Santa Monica its first summer day of 2010. Little did I know, however, that a snarky comment from a twelve year-old kid could bring…CLICK HERE to read the entire article in the SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS!

WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

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do_your_bestWRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

One of the biggest secrets to writing children’s books is to watch your own thoughts.   Be careful not to judge your abilities, just trust in the process and keep moving the story forward.  Remember, if a chapter or page doesn’t propel your story, then CUT IT.  Be bold.  Be ruthless with your story.  If you don’t, who will?  Certainly not your readers because they will lose interest.

The process of creating my Middle Grade Fiction novel, Saltwater Taffy has been a wild ride.  By saying it’s been a wild ride, I mean my thoughts were all over the place…thoughts of JUDGEMENT, right there alongside…. Read more