Writing A Great Book For Children: A Little Imagination Goes A Long Way

Have you ever considered filling you time by writing? There may never be a better time.

I don’t need to tell you about the phenomenal success of J.K. Rowling (Joanne Murray) and her Harry Potter books. She ranks as the 12th person richest in Great Britain with her 400 million copies in print.

What an imagination! And there seemed to be no end to it.But is Ms. Rowling more imaginative than the rest of us? Probably not.

As children we possess an innate, vivid imagination. We had imaginary friends, we day-dreamed of imaginary places, we created our own secret worlds. But then we grew up and reality set in–the reality of school and careers; husbands or wives; children and eventually grandchildren.

So where did our dreams disappear to? Did they simply fade into oblivion? No … dear friend–I don’t believe they are gone at all. Our dreams live on in the electrical impulses of our inner brain–like electrons stored in a capacitor, waiting for a connection to allow their current to flow once again.

We don’t mean for it to happen–it just does over time. Our thoughts are redirected to everyday life: The mortgage is due, the automobile needs new tires, the furnace is worn out, the roof leaks and little Sandy needs braces. At the end of our day our minds are like a thick, overcooked vegetable soup–everything in it tastes the same!

What is your passion in life? I mean if you could change your situation, your lifestyle, the way you fill your days–what would you do? Are there moments during your day when you just want to plop down in a chair, take a long, deep breath and let out a sigh? Well take comfort then, because you are not alone.

In addition to my belief that imagination just doesn’t shrivel up and die, I also believe that every human being–with at least average intelligence–has a creative streak mixed in with those neurons drifiting aound inside our head.

Think about it! Creativity is given to each of us at birth, It’s the fuel that helps us to learn how to eat with a spoon and then a fork. Creativity helps us to tie our own shoes and to find our way to the playground.

Creativity strengthens our adulthood in more ways than I can list. So why don’t we use it? Some of us do. How are you putting your creativity to some good purpose? Without some sort of creative outlet, we become stale, bored, boring, uninterested and uninteresting. Do you paint with water colors or oils; do you knit or crochet; do you create beautiful flower arrangements from the garden you tend. Do you just vegetate?

Writing has long been my passion. But for most of my adult life I shoved this desire aside:Too busy with work, with family, with home projects, civic clubs, volunteer work–you name it. I had one excuse following another for not to unfetter my passion.

Back in 1986 I had a flash of imagination–a storyline crept into my consciousness. The idea of a spy thriller took shape and I began to scribble words onto the pages of a spiral notebook.

The following year I bought my first computer and pecked out several chapters. But I lost interest and only returned every so often to those fading pages. It took a divorce and a second marriage to revitalize my writing. With the help of a very patient wife I added more and more content to my novel. For nearly two years we tried to find a publisher. That failing we tried to interest literary agents. And finally we just gave up.

But in 2007 I stumbled across a book publisher–not a very well known one–but a real publisher none the less. My novel, “Surrogate Warrior,” is now available from most major booksellers.

My point here is that creativity needs to be exposed to the fresh air. Do you have a story, maybe even a novel, drifting around you gray matter? Or is the thought of writing a book too intimidating?

I wanted desperately to find a publisher. That quest clouded my judgement. My advice to you is to write for your own satisfaction. Write a story for you kids. Write a story for your family. To hell with the publishers–just get it written.

Ever heard of Robyn Opie. Robn is a bestselling author of 76 children’s books with six more due to be published this year. She has written two screenplays and is negotiating with two Australian producers for movie rights. What you may not know is that Robyn has written a comprehensive How-To-Guide for new authors. Her book, “How To Write a Great Children’s Book” is available for immediate download.


Learn how to illustrate for achildren’s book in this free how-to video on writing and publishing children’s literature. Expert: Angela Sage Larson Contact: www.petalwinkthefairy.com Bio: Angela Sage Larsen is a professional artist and published children’s book author. Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

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