Addicted to Children’s Literature

By Tiem Wilson

Okay, a show of hands…how many adults enjoy reading children’s literature? I’m talking not just Harry Potter or the Twilight series, but all genres of children’s literature. During a recent conversation with a coworker, she made an interesting comment. “I’m an adult, so I read adult books.” Well, that got me thinking about others like me.

First, I’ll throw out a couple of disclaimers. As a children’s author, I do read a lot of the literature for research purposes. I also read to keep abreast of what type of things my children are reading. Just like with TV, music, and video games, I need to be aware of what’s happening in their world. However, I find myself enjoying the stories more than the children.

I’ll also admit I am able to read more than the kids (my son, specifically) because they have schoolwork, homework, projects, etc. to occupy their time. However, I believe I enjoyed the 39 Clues series way more than the kids. I was also able to introduce new series my son would enjoy because I have read them myself. The added benefits are great family discussions and the stronger bond I build by understanding how they see the world during these stages of life.

I still read “adult books.”

Children’s literature is similar to looking through an old photo album at Grandma’s house. It can bring back nostalgic feelings.

Now, I know I am not alone. Whatever the reason, surely there are others who enjoy reading children’s literature just as much I do. You don’t even have to be a parent or librarian. The Napping House and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane were favorites of mine long before the kids came. So, who’s with me? Raise your hand if you are addicted to children’s literature.

O.U.R. B.L.O.G. R.O.C.K.S.

By Tiem Wilson

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Read thru the entries and be amused
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Writer's Paradise

By Tiem Wilson

The school year is coming to an end. The kids are going to Grandma’s for the ENTIRE summer vacation. What shall I do with myself? WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!!

There will be no kids to yank out of bed and hustle to the bathroom. Instead, I can sit at the table to sip coffee from my SC Writers’ Workshop mug. The travel mug can stay in the cupboard. No dog in need of a morning walk. I can sit with the laptop out on the patio. No inhaling breakfast while packing lunches. I can digest the motives for the antagonist’s behavior. No racing traffic to beat the tardy bell. I can cruise through the history of why my character resents her mother. No homework to check. I can study the landscape of the hilltop my character sits upon when trying to unwind.

I am so excited to get started, I can hardly wait. I will begin the very first week the kids are gone. Well, first I need to use this opportunity to clean the bedrooms, professionally clean the carpets and maybe touch up the walls with fresh paint. I’ll get that out of the way first. Then I can focus solely on my writing.

Now that I’m thinking of it, I might as well put down the new tiles in the kitchen. With no distractions, it should only take a couple of days. New plan: clean the kids’ rooms, paint, lay new tiles… all done in one week. That’s still nine weeks left dedicated all to writing.

Come to think of it, I did promise myself to finish that scrapbook. No problem. I can finish the scrapbook in a week and still have eight weeks left. This is going to be the best summer ever. I will get so much done… housework, scrapbooking, and most important, writing.

I now have my routine planned out completely. One week will be spring cleaning and redecorating. Another week is dedicated to serious scrapbook time. One week will be late hours at work to finish up some of those projects early and free up some writing time for later. Another week is for family vacation. Don’t worry… I’m taking the laptop. (smiles) That’s still six good weeks of writing. Not bad, right?

I have it all laid out now. The daily routine will be to start with a cup of Joe, using the time to get the creative juices flowing and thoughts percolating. I’ll get in about 45 minutes of computer time before heading to work.

In the evenings, I’ll start with an awesome calorie-burning workout. Next, I’ll add in a little bike riding or a run. Then I'll have a nice relaxing bath and put in a call to the kids. After eating a healthy, balanced meal, washing the few dishes, ironing the work clothes for the next day, I’ll sit down at the computer with a glass of wine. The perfect writing regime!!

Summer is almost here. The kids are going away for the summer. What shall I do with myself? Procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastinate…

Is It an Autobiography?

By Tiem Wilson

Have you ever read a novel and asked yourself: is this a real-life experience for the author? When you read about certain tragedies in a story do you find yourself wondering how much of it is a first-hand account? In your own writing, how much of yourself can you see reflected in the characters?

In a recent conversation with my nephew, this question was asked in reference to Blair Underwood, actor-turned-author. Underwood currently has two published novels featuring the character Tennyson Hardwick. Hardwick is a struggling actor. Thus, we pondered how much of Hardwick’s life is mirrored from Underwood’s own close encounters?

The same question was posed to Eric Jerome Dickey when he penned Between Lovers. It is a heart-felt story of a now bestselling author confronting the woman who left him at the altar early on in his career. The experience is so compelling you truly feel it is Dickey’s own broken heart bleeding on those pages. Based on the love scenes in all of his novels, my girlfriends and I have had many wine-induced conversations about the kind of lover Dickey must be in real life. We wondered when would he have time to write?

More recently, this question was answered by author Alice Sebold. I just finished listening to a production of The Lovely Bones on audiobook. In the author interview, Sebold revealed there is a common thread shared between herself and the main character, Susie. Sebold professed she was a rape victim at age 18. Although she obviously lived through her ordeal, she admited that a lot of herself came out as Susie’s character began to take form.

I have tried to pen an experience for a novel. I never get too far as I realize my life, at times, is quite boring. Therefore, I stick to characters that have exciting experiences I only dream of. It has been said that everyone has a story to tell. The quest then becomes turning that story into a never ending journey to pass down through the generations.

HAVE YOU HUGGED A LIBRARIAN TODAY?

BY TIEM WILSON

Well, okay, you probably shouldn’t walk up to just anyone and hug him or her. You might get punched in the face. You can, however, offer a warm handshake, a big smile, and a sincere "thank you." However you choose to do so, you should commend a librarian for his or her assistance. Consider the following story:

* * *

Sally walks into the library full of confidence. She has just finished reading The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. She enjoyed the story so much that she wants to find a similar book to read. “Welcome to the Children’s Library,” says the librarian. “May I be of assistance?”

“No, thank you,” Sally replies. “I just need to use the computer.” Sally considers herself to be pretty computer savvy. She will simply pull up DiCamillo’s book and search for similar listings. It seems easy enough.

Moments later, Sally walks away from the computer distraught. She drifts toward the assistance desk.

“Do you need help finding something?” asks the same librarian. The calm tone of her voice soothes Sally.

“I read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and want to find a similar novel, one with more about the personification of the toy.”

“Have you read The Velveteen Rabbit?” The librarian produces the call number with a few quick taps on the keyboard. “Toys Go Out is another good one.” More clicks produce another call number.

The librarian’s knowledge amazes Sally. Her agonizing search on the computer produced neither of these books. When another librarian retrieves the books, Sally skims the jacket of Toys Go Out and finds it is just what she’s looking for. It would have taken hours of searching the database to find this book. It would have required her to open the summary of each of the 100+ books on her search list of similar subjects.

Having regained her composure from the agitation of her own computer search, Sally decides to test the glorious cataloged mind of the librarian. “My son reads only Captain Underpants or Magic Treehouse novels. He is also into everything science. Can you recommend other books he might enjoy?”

“How about Frannie K. Stein?” offers the omniscient librarian.

Sally would never be able to obtain this kind of information from a computer search. The librarian possesses extensive knowledge about the many books shelved in the library. It is part of the job, right? However, who would expect someone to be able to cite the perfect book at a moment’s notice and off the top of her head? Sally realizes the invaluable service of the librarian and is grateful. She wants to hug the librarian. Instead, she checks out her books and walks out of the library full of gratitude and awe.

* * *

The library is a wonderful place to gain knowledge on a variety of subjects and at relatively low cost. The staff works hard to make the experience as convenient and painless as possible. It is a public service usually offered with a big smile and an eagerness to help. So, the next time you check out the latest book or DVD at your public library, stop to hug a librarian (or at least give a heart-felt “Thank You”).

THE LATEST ADDITION

Meet A New Writer

TIEM WILSON


I'm Tiem (pronounced “T.M.”). I am a Children's/Young Adult author, specializing in picture books and middle grade novels. In my other life, I am a lab rat. While I have always enjoyed my career in the field of biology, writing has been a long slumbering passion just waiting to be awakened. Now, my life is like a sponge, soaking up all the sights, sounds, & smells and digging for exciting plots. To add to the excitement, I also host a youth book club. The group offers very fascinating and insighful discussions. Our first book was Heaven by Angela Johnson.

But my life doesn't stop there. As a single mom of two (one boy, one girl - a complete set) I also wear the hat of storyteller. Every Friday I spend the morning reading books with my daughter's class. Their absolute favorite: Precious and the Boo Hag by Patricia McKissack & Onawumi Jean Moss.

And even after all that…I still try to find any unused time to complete at least one page of scrapbooking. Finally finished the “ABC's of a Grandma” scrapbook in under three years. Hooray!!!

LivLuvLaf & Write

P.S. check out my website: http://www.tiemwilson.com/

How Do You Find the Time to Write?

By Tiem Wilson

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Writers write.” Or, you’ve heard the advice that you should write everyday. Well, how do you find time to do that? Take a schoolteacher, for example. After teaching three or four classes a day and then grading homework, exams, etc., where is the time to flesh out the next chapter of your thriller? Suppose you live in a large city with a sixty-minute commute to work. You are fighting traffic to and fro (struggling with road rage), finally get home and the kids are screaming for attention. After helping the kids with their homework and spending quality time with the spouse, how much character development can you get through before falling asleep atop the keyboard?

I have tried several time management tips to become more organized. At first, I set aside time in the mornings. I attempted to awake before the rest of the house to give myself some quiet, uninterrupted time at the computer. The problem with this was, I’m not a morning person. Getting out of bed that early consumed the energy I needed to focus on my writing. So, I switched to writing at night.

I waited until the kids were in bed and the house was quiet again. You can already tell how that worked out, right? After homework, after-school activities, cooking dinner, and preparing for the next workday, I was too exhausted to concentrate.

I tried writing while traveling on a couple of family vacations this summer. I figured a six-hour drive to Disney World would yield some great make-up time. Unfortunately, I suffered from motion sickness. Needless to say, a long ride in the backseat was not pleasant for me. It definitely was not the creative juices that were flowing!

My next attempt was writing during my lunch hour. This worked a little better because I was able to focus enough to flesh out maybe a page or two, at the most. A downside was the limited time frame itself. Just when I was on a roll and my fingers were flying across the keyboard, “the bell rings.” Creativity is interrupted, and it's not always easy to pick up again the next day.

So, how do I find the time to write? I use a combination of timesaving techniques. During the commute between dropping the kids off to school and pulling into a parking space at work, I sometimes record my thoughts with a mini recorder. I listen to it during a break to keep the idea fresh in my head for when I sit down during lunch. I also keep a small notebook with me at all times. I use it to jot down any brainstorming ideas as I’m waiting for the kids during their extra-curricular activities. Before, I would use the children’s reading time to fold laundry. Now, I use it to sneak in some writing. Yes, the clothes are piling higher. But, I feel better sacrificing the chores at night for a little extra writing time. Any slice of time is gobbled up in the name of fiction.