Can't Sleep

Ever get so excited with a new story idea that you can't sleep? Sometimes I get up and write at three in the morning.  The story will nip and yelp and whimper, like my Australian Shepard on Fourth of July, until I am forced by unwritten words to stumble to my desk and let it be told.  The story then becomes its own creature, needing to be written to fully exist. And I am obliged, as Doctor Frankenstein, to bring it to life.

But why at three in the morning?! Does the story have so little respect for the teller that it does not care about the tiredness that I will face for the rest of the day? For my children, who will have to deal with a grouchy mother?  Where is the exchange of love?

Well, the love comes later. It comes later when I discover that, perhaps, the story has enough merit to have been worth a day of sluggishness.  But be warned, next story that wakes me in the middle of the night: you had better be damned good!  Because I love to sleep for an entire night, and I will lash out at a dull stupid tale that dares to wake me just as a prank

Heather Leigh

The First Time

I was an expert at writing stories until I started writing them.  It seems so easy: beginning, middle and ending.  Character and/or situation changes by the end. The beginning points to the end. Practice daily. Write what you know.  Just write. What could be easier with the rules all lined up before me? It should be like taking a first grade math test to get into Harvard.

But then, on the first try, I had to figure out if I wanted a first person or narrator telling the story. And how to begin? Jump into the action or set up the scene with grounding and descriptions.  What was the problem going to be? How would it be fixed? How do I keep a reader wanting to read more?

Wow, there was more to this than I thought. A lot more. In fact, this might actually take work and dedication and learning. Geesh Louise, no body told me there was work involved in writing children's books! Who knew?

And here is the truly crazy part. Seems that the more I write my own stories, analyze others, and get critiques, the more I discover that there is a deep ocean of stuff that I don't know about writing.

Okay, no this is even more crazy. After all of this knowledge that I've discovered I don't possess, I still love to write. Wow, guess I really am insane.

Heather Leigh

Personality

How do I show a character's personality?

The side characters, the one's who are different or odd, seem relatively easy. They follow the role they have taken on--they follow their own way of seeing things, talking, standing, smelling and voting.  If they are funny, they pretty much stay funny. If it is a crazy witch with a heavy cackle and warted nose, her personality is already defined--I just have to write down what she's up to when she makes an appearance.

But the main hero? For the most part, his personality is generally more subtle, like ripples rather than waves.  I don't want to just tell a reader what the hero is like, what is going on in side, I want to let it flow out like a trickle that becomes a stream that becomes a river and eventually flows into an ocean of deep personality.

And he is supposed to evolve at the same time.

How do I do this?

Working on a Young Adult Novel

Working on a young adult novel is so different from picture books. In a picture book, describing the scene is only done to direct the picture; descriptions are kept to a minimal. But in a book with no pictures, words have to take on the visual aspect.

I've been enjoying, and challenged, using words to bring the reader into the world of the book characters.  What things do we notice when we walk into a new room?  What are commonalities that I can share with a reader to make him/her feel connected to the scene? How do I describe objects and situations that, so far, only I know about?  How much should I give away about the scene with out taking away from the flow of the story?...but also allows the reader to feel 'grounded' and secure.

Writing picture books and then books with out pictures is like Mars and Venus: both are planets yet we would need completely different outfits to hang out in either one.  Good thing I enjoy variety!

Heather Leigh

Eureka Books, Art Night Signing

Saturday night I was honored to share a table with  the Eureka children's librarian, Joanne.  They were raising money for their yearly October event promoting children's authors. In addition, Eureka books was celebrating 25 years of selling literature for the community. Be sure to stop in there as they are offering 25 percent off their books for the rest of the month.  Plus, the building is just so beautiful, you have to see it. I intend to be dropping some birthday money there for JK Rowlings' and Anne Lamont's newest books.

The evening was a huge success, thanks in large part to an article run by the local paper, Times Standard.  I believe Scott, co-owner of Eureka books, had assembled it.  About eighty percent of the people coming in to talk with me had come in as a result of that article.  Pays to know people who are more organized and efficient than I am!

Outside the store is a quintessential town plaza, complete with a gazebo for summer bands and areas for children to romp. We could view the man blowing, juggling and swallowing fire. Always fascinating to watch OTHER people doing that sort of stuff.

My eldest son went with me but soon melted off into the crowd to join friends. Guess there was a giant fire shooting metal octopus brought from Burning Man on display that they went to see. Must have been a fire fun night for Humboldt.

This signing seems to be wrapping up the season of book touring on Hey Little Baby. It was a perfect way to end end it as the first signing  I did was at Northtown Books in Arcata, another popular bookstore in Humboldt county.  Soon I am expecting to be promoting the companion book to Hey Little Baby--Toddler Season.  It's been a fun ride.

Heather Leigh

Sacramento Children's Book Festival

Lively, efficient and fun is how the event put on by the California Scholar Share program went down.  The children enjoyed themselves and were encouraged to read. Parents of little ones learned about getting set up for the inevitable--that babies eventually turn in to teens who will (hopefully!) go off to college.

Fairy Tale Town, located in the meandering green gracious land of William Land Park, was the perfect place to hold the event. It is already set up with playgrounds, a petting zoo, and Old Mother Hubbard's Shoe.  What a great way to correlate having fun and being happy with reading stories.

Francie, the emcee for the book readers, was contagiously cheerful.  Wearing a mike that could be heard through out Fairy Tale Town, she drew in a constant audience for the storytellers.  The children and parents could relax on the grass clearing in front of the stage and be entertained to the magic of books.

In honor of Halloween, I passed out vampire teeth for children to discover their mouths, rubber witch claws for hands, pumpkin whistles for voices, a fake foot, and dog, bunny and Groucho Marx noses for smelling.   Sharing the Royal Reading Throne with me was a lovely young lady holding the baby doll and a two year old who just wanted to sit next to me.  At every 'Hey Little Baby' line, we all waved to the baby.  Let me tell you--we had a blast!

After the rewarding reading, I met with people, signed books, and enjoyed the sunshine at a temperature we don't often feel in Humboldt County.  The authors I was lucky enough to chat with were Bob Barner and Sandy Lynne Holman. I was thoroughly impressed with how Bob Barner creates non-fiction works in to engaging literature for children.  On each page, a large kid-friendly font with an easy to read sentence tells about the subject and a smaller font paragraph gives the factual knowledge. Also, he uses mixed media to illustrate his own books.  Sandy Lynne Holman was vibrant and charismatic. I'm not sure who had more fun, her or the audience, when she told her story with laughter, marching, dancing and song.  The kids were thrilled. She even had purple wings!

Time Tested Books was there to sell the books that we authors were reading and signing.  Peter, the owner, had an obvious love of books and a kind, warm presence that I'm sure attracted children. Thank you to him and his employees for providing the books that day for us to sign.

It was another fun, wonderful day signing books and chatting with book loving people and children.  I look forward to going again next year and hope that I will be there promoting a second book!

Family Day In The Park

The children's literacy event in Stockton was a huge success; more than 20,000 people attended.  Kids were given free books, having their faces painted, climbing through a Boy Scout obstacle course, entertained by clowns and storytellers, and doing a variety of crafts.  It was a well-planned, enjoyable way to promote reading and made for a fun family day.

I was very lucky to be interviewed by the local newspaper, The Stockton Net.  Log on to see what was going on that day at:
http://www.recordnet.com

At the Author's table, I met Danna Smith, author of Two at the Zoo, and had a wonderful chat with her about one of my favorite subjects--writing and getting published.  She was a joy to hang out with. Also signing books was a delightful husband and wife team, author and illustrator of stories about Mister Lemur.  Here we all are, relishing the ninety plus degree weather and the happy children.  We were all able to share our stories at King Author's Story Court.

It was a fun, hot, great day. I look forward to being there next year!