Research Stresses

Now that I am inspired by the toddler muse I saw walking at the mall, I've had been doing my research for Toddler Season.  It is intense, timely and demands concentration and tremendous effort.

Yesterday, at the home of a member of my critique group, we got on the floor and went through the processes that lead to a child first walking.  We rolled from our bellies, kicked our legs, rocked our bodies while on hands and knees, pulled ourselves up on the coffee table, grabbed for everything we could reach, and then, finally, ventured out into walking for the first time.

And then, after dinner, my family and I watched you tube videos of babies learning to sit-up and stay up!  It's a big deal--all that balancing.  And a bit of a shock to suddenly see the world, on your own, from higher than when then lay on the ground level.

Those babies sure are cute.

So it's been rough, all this baby movement study.  But it will all be worth it when Toddler Season comes out and parents can share the joy of the achievements their child is going through.

Heather Leigh

P.S.  Don't let anyone else know that writing for children is actually really fun.  Then everyone will want to do it!

Goddess of Toddler Season

The companion book to 'Hey Little Baby' has been revised, rewritten, edited, reformatted, and worked at diligently for over two years. Each time I get what I think is a great sequel, turns out it is not.  How can writing less then 200 words be so challenging? Shouldn't it just be a game of playing with words?

What I want to know is this: where are the angels, whispering in my ear the exact words to make the story perfect? Why has The Universe not 'downloaded' the information into my brain?  Why has the million dollar idea of what to write not come to me in a dream, or while sipping tea, or playing at the beach?  Is there a goddess I could sacrifice to in exchange for the exact words that will make a NY Times best seller?  I'm willing to sacrifice a tofu meatloaf.

Last week, I was inspired with the feeling of what the book should consist of. Watching a toddler run down the mall, I thought about her new ability to move where she wanted to move--not where the stroller took her.  Awe, that bliss of freedom, of movement.  The unlimited choices of where to go, what to do, what to see.  What a joyful thing to be able to make your own choices.

Oh, guess what?  Some ideas came forth. Ideas that I've now written down and am playing with to form the words that will make the NY Times best selling children's picture book.

Which goddess should I thank?

Heather Leigh

Peace

When tragedies happen, especially ones as severe as the one in Newtown, Connecticut, I am put into an introspection of my complaints.  Everything that I am challenged by is minute when compared to what those affected by the ordeal went through and will continue to go through.  I think about the parents of those children who survived. Will they ever feel the same safety in letting their child out of their sight for a moment?  Will the child survivors always hold a dollop of fear that just can't quite be removed--that can show up whenever a loud noise surprises them? What about those that knew the killer? Will they always be wondering if there was something they could have said or done?

There is much talk now about gun control, and better and easier access to mental therapy for those who need it.  I don't know if either of those things would have prevented what happened or not.

The things that I know are that I love my family, and wish every person in the world felt such love within themselves that violence would be unimaginable.

Peace.

Kindergarten and Letting Go

Just dropped off the manuscript of my first ever, fully complete, Young Adult novel.  Filled with teens with telepathy, telekinesis, and extraordinary bravery. And, of course, a dash of romance. It was fun, demanding and emotional to write.

Now it's on to the next phase, that of being critiqued by my previous Creative Writing teacher, Dave Holper. It had been through the wringer with two critique groups and revised a million and a half times in the past year, so hearing what he has to say will be refreshing and scary.  Feels, almost, like the first day of kindergarten when my son left me alone for a whole seven hours.

That was an poignant day. The Kindergarten teacher gave us parents a baggie of kleenex for crying, chamomile tea for soothing, and a cotton ball to remember how soft and precious our little ones are--as if we needed reminding.  Then my son asked me if I was still there and left to play with new friends. Yes, that's about how it feels to leave behind the 185 page 'word baby' with Dave.

Soon I will make the revisions that Dave recommends and be ready for the next phase of letting go--publication.  They grow up so fast.

Guess I better go fix myself some chamomile tea.

Heather Leigh

Creating The Children's Story Place Blog

My aunt, Judy Ziegler, and I share a blog that posts free stories for children. She is a professional illustrator who has published children's books, designed nurse scrubs, and has her own line of doggie greeting cards (that's just the tip of the ice berg on the variety of work she's done!). I am blessed to be able to create stories with her, especially because one, she rocks and two, our styles compliment each others.

We started the blog as a fun creative outlet for us to do together, and as a way to provide entertainment for children.  Also, it gives readers the opportunity to know about our work.  Recently, we decided to turn the free on-line stories into self-published, paperback books.  Another exciting way for us to work together.

The self-publishing will be done through lulu.com.  They don't charge for the process, just take a percentage of each one sold. The books will even be sold on Amazon with a USBN.

Judy came up with the idea over a year ago. Slowly but surely, we've been writing and illustrating the stories in our spare time. Now we have twenty-four great and often silly stories for kids.  We just posted one about a bear who longs to fly and how he goes about getting what he wants. It's up there with the silly stuff.

I love that Judy and I have been able to do this together. And I'm lucky to have such a talented relative to work with!

Heather Leigh

Last Chapter

Today is the day. Today is the day that I will be putting the finishing touches on the last chapter of my first Young Adult Novel.  Since January, I have been discovering new characters: how they respond to situations, their personalities, what happens to them and how new friendships and love feels.  I've cried with them over deaths, laughed at silly jokes, and been swept away by what they've gotten themselves into.  It's going to be hard to let go.

Of course, I won't truly ever let go. Oh sure, I'll set the book aside as it is being critiqued by my friend and ex-Creative Writing teacher.  After his tough, enlightening comments, the characters and I will share some revision time together.  And then more revision episodes as it goes on to my agent and eventually (I hope!) to an editor.

But the intimacy will never be the same.  Soon others will be entering our land, our story. It will no longer be just me and the characters that I created--a clause here: I have two fabulous incredible critique groups who have also helped to mold this story.

So, please, Spirit Guardian of Writers, let this book be highly successful so that I can begin a part two of Emily Capot: Reader, Resister and Friend.

I'm off to write.

Heather Leigh

Revisions never end

People have asked me when I know a story is done. There are really two questions here. One is, when am I done with a story. Two, when is the story done.

I am done with a story when it has sucked out the marrow from my bone, when my children think that I am part of the computer, when the dog has gained 10 pounds because I can't find the time to walk her, bills are late because I was too busy writing to send in the envelope, my house and dust bunnies are one, and when the thought of writing more of it puts me in a zombie frame of mind.  That is when I know that it is time to take a break from the story.  A break. This means handing it over to someone whom I trust to edit/critique it for me.

And then, about a month later, I feel the story pulling at my brain. Telling me where I screwed up and how to fix my messes.

When the story is done is when it is published and I can't change it even if I don't like something in it.

So, like being a mother, a story is never really done.