I'd be interested in other writer's (professional or amateur) thoughts on their particular writing process for children's stories. To my mind, writing for kids requires a far different imaginative process in order to capture the interest of a child, although I don't feel the writing should be over simplified for fear that the child is not going to understand.
I am not a professional writer, having self-published my books.
I have made the text of three of the books available free on the Internet. I'll provide the URL details and titles below, as well as a brief excerpt of my new book, The Magic Sneakers:
http://manybooks.net/titles/dulabonec1012710127-8.html (Abducted to Oz)
http://manybooks.net/titles/evansbother06dorom10.html (Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz) {Very Metaphysical}
http://manybooks.net/titles/evansb10411041910419-8.html (The Forest Monster of Oz)
(Abducted to Oz, and The Forest Monster of Oz were co-written with Chris Dulabone.)
This is the beginning of my new book The Magic Sneakers (Now available on Amazon.com, B&N, etc. or direct from the POD publisher: http://www.lulu.com/content/654654
Chapter 1: An Unusual Purchase
It was Saturday afternoon. Jimmy Burton needed a new pair of sneakers. The local sporting goods store had advertised a big sale that day, but by the time he and his mother got to the store the tennis shoe section was in disarray, with sneakers and boxes scattered everywhere. The manager was in the process of getting things back in order as Jimmy and his mother walked in. “You are welcome to try to find the size and style you want,” said the store manager, “but there is very little left to choose from until we get a new shipment in.” Jimmy picked up a shoe he liked but he couldn't find the matching shoe. He found another pair his size, but didn’t care for the style. Then he spotted a sneaker under a seat that for a second seemed to him almost luminescent, but under the neon lights it was quite ordinary – even a little scuffed with a couple of dirty marks on it. Just for fun he tried it on and it fit snugly. In fact it was very comfortable; it seemed to make his foot tingle, and in fact felt quite pleasurable. He searched frantically for the matching shoe and finally found it inside a shoe box with an unmatched shoe. When he put it on and walked around he felt he was walking on air. “I really want these,” he said to his mother who had another pair in her hands for him to try on. His mother looked disapprovingly at his feet, “They don’t look new to me,” she said, “I think someone must have left his old shoes when he bought a new pair,” “Oh, Mom, I really, really want these. Please!” Just then, the manager came over. “Well, how are we doing?” he said, “No luck?” thinking Jimmy still had his old shoes on. “No, I found a pair I like,” replied Jimmy. “Oh,” answered the manager, looking puzzled. “Where are they?” “I’m wearing them,” said Jimmy. “I don’t mind them being a little messy.” The manager frowned. “Well, I’m afraid those are not new, may I look at one?” Jimmy took the left shoe off and handed it to the manager. “These are not even our shoes,” the manager said, “The label says Made in Tibet. We don’t carry shoes made in Tibet. In fact I’ve never seen any shoes made in Tibet. I think Tibet is part of China now.” “Well, apparently my son really wants them,” said Jimmy’s mother. The manager shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned you can have them. A customer must have left them to be thrown away.” So Jimmy kept the shoes on, and he and his mother went home. When Jimmy and his mom got back to the house the boy ran upstairs to his room and stood in front of a full length mirror. In the dimmed light of early evening the shoes seemed to glow. Jimmy suddenly felt lighter than air. A feeling of intense elation overtook him. Every molecule of his body seemed to tingle. As he stood there he felt that if he wanted to he could float up in the air, and as the thought occurred to him that is exactly what happened. He slowly rose up and hovered about two feet above the carpet. It was a very strange sensation indeed. Then he got scared as the full impact of what happened hit him and he immediately sank down to floor level again. “Wow!” he said out loud. Jimmy then sat down on the edge of his bed. I must be having a dream, he thought. He stood up and imagined himself floating up in the air again. Sure enough the exact same thing happened. “Wow!” he said again. “This is cool.” He looked down at his sneakers. That slight glow was there again. He took them off and tried to concentrate on floating up, but of course nothing happened. When he put them on again he knew right away he had the power. He didn’t have to prove it again. Jimmy thought about telling his parents, or rather, showing them his newly acquired strange ability, but he was afraid they would get scared. Besides, he felt he really needed to think this whole thing through. If the word got out that a boy could float in the air, crowds of people not to mention the press would be trying to get to see him.
Again, I'd like to hear from other writers, and all are welcome to mention their own story titles/ordering information, etc.
I am not a professional writer, having self-published my books.
I have made the text of three of the books available free on the Internet. I'll provide the URL details and titles below, as well as a brief excerpt of my new book, The Magic Sneakers:
http://manybooks.net/titles/dulabonec1012710127-8.html (Abducted to Oz)
http://manybooks.net/titles/evansbother06dorom10.html (Dorothy's Mystical Adventures in Oz) {Very Metaphysical}
http://manybooks.net/titles/evansb10411041910419-8.html (The Forest Monster of Oz)
(Abducted to Oz, and The Forest Monster of Oz were co-written with Chris Dulabone.)
This is the beginning of my new book The Magic Sneakers (Now available on Amazon.com, B&N, etc. or direct from the POD publisher: http://www.lulu.com/content/654654
Chapter 1: An Unusual Purchase
It was Saturday afternoon. Jimmy Burton needed a new pair of sneakers. The local sporting goods store had advertised a big sale that day, but by the time he and his mother got to the store the tennis shoe section was in disarray, with sneakers and boxes scattered everywhere. The manager was in the process of getting things back in order as Jimmy and his mother walked in. “You are welcome to try to find the size and style you want,” said the store manager, “but there is very little left to choose from until we get a new shipment in.” Jimmy picked up a shoe he liked but he couldn't find the matching shoe. He found another pair his size, but didn’t care for the style. Then he spotted a sneaker under a seat that for a second seemed to him almost luminescent, but under the neon lights it was quite ordinary – even a little scuffed with a couple of dirty marks on it. Just for fun he tried it on and it fit snugly. In fact it was very comfortable; it seemed to make his foot tingle, and in fact felt quite pleasurable. He searched frantically for the matching shoe and finally found it inside a shoe box with an unmatched shoe. When he put it on and walked around he felt he was walking on air. “I really want these,” he said to his mother who had another pair in her hands for him to try on. His mother looked disapprovingly at his feet, “They don’t look new to me,” she said, “I think someone must have left his old shoes when he bought a new pair,” “Oh, Mom, I really, really want these. Please!” Just then, the manager came over. “Well, how are we doing?” he said, “No luck?” thinking Jimmy still had his old shoes on. “No, I found a pair I like,” replied Jimmy. “Oh,” answered the manager, looking puzzled. “Where are they?” “I’m wearing them,” said Jimmy. “I don’t mind them being a little messy.” The manager frowned. “Well, I’m afraid those are not new, may I look at one?” Jimmy took the left shoe off and handed it to the manager. “These are not even our shoes,” the manager said, “The label says Made in Tibet. We don’t carry shoes made in Tibet. In fact I’ve never seen any shoes made in Tibet. I think Tibet is part of China now.” “Well, apparently my son really wants them,” said Jimmy’s mother. The manager shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned you can have them. A customer must have left them to be thrown away.” So Jimmy kept the shoes on, and he and his mother went home. When Jimmy and his mom got back to the house the boy ran upstairs to his room and stood in front of a full length mirror. In the dimmed light of early evening the shoes seemed to glow. Jimmy suddenly felt lighter than air. A feeling of intense elation overtook him. Every molecule of his body seemed to tingle. As he stood there he felt that if he wanted to he could float up in the air, and as the thought occurred to him that is exactly what happened. He slowly rose up and hovered about two feet above the carpet. It was a very strange sensation indeed. Then he got scared as the full impact of what happened hit him and he immediately sank down to floor level again. “Wow!” he said out loud. Jimmy then sat down on the edge of his bed. I must be having a dream, he thought. He stood up and imagined himself floating up in the air again. Sure enough the exact same thing happened. “Wow!” he said again. “This is cool.” He looked down at his sneakers. That slight glow was there again. He took them off and tried to concentrate on floating up, but of course nothing happened. When he put them on again he knew right away he had the power. He didn’t have to prove it again. Jimmy thought about telling his parents, or rather, showing them his newly acquired strange ability, but he was afraid they would get scared. Besides, he felt he really needed to think this whole thing through. If the word got out that a boy could float in the air, crowds of people not to mention the press would be trying to get to see him.
Again, I'd like to hear from other writers, and all are welcome to mention their own story titles/ordering information, etc.
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