Weekend Writing Warriors : September 14

Weekend Writing Warriors

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After last weeks post, I figured I'd jump ahead to this snippet from chapter two where Ben is curious as to why some stranger would call him "Benito." And yes, you missed it, but the weird dude and friend chased Ben.

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       I debated about how much to tell my worry wart mom who'd freak if she knew about the guys who chased me, yet curiosity and fear bugged the shit out of me. I took two steps away from her and then spun around to head back. “Is my real name Ben, or is it short for something else?”

       “Why you ask?”

       “Someone called me, Benito.”

       The color drained from Mom's face as her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her shaking fingers. Our conversation was cut short when the doorbell chimed and was followed by a loud pounding sound. I stared at the door without moving.

      

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#GBE2: Do Over of "Why I Read Kid's Books"

Back when I first started blogging, I had no followers and 108 hits for the entire month of July, 2009–which beats May, 2009 where I received zero. Now with 386 GFC followers and 105 on Network, I receive quadruple that number of hits, or even more, daily. With GBE2's "do over" theme, I'd like to revise and repost one of my early attempts at blogging.

Originally posted: July 14, 2009

Why I Read Kid's Books

My daughter has said, “Mom, you’re an adult. Read adult books!”

Sure, I had my days inside the mind of psycho killers brutally murdering helpless victims. I used to be pasted to the pages of Dean Koontz novels, but I’ve moved on. Usually, we advance to more challenging adventures, not me. I write for children.

So, I wonder: am I immature when I laugh hysterically over Gordon Korman or Louis Sachar? Let’s face it, an adult story will never have Cap Anderson innocently referring to his classmates as Buttwad or Jerkface like in Schooled or the fun antics of kids breaking into a lowlife’s house in Swindle. Furthermore, will we ever see the silliness of Wayside School in the adult section of the library? "Class, let's learn about gravity by dropping this heavy and expensive computer down thirty floors." Ha! Doesn't happen in the adult literary world.

Not only do I like kid humor, but the YA section of your library or bookstore contains plenty of nerve-racking stories such as Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Shadow Children series where third born children must hide or be murdered by an uncaring government; or how about, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? Young Catniss must fight for survival in a future world. And YES, I love Anthony Horowitz’s, Alex Rider character. This junior James Bond is sure to hold anyone’s interest. Of course if you want to battle monsters in a modern day world, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson adventures make for a fine read. Adult novels seem to only fight sex monsters. 

Not long ago, I actually read an adult novel. The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas leads the reader through an adventure about an adult who slaps another couple's child at an outdoor barbecue. This one event leads to the unraveling of the entire social community as a lawsuit progresses and friends take sides. Though a good book, every chapter had details about sex and the like. I enjoyed the read, finished, then picked up my next kid's book.

Probably being a bit ADD, I love the way a child’s story taps into a scene or character quickly without boring me with too much detail. So next time you're in the library or bookstore, check out the kids’ section. If you're like me, you won’t be disappointed.

The Spark Blogfest

This week, I am participating in the The Spark Blogfest over at The Writer Coaster blog. I am to write about special authors who inspired me to become a writer.

As one who writes for kids, I am forever and always reading children's books. Two authors have held a special place on my reading shelf as I've developed into a writer. Each approaches his or her books from a different angle and I've tried to incorporate a little of each of them into my writing style.

Thrilling & Suspenseful

First off, I love Margaret Peterson Haddix because her books continually pump up the action by putting her innocent little characters into high risk situations. For example, in her series "The Shadow Children," third born children were sentenced to die in a world where families were only allowed to birth two offspring. As a result these children would hide or plot to overthrow their government. The stakes never get higher than in a Haddix novel, so this trait has encouraged me to think of riskier ways to abuse my characters.

Funny but Insightful

Another author who I absolutely love is Gordan Korman. While Korman spins delightful stories full of unique and interesting characters, his humor has often had me laughing out loud. One of my favorite characters in any book comes from "Schooled." Korman created an original character in Capricorn Anderson, the flower child sent to C_average Middle School. His naive nature set the book up for great humor. Through Korman, I aim to put humor in many of my scenes while creating fun and unique characters.
    
If I could write with the suspense of Haddix and humor of Korman, I'd be known throughout the kids' book world.

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