Yesterday while browsing in Borders I came across a display on which was featured Lane Smith’s new title, It’s a Book. Although it’s a bit snarky for young kids, everyone who loves picture books should read it–or, better yet, buy it. Cause, let’s face it, if we don’t buy books–those of us who claim to…
Author: kimgriswell
I'm an author, an editor, a writing coach, and a workshop leader. I spend my days asking questions and looking (or listening) for answers, and thinking up ideas for new stories to write for my favorite audience: kids! I guess I'm just about as curious as Rufus Leroy Williams III, the intrepid pink hero of my picture book series from Sterling Publishing, is persistent. Did you know that in 5000 B.C. people blamed 'tooth worms' for their cavities? Neither did I until I developed THE HAUNTED OUTHOUSE for the Bathroom Reader's Institute. Turns out, ancient dentists filled the wormholes with metals like gold or silver. Except the Aztecs. They used a mix of iron, water, and belly-button lint. As you'll discover by reading RUFUS GOES TO SCHOOL, RUFUS GOES TO SEA, and RUFUS BLASTS OFF! I believe that reading opens up worlds for young people. Books did that for me, and I hope my books will do the same for today's kids.
A Closed Bottle
I just went to the sink and refilled my water bottle, then, unthinkingly screwed the lid back on and lifted the bottle to my lips. Duh! It’s hard to drink from a closed bottle, I chided myself. Impossible, really, I thought as I wandered back toward the twin bed here in Cabin 20 at the…
Dear Eva, Thanks for All the Aunts!
One of my favorite children’s book authors, Eva Ibbotson, has passed away at age 85. In reading an interview she gave not long before her death, I found this quote about the publication of her first book (which I hope will encourage all the yet-to-publish): “I must have been nearly 50 before it was published. I…
Breaking into Highlights
If you’re looking to break into Highlights, one of the best tips I know is to analyze the magazine’s mission and make sure that your submission relates directly to something in the mission statement. The Highlights mission statement can be found on page 4 of every issue, and this is what it says: This magazine of…
What “About Me”?
I read a lot of authors’ “About Me” pages on the Net, and I always read the author information on jacket flaps of the books I love. As a kid, I didn’t have a clue where books came from . . . that name on the front or the spine was simply a way to…
Mining Your Memories
I’ve been gathering writing prompts and tips for my upcoming Chautauqua workshop on Mining Your Memories and thought I’d share a few. Writers who want to craft authentic works must be willing to dive into the well of personal experience. Whether you’re crafting fantasy or nonfiction, your experience matters . . . especially your emotional…
“Chill”ing at My Cabin
A frigid wind has been blowing for the last two days, plummeting down the hills and dipping into the valleys like a kid on a snowboard who hasn’t yet noticed it’s summer, not winter. I’ve had to close the windows in my cabin and take long walks and hot soaks to keep my joints from…
A Boyds Mills Evening
The air hung like a soggy blanket above Boyds Mills today, so saturated I had to hop in a cool shower the minute I returned to my cabin from my afternoon walk. There are only two cabins filled now; the writers I’ve been working with all week have headed home, heads spinning with the new…
Phoenix Airport Blues
You never know what’s going to start that old writing hunger growling in your belly. Tonight, it’s a two-hour layover in the Phoenix airport. The pilot said it’s 100 degrees outside (at 9:00 p.m.), but in here it’s just stuffy, as if the thick rose-brown air we cut through in our descent into the valley…
Experiential Writing
I’m writing this post from the midpoint of the Morrison Bridge, hunkered down beneath a narrow metal shelter hoping the storm will pass quickly. The hills behind Portland have grayed beyond recognition. Wind drives the rain toward the Willamette’s gunmetal surface like switchblades thrown from the glowering clouds. Fresh from the summit of the Coast…
Cozies & Kim Griswell 