Hello!
Frozen’s wins at the Oscars is something I applaud. I enjoyed this movie greatly, more now even than I probably would have if you subtracted twenty years from my age. So, in my Twitter feed today, when I saw Harper Collins’ tweet, “Books for Kids that Loved Frozen” I took a look. That link is here, if you want to see it. I was happy to see that Ella Enchanted is in the list, because Gail Carson Levine visited my middle school and spoke about her book. It was one of a few brushes that I had with “real” authors. You know- the kind who write a book that people get to read after it’s been published, the kind that I’m thrilled I now am!
One of my friends teaches English in Chicago and she told her students about her friend (me) who is an author and I realized- I’m now the kind of author that I used to hear about. I imagine that kids in big cities (particularly New York) have more frequent encounters with authors. Perhaps, there’s a bit more reality and a bit less sparkle dust around those authors. Or- maybe not. Maybe meeting someone who’s really written something in a book is still just as exciting and enticing and magical if it happens frequently.Writing certainly remains magical and thrilling and captivating.
So, my message today is simple. Yes, authors are different from ordinary careers. It takes a lot of dedication and persistence- not only to write the book, but even more so to publish it. For this reason, if you love a book, I encourage you to write and let the author know. Thank him or her for the story. Despite this, though, if you want to write, you can. It’s a real career and in the middle of all the magic, yes, we’re real!
My best to you all,
Megan