Writing a children’s book takes many things: hours of effort, intense perseverance, stellar writing skills, and, most importantly, inspiration. Too often, inspiration is overlooked; usually buried under many rough drafts or lost in the late nights and red ink. Despite this, inspiration is one of the most important parts of your book and without it, you probably wouldn’t be sitting down to write your story!
What Inspires Me
I am often inspired by my own life story. Thinking about my childhood helped me write my first book, The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Prince.
My family is so important to me, which is reflected through the characters in my book. I was easily inspired by the great figures in my life and I was able to infuse their likeness into my story.
Prince also shares many of my character traits. He is curious, determined, and he views both the ordinary and the extraordinary in life as an adventure. We both share a love of New York City, devotion to our family, and enjoy attending Broadway shows.
I’m currently writing a second book. This story also draws from my childhood. I remember being bullied as a child for being different. My mother’s encouragement was always the same: pursue what you love, no matter what other people say. I want to share this profound advice with children everywhere. My hope is that, through my story, I can help even one child do what they love, no matter what other people say. What I experienced as a young boy inspires me to write and share my story with them.
Where to Find Your Inspiration
Are you in the process of writing a children’s book? Do you have an inkling of what you’d like it to be about, but are searching for the inspiration to help you see it through?
Think about why you want to share the story you have. It could be to make people laugh, share advice, or let someone know that they’re not alone in their struggles. What comes to your mind? Why do you find yourself thinking about it? Ideas like these are important parts of creating your book.
Inspiration, although necessary, can be difficult to find. Look at your own life and what you’re passionate about! You’ll soon find that your passion will shine through your words as you write. Without being able to pull from my own life, The Extraordinarily Ordinary Life of Prince would have never been written!
Inspiration will not only help you decide what to write about, but it will keep you encouraged throughout the journey of writing. And at the end, you will truly have an inspired piece of art that will last a lifetime.