I am off to Chicago in the upcoming days for a business trip with DH - so Grandma is coming to babysit. When the news was announced to my three my youngest quickly responded with a big "Ugh! She'll make us go to bed in the daylight and eat cooked carrots!"
Geez, I didn't know that going to bed early and eating carrots was such a bad thing!
P.S. My mom is 70 and the fact that she can help out is great, so my son's whining went in one ear and out the other as they say...
9.14.2007
check out this Q&A...
DCmom was able to read about Maria Celeste Arraras's story of how she wrote her book "The Magic Cane"....if you think you've heard the name before...it's most likely because she is the reporter who covered the story of Latin singer Selena's death.
Wow, read through this and realized that if she can write her book on her Blackberry, then my juggling of full-time consulting work, DCmom.com and three kids is something I shouldn't complain about!
Check it out...
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS
1. What sparked your imagination for The Magic Cane?
As a working mother, I would come home from the office to find my three kids desperate for my attention. I would try reading them a story, but they all had different interests and would end up fighting when they couldn’t agree on which particular story I should read! So I began to make up stories that incorporated all the elements that all of them wanted to listen to, and one of those stories evolved into The Magic Cane.
The story is about three kids, very similar to my own three children, each blessed with a special “gift.” At the time I wrote The Magic Cane, my daughter was into mermaids, so her equal in the story has the power of Water. My sons were fascinated with Pokemon, Naruto and Inuyasha, so I gave one of the boys the power of Fire and the other one the power of the Wind...soon, they all got into the story and started contributing to the plot. Then the fights became about who could have more input!
2. What challenges do you face in your writing process? How do you overcome them?
My main challenge with The Magic Cane was finding time to get in the right frame of mind to write this kind of book. At the time, I was going through a divorce, and it was difficult to shake off the stress and pain that comes with that process and jump into the fantasy world of a magical fable. So I put the book in hiatus and after a few months, my oldest son told me, “Mama, a family that stays united is invincible,” and I said “Yes!” That became the central idea for The Magic Cane. So I sat down with a clear head and a specific idea and wrote the entire story in five hours on my Blackberry.
3. What tips or advice can you share with young students who hope to start writing?
My advice is simple: write everything down! Many people with great imaginations spend their lives “writing” books in their heads...but they never put those great ideas in black and white. What a waste of great talent So my advice is, get it on paper and share all those wonderful stories with the rest of the world! Discipline is key in every profession, writing included.
4. What is your list of favorite children or teen books?
I love The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I read it for the first time in elementary school, and then I received a copy in college as a present. Years later, I bought another copy to read to my kids. I read it during three completely different stages of my life, and every time, I discovered new meanings in the same story. I hope The Magic Cane accomplishes the same.
I also like King Midas: A Golden Tale by John Warren Stewig. I wanted my book to be a magical fable in the style of King Midas with a similar lesson: that possessions and power do not equal happiness. I’m a firm believer that in this materialistic and consumer-oriented society, children need to be taught what is really important in life, such as family values and doing the right thing. So this was an important element that I wanted to include in my story.
3. Do you think The Magic Cane will be interpreted differently by English versus Spanish readers?
Absolutely not. The Magic Cane has a universal message that transcends not only language and culture but also age and gender. I wanted it to be a magical fable like the classic stories that my grandparents used to read to me in bed. I missed those “Once upon a time” tales that you can pass on from generation to generation, so I wanted to write one for my children and for other kids as well.
Wow, read through this and realized that if she can write her book on her Blackberry, then my juggling of full-time consulting work, DCmom.com and three kids is something I shouldn't complain about!
Check it out...
MARIA CELESTE ARRARAS
1. What sparked your imagination for The Magic Cane?
As a working mother, I would come home from the office to find my three kids desperate for my attention. I would try reading them a story, but they all had different interests and would end up fighting when they couldn’t agree on which particular story I should read! So I began to make up stories that incorporated all the elements that all of them wanted to listen to, and one of those stories evolved into The Magic Cane.
The story is about three kids, very similar to my own three children, each blessed with a special “gift.” At the time I wrote The Magic Cane, my daughter was into mermaids, so her equal in the story has the power of Water. My sons were fascinated with Pokemon, Naruto and Inuyasha, so I gave one of the boys the power of Fire and the other one the power of the Wind...soon, they all got into the story and started contributing to the plot. Then the fights became about who could have more input!
2. What challenges do you face in your writing process? How do you overcome them?
My main challenge with The Magic Cane was finding time to get in the right frame of mind to write this kind of book. At the time, I was going through a divorce, and it was difficult to shake off the stress and pain that comes with that process and jump into the fantasy world of a magical fable. So I put the book in hiatus and after a few months, my oldest son told me, “Mama, a family that stays united is invincible,” and I said “Yes!” That became the central idea for The Magic Cane. So I sat down with a clear head and a specific idea and wrote the entire story in five hours on my Blackberry.
3. What tips or advice can you share with young students who hope to start writing?
My advice is simple: write everything down! Many people with great imaginations spend their lives “writing” books in their heads...but they never put those great ideas in black and white. What a waste of great talent So my advice is, get it on paper and share all those wonderful stories with the rest of the world! Discipline is key in every profession, writing included.
4. What is your list of favorite children or teen books?
I love The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I read it for the first time in elementary school, and then I received a copy in college as a present. Years later, I bought another copy to read to my kids. I read it during three completely different stages of my life, and every time, I discovered new meanings in the same story. I hope The Magic Cane accomplishes the same.
I also like King Midas: A Golden Tale by John Warren Stewig. I wanted my book to be a magical fable in the style of King Midas with a similar lesson: that possessions and power do not equal happiness. I’m a firm believer that in this materialistic and consumer-oriented society, children need to be taught what is really important in life, such as family values and doing the right thing. So this was an important element that I wanted to include in my story.
3. Do you think The Magic Cane will be interpreted differently by English versus Spanish readers?
Absolutely not. The Magic Cane has a universal message that transcends not only language and culture but also age and gender. I wanted it to be a magical fable like the classic stories that my grandparents used to read to me in bed. I missed those “Once upon a time” tales that you can pass on from generation to generation, so I wanted to write one for my children and for other kids as well.
9.13.2007
kudos to a nite of bargains
Many claps go out to the team who made DSS happen - especially babsied - who go it all together! great bites to eat, great music, and great bargains..
There was a bloggers corner for all of us who write about life around DC and in order to pick up your goodie bag you had to have a polariod snapshot taken...much fun harking back to the days of high school parties (do I date myself??) but even better seeing the shots of fellow bloggers. Shouts out to Project Beltway and Accidental Chic - you looked great!
There was a bloggers corner for all of us who write about life around DC and in order to pick up your goodie bag you had to have a polariod snapshot taken...much fun harking back to the days of high school parties (do I date myself??) but even better seeing the shots of fellow bloggers. Shouts out to Project Beltway and Accidental Chic - you looked great!
9.12.2007
going shoppping....going shopping
Ok, tonite is District Sample Sale (DSS for those in the know..) and if the babysitter gets to my house in time I hope to be able to score some great finds. I'm also looking forward to hooking up with friends and meeting some of the other DC bloggers in the DSS Bloggers Corner!
Keep you posted tomorrow with the results!
Coming soon....I also hope to have some Q&As with authors that are going to be at the upcoming NAtional Book Festival on the Mall. I love books, my kids love books, so I want to spread the word on this great event.
Keep you posted tomorrow with the results!
Coming soon....I also hope to have some Q&As with authors that are going to be at the upcoming NAtional Book Festival on the Mall. I love books, my kids love books, so I want to spread the word on this great event.
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