http://maxbookreviews.blogspot.com/
1. SR: What or who inspired you to pursue your writing career?
MEA: My father is the author of over 70 books. I grew up in a family of seven children. My father's freelance income paid for a lot of what we had as a family during the early years. No one else in the family has taken up writing vocationally. I never envisioned myself as a writer.never. Now, at 58, here I am. My chosen field for over thirty years has been professional film and video production. Through the years I wrote hundreds of proposals and even more production scripts for my clients. But I never thought of myself as a writer, much the same as I didn't consider myself a salesman either. I did those things as the steps necessary in order to produce video programs, films, or commercials.
Toward the end of 2001, the economy began to falter. My video clients were primarily industrial. That sector of the economy was already in decline. Then the attacks of 911 hit. When that happened, my production work ground to a halt.
It was at that time that I had to look for some other creative avenue. Through some very clear circumstances, I felt an attraction toward writing for children.
2.SR: What or whom lead you to write for children? Do you always see yourself as a writer for children? Why or why not?
MEA: Part of my film production work had included some of the most popular dramatic films for children. These were rented to churches and they became available on video. I've always had a special love for the projects intended for children.
My wife and I have had the distinct pleasure of raising our two children into independent adults. I was struck by the numbers of children in our culture who have not had the opportunity to be raised in a home with a father or a positive male role model. Children in my target age group are at a very critical time where they are making some of life's most important decisions. I took the position that my books could help by painting pictures of important issues such as right and wrong, character, spiritual concepts, and a clear idea of what a man should be. Hopefully these seeds will be sown through reading one or more of my books and then, years later, one of those concepts may emerge, when they're needed, in that adult mind.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Sue Reichard's Writing for Children topic, please visit the Discussions page.