All my life I've wanted to be a writer. My first story got published in the local paper when I was in kindergarten. I kept a diary all through middle school, high school, and college (though they have since been burned in the fire). I majored in Creative Writing as an undergrad. And yet, I don't do the one thing I have to do to be what I say I want to be! The only requirement for being a writer is . . . . WRITE! And so, now, 16 days before my 36th birthday, I am going to become what I've always wanted to be. To that end, I am making myself the goal of writing at least 1 page a day. Honestly, I'd like to write more (like 1000 words a day), but with a full-time job and 5 kids, I think a page a day is a more realistic goal. Especially since I have the feeling many of my first writings will be ramblings. According to my LinkedIn profile, I am currently writing a picture book about figures of speech and a novel for young adults about facing persecution as one of Jehovah's witnesses. Truth be told, neither of those projects have gone beyond the brain-storming and note-taking stages, but I think I might use this blog space to get those up and writing.
Figures of Speech
We use so many metaphors, similes, idioms, and other figures of speech in the English language, that I'd like to create a kids' picture book that illustrates some of those expressions. For example, one page would say, "When it's raining cats and dogs, be careful not to step in poodles!" My illustration would be a collage of a little kid with an umbrella splashing in puddles while cats and dogs fall from the clouds. The title of my book might be Going Bananas! or Cat Got Your Tongue? An Illustrated Guide to Silly Sayings. I could possibly arrange the book into sections about colors, animals, foods, body parts, etc. Here are some of the expressions I'd like to put in pictures (I'm sure I can find a more complete list of figures of speech on the internet): caught red-handed, seeing red, feeling blue, the green-eyed monster, yellow-bellied, horsing around, monkey business, frog in your throat, pigging out, going bananas, all thumbs. And as I'm writing this my four-year-old is over here crying his eyes out - guess I could use that one too.
Persecution
Jehovah's Witnesses face difficulties every day. We are trying to live in the world while staying separate from it, and that is not an easy task. I think it must be especially difficult for kids who face pressure from not only their peers, but also from their teachers, coaches, counselors, and other adults everyday. Some of the constant pressures those kids face are: the pledge to the flag, student government, patriotic and holiday songs in music class or chorus, holiday activities, bad language, dating, over-involvement in extracurricular activities, pressure to go to college, drugs, invitations to birthday parties, inappropriate entertainment, etc.
