So, why Thing 1 and Thing 2? Well, for one thing, I have my own two little wild Things running around my house wreaking havoc. But the main reason is that Dr. Seuss has been my biggest influence (along with A.A. Milne). I remember reading The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and then sitting down and writing my own sequel when I was about seven. God, I wish my mom had saved that! (I am dying to see if it was any good!) I also wrote my own Curious George caper. So easy to start a writing career with an already established character and a formulaic plot. Admittedly, I have a much harder time now.
Who were your major influences? Please share.
6 comments:
I loved Ferdinand. Still do. And I loved a series of books by Carolyn Haywood - Ever-Ready Eddie.
I too loved Dr. Seuss and A.A. Milne.
I also loved to read The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew and The Dana Girls (I loved mysteries, even then!)
But, the books which had the most profound effect on my current writing for kids are Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, The Funny Guy by Grace Allen Hogarth, The Ghost of Dibble Hollow by May Nickerson Wallace and Katie John by Mary Calhoun.
These books had - and still have - strong influence on my writing (the mg novels) because of the history, architecture and the focus on character.
As for the poetry I write, the biggest influences are Ogden Nash, Wendy Cope and Dorothy Parker (among a long list of others!)
Nice blog! :D
I love Roald Dahl and Judy Blume. Dahl for his wild imagination and quirky humor, Blume for the books that felt so real to me as a young girl. I wanted to be the next Judy Blume, but somewhere along the line I decided to be the next Tara Lazar.
Dr. Suess is way up there for me too. And Shell Silverstien.
For fiction, it's any author who is able to really get at me emotionally. Some examples are Karen Hess, Lois Lowry, Neal Shusterman.
Oops! Spelled a name wrong. That should be Karen Hesse.
Dr. Seuss is one of my favorites. We are big fans of his at our house. I try and get as many of his books in the house as possible.
Glad to meet you!
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