When I was in second grade, my teacher told me I had to write a book every month. I was not very good at it. Every month, my book was late. I had trouble thinking of ideas and thinking of stories to tell. My teacher would make me sit in a special part of the classroom (a very big closet, actually) with the other kids who hadn’t finished writing their books. I only remember one book I wrote in second grade. It was about a cat who went into a graveyard. The cat touched a gravestone that it shouldn’t have touched three times and a ghost came out! I don’t remember how that story ended. Probably not so well for the cat. The point is, writing under pressure can be hard.
I like to write in my own good time. I love to write poetry. I am constantly looking around for poems that are hiding. Did you know that poetry is hiding everywhere? Look behind your ear! There might be a poem there. (I acknowledge that looking behind one’s ear can be tricky).
I am very lucky, now that I am a grown up, when it comes to looking for ideas for stories. I teach in a public school in New York City. This school is full of very interesting children who inspire me every day. Sometimes I have to look for stories, and sometimes the stories walk right up to me and shake my hand. I am also pretty lucky at home. I have two very interesting sons who do very interesting things. I also like to spend time with cats, ones who don’t live anywhere near a graveyard!
If you find a poem or a story laying around, or hiding behind some pillows, please write it. If you don’t want to write it, please tell me where to find it.