How do you come to it?

"You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair- the sense that you can never completely put on the page what is in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed, ready to kick ass and take down names. You can come to it because you want a girl to marry you or because you want to change to the world. Come to it in any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page." 

-Stephen King 

in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

I came to writing not knowing I could write. I came to writing to answer a question within me that didn't seem to have any other expression or way to be heard. I came to writing because I couldn't think what else to do with the burn inside, the thunder in my head or the silence that was strangling my life. I guess I came to be seen. But I also came to see. 

I came to writing unplanned, unprepared and unknowing. I threw my soul on the page and I let the words take root before my eyes. I let wild things grow in sentences and edited the jungle later. I let the first draft be just that, a first draft. The blank pages reflecting turmoil and joy and tragedy, all the colours and gray scale of life. I just wrote. 

Now that I have a healthy appreciation for the art... I have not changed my approach one bit. I don't think it is the only way to come to writing, or even the best way to come to writing. It is rather like the joy my baby derives from a bowl of spaghetti. And really, what is pasta if you cannot mash it through your hair and spread it around the table? And oh so much the better if the deliciousness creeps up the walls around and splatters on the floor below. That's me and writing. It ain't pretty, but I enjoy squeezing the pasta between my fingers. I like mashing words through my hair and so much the better if they end up spread from my office desk to the back of the house. 

But I  will say this- although I roll in the pleasure of the whole writing process, I am humbled that I get to add my words to this world...even in small ways. And I hope I never take that for granted.

What about you? How do you come to the act of writing? What works for you?

Cows that Type?

Click Clack Moo. Cows that Type.

Picture book by Doreen Cronin

The importance of words typed by the right kind of cow...

When being a cow without a blanket seems like an unfair lot in life, comes a tale of communication breakdown, leaders who don't and cows that won't...

Farmer Brown has some intellectually frustrated cows with cold hides. They have made their request. In a typed letter no less. All day long he hears them.

Click, clack, moo. Click, clack, moo.

The barn is cold. They'd like some blankets.

I've visited a barn in winter. I can understand.

Farmer Brown is a bit of a traditionalist. Cows give milk. They don't type letters. Fair enough. Not very opened minded, but farming is fairly straight forward. No need for divergent thinking. This is the way it has always been done.

Oh, how many Farmer Browns I have met! They are in charge, but they aren't reading their letters, if you know what I mean.

Poor Farmer Brown. Being a leader is tough. It's lonely at the top they say... and lonely at the bottom when you feel like a cow with no blanket.

The cows go on strike. Farmer Brown is the only one who didn't see thatcoming.

They type another letter. No milk today. Reasonable really. What else do you have to withhold when you are a cow who isn't being heard?

Click clack moo. Yet another letter is typed. The cows have needy friends. Friends who can't type. The hens are cold too. They'd like electric blankets.

Well, you may as well go for broke when you are not being heard. If you are a cow with no blanket, you probably do know some hens who, though they come from very different walks of life, still suffer with the cold on a blanketless night.

Farmer Brown gives no response. Ignore the problem. It will likely disappear. How wise those at the top can be.

Click, clack, moo.

Yet another letter. Now the hens are on strike.

No milk. And no eggs.

Farmer Brown finds a type writer of his own. Milkless, eggless farms are a bit of a problem, even for the Farmer Browns of this world. You can't ignore the cows and hens when you aren't getting what you need.

All be it late, Farmer Brown is going to lay down the law. They are cows and hens. They WILL give him milk and eggs. This is his farm after all. Yeah... I wonder how they will work for him.

Duck gets involved.

There is always one isn't there? The on looker who feels everything going down on the farm is their business. A 'do gooder' who takes it upon themselves to 'do good' with alteria motives. Watch out

for the duck in the midst of a problem...

The cows hold an emergency meeting.

Click, clack, moo. They will exchange their typewriter for electric blankets. Simple. Brains at the top could have thought of this.

Duck delivers the cows' letter. How helpful...

Farmer Brown gives in. No more letters, and he will have his milk and eggs... he agrees to the blankets.

Beast and foul are now warm in the barn. The masses are appeased. All creatures are happy. Peace reigns. Right?

Click, clack, quack.

The pond is quite boring, the ducks would like a diving board...

Here's my take on life.

If your cows are a typin' better see what can be done before the ducks get involved and you end up with a diving board in your pond. Farmer Browns should realize that cows may eventually find a type writer. The desperate often find a voice.

Those who can write, should. Every hen needs a cow willing to type up their cause. Stories need to be told. Letters need to be written. Farmer Browns need to know. Effects of decisions should be explored.

In short, the world is full of ducks and cows and hens, and a few Farmer Browns at the top. But words are mighty little things with great potential in the ...um...hands of the right kind of cow.

PS- I'm a cow. What about you?

Full version of this picture book, minus my... um... 'insightful' input, is available at Amazon.com. Your kids will love it too. Although little ones will get a laugh, try reading this book to older children. Just think of all the cows and hens and farmers you could chat about...