Remember Your Roots

Beatrix Potter is a somewhat unique addition to my list because her stories hold a lot of sentimental value for me. My grandmother (aka Honey Gram) loved Beatrix Potter so I can’t read these stories without thinking about her and how much it meant to have her share them with me. 

I did hesitate at first to add her to my Top 10 because I felt like it was purely based on emotions, but looking back I can see that both Honey Gram and Beatrix Potter had a large impact on how I have developed as a writer and more importantly as a person. As an adult I have lamented the fact that I didn’t take the time to learn more from my grandma, simple things such as knitting and baking, but she taught me something much bigger without me, maybe even without her, ever realizing it. She taught me how important it is to always maintain your sense of humor and a sense of child-like wonder. 

I’m going to ramble on a little more about my grandma here, but stick with me because it all ties back to Beatrix Potter…I promise.

Growing up, I loved spending time at my grandma’s house because there was always fun to be had. She taught me how to play cards, had shelves full of books, and introduced me to some of the best things on television…British comedies and MacGyver…that’s right, my grandma watched MacGyver (coolest grandma ever!). I knew that she enjoyed spending time with me, but I suppose part of me also believed she did it because it was her duty as my grandma. I didn’t make the connection at the time (who does when they are young) that this was how my grandma was teaching me who she was, not simply as a grandma, but as a fellow human being. 

I see the same thing now when I think about Beatrix Potter. Her stories are full of mischief, humor and nature (another thing my grandma loved) and that is why they appeal to children, but those elements are also there because those are the things that appealed to Potter. Those are the things that made her who she was at her core. Potter spent hours and hours just watching, drawing and eventually writing about the world around her. She had a true passion for nature and collected an assortment of pets, including rabbits which of course led to the beloved characters Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny. 

*Fun fact: the story of Peter Rabbit was first written as a “picture letter” to cheer up a little boy who was sick.

Once published, Potter became an instant classic, The Tale of Peter Rabbit  has been in print ever since it was first published in 1902. I think it’s because her stories have such a genuine feel. There is a love and a quality that you rarely find in children’s books today. You can see it in the details!

I’m sure many people are familiar with Peter Rabbit, but if you haven’t read her other books you are missing out on so much. She wrote about mice, cats, squirrels, frogs, ducks, hedgehogs…and every single one has own personality. She was not a one-trick pony, that’s for sure! Her characters are so full of life and bring out such a sense of wonder that reaches you at any age it’s just amazing! Again, you rarely see a children's book with characters that have this kind of heart and natural spunk...especially when it comes to animals.

What I also love about Beatrix Potter is that she was a true environmentalist. She used the money she earned from her books to buy 16 farms and over 4,000 acres of land. She wanted to protect them from industrialization and ensure that future generations would be able to enjoy the natural landscapes through more than a painting or a book. This makes her someone that inspires me not only as a writer, but as a woman in general. The world needs more people like this! People who don’t shy away from who they are, who hold on to that youthful spirit and are compelled to share it with others. 

For my daughter’s first Christmas, Honey Gram gave her Peter Rabbit’s Giant Storybook, a collection of Beatrix Potter’s stories. It is a book that means so much to all of us because opening it brings out so much more than just the stories written on its pages, it brings out stories about our family.

Whether it is by writing a book or simply passing one along to our children and grandchildren, these are the things shape us…they make us who we are and teach us who we want to be.

"I hold that a strongly marked personality can influence descendants for generations." 

~ Beatrix Potter

Ladies First...

We’re kicking off my “Top 10 Writers List” with J.K. Rowling, author of the famed Harry Potter series.

I have to admit, when Harry Potter mania first hit the U.S. I totally dismissed it. I was 21 and had a baby,  Harry was 11 and had a wand and, despite my love of fantasy, I just didn’t think it would appeal to me.

Still, it wasn’t long before I saw the first film which led to reading the first book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) which led to the second book (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) which led to the third book (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) which led to true love. :)

Don’t get me wrong, I love the entire series, but Azkaban is when it became something personal for me as a writer. I still remember reading it for the first time and being in pure awe of it. It sounds cheesy, I know, but it’s true.

So what exactly is it that makes this book stand out for me?

The details. I love details and this book is bursting with them! By details I don’t mean adjectives, but the way everything connects, the way everything serves a purpose and falls perfectly into place to reveal the whole picture. This may seem obvious…after all, isn’t that what writing is? Putting together pieces to form a whole? Yes, but it is rare to find it done with this level of care and ability. This is the type of writing that I strive for, that I read and think… “this, this is what I want to do.”

Warning: This is something you will see me touch on quite a bit in these posts because, in my opinion, it is those kind of details that make a good writer great. 

Rowling’s books create an active reader. You are not just reading the story you are discovering it. There are so many “Ah-ha!” moments in this book that it truly makes you feel a part of something special. Passages that occur in the first few chapters have taken on a whole new meaning by the end of the book…small things that were touched on in the first two books, such as the “Whomping Willow” and Ron’s pet rat, are suddenly major plot points…you can’t take any character or even scene at face value because there is a history there that hides more and while that could have led to a book full of cheap twists, the pay-off here is strong and feels completely natural. 

The love that Rowling has for her characters and this story line really shines through here. You can’t just sit down and write something like this, it doesn’t work that way. It takes time and planning and dedication to do it right. She has a personal investment in these books and not just because they have made her richer than the Queen of England. In fact, it’s not about money at all, it’s about something inside her that was driving her to tell this story. It was a deep connection to these characters, an exploration of their world and who they are and that, at its heart, is what writing is about!

Out of the ten writers on my list only two of them are women, but it is important to note that this is not due to a lack of strong female writers (they are out there!). It is because this list is about more than talent. It is not only Rowling’s work, but also her diligence which has inspired me. I can’t tell you how many times that voice of doubt has crept into my head. That voice that says I’m too old to be putting my energy into this, that I should be pursuing something more stable, that I need a 9-5 job where I know I will receive something for all my efforts, but J.K. Rowling has basically made all of that blabber null and void. How can I allow myself to stop when she has already proven it is possible. She was an unemployed, single-mother who became a published author just before her 32^nd birthday and all because she didn’t allow herself to quit.

Sure, she may be the exception to the rule and I certainly don’t expect myself to ever reach her height of popularity, but that’s fine. I don’t need to become rich and famous, I only need to know it’s possible to get my words out there. That as small as I may feel sometimes there may be someone out there, even just one single person, who needs my stories as much as I needed Harry Potter and that is enough to keep me going...one more word...one more line...one more page.