Christmas WS's!In our authors blog post series, we’d like to re-introduce you to Lynne Garner. She wrote another blog post for us back in December. She has written several children’s fiction books that she’s now turning into eBooks. For those of you that use tablets or laptops with you children, here’s another eBook to consider for your kids – bringing kids the value of sharing.
By Lynne Garner
I've often enjoyed watching kids learn to share and realizing the benefits sharing can have. It was therefore a topic I'd considered writing about, but hadn't come up with a satisfactory story line. That all changed, when one day we looked after a friend’s dog and I watched as our dog (Tasha) and the visitor (Mac) slowly adjusting to one another.
Mac was dropped off with his 'holiday' bag and soon both dogs (although I'm not sure Mac was 100% into the game) were playing in the garden. After half an hour or so the dogs came indoors and flopped onto the floor, both panting but looking pleased with themselves. Some time later I became suspicious, it was too quiet. I decided to investigate. I discovered both dogs sitting on the window seat, staring out of the window, watching the world go by.
Later that day the scenario was repeated. However, this time I found Tasha and Mac sharing the settee. I asked if things were okay, like you do. They raised their heads, looked at one another as if to say what a stupid question and went back to sleep.
Over the next few days my sub-conscious obviously went to work. Slowly two characters, Old Dog and New Dog formed, along with the idea for a story about discovering the joy of sharing. I worked on the story and sent it to my publisher, who liked it but wanted a few changes. I made these alterations, then made some more. After several changes of scene, character relationship and names the story was rejected (that can be the way with traditionally publishing).
However I believed in my originally story, so decided to use it as part of an illustration course I was studying. Once the course was complete I had a finished picture book but no publisher. A few months later the opportunity came along to turn my book, now entitled Captain and Nugget (names suggested by my boyfriend) into an app (http://www.madmomentmedia.com). Captain and Nugget become one of 11 titles that were released in late 2010 and has outsold the other titles.
Lynne Garner is a writer, journalist and writing coach. She has had over 20 books and 200 feature articles published. Her first picture book 'A Book For Bramble' has been translated into five languages and my second book 'The Best Jumper' has been recorded and aired on the BBC's CBeeBies radio channel. She teaches a range of writing courses via distance learning, run workshops for teachers and visit schools to give author talks.
