Hello NaPiBoWriWee-ers! 🙂 As per your requests, here are some “Flashback” posts from previous National Picture Book Writing Weeks that you may have missed. One of our special guest authors who will be doing a Q&A with me for this year’s event wrote a lovely poem in honor of NaPiBoWriWee back in 2009.

That author was prolific picture book author Lisa Wheeler (http://lisawheelerbooks.com). Keep reading to see her poem and take a trip back in time for a NaPiBoWriWee Flashback Post from May 5, 2009…

NAPIBOWRIWEE FLASHBACK POST FROM MAY 5, 2009:

Lisa took time out of her busy schedule to write this lovely picture book describing her journey to becoming a published picture book writer. This is a huge honor to receive an original poem by Lisa for our NaPiBoWriWee week, so thank you Lisa!!!!

For more info on Lisa, please check out her website here:

http://www.lisawheelerbooks.com/

LISA WANTED TO WRITE BOOKS

By Lisa Wheeler
Lisa wanted to write books.
Books about animals. Grrrrr.
Books about people. “Hello.”
Books with shiny cover. . .
and books kids would love the cover right off of.
Thin books and fat books.
Small books and tall books.
She wanted to write all books.

So she did.

Lisa wrote about a girl who blew a bubble so big
it exploded and coated the whole house. YUCK!
She wrote about a boy named Smelly  who would not take a bath.  P.U!
She wrote about a Hippo who got stuck in a doorway,
a rabbit who was afraid to go up the stairs,
and a dog who needed a friend.
She wrote about lots of things…
that no one would ever read.

The problem was that every time Lisa sent her story to a publisher
she got a big fat NO THANK YOU.
Lisa started to count her NO THANK YOUS.
When she got to 100 she stopped.
She took all those nasty NO THANK YOUS and dumped them into the shredder.
“Bye-Bye,” Lisa said. “Out with the negative vibes!”
The next day, Lisa got NO THANK YOU number 101.
SIGH
Lisa started counting again.

One day, Lisa was in an extremely good mood.  She went skipping to her mailbox. Tra-la-la!
Only to be greeted by four NO THANK YOUS.
“148, 149, 150, 151,” Lisa counted, as she slumped back home from the mailbox.
“That’s it!” she said to her husband. “I am done! I am finished! I quit! I will never be published. The end!”
The next day, Lisa got a new idea.
It was NO THANK YOU number 200.

Lisa started listening to people.
People said talking animals don’t sell.
Lisa stopped writing about talking animals.
People said rhyme doesn’t sell.
Lisa stopped writing in rhyme.
People said picture books don’t sell.
Lisa wrote a chapter book.
The chapter book got NO THANK YOUS numbered 205 through 210.
Lisa was very, very sad.

Then, one day, Lisa wrote a new book.
UH-OH!
It was a picture book!
It was in rhyme!
It had talking animals!

It sold.

Finally, after 225 NO THANK YOUS, Lisa got a YES!
SIGH

Lisa still wants to write books.
So she does.

######

April 29, 2011: Stay tuned for a 2011 blog Q&A with Lisa Wheeler, who is participating again in t his year’s NaPiBoWriWee. And remember to email/contact me to be included in the annual NaPiBoWriWee random drawing for several prizes this year, which will include an autographed book by Lisa! Until then… Happy Writing! WRITE LIKE YOU MEAN IT! 🙂