What to Write, What to write?

What can I write about? This was the first question that i had asked when I decided that writing was the perfect career for me. My late Grandfather had always told me to "write what you know." Well, thanks to the somewhat sheltered upbringing I endured, writing what I knew about was going to be difficult. I mean, I went to school in the morning, xame home in the afternons, and did homework, sometimes right up until bedtime. Growing up, I did not have many friends. My classmates would rather be out partying than studying on a Saturday night. Who could blame them? They wouldn't want to hang around with a cribbled up nobody like me.

So, I put my heart and soul into writing. A year after I graduated college, a former teacher of mine and i were talking one day, and she had a brainstorm. Mrs. Dieker, (my high school English teacher) told me I should write about being disabled.

"Why"? I had asked.

"Well, you are disabled, people can relate to you." Mrs. Dieker thought for a moment. Then, she took it one step further............"You should write a series of books about kids who are disabled......no, kids who face certain challenges."

"Challenges?" I had asked.

"Yes, not only dsabilities, but tough things in life like death, divorce, getting a new sibling, going to the hospital.........Young children often need help dealing with those things."

I thought for a moment. Ideas were coming so fast, I wrote them down on paper by the phone. This was bound to be fun. My main character would have to be a young girl because I always wanted a sister growing up, but God blessed me with two brothers.

Every character must have similarities and differences from their creator. I had a physical limitations, but I was always blessed NOT to be in a wheelchair. I once knew a child who spent his entire life in a wheelchair, due to spinal biffida. So, I wanted my character to experience life in a wheelchair, so that I understood her pain.

Next, came the main character's name. I wanted something cute and unique. For some reason, the theme from that old TV show, "Inspector Gadget" was running through my head. The neice was named Penny, and looking at Michelle's pictures of Penny, the name suited her.As for the character Josh, he was based on the boy in the wheelchair from Spinal Biffida that I knew. Amy was based on my childhood best friend, Lindy. Penny's family (Mom, Dad, and Baby Brother Peter) were characters based on my own parents and younger brother Bryan---except he is not a baby anymore!

So after I had my story planned out....I set to work.........To be continued in my next entry........