Welcome to Barnacle Blog! A place where you can ask questions, make comments or share your tide pool experiences with other kids from around the world. Maybe you have a wacky wave fact about your favorite tide pool creature. Tell us about it. You can also ask Molly or Svett about writing and illustrating too.
Hey what a great idea for a blog.
I hope others love the creatures in the tide pools like I do. There are more there than sea stars and hermit crabs. Have you seen a Chiton or sea cucumber? Look closely.
My favorite tide pool critter has to be the hermit crab. They have so much personality. And they always seem to be doing something. The other sea creature that I have been lucky to see has been the octopus. It managed to slink away into the tinniest of cracks in the rocks. It was amazing!
Hi we are from Melbourne, Australia.
We have been exploring your website and we think you are both awesome! We have lots of questions to ask, hope you have time to answer them.
Why do you like being authors? We wonder how you became authors? How many books have you written in total? Who inspired you to be authors? Is writing books difficult? How did you think of all your great ideas?
Over and out,
Big3M
Hello Big3M.
Wow, lots of questions which both Molly and I love to receive!
Why do you like being authors? We wonder how you became authors?
I like being an author because I love writing and I love reading. For as long as I remember I always had a book in my hand and had a crazy imagination. English was my favourite subject at school and I always enjoyed writing stories…and usually I did some pictures too.
How many books have you written in total?
I have written picture books, a mid grade story and working on a young adult book. See Into The Sea is the first one to be published, but I have one picture book that will be published later this year, as well as another colour and learn sea book.
Who inspired you to be authors?
A couple of my favourite authors as a kid were Maurice Sendak (Where The Wild Things Are) and Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth). I read The Phantom Tollbooth so many times and it really was an inspiration. I was really fortunate to meet author Norton Juster about 4 years ago at a writing event and I had my original book from grade 3 that he signed for me.
Is writing books difficult?
Ideas are easy, they come all the time. But, yes, writing books is difficult and I am continually learning. There is a whole process behind getting your story into shape. It’s write, write, write then edit, edit, edit…then, write some more. There is also many times when I get up from my computer and make a cup of tea; or scratch my dog behind the ear; or look out the window….sometimes it is really hard to sit still and write.
How did you think of all your great ideas?
I keep an “ideas” folder and whenever I get a snippet of an idea I write it down. Or if I see an interesting character on the street, or hear some funny dialogue or even have a vivd dream - I jot it down and store it in my folder. Sometimes a story on the news inspires a new character or story. Because I also illustrate, there are times that the character I doodle comes to life and taps me on the shoulder and says “Oi! Svett! I have a story to tell.”
The See Into The Sea concept was Molly’s creation which started with her love of the ocean. So…I think I will let Molly talk about how she became inspired…
HooRoo
Svett
Hi Big3M,
I am Svett’s partner and I live in California. I moved here 8 years ago from Tennessee. I had been teaching third grade in a Catholic school. If I was going to make a new life, I wanted to explore some dreams. I became a tide pool docent which was very exciting and a new adventure. It bothered me there was no information about the animals we were protecting. The Marine Protection Officer knew I was a teacher so he asked me to write a book. I was thrilled, scared and overwhelmed. Svett’s critique group was gracious to accept and help me. Svett and I wanted something fun and possibly gross because we knew children would enjoy the unusual. She was kind to offer illustrating the many creatures. It took about two years from beginning to end. It was hard work but we had fun working together and learning.
Unlike Svett, I never really liked to read or write when I was in school, but I always had a wild imagination. I loved learning about animals, the ocean and everything Christmas. When I was teaching I would jazz up the religion and history stories to make them memorable. Once I started writing I found I kept writing about crabs, lobsters and water bugs or Christmas. They say you write what you love. I guess I have confired that theory.
See Into the Sea is the only book that is published. We are working on a crustacean and a turtle book we hope to complete soon.
I hope I have answered your questions. If I have not or you have more, please let me know.
Happy writing!
Molly ps. sorry, it took so long for me to respond my old computer died
I think it was a great idea to start a blog - More Posts!