I Write for Children

I always told my six through nine year old students, if you write, you are a writer. They wrote, so they were writers. I write, so I am a writer. too.

I didn't always write. Not really write. I wrote letters to my husband, David, before he was my husband and I wrote letters to my Gram after David was my husband. (no correlation.)

I seriously got interested in writing when I took writing classes one summer at Teacher's College in New York City. I wrote a short story as a picture book text. My professor loved it. So did the teachers who took the class with me. They encouraged me and I was bitten by the "write" bug.

I spent years writing manuscripts and mailing them to children's book editors. None of them were ever published, but I got a lot of rejection letters. They were "good" rejections. But, they all had one word in common, "BUT."

Here are a few examples.
    •    "I think this is the strongest piece you have sent me – it’s funny and charming, and a story young children will relate to well, "BUT …"
    •    Teddy in the Backpack is a very sweet story and I think that Zoe is a great character, "BUT …"
    •    "Your sense of humor shines through in this piece, and you have a wonderful sense of rhythm, "BUT …"
    •    "You write well, no question there, "BUT …"
    •    "This is one of the best LAST lines I’ve ever read. It was great joke, "BUT …"

You can go to It's all about REJECTION! or Love it – BUT… to read more. I posted more than twenty-five examples.

My picture books, nearly 30 of them, haven't been published yet. Maybe they will someday. One can always hope.

I am a two-time graduate of Children’s Book Academy, a member of Storyteller Academy, and I am in three picture book critique groups. I am also an active member of SCBWI - Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for more than 20 years, and that's how long I have been writing picture book manuscripts. Here are some of the stories I've written. They are lost and NEED to be found by a publishing house.

School Is NO Place for a Frog, Robert-Robert
                                                                              The Best Pest
Teddy in the Backpack
                                                                              Poor Hannah
Kanona Prattsby
                                                                              Corey's Quarter
You're a Mess, Miss Tress
                                                                              Molly Hates Pink
Too Many Bubbles

Which titles do you like best?

     I’ve been cast in a zany play called, HELP DESK written by Don Zolidis and directed by Dave Seaberg.
 
     In the first skit, my name is Tori whose goldfish died and she needs HELP!
 
     In the second skit, I am Jess who needs more data for her computer, but what she gets is the runaround.
 
   
 
     Have you ever been frustrated when calling customer service…
 
     or had your call dropped after explaining your problem five  
      times to five different customer service agents?

                             or been on hold forever waiting to speak to a   
                             customer service representative…
 
                                              or been transferred from one
                                              customer service agent to another…
 
                                                                          I HAVE!
 
     I’ll be in rehearsal for the next few weeks. Then on to filming. I know it sounds funny to be filming a stage play. But this play will be rehearsed and filmed on ZOOM during the pandemic for safety reasons. It is scheduled to be aired – sometime and somewhere – in late April.
                                                                        
                                                                       STAY TUNED!

See you soon.

Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale

Print
eBook
Audiobook

     It’s March. It’s winter for much of the world. Snow slathers the streets and sidewalks. Folks bundle up in warm jackets, hats, mitts, and scarves. Temperatures are freezing.
 
     Me? I’m writing in my courtyard, enjoying the warmth of the sun under the bluest of skies. I’m taking advantage of every single second of my heaven in my desert until…in a few months it will seem like h---.

     The thermometer will hover between 113˚ and 120˚ in my desert and then I will write in my air conditioned office, while still enjoying my beautiful desert.

See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook

Clip art compliments of Bing.com

 
 
     A lot of folks love the sound of waves slapping against the shore. I do! When I lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, our house was three blocks from the ocean edge. Like a rocking cradle lulls a baby to sleep, the waves comforted me.
 
     Tires rolling down the highway in the distance with its constant swish of air assures me that the world is moving along.
 
     The noises of birds, woodpeckers rat-a-tatting, mourning doves coo-cooing three times each, all species of birds singing their own unique songs, and especially owls whoooo-whoooooing through the night brings joy to my small world.
 
     But the sound that I like best is my husband whispering, “Good night. I love you!” before I fall asleep.

     (Okay, so this photo wasn't at night, but you know what I mean.)
 
     What are your favorite sounds?
 
See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook

Clip art compliments of Bing.com
 
 
 
 
 

     I never thought I'd write a story with only 50 words. That's absurd I thought. Most of my children's picture book manuscripts hover between 400 to 500 words. My memoir, Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver's Tale, topped out at around 76,000 words.

     So when children's book author, Vivian Kirkfield, set the challenge for writers to write stories with no more than 50 words, even though I thought it was preposterous, I took the challenge for #50 PRECIOUSWORDS 2021. Like my heroine, Hannah, in the story, HOORAY FOR HANNAH!, I wrote and wrote and wrote––50 words.

     Here's my wee, little story. Please tell me what you think.

                                    HOORAY FOR HANNAH!
                                                     by
                                    Donna O'Donnell Figurski

      “SHOW-OFF Day!” squealed Nia.
 
      “I’m talentless,” moaned Hannah.
 
      But Hannah tried anyway.
 
               Forward roll. KERPLOP!
 
                         Soccer ball into principal. OOPS!
 
                                    Feet twisted in jump rope. SPLAT!
 
     Hannah bolted.
 
     Then spied her pencil.
 
     “Aha!”
 
     Hannah wrote and wrote and wrote.
 
     Finally, she waved her poem and squealed,  
 
     “I DO have talent!”

                                                   THE END

 



Do you ever take these Facebook Quizzes? Sometimes, I do.

   This time I got The Builder.

Really?

I can't hammer a nail without hammering the nail on my finger too. OUCH!
A screwdriver? Isn't that a drink made with vodka and orange juice?
And a wrench is what happens to me often when my schedule gets all screwed up.
A 2 x 4 would easily describe my college apartment. 

So you can see why I was surprised to get labeled as The Builder.

Let's look at what The Builder means to this Facebook Quiz.

Personal fulfillment, for you, comes from being creative. If you're doing work that doesn't flex that creative muscle, you're bored to death and practically useless. And satisfaction doesn't come easily as you hold yourself to an incredibly high standard. When you're supposed to be basking in the glow of a completed project, you're constantly wondering how you could've made it better. It's both a gift and a curse; it's how you're able to constantly raise the bar and improve over time. But it can also be paralyzing and cause you to miss deadlines. Sometimes, you just need to set the bird free.


                                Now Let's Analyze!

Personal fulfillment, for you, comes from being creative.    So true!

If you're doing work that doesn't flex that creative muscle, you're bored to death and practically useless.    So true!

And satisfaction doesn't come easily as you hold yourself to an incredibly high standard.    So true!

When you're supposed to be basking in the glow of a completed project, you're constantly wondering how you could've made it better.     So true!

It's both a gift and a curse; it's how you're able to constantly raise the bar and improve over time.   So true!

But it can also be paralyzing and cause you to miss deadlines.    I rarely miss deadlines. But I do miss a LOT of sleep in order to meet the deadlines.

Sometimes, you just need to set the bird free.    Someone tell me how to do that.

YEP, I guess I am The Builder.

See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook

Clip art compliments of Bing.com

     If you had taken take a peek into Room 121 in December 2010, you would've seen a bunch of Whos running around. Well, they weren't actually running around … they were really working on their English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Writing Workshop, Handwriting or Spelling lessons. They were very smart Whos, even though they may have looked a bit funny. I hope you weren't fooled by their silly stripe-y or colorful pajamas or their wild hairdos. They were very friendly Whos.

     If you took a peek into Whoville 121 that week so long ago, you would've seen the Whos busy preparing for their Readers Theater, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. They were going to perform their play for their 3rd grade friends in the other third class. Then they celebrated the holiday season with a party of pizza and juice. They passed out holiday cards and played Snowflakes Falling All Around. Oh what fun it was in Whoville 121! If you looked closely, you might have even seen their teacher, Mrs. Figurski, dressed up in her very best Whoville pajamas.

Who Would-a Thunk It?


See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook

Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie dePaola is one of my favorite books. I love all of Tomie's books, but this one touches the heart.

My husband, David, had a traumatic brain injury in 2005 and, like Bob, had to relearn to walk. I guess I was my husband's "Bobby" as I helped David to learn to walk again.

This book is so important in helping a child understand what happened to grandpa (grandma, anyone) when they suffer a debilitating brain injury. It is even an eye-opener for adults.

I highly recommend this book to any audience.

See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook

    
It was party time this week. Every year on January 13th, David and I celebrate his new-life birthday. It started in 2006, one year after his traumatic brain injury, which he survived with a 1/600 chance of living. Those odds are definitely worth celebrating.
 
     I baked a cake­­––his favorite, white cake with white fluffy frosting. I plopped the whole cake in front of him for a photo op. He must have thought it was his lucky day. He loves cake. He loves all desserts.
 
     “Is that all for me?” he asked, with his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “NO!” I said. “You wish! That’s just for the picture.” I snapped the photo, grabbed the cake, and delivered it to the safety of the counter. I cut an extra large slice for David, a smaller one for me. We enjoyed that cake. AND…we will enjoy it for about four or five more days. Happy sweet 16 re-birthday, David!
 
See you soon.
Donna - author of  Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver’s Tale
Print
eBook
Audiobook