Hold on, hold on. I’m no criminal. Here’s the back story.
One day, he asked me for a book about insects “that were still growing up, just like me.” It seemed like a reasonable request, but guess what—I couldn’t find much. That’s when I decided to try to write a book myself.
But I didn’t tell my nephew. I didn’t want him to be disappointed if the book never happened. That’s why, technically, it was stealing.
I called my editor, and she liked the idea. So I did some research, developed an outline, wrote a few sample sections, and sent them out. It wasn’t long before I had a signed contract in my hands.
I could have told my nephew at this point, but I decided not to. I wanted to surprise him. So, technically, it was still stealing.

He didn’t even remember asking me for a book about juvenile insects. And while he still liked insects, they were no longer his passion. (After all, two years had passed.)
But he was thrilled when I told him how I got the idea for the book. In fact, he was stunned that I’d really listened to him, and he was honored that I had taken his idea seriously—and that, just that, made my day.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteVery cute! I will have to remember "stealing ideas from children" for later this month, as I'm hosting "picture book idea month"...an alternative to NaNoWriMo for picture book writers. This is a great story!
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea. Kids are SO smart!
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