By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
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Arroah and her dragon
My nine-year-old granddaughter and I are writing a fantasy book. We started January, 2015 and plan to be finished in March, 2016. The time spent together has added depth and meaning to our relationship while creating a memory-maker for both of us.
This book was her idea, and I knew I was headed for an adventure when she told me about the story.
“I also have a name for the girl. It’s spelled A-r-r-o-a-h but sounds like Arrow.”
She and I are close and much alike. Sometimes stubborn and sometimes drama queens, and that makes for lots of fun. But the process of planning and plotting a book during our face-to-face and online sessions has been priceless.
While allowing her to freely express her ideas about character, plot, setting, and dialogue, I’ve encouraged her imagination to soar. We’ve developed a glossary for our fantasy world using words derived from Celtic, Roman, and Greek mythology. We pour over meanings until just the right one surfaces.
No boxed-in thinking for her.
And she definitely has her own ideas.
I wonder if she realizes how much she knows about the art of writing fiction.
Feedback from her is priceless . . .
- “Mimi, there’s a question mark at the end of the sentence. So we don’t need the ‘she asked.’”
- “The scene isn’t what’s in my mind.”
- “The boy should be good in his heart, not how he looks.”
- “This can’t be easy for her. She has to work hard.”
- “We want to show what happened not tell it, right?”
- “Every chapter has to end a little scary so kids will keep reading.”
- “That is not a kid-friendly word. Let’s look at your book with the different meanings.” (thesaurus)
- “You’re right, Mimi. Short chapters are the easiest to read.”
We have a pact: she’s not to reveal the contents to anyone but her parents. No friends. The story will be a surprise. Her friends doubt she’s writing a book, but their observations couldn’t be farther from the truth. We are doing this together. No matter how long it takes.
March will be here soon. My granddaughter understands a professional will edit the book, we’ll make changes, then we’ll see what method of publishing.
Did I mention it’s about a little girl who finds a forbidden dragon egg? When the dragon shatters its shell, he persuades the girl to begin a quest.
What about you? What kind of memory-maker can you initiate with a special younger person?
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Comments 29
I love this!!! Can’t wait for it to come out and then read it with the children in my life!
Thanks so much! I’m excited too!
This is awesome. Nothing better than spending quality time with grandkids. We as grandparents can teach them so much by what we do. Since we have learned all the tricks of the trade. Thanks for sharing this precious moment with us!! I love looking at the world again through their eyes. Makes it so much more exciting for us again!!
Hi Sandy,
Thanks so much. We love those grandkids!
What a great idea!! I loved hearing about this. I can just see two heads almost touching as you two lean in to work on this wonderful project together. Making memories…
Hi Donna,
Hope all goes well with you! Thanks for your encouragement.
I loved this story. Thank you so much for sharing it. Very touching.
Hi Sumiyati, Thanks so much for posting a comment.
That wasn’t a question. It changed my winking emoji to a question mark.
How inspiring, wonderful and heartwarming! Enjoy this lovely quest together. She’s a keeper! ?
Hi Karen,
All our kids and grandkids are worth the investment. 🙂
The book sounds neat! What a neat idea to write together with your granddaughter!
Thanks! Anything I do with my grandkids is fun!
What a beautiful idea! The memories you are making together are priceless. I can’t wait to read the it!
Hi Cathy
Thanks so much. She and I are excited about it. Of course, she wants to do a sequel. 🙂
What a wonderful memory you two are creating! Who knows where it will lead?
Thank you! I’d like to think we could start a nest egg for her college education – while entertaining others.
I love it, DiAnn! What a wonderfully intentional Mimi you are. Sweet memories indeed.
Hi Mona, I know you understand the sweet feeling of creating story with a grandchild. Now it’s your turn!
Aren’t 9 yr old grandchildren fun!??? Your granddaughter sounds very creative, and uninhibited regarding her story! I am looking forward to reading it–hopefully w/ my 8 year old grandson–he loves to read!
Hi Barb, she is fun! And so are her younger brother and sister. Grandchildren keep us young!
Sounds like fun. My granddaughter just turned 17 and we do things together .She helps me a lot .I want her to remember the things when granny is gone .I know your granddaughter will.I will try out the book when it comes out and leave great reviews
I hope to do the same with her younger brother and sister too. Thanks for posting!
What a wonderful thing to do with your granddaughter and how much fun for you both!
I love your books and am currently reading Deadlock…I can hardly put it down.
God has truly blessed you with a special gift that you’re sharing with the rest of us.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for reading my books and blog! To me, it’s vital to create memories with our children and grandchildren, a win-win situation for all of us.
Absolutely precious. I know you both are having such fun with this. I suspect she will cherish the memory even more when she is older and looks back and realizes what a treasure her Mimi is.
Even though I’m not usually a fan of fantasy books, I can’t wait to see and read the finished product!
Hi Linda
Thanks so much for commenting and offering to review the book. My mind keeps whirling with how to promote it – from simple social media to a party where everyone dresses in fantasy outfits. 🙂
Diane, at my age (88) my children are expecting me to get my memory book written for them, except it won’t be fiction! It’s great that you can work together with your grand-daughter who is destined to be a super writer like her grandmother!
Hi Eva Nell,
So good to hear from you. Yes, that memory book needs to be written! Just think of all the wonderful events you can share with them.