Ask the Author: Tasha Dunagan
Answered Questions (8)
Tasha Dunagan
I'm so sorry I just found your question! You're the first one to ask anything in the last four years, and I haven't checked in on my profile for a long time. But, to answer your question, I love birds and music, and I thought, "What if bird songs were in the form of human musical styles?" I would think of a musical style, like country or folk, then think of a bird species that "fit" it like the Bobwhite Quail. A turkey or a rooster would have also worked. Then, I thought of a well-known song in that genre and rewrote lyrics to fit the bird. It was a lot of fun.
Tasha Dunagan
I hadn't heard about this signing. I'll call you later, Jan. Thanks for letting me know.
Tasha Dunagan
I had fun putting new words to familiar tunes, thinking from a birds point of view, on "Copy Mocker's Song." Then, I worked on the story from there. With my seasonal poetry, I try to think of the feelings at the heart of a holiday or season. I think the key to good writing is having fun with subjects you love.
Tasha Dunagan
I research things I'm interested in and try to think of a way to make it interesting to children. With "Copy Mocker's Song" and the sequel I'm working on, I started with the songs - matching different types of birds with styles of music and then thinking of a song in that style that most adults know.
Tasha Dunagan
The best thing about being a children's writer is seeing your inspiration in print and knowing that it might inspire a child along the way.
Tasha Dunagan
My advice would be to read all the books out there in your genre, write, re-write, research, and never give up. (I've had years of opportunities to read children's books, since I'm a mother of two - ages 14 and 8 - and I've gone to the library every week from the time they were babies.) Then, if you get tired of submitting your hard work to the big publishers and getting rejected, go the indie route. I was lucky to come across a local indie publisher, who does the cover/page design, ISBN application, and uploading. We worked through Amazon's Create Space, and it was a relatively simple experience. The only drawback to this was that it is print-on-demand, and I was unaware that book stores cannot stock this type of book. They can, however, special order them for customers, or readers can order from Amazon or B&N sites.
Tasha Dunagan
I have completed the sequel to "Copy Mocker's Song," and my stepfather/illustrator, Charles Spillers, will be working on the paintings for it soon. "Copy Junior's Concert" picks up after Copy and Birdie have chicks, and will introduce new types of birds, paired with more musical styles. In the meantime, I continue to write seasonal acrostic poetry for each holiday and season.
Tasha Dunagan
I have loved bird watching as long as I can remember, and I knew the names of all the common birds in our area. I also love music. Each member of my family, when I was a child, liked a different type of music. My mother loved opera and classical; my sister liked rock and pop; my grandmother played hymns on her piano (and at church); and my grandpa listened to cowboy tunes. I had an interest in movie songs, mostly those sung by Fred Astaire. So, I became pretty well-rounded musically. When I was trying to think of a good subject for a children's book, I just put my interests together and thought, "What if birds sang in our musical styles?" That is how "Copy Mocker's Song" was born.
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