'Start your writing where it's most vivid'

 

“I don't necessarily start with the beginning of the book. Ijust start with the part of the story that's most vivid in my imagination andwork forward and backward from there.”– Beverly Cleary 
Cleary, born on April 12, 1916, created vivid, outstandingcharacters and had an outsized
 impact on generations of young people    who might not have had the impetus topick up a book or listen to a story until they saw or heard something she hadwritten.
“Theworld has changed, especially for kids, but kids' needs haven't changed,”Cleary reflected on the occasion of her 100th birthday (she lived to nearly 105).   “They stillneed to feel safe, be close to their families, like their teachers, and havefriends to play with.”

“Quite often,” Clearynoted,  “somebody will say to me, ‘Whatyear do your books take place?’ and the only answer I can give is, ‘Inchildhood’.”

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