What I Learned on The Street
I was a reader long before I became a writer. Bible stories were part of my childhood bedtime routine, but I was pretty much on my own to read the other books in my little collection. Like most people of my generation, I learned the joy of reading (as well as a good dose of sarcasm) from Sesame Street.
When I started writing, I wanted to move my readers the way I had been moved when reading my favorite books. I wanted my characters to be real — flawed, smelly, exhausted, happy, nervous, and doing their very best to navigate the world around them. While I found plenty of examples of well-rounded characters in my grown-up novels, I first learned the importance of oddity as a character trait from The Street. No human (or Muppet) is perfect, and that’s a good thing. Our imperfections make us relatable.
When I was little, I related to Oscar. More than that, I wanted to BE Oscar.
He had it all. When he was feeling extroverted, he was smack-dab in the middle of the action. All he had to do was poke his head out and join the conversation. When he was ready for some alone time, he could say, “SCRAM” with zero guilt. He was a grouch with a sharp sense of humor who understood his limits and made sure that everyone around him respected his boundaries.
Plus, he had a bowling alley, a full library, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool in his can. Come to think of it, I STILL want to be Oscar.
Even as a writer, he knew how to reach his readers. Yes, he was a bit manipulative, but one can’t argue with his success.
One of the best things about writing is communicating with my readers and other writers. Readers usually reach out to me to say that they identify with a character or situation I’ve written. I tell my husband that those conversations prompt my two-fold response: “Yay! I wrote a realistic character with a relatable problem!” and “Oh, rats! That poor reader! Why does this stuff keep happening?” Praise God that, people are finally speaking out more and are less accepting of spiritual abuse. We’re finally setting those boundaries Oscar patterned for us over 50 years ago.
When it comes to connecting with other writers, our conversations take on the secondary layer of genuine surprise at how our stories and characters evolve. They become so real to us that they’re borderline sentient. Too often, what we have planned is not what ends up on the page. Then we start talking about our craft — and THAT is when our Sesame Street training really kicks in. When you really think about it, has there ever been a better representation of a reviewer/editor/beta reader than Oscar the Grouch? And what about Ernie? That little orange guy was quick on the draw with his sarcastic observations. As for Bert? Oi! Poor Bert is the stereotypical writer who has a plan for his novel, only to watch his characters completely reconfigure the plot. He is the writer who ends up taking his characters’ dictation.
As a child, I wasn’t just watching my favorite Muppets. I was reading them. I noticed the wide eyes, raised eyebrows, the face in the hand, and the head tilt that let me know they were sneaky, coy, or sarcastic. When they offered commentary on the world around them, I perked up. I listened. I laughed.
The best thing about those marvelous Muppets? They had amazing writers. I don’t spend any time on The Street anymore. My grandkids are past the age where Sesame Street enthralls, so I have to look elsewhere for my reading entertainment.
My new favorite books are those I’ve started reading after joining the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Facebook group page and Celebrate Lit Bloggers. I don’t confine myself to a specific genre and enjoy a wide variety of stories. From Medieval Era mysteries, westerns, romantic comedies, fairytale retellings, and contemporary novels, there is plenty of entertainment available. I have incredible respect for the authors who have taken the time and effort to craft an interesting story full of humor, pathos, and ethos, all while pointing the reader to the God who loves them.
I’m excited when I’m asked to beta read or when speed through an ARC copy to create a blurb. I share the author’s happy news when they’re about to release a new book. I know that they’ve put their heart and soul into their work. I love it when other readers share the work of their favorites. It is a beautiful symbiotic relationship.
Encouraging one another is something else we learned on Sesame Street, and to be honest, writers need more encouragement than people think.
This week, I went to the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Facebook group’s page and wrote the name of every author whose book was shared by an appreciative reader. I wrote until I had about two dozen writers represented. Next, I opened my social media sites and started typing in the names. If an author was on that site, I followed them. I added them to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (Twitter), and TikTok feeds. Why? Because I know what it’s like to stare at the followers count that hasn’t moved a single digit in two weeks. Or how discouraging it is when no new reviews are written. It feels like we’re shouting into a void when what we’re really trying to do is connect.
As a writer, I understand the need for a platform. But I also empathize with authors who are frustrated when their writing is put on hold as they try to find new ways to present their books. We want to maintain a relationship with our readers while simultaneously trying to expand our base of book lovers. We struggle to stay current on social media while we’re busy working on our next novel.
If you are a reader or a writer — or both — take a minute to follow a writer on whatever social media pages you visit. They’ll appreciate the boost to their platform. If you want to do something a little more impactful, a review on Amazon or Goodreads — or even a nice post about a book on your favorite Facebook page — is an amazing sunny day, clouds chased away, adrenaline boost for a writer.
Sometimes, all you need is a book to read — and an author to write it.
