Why am I working so hard? Going for 400 books, perhaps, but who's really counting? Jane Yolen More Quotes by Jane Yolen More Quotes From Jane Yolen I think picture books should stretch children. I think they should be full of wonderful, amazing words. Jane Yolen picturewordsamazingchildren If you give up at the first rejection or the first bad review, you will never make it in publishing. Jane Yolen neverbadyourejection It seems like I've been writing since birth! I started writing poems before I got to school. I wrote the class musical in first grade - both words and music. It was about a bunch of vegetables who got together in a salad. I played the chief carrot! Jane Yolen wordsmusictogetherschool While I was in junior high, I wrote an entire essay in rhyme about manufacturing in New York State. In high school, I won a Scholastic poetry contest. Jane Yolen newhigh-schoolpoetryschool In college, I wrote newspaper articles and songs. Then, on my 21st birthday, I sold my first book. It was a nonfiction book about women pirates - 'Pirates in Petticoats.' After that, I was a book writer for good. Jane Yolen goodwomenbirthdaybook My youngest son becomes an award-winning nature photographer, and I cannot resist writing poems to his pictures. My daughter loves to cook, though I do not. Yet together, we write a cookbook with fairy tales. And now a second. Jane Yolen daughternaturetogetherson If a parent wants to talk about slavery or wants to talk about countries where bombs go off, they need to have a way - a setting - to have that conversation. And there are wonderful books out there for those kinds of conversations. Jane Yolen slaveryparentconversationway Myths are stories that explain a natural phenomenon. Before humans found scientific explanations for such things as the moon and the sun and rainbows, they tried to understand them by telling stories. Jane Yolen explainunderstandmoonsun Write every day. You don't have to write about anything specific, but you should exercise your writing muscle constantly. Jane Yolen every-daydayyouwriting Don't let anyone discourage you from writing. If you become a professional writer, there are plenty of editors, reviewers, critics, and book buyers to do that. Jane Yolen professionalyouwritingbook I began as a journalist for my pocketbook and a poet for my soul. Jane Yolen journalistmy-soulpoetsoul Don't ever write just for a trend or fad, because it's a moving target, and by the time you get your work out there, the trend or fad is gone. Dig deep; don't be afraid to write fiercely. Expose your heart. Jane Yolen youworkhearttime
