I had another post in mind, but I decided that it was better to talk about tonight.
Tonight, my wife and I took our son to see his favorite writer, the man who’s name appears in the title: Aaron Blabey.
Aaron writes the very popular middle-grade stories “The Bad Guys.” They are funny, outlandish stories following the exploits of the big bad wolf, a shark, a piranha, a snake, and a tarantula as they try to prove that they are good guys (however horribly they fail at that task).
We went for our son, but when one keeps an open mind, it is amazing what we can learn.
As a person, Aaron is funny and engaging. One would think that it is a must as a writer of stories for kids, but it is funny how you get those who almost appear natural at it.
Anyway, I learned a few important lessons. First, Aaron, a few years later, struggled for decades trying to figure out what he wanted before finally coming up with the various stories he’s now known for. He spoke to the kids of pursuing passions and not judging themselves against others when it is something we are passionate about. (He had given up drawing for 19 years because he wasn’t as good as a friend of his… and now he illustrates his own stories.)
Second, he spoke of not being precious over any one thing. That one story not doing well? Move on.
Finally, he said that he operates off of a second rule being “don’t be boring.” I find that an important message in it all. Even sometimes I find myself failing to keep it interesting while I am writing.
Anyway, it was a fun event. Aaron is a great role model.
Jeremy C Kester 