Charles Ghigna
Charles Ghigna - Father Goose® lives in a treehouse in the middle of Alabama. He is the author of more than 100 books from Random House, Disney, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Time Inc. and other publishers. He has written more than 5,000 poems for children and adults that have appeared in anthologies, newspapers and magazines ranging from The New Yorker and Harper’s to Highlights and Cricket magazines. He served as poet-in-residence and chair of creative writing at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, instructor of creative writing at Samford University, poetry editor of English Journal for the National Council of Teachers of English, and as a nationally syndicated poetry feature writer for Tribune Media Services. He speaks at schools, conferences, libraries, and literary events throughout the U.S. and overseas, and has read his poems at The Library of Congress, The John F. Kennedy Center, American Library in Paris, American School in Paris, and the International Schools of South America. For more information, visit his website at FatherGoose.com
“Style is not how you write.It is how you do not write like anyone else. * * *How do you know if you're a writer?Write something everyday for two weeks, then stop, if you can.If you can't, you're a writer.And no one, no matter how hard they may try,will ever be able to stop you from following your writing dreams. * * *You can find your writer's voiceby simply listening to that little Muse insidethat says in a low, soft whisper, "Listen to this... * * *Enter the writing processwith a childlike sense of wonder and discovery.Let it surprise you. * * *Poems for children help themcelebrate the joy and wonder of their world.Humorous poems tickle the funny bone of their imaginations. * * *There are many fine poets writing for children today.The greatest reward for each of us is in knowing that our effortsmight stir the minds and hearts of young readers with a visionand wonder of the world and themselves that may be new to themor reveal something already familiar in new and enlightening ways.* * * The path to inspiration startsBeyond the trails we’ve known;Each writer’s block is not a rock,But just a stepping stone. * * *When you write for children,don't write for children.Write from the child in you. * * *Poems look at the world from the inside out. * * *The act of writing brings with it a sense of discovery,of discovering on the page something you didn't know you knewuntil you wrote it. * * * The answer to the artistComes quicker than a blinkThough initial inspirationIs not what you might think. The Muse is full of magic,Though her vision’s sometimes dim;The artist does not choose the work,It is the work that chooses him. * * *Poem-Making 101.Poetry shows. Prose tells.Choose precise, concrete words.Remove prose from your poems.Use images that evoke the senses.Avoid the abstract, the verbose, the overstated.Trust the poem to take you where it wants to go.Follow it closely, recording its path with imagery. * * *What's a Poem? A whisper, a shout,thoughts turnedinside out. A laugh,a sigh,an echopassing by. A rhythm,a rhyme,a momentcaught in time. A moon,a star,a glimpseof who you are. * * * A poem is a little pathThat leads you through the trees.It takes you to the cliffs and shores,To anywhere you please. Follow it and trust your wayWith mind and heart as one,And when the journey’s over,You’ll find you’ve just begun. * * * A poem is a spider webSpun with words of wonder,Woven lace held in placeBy whispers made of thunder. * * * A poem is a busy beeBuzzing in your head.His hive is full of hidden thoughtsWaiting to be said. His honey comes from your ideasThat he makes into rhyme.He flies around looking forWhat goes on in your mind. When it is time to let him outTo make some poetry,He gathers up your secret thoughtsAnd then he sets them free.”
“STYLE IS NOT HOW YOU WRITE IT IS HOW YOUDO NOT WRITE LIKE ANYONE ELSE”