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No One Needed to Know, by D. G. Driver, opens when Heidi (who so wishes she’d been named something more fitting, like “Storm”), and her brother, Donald, engage in a make-believe battle on a “boat” set that sits in the midst of their local park. Right off, the reader learns something interesting about Heidi who, in response to Donald’s question about whether he’d stopped the bad guy, tells him, “No.” She can’t explain why her “impulse was always to turn him down,” yet it was. Soon, the reader discovers that Donald is not your “typical” 16-year old. Rather, his learning disability means that Heidi, his younger sister, is already ahead of him in some regards. Her awareness of that fact is growing in her pre-teen years, and with it comes her frustration with his behavior—behavior she cannot fully understand. Seeking to engage in more “grown-up” ventures, new troubles take hold for Heidi, as she discovers that Donald is bullied. But in her attempts to help him, she too becomes a victim of harassment. Fortunately for the both of them, Heidi eventually provides the means for building a bridge toward understanding--for herself and for others. D.G. Driver offers middle grade readers a lesson in bullying in her award-winning, No One Needed to Know. Having been bullied herself as a girl—because she had a “differently-abled” brother—Driver quickly gets to the heart of the matter. When someone stands out as “different,” often others may not know how to speak, what questions to ask, or even how to act. Driver’s story illustrates for both the young and the not-so-young, that bullying is never acceptable, and that a better understanding will likely bring about better results.
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  August is upon us and we Quills now turn our attention to our favorite songs to write by—our top 10, that is! I thought I'd go ahead and share first this time. My fellow-Quills, Robin and Parker, have thoughts to share with you as well, so keep reading. I thoroughly enjoy having music playing while I write. It can create such an emotional environment. Sometimes it’s presence makes for the difference between my simply feeling something internally as I write it—and actually laughing out loud--or perhaps even weeping. I find that my tastes tend—for writing purposes anyway—toward the melancholy. Thus, here are my top 10. As a bonus for you, in most instances, they are not just for single song titles. Rather, they are full soundtracks. So, here goes--
In addition, I would add almost anything “Celtic” and/or from Enya. Here's where Spotify and Pandora come in handy. These tunes and others like them help to set my mood and to keep me creative. What about you? What ideas do you have for me that I should add to my list? Next up is Parker. That's P.S. Broaddus, author of A Hero's Curse. Imagine a busy journalist's bullpen, with phones ringing, reporters talking, laughing and yelling, screens flashing, and papers occasionally flying. I can write there. A busy mall, with the flurry of shopping and eating. I can write there. A quiet office, with nothing but the occasional hum of the air conditioner or the click of the printer. I can write there. So long as the environment doesn't demand my personal attention and intervention, I can write. (It's harder to write at home with the boys running around my desk - they aren't just noise. They necessitate intervention). So when it comes to music, I can write to a lot of things. Pandora Radio might be tuned to a Mumford & Sons or Lumineers station, or country, or Christian radio. Like many writers, I do enjoy instrumental music. Something with a cello is sure to be listened to with favor. Then there are a few select songs that I turn on, not as background noise, but as a part of my writing process. Songs that run through my blood and sometimes even shape the story as I go... Read more at http://www.psbroaddus.com/2017/08/04/a-drift-of-quills-writing-musically/. Finally, Robin Lythgoe, author of As the Crow Flies, has some music-inspired ideas for us. I write better when there is music playing. I dream better. Music is powerful stuff. Thanks to my mom and older sisters, I grew up listening to a wonderful variety of music. Sadly, not a one of us can play any instrument but the stereo. But just like with my reading and writing, I gravitated to certain genres of music. When I’m writing, that selection narrows even further. I need music with no words—unless the words are… more at http://robinlythgoe.com/drift-quills-muse-department-music. |
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