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| Photo Credit: Public Domain |
How Birds Inspire Me
In each of the three books I've written and had published a bird is prominently featured. In The Scandinavian Santa it was Lars, a golden eagle; in The Tale of Willaby Creek it was Oliver, a great horned owl; and in my most recent creation, Journey to Snowdonia, it was Gwendolyn, a shapeshifting European bullfinch.
So, why do birds inspire me?
Of course, one of the reasons is my lifetime dream of flying. (A desire I probably share with many people!) However, it's much more than that. The fact that birds have a sky-high view of the world is a feature that I believe gives them a quality of being wise. They see the big picture; they can make quick decisions made on the overall situation they're in.
Another reason that birds inspire me is that their ability to fly makes them seem almost magical; a feature that works quite well when writing a fantasy story for children, and why I always include them.
By the way, 2018 is being celebrated as The Year of the Bird since this year marks the centennial of the landmark conservation law the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Unfortunately, billions of birds are at risk due to the United States Department of Interior recently reinterpreting the MBTA, slashing safeguards for birds. Click here to learn more.
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| A seagull gazes out upon the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast. |
To those of you in the U.S., have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!
