We often get asked why we wrote Two Wins for Wiley. It was a beautiful collaboration with my daughter Caitlin. Caitlin is an acupuncturist and is the guest author of this blog post.
In most cases, a children’s book is written by one author. If the author is fortunate enough to find a publisher, the publisher assigns an illustrator to the project. But in the case of Two Wins for Wiley, co-authors were needed to write this book. We collaborated on writing the book, editing, revising and even selected our illustrator together. I will let her tell you about our journey.
Why We Wrote Two Wins for Wiley
I don’t think you would find it difficult to believe that I have an absolute love for acupuncture and all aspects of Chinese Medicine. Personally, I try to incorporate it into my life as much as possible. Encouraging my clients to make small changes is something that I every day. Unfortunately, during the pandemic it was challenging for me to share messages that would help people who were frightened or suffering with Covid.
Acupuncture was helping many people recover from Covid in China, but here in the United States I couldn’t even open my business. I had parents asking if acupuncture could help their child or help prevent them from getting sick. People had no idea about all of the benefits of acupuncture.
To be honest, many children are afraid of needles as are their parents. I was frustrated trying to find a way to get my message across to people, especially children and parents about how acupuncture can help if they would just give it a try.
Co-Authoring
That’s where my amazing mother comes in. After hearing me complain about it she decided we needed to take action. My mother has always been great with children and spent many years as a classroom teacher. She has written several best-selling and award-winning children’s books. She sat me down and told me to get thinking- we were writing a children’s book to help children, and adults, understand the benefits of acupuncture.
I have to give her credit; she wrote most of the story. She asked me for information about acupuncture and we brainstormed some story ideas. I made a terrible attempt to write a page or two and I learned I was writing way above a child’s level. I was amazed at all of the steps that were involved in writing a children’s book. There were numerous edits and changes to tell Wiley’s story in a way that children could understand that acupuncture is not like getting a shot.
We spoke about different parts of Chinese medicine that we wanted to include and how we could show that the needles really don’t hurt. My mom walked me through the entire process including how to pick an illustrator for the book, which is just as important as the story! With the work she put in, and my knowledge of Chinese Medicine, Two Wins for Wiley was born!
A Beautiful Collaboration
We are both so proud of this book. I know there are a few children’s books about acupuncture on the market, but this is a story that came from the heart. We hope you love reading it as much as we loved writing it and please share it with children.
If you would like to know more about acupuncture you can head over to her website Caitlin Bree Acupuncture.
Thoughts …
Working with another writer can be deeply rewarding, a lot of fun, and a unique way to improve your writing craft. It’s also a writing process that comes with built-in accountability. Writing with my daughter helped me communicate my ideas more effectively, and write about a topic that was new to me. Caitlin’s expertise was key in writing this book. If there is a topic you want to write about, I recommend collaborating with an expert.
With gratitude …
I am glad you’re here. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I am grateful that I can share my writing journey with you. It is an endless journey of learning and growing. A journey that I am enjoying.
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