No Such Thing As Normal
Being in the world of content creation I have to be more aware of calendar holidays such as “national donut day” or “pet appreciation day”. It is a part of my job to know and be prepared for all of the upcoming world renowned days on the calendar. I often look for advocacy days or certain awareness days but this year, I noticed World Book Day. As the day approached, I really didn’t think much of it, until I remembered, “WAIT, I’m a flipping author and I wrote a book!!” So you better believe I was about to celebrate this special day!
If you would’ve asked me 10 years ago “Megan, would you ever be an author?” I probably would’ve answered, “No way! Writing is a lot of work and reading is hard. Plus, I’d much rather talk!” (Still all very true) However, over the past few years I have found a new appreciation for books.
I wrote my first children’s book just a few years ago called “No Such Thing As Normal”. I saw a need for educating children about interacting with people with disabilities and differences in our everyday world, so in turn, I wrote about it. I evolved from being the reader of a story to the author and I have to say, when you’re writing with purpose,it isn’t that bad!
As much as I love talking with people and advocating for people with disabilities, I knew that one on one conversations with every person on the planet wasn’t quite feasible. So, I decided to write a book to share with the world!
I didn’t know how, I didn’t know when, I had no idea what the steps were for writing a children’s book but I simply took a step forward. Today, “No Such Thing As Normal” is on the shelves of over 2,000 families and is being sold across the country.
I believe that books are important. I believe that they can translate a message to all types of age groups over a vast period of time. I believe that books can be read over and over and over and with each read, something new can be revealed. I also believe that reading creates a certain discipline in us. To be able to sit down in our busy world, stop what we’re doing, and simply read and absorb, learn and dream and take in those words that are on the page.
Now I may be acting extreme for a children’s book, but there’s probably a book that you can remember that your mom or dad or teacher read to you as a young child that made a really big impact on you. My hope is for “No Such Thing As Normal” to be that book for your little one to remember.
Lastly, I especially want to encourage you that if you feel like you have a book within you JUST START the process. I know it’s hard, believe me. I decided to write a children’s book because I wanted to start simple. However, I’ve always known I’ve had a “big girl book” inside of me. And again the task seems daunting but I’ve decided to commit to writing a little bit every week towards my “big girl book”. I truly believe that I have something to share with the world and I hope I can get it all out onto pages that can be read for years and years to come. As for now, on World Book Day, I hope that you have the chance to read and share my book “No Such Thing As Normal” with your little ones and your friends!
Have you ever had a dream of writing a book? What is holding you back from doing it?
Cheers to doing hard things, reading amazing books and chasing your goals! Happy Reading!