GAP FAMILY BLOG

You know you want to write a children’s book, but wonder what to write. That seemed to be the prevailing question on my mind. Where to get ideas? Where to start? When I attended college, my first writing course, “Creative Writing 101” answered these two questions. The professor said, “Write about what you know!” Well, duh, that sounds simple, right?


I have always had the “itch” to be creative whether by illustrating--I think I came out of the womb with a crayon in one hand--or by writing, as the other hand must have held a book. This was my life’s goal. So, one day as I considered what I wanted to write it became clear after I witnessed some children picking on one of their peers. Thus, I wrote Tiny Angel.

As a child, I was very sensitive and shy, which I am happy to say, I have outgrown! I kept to myself and spent my time engrossed in schoolwork and books. Also having terrible eyesight, I started wearing glasses in the third grade. Due to this, a few boys in my class started tormenting me. I was always being called “four-eyes” or “teacher’s pet”, with never a day going by without receiving hurtful taunts. Many times I would not respond, but after one classmate crushed my beloved plastic Barbie lunchbox, that did it. I reported it to my teacher. Sadly, that made matters worse. From then on, all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and become invisible.

Remembering those unhappy days was the impetus to write Tiny Angel. It more or less was a purge of the sadness I felt, but I also wanted to help other children who are teased and tormented. My desire was for them to know they are not alone, that someone else has endured this, and that things can get better. Children being bullied often feel isolated and tend to magnify their hurts. After all, they are the center of their own world. When they are bullied, they feel slighted and less of a person.

I am also a firm believer that we have guardian angels. I can cite times when I know my own (also named Jody, after the angel in my book) has come to my aid. The thought of having an angel can give a child the modicum of comfort.

What is ironic is since I have matured and reconnected with several of my old classmates, I have learned many of them have admitted their own insecurities and fears as children; and these are people whom I thought back when I was a kid, that were the “cool kids” with not a care in the world. Funny how that is not the case. No matter how happy or “with it” children may seem, I believe everyone tends to have something they fear or an aspect about themselves they feel does not measure up.

Needless to say, if I can or have reached only one child with Tiny Angel and helped them through the difficult time of growing up and this story gets them to feel good about themselves, then I will have accomplished the main goal for writing this book.


Nancy Carty Lepri, born and raised in Massachusetts, earned an AA degree in Visual Art from Cape Cod Community College and a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in writing from Western New England College. In addition, she was a freelance reporter for several local newspapers.
In 1995, Nancy and husband Art relocated to Wilmington NC where her publishing credits included the “Wilmington Magazine” as well as two national and international food-industry trade magazines.

Receiving Editor Certification through Cape Fear Community College in 2006, Nancy taught online writing and drawing courses, illustrated children’s books, started four mainstream novels, and had her children’s chapter book Tiny Angel, published through Guardian Angel Publishing in November 2009.

After a move to the Raleigh area in 2007, Nancy freelanced as senior editor for a national publisher, edited and wrote press releases for more than twenty novels, and was copy editor and reviewer for “Affaire de Coeur” magazine. She currently edits and critiques manuscripts, reviews for ReaderToReader.com and New York Journal of Books, and is completing her sequel to Tiny Angel.

Visit Nancy online at:

http://nancycl.webs.com/
http://nancycl.blogspot.com/
http://nancycl.livejournal.com/