Ask the Author: Jeff Minich
Answered Questions (7)
Jeff Minich
Hi Cheryl, I see you on the list provided by GoodReads. If you'd like you can email info at getnuggies dot com and we can confirm your address. Thanks for entering the giveaway!
Jeff Minich
I generally have pretty well-formed ideas about the story and characters when I start a new book. So I don't have writer's block per se, but in children's books you only get 400-1200 words to tell a story. So the biggest challenge for me is being concise enough with my writing to carry the story, keep it interesting, and not compete with the real star of picture books... the illustrations!
Jeff Minich
For me, the biggest reward is when I see or hear about a child enjoying the Nuggies stories. There is usually a light moral in each of the books (patience, self-acceptance, adapting to change etc) so I hope that in addition to enjoying the stories, children that read them are touched in a deeper, more meaningful way.
Jeff Minich
Write! And don't write because you want to be published, or famous, or make money from writing. Write because you have something important to say! We all have ideas that are worth exploring. At the end of the day you have to sit in front of your keyboard and do the work.
Jeff Minich
There are already four new Nuggies books planned over the next few years! I don't want to spoil the surprise, but there will be stories that focus on individual core characters (Chomper, Coco) and we will see a return of Gigi, the character introduced in my latest book.
Jeff Minich
I usually am inspired by real life events. Book 1, "Daddy Forgot My Dinner", of the Nuggies series was inspired by my dog's puppy antics and his insatiable desire for food! Book 2, "All the Other Nuggies" was inspired by my experience rescuing my dog, Coco, from a shelter and her experience adjusting to a more normal life. Book 3, "A Very Scary Pumpkin", was based on my experience of moving into an old house that seemingly turned out to be haunted!
Jeff Minich
My latest book "Oui Oui Gigi" is a story about two little puppies lost in Paris. The idea came from my own wanderings in Paris. Its an easy (and fun!) place to get lost in. There is so much to see. I thought it would be fun to share the beauty of Paris through the eyes of a dog. The story was also a great opportunity to introduce children to the French language. My illustrator Renan Garcia did an amazing job of capturing the magic of Paris in a beautiful pastel watercolor style that propels the story in an artistic but accessible set of illustrations.
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