I have found that being a father and being a writer have a lot in common. Both have the capacity to fill me with incredible joy and staggering self-doubt. Just when I think I have one really figured out, I usually fail on an epic scale. And, it is when I think I’m licked that I most often stumble upon a stroke of creative genius. (Unfortunately, I never seem to remember how I got there.)

But the biggest thing that they have in common is that they offer few definitive answers. Writing and parenting are so subjective that beauty and success often exist only in the eye of the beholder.

For me, writing and parenting have also travelled along intersecting courses. I have been writing for kids at the same time my wife and I have been raising two of our own. It’s not surprising that having children has helped my writing. My sons offer inspiration and insight and often influence my work in both direct and indirect ways. What has surprised me is how much working in the industry of entertaining kids has helped me better understand the world they face.

Recently, I wrote a young adult novel that will be published early next year. The novel is set in and around a high school prom. I wanted to write a book that seemed real to the kids who are in high school. I interviewed current high schoolers and did my best to understand today’s prom culture. And the truth of the matter is that drugs and alcohol are part of that culture.

I didn’t want the book to glamorize either drugs or alcohol, but I couldn’t ignore their existence. I did my best to create real characters and real situations. I followed them where they took me and tried to treat it all honestly and responsibly.

As my children approach the same age, I plan to do the same with them as well.

• 
  (Permalink | Email This Post )
  Posted by: James Ponti