Carolyn Beck

My Life So Far

I was born in Montreal General Hospital. I grew up in a town called Rosemere about 30 miles outside of Montreal on the way up to the Laurentians. We lived in a pink house with green trim. A creative start, don’t you think?
At first there was just me. Then along came Debbie, a smiley-faced curly-topped moppet, then Andrea, a dimpled, busy ragamuffin.

Rosemere was a great place to grow up in. There were swamps we were forbidden to go near, so, of course, we sneaked (polliwogs, minnows, rotten logs, snails and slime). And there were endless rolling roads through long-grassed fields criss-crossed by creeks, great for long rolly bicycle rides. And we had a large backyard with several grand old trees. In summer we spent hours playing "house", putting on plays, and making carnivals. In winter our father would flood a spot so we could skate. And, if we weren't skating, we could toboggan or build a snow fort or have a snowball fight for Rosemere got tons and tons of snow.

We summered every year by the sea – Nova Scotia, PEI, Maine -- always somewhere within a day's drive of Rosemere. We would pack up the old scarlet red Hudson and hit the road around four o'clock in the morning. We'd drive and drive and drive. By late afternoon we were scuffing our bare feet in the sand, breathing deep gulps of salty sea air and listening to the thunder and sizzle of the surf. Then it was days and days of digging for clams, riding the waves, lazing in the sun, sand castles, sand in your bathing suit, lunch on the beach, seagulls, shells, tidal pools, crabs, on and on and on.
Because my birthday is on August 24, we almost always were away from home when it came around. Every birthday my mother comforted me for not having a normal birthday party with lots of friends, but I never really minded. Vacation is such a special time that it felt kind of neat to have my birthday during it. Besides, I liked the idea of being different. Different is definitely more interesting than same.

When I was six I started school at McCaig Elementary in Rosemere. The school was brand new. It was a mile away from our house so I got to walk four miles a day, along with a whole bunch of other kids (we came home for lunch). The walk was always interesting, along twisting roads, through small woods, and over a few farmers' fields. Rainy days were the most fun with all the puddles and squelchy sqidges and little rivers that appeared out of nowhere. Spring was the smelliest. And a good snowfall? Well, that was magic.
I learned how to read with a "reader" called "Fun With Dick and Jane". During Reading, we took turns standing up beside our desks to read a word or two from our reader. I wasn't good at it. But it didn't bother me at all because I loved it so much. I just kept trying and trying and eventually I learned how to read all those words. I still read very slowly. Funny, isn't it, how life goes? Words were a problem for me right from the start, but I loved them. Still do. No. I should say I luff them, I lurve them, I loove them. They are lovable problems. They can get into so much mischief!

As I learned to read, I also learned to write. I remember having a particularly nasty time with capital "W's". My W worksheet had black smudges and, in some places, holes in the paper where I had erased and rewritten and erased and rewritten so many times. Why are they called "double U's" anyway? They look more like double V's or, as I like to think of them, upside down mountains. Anyway I learned to write. And ...
WoW. What do you knoW?
By the end of Grade 3 I received a prize for the best story in my class. It was called "Petulia, the Petunia". "WoW," I thought. "I can Write Well!" And so my dream began.

During the summer of Grade 4 I wrote an adventure novel about two girls who were aquanauts. Around that time I decided I would become a writer for National Geopgraphic magazine or maybe a script writer for Hollywood, or both. But then I grew older and got busy with other things. Most of my writing was for homework assignments, not for fun. I worked very hard on my studies, I went to university and travelled about and got jobs and grew up and ... forgot my dream.

It was my son, Michael, who brought me back to my forgotten dream. The funniest thing is he is a born speed reader. He was reading before he was four. I could not believe it, still can't.
We were sitting on a shuttle bus on our way to see Hearst Castle in California. What does Michael do? He points to the word over the door. "EMERGENCY" he chirps in his little voice. The startled passengers ooo'd and aaa'd. Two and a bit he was. I was having trouble with RED CIRCLE and BLUE SQUARE when I was six. Funny how things turn out.

When Michael started reading books, he became an insatiable word collector. We spent hours in libraries and book stores. He was learning at the speed of light and soon, so was I. I was learning how beautiful, how clever, how funny, how thoughtful kids' books are. Of course, there are a lot more kids' books around now than there were when I was growing up. Michael and I dove into this new world of words together. Reading, reading, reading. Then we started writing together. Crazy, off-the-wall stories. And here we are. WoW!
I have two published books. “The Waiting Dog” came out a few years ago. It is a gutsy book about what the postman thinks the dog is thinking when the mail is delivered through the slot (snack!) And now “Buttercup’s Lovely Day”!! Yay! It is about a cow who loves life – the light parts, the dark parts, the smelly parts, and the wet.

I have two more picture books coming soon. These are as completely different from each other as they are from the first two of my books.
Where Do My Ideas Come From?
From my body. They are curled under my toenails, nestled in my armpits, wandering through my nose hairs, snorkeling in my stomach, sleeping in my brain cells. All my stories -- current and future -- are already alive somewhere inside of me, waiting, rising, or fast asleep.
Where Do I Work?

I wander all over the house. I always have several stories cooking, so there are piles here and there in various stages of completion. But always, always near a window. Words like to play in natural light. Right now there is a story beside the cactus in the sunroom, one on my bed, one at the red (of course) table in the kitchen and another on the card table in the living room. All my writing is "long hand", with red ball-point pen on yellow lined paper.

CB’s Rules for Becoming a Writer
Read a lot.
Write a lot.
Work hard.
Don't hold back.
Don't be afraid to push to the limits.
Explore.
Let your stories go wherever they want to take you.
Don't tame them too soon.
Never give up.
Enjoy!

Andrea Beck

Best known for her work as author/illustrator of the popular book series and TV show Elliot Moose, Andrea lives in Unionville ON. Andrea draws upon her childhood experiences to create stories that speak to children in a way with which they can deeply identify. “I did not have books as a young child, my stories came from imagination and play. I was fascinated by book illustrations and would study them intensely.

I remember ogling a copy of The Cat in the Hat at my friend’s house – I wished I could take it home and read it again and again. Other things that caught my eye were comic books and a found copy of “Tales of the Crypt” which I knew would scandalize my mother! When I was old enough to read novels, I raided my grandmother’s book shelf and read many classics that way. “Anne of Green Gables” was a huge favourite. After that it was the Bronte sisters, later I had a high school teacher who fed me novels. I went on to CEGEP to study fine arts, then Ontario College of Art and Design, and upon graduation I established a toy design studio. When the timing was right I sent in a submission for Elliot Moose. The idea for Elliot, my first character, was rooted in my years as a toymaker and in a childhood where my toys seemed truly alive.”

Andrea`s latest book, Buttercup’s Lovely Day, written by her sister Carolyn, was published in May 2008. Her new series Pierre Le Poof will be out in Fall 2009 and Canada`s favourite little moose, Elliot, will be back with a new title in spring 2010.