Revelations from Writing for a Week in a Children’s Bookstore Window

    1.)      Most Commonly Asked Question: “Are you getting                  anything done?” 

             (This is what they were asking about.)

2.)      My Favorite Question: “When can I buy this book?”

3.)      Cutest Moment: A small girl walked past the store after school with a trombone case. Since the case was bigger than she was, she was towing it with a trombone dolly.

4.)      Second Saddest Moment: Some children were not interested in the novel I projected on the screen. They preferred to make shadow animals. (Philistines!)

5.)      First Saddest Moment: Two boys walk down the sidewalk with their parents. Spying the bookstore, the boys run to the doorway, smiling.

“Look! Books!” they shout.

“Those are books for older kids,” Mom says as she pulls them away.

(Yes, the thing about children’s bookstores is that they’re VERY exclusive.)

6.)      News: A guy named Rick Riordan had a book come out this week. This seemed to generate enthusiasm among bookstore visitors. (I believe this Riordan person may be able to quit his day job if he lives frugally.)

7.)      Good ideas for book titles are The Wedgie Fixer and Unexplained Bruises.

8.)      “I’m here all week” is a funny thing to say on Monday. (By Friday, less so.)

9.)     Out of context remarks:

—“I knew there was this Bart King and I knew there was that Bart King, but I didn’t know all those Bart Kings were the same Bart King.”

—“Memo to self: From now on, only wear tunics.”

—“The thing that bothers me most is the consistency of the nog.”

11.)    Eliza, Django, and Rachel all gave me helpful tips. Speaking of which—

Tip Jar Profits

Monday: Two quarters, one Clif Bar (chocolate chip).

Tuesday: One prank “nail through the finger” gag, one keychain toy called     “MUNCH’N BUNNIES” [sic] that reveals little rabbits eating.

Wednesday: Two dollars.

Thursday: One resin skull & crossbones, one offer of a snack from Starbucks, one tip written on a sheet of paper: “Make sure to get a good night’s sleep.”

Friday: One bag of peanuts (I work for peanuts!) and one note encouraging me to use children's booksellers as characters in my novel.


Photos of the week in the window are here.