Literary Birthday – 20 October – Nikki Grimes

Happy Birthday, Nikki Grimes, born 20 October 1950.

Nikki Grimes Quotes

1. Stories are breadcrumbs.
   Just follow the trail of books
   and you will find me
   lost among the galaxies
   of scorched stars and ships to Mars.
2. I spent many hours ensconced in the local library, reading – nay, devouring – book after book after book. Books were my soul’s delight.
3. It seemed uncanny that words, spread across a page just so, had the power to transport me to another time or place. But they could.
4. Writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised.
5. Something about your life always makes its way into your stories. That’s just the nature of the beast.
6. Originally I had planned to write just a couple of children’s books and then, return the focus on adult literature. A funny thing happened along the way – I kept having new ideas, and then I looked up one day, and 30 years had passed!
7. The hard work starts with the writing itself. No slap-dash manuscript, scribbled off the top of your head, is going to make it to the bookstore shelves. The work must be carefully thought out and finely honed. The idea, or its treatment, needs to be unique.
8. Getting published is a job. Treat it like one. Make sure your writing is up to par, package it professionally, and keep sending your work out until you get the ‘yes’ you’re hoping for.
9. Authoring a book is not the only way to get published. There are magazines, newspapers, literary journals. There are online collections, and more. Talk to your local librarian for ideas of where to start. Librarians are valuable, under-used resources. Use them!

Nikki Grimes is an American author and poet. She writes books for children and young adults. Her works include Bronx Masquerade and Words with Wings. Bronx Masquerade won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2002. Read more about Nikki Grimes’ life here: An Author’s Life.

Photograph: Nikki Grimes https://www.nikkigrimes.com/bio.html  Credit Aaron Lemen

Source 1 for quotes: Brainyquote / Source 2 for quotes: Nikki Grimes