A Columbus area children’s book author recently shared her writing “magic” with students and teachers at Indian Lake Elementary School as a special treat before Christmas break.
Kate David is the author of three picture books “Murphy and the Magical Hat,” “McKay and the Magical Hat” and “Maddox and the Magical Hat.”
She told students that she started out with an idea when her daughter, Murphy, was just a baby and so she began writing her first story. But it took many rewrites, working tirelessly with her illustrator and making all kinds of edits over several months to get her book just right.
“Even an author has to try again and again. Was I frustrated? Yes!” David explained.
She used a long spool of papers that spanned the pod to show the students just how many revisions she had to make to get the story ready for print. She explained that she kept making her words more specific and descriptive.
“You have to remember just how powerful your words are,” she advised. “They create an emotion or feeling, depending on how you word the story.”
David also showed students the process of matching the illustrations to the story.
Then she shared her second book, “McKay and the Magical Hat” about her younger daughter’s exploration of potential careers when she grows up.
Students got to dress up and act out some of the options — superhero, firefighter, doctor, florist and more — as part of the story telling.
ILES teachers said they were glad that David helped the students understand that you don’t have to be magical to be a great writer. You just need to be willing to make corrections and revisions until your piece is perfect.
Kate David lives in Columbus with her family, including her three children, Murphy, McKay and Maddox, who serve as inspiration for her books.
Her visit was sponsored by local resident Jane Houchin, who won the presentation as a prize in an area auction. David donated a copy of each of her books to the ILES Media Center.