What I love about the world is that there are so many different cultures. What a smorgasbord! There are the obvious ones that have to do with race and ethnicity. Then there are those cultures that are specific to families and regions. There are also cultures that are based on gender and sexuality, age, economic status, and profession. I would like to address professional culture with an emphasis on those who write.

There is a definite culture for those individuals who write and there is a subculture for those who write for children. We are a different animal all together. Those outside the writing arena believe that we who write for children do so because we lack the talent to write books for adults. It is as if writing for children is a representation of our intelligence, or the lack of. I had a fellow writer relate an encounter recently that exemplifies this viewpoint. When she told this person that she writes for children, their response was, 'Don't sell yourself short, you're a very bright person, with a little effort you could write for adults.' In the words of Bugs Bunny "What a maroon!" (yeah, I just dated myself)

Then there are those who think we write for children only because we have them and that's all that we can think about at the time. Yes, there are people who write for children that have children, but not all of us, and that is certainly not the reason. I can't speak for everyone who writes in this genre, but I can tell you why I choose it. I write for children because it is more challenging and offers a different kind of freedom.

The challenge is that I must think like those I am writing to, even though I left that age behind, and I won't tell you how long ago. I must come up with believable problems, difficulties, and conflicts. The dialogue must be fresh, but have a quality that is true for age and the time period in which the story takes place. And I must carefully build characters that can be identified with by either gender.

The freedom is that given all of the challenges, I get to write to the impossible and make it probable. I can express what many children wish they could say, but don't have the avenue or liberty. And, most importantly to me, I can create and encourage a respect for children everywhere.

Within the culture of those who write for children is an acceptance that is extended to all participants. Yes, we have particular customs, traditions (though these are very fluid), and social norms, but they are explained readily to any neophyte. Writing and getting published is a very competitive business. Yet, it is extremely rare that when one of us asks a question there aren't more than a few, if not hundreds of responses. There is, without a doubt, a brotherhood within this arena.

Sit with a group of us for very long and it will become quite evident. We speak a common language when talking about children's publishing. We have various unspoken expectations that are specific to children's literature. There is even a set of rules and mores that cannot be violated without careful thought and an understanding of the possible repercussions.

This brings up a question for me. Are the other genres similar in cultural uniqueness?