Writing for children is a special kind of writing. I feel honoured to be a freelance writer for children and teenagers. I love kids and I know that they need all the help that they could get about how to grow into self-fulfilled and happy individuals. I taught full time for over fifteen years and I still volunteer at elementary schools once a week. And although I taught college kids, and still do part time, I find that younger kids really struggle with so many different social and psychological issues. Most of this is because they live in a culture that is so full of gadgets and things and very little time for self-development and self- improvement. Our culture is very extroverted, yet kids need introverted activity some of the time in order to become whole human beings later in life. So, I take my responsibilities as a children’s writer very seriously. I genuinely would love to help kids and teens to become more whole and more fulfilled. Maybe my goals seems a bit too lofty, but I sure think that I could make a difference in a kids life. And I sure hope that I am right. Also, as I write for kids, I will become much more aware of their issues and some of the trials and tribulations that they are enduring as young people that are entering this very unpredictable world. I hope to also show them that they should develop their beliefs and values so that they could live in this world authentically and not merely like cogs in a huge machine that just keeps grinding away in an empty and meaningless manner. Kids and teens seem to really struggle to become themselves and to develop and assert their identities. The teen years are so uncertain. I still remember them many years later. It is a time of complete doubt and suspicion. It is a time of uncertainty with friends, family, teachers, and anyone that they meet. And I hope to make a teen’s life much more meaningful and less doubtful and hopefully much more authentic. What are some of your goals as a writer for kids and teens? I look forward to hearing from you. Irene