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Award-Winning Children’s Author Shares Journey from St. Louis to ‘Humphreyville’
Speaks to Students at Lawson, Jamestown Schools
Children’s author Betty Birney was 7-years-old and growing up in Affton, Mo., when she realized she wanted to be a writer. She also learned that she needed to learn more about writing.
Her first work was titled “Teddy Bear in the Woods,” but she never finished it.
“I learned that stories have to have a beginning, middle and end,” Birney explained to the Lawson Elementary School third-graders. “I had a beginning and a middle, but didn’t know what to do next.”
Birney visited Lawson and Jamestown Elementary schools in the Hazelwood School District to talk to students about writing, the process and as a career. During her visit to Lawson, she recalled her childhood growing up in South St. Louis County and spending time with her extended family on Humphrey Street in south St. Louis.
After graduating from Webster University, Birney moved to Southern California and landed a position as an advertising copywriter at Disneyland and later, Disney Studios. It was at Disney Studios where she branched into television writing, working on several projects including an early Disney Channel show, “Welcome to Pooh Corner.”
“It was a really hard job you know, getting up every day and going to work at Disneyland,” Birney joked.
Birney says she never thought about writing for children but once she started, she was hooked. She spent the next 20 years writing for a variety of shows geared toward young people including “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Madeline” cartoon series.
However, Birney is best known for her “Humphrey” series of books, the most recent installment being “Secrets According to Humphrey.” Birney says she chose a hamster for the subject of her books because they are active and would be able to move around, the perfect characteristics for the mischief and exploration Humphrey is known for. The 11th installment of the series, “Imagination According to Humphrey,” is scheduled for release in January 2015.
Birney, who is a wife and mother, offered the students several tips on writing.
“When I write, I use a cheap notebook and I just put everything down,” she explained. “Then I go back and I’ll read it and add something here or maybe take something out. I keep working on it until it’s where I think it should be. But that’s the thing about writing – it can be frustrating sometimes, but you don’t give up. You keep working on it and it will get better and you will get better at it.”
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