This is my first post for this blog. Full disclosure – Billie Bang is not my real name. I decided that, as someone who writes for both children and adults, I needed to partition my writing personas so as to not scare or offend anyone. I mean, I probably will anyway, but at least by developing a pen name I can say I tried.
How did I choose “Billie Bang?” Well I knew I wanted to use “Bang” in there somewhere because that’s my roller derby name. It’s short for “Bangarang,” the battle cry of the Lost Boys in the Robin Williams’ movie Hook. I love the story of Peter Pan and “Bangarang” just suits me. The “Billie” part comes because it’s androgynous and I like the anonymity of not having a fully male or female name . Unfortunately, people sometimes begin a book with bias based on the author’s gender. I just wanted people to pick up one of my books and begin reading with a clear mind and no expectations. I chose “Billie” in honor of my stepfather, who passed away several years ago and whom I loved very much.
What can you expect from this blog? I will be writing about all things related to children’s literature, from board books on up to YA. My books, other people’s books, books that have yet to be written, and the literary industry in general. I’ll discuss my opinions on the “rules” and regulations behind writing for children, how and why I got started in writing for children, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
I’ll try to update this blog once a week, but in the meantime you’re welcome to head over to my other site, KateLanders.com, where you’ll find more content. Warning – that’s not exactly for young readers, so if you’re a kid and you’re here doing a school report or something, check with your parents first. On that site, I discuss topics such as child-raising, the frustrations of self-publishing, dealing with incompetent coworkers – stuff kids wouldn’t want to read about anyways.
Thanks for reading, and for your interest in my books!
Author Billie Bang 