by Lauren Reynolds

Created on: May 23, 2008

You walk into a big room with chairs and a couch. It has a welcoming feeling; the kind with plants and environmental sound effects. And, sitting in a big, comfy chair, is a woman who is ready for you to pour your heart out and then she'll explain the answers to all your troubles. You've just opened a book of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. After reading only a few books, you'll come to realize that deep thought and a profound psychological meaning makes a major appearance in each of her books. However, after researching information about her, it becomes apparent that she includes events that have taken place in her own life and these aspects of her life have influenced her writing and eventually engages in her writing style.

One of her greatest influences that encouraged her enjoyment to write was brought to Phyllis by her parents. Both of her parents loved books and they shared their joy with all of their children. The first way they helped Phyllis develop an interest in books was by reading to her. Her parents continued to read to her until she was a teenager. The sharing of this time to explore the adventures of books developed a deep love for reading. At one time, Phyllis claimed she was too old for her mom to read to her, but secretly she would listen as her mom read to her younger brother, John. Another example of her parents inspiring her development and love for stories was when her father would act out the plot while her mother played the voices of the characters. This started making the books seem more realistic, to the point where she realized that she could make up stories as well, using only things that happened in every day life.

In her childhood, interest for actually writing a story did not come easily. While her friends had all learned to read and progressed to writing, Phyllis had trouble deciphering the "black marks on white paper" (Naylor, Writer 11). Ultimately, reading became easy and enjoyable. When she came to truly appreciate reading around 5th grade, writing was a hobby for her. Everyday, after school, she would rush home and write short stories using any topics that would happen to cross her mind. Any occasion was a good time to write; this included, but was not limited to, her youth group, birthdays, and anniversaries. Phyllis wrote skits, poems, and funny letters. But, by far, her favorites were her stories.

All this writing slowly led her to the beginning of her writing career. She wrote her first official short story at age 16 for her former

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