Cece Meng's Author Site
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Bio
My Early Life
I was born in Walnut Creek, California, the middle child of five kids. Don't believe everything you hear about the forgotten middle child. We have our methods for getting noticed.
My siblings and I became involved with music at an early age, often performing musical shows for the entire neighborhood. At one point, we formed a string quartet, bringing our music to local events. I was the violist.
Summers were spent camping, swimming, and going to the local library. We were a rowdy bunch. Much of our time revolved around rivalry, shoe-throwing fights, and torturous plots.
Our house was also filled with books and plenty of places to read. My mother loved poetry and I spent many hours absorbed in her collections of Frost and Dickinson.
My siblings excelled at everything academic. I excelled at daydreaming. One early memory is of my stay at Stanford Children's Hospital. I had heart surgery at age four and a half. I remember sneaking out of my hospital bed and finding my way to the playroom in the middle of the night. The nurses were not amused.
I didn't go looking for trouble, but somehow I was always in it.
And Then I Grew Up
I worked my way through college and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Advertising.
My first job was doing research and direct-mail fundraising for a homeless shelter for battered women and children. It was an amazing experience. My next job was polar opposite - I created marketing materials for a financial institution. Later, I worked in advertising for a natural food retailer. Now I spend time consulting and creating print ads for small businesses in addition to writing for kids.
My experiences working for the homeless shelter helped me understand the importance of communication and the role it plays in how we see and understand each other as a society. It also showed me how grown-ups are instrumental in giving kids hope, health, and inspiration to succeed.
I eventually married a nice guy named Lee, an accountant who is the son of an Italian baker and a Taiwanese immigrant. He was the first person in his family to graduate college. In our home, we value education and books - something we learned from our own parents. We have two school-aged kids, Erika and Alex. From the moment I held my daughter in my arms and read to her, I knew I wanted to write children's books.
I wrote a bedtime story called LISTEN and submitted it to the Writer's Digest contest. I won first place. Yet publishers were not interested in my manuscript. The contest was an important step to my success, though, because It validated my skills as a writer and I was motivated to continue with my efforts to be a children's book author. Little did I know it would take many more years and much more work.
I was born in Walnut Creek, California, the middle child of five kids. Don't believe everything you hear about the forgotten middle child. We have our methods for getting noticed.
My siblings and I became involved with music at an early age, often performing musical shows for the entire neighborhood. At one point, we formed a string quartet, bringing our music to local events. I was the violist.
Summers were spent camping, swimming, and going to the local library. We were a rowdy bunch. Much of our time revolved around rivalry, shoe-throwing fights, and torturous plots.
Our house was also filled with books and plenty of places to read. My mother loved poetry and I spent many hours absorbed in her collections of Frost and Dickinson.
My siblings excelled at everything academic. I excelled at daydreaming. One early memory is of my stay at Stanford Children's Hospital. I had heart surgery at age four and a half. I remember sneaking out of my hospital bed and finding my way to the playroom in the middle of the night. The nurses were not amused.
I didn't go looking for trouble, but somehow I was always in it.
And Then I Grew Up
I worked my way through college and graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Advertising.
My first job was doing research and direct-mail fundraising for a homeless shelter for battered women and children. It was an amazing experience. My next job was polar opposite - I created marketing materials for a financial institution. Later, I worked in advertising for a natural food retailer. Now I spend time consulting and creating print ads for small businesses in addition to writing for kids.
My experiences working for the homeless shelter helped me understand the importance of communication and the role it plays in how we see and understand each other as a society. It also showed me how grown-ups are instrumental in giving kids hope, health, and inspiration to succeed.
I eventually married a nice guy named Lee, an accountant who is the son of an Italian baker and a Taiwanese immigrant. He was the first person in his family to graduate college. In our home, we value education and books - something we learned from our own parents. We have two school-aged kids, Erika and Alex. From the moment I held my daughter in my arms and read to her, I knew I wanted to write children's books.
I wrote a bedtime story called LISTEN and submitted it to the Writer's Digest contest. I won first place. Yet publishers were not interested in my manuscript. The contest was an important step to my success, though, because It validated my skills as a writer and I was motivated to continue with my efforts to be a children's book author. Little did I know it would take many more years and much more work.
My sister Karen (L) me (Middle) and sister Lisa (R). The original tough chicks 1968.
Gosh, I was cute. Like my little chick hair-do? I identify with the chick Molly - the one who likes playing in the mud.
I DID IT!
How did I do it? I approached writing for kids the same way I would have prepared for any other career. I studied, went to tons of SCBWI conferences, looked at books, read reviews, asked questions, joined a critique group, researched like crazy, and wrote. I wrote a lot. I edited a lot. I've probably written 100 stories, but only sold three to publishers.
My thoughts on writing? For me, it's about the music and the rhythms found in words. The joys of my childhood - music and poetry - wrapped up in the words of today. I love to honor the impulses of our spirited children. I tell my kids I have the best job in the world. I'm a professional daydreamer.
How did I do it? I approached writing for kids the same way I would have prepared for any other career. I studied, went to tons of SCBWI conferences, looked at books, read reviews, asked questions, joined a critique group, researched like crazy, and wrote. I wrote a lot. I edited a lot. I've probably written 100 stories, but only sold three to publishers.
My thoughts on writing? For me, it's about the music and the rhythms found in words. The joys of my childhood - music and poetry - wrapped up in the words of today. I love to honor the impulses of our spirited children. I tell my kids I have the best job in the world. I'm a professional daydreamer.