DEBORAH Kelly's son Oban was digging around in the dirt at a park in Croudace Bay when he found a small, high-bounce rubber ball.
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Mrs Kelly immediately thought: "Where did it come from? And where is it going?"
These questions inspired her first children's book, The Bouncing Ball, which will be launched in Newcastle next week.
Although Mrs Kelly has written poetry for adults for a number of years, her plunge into children's literature was sparked by her role as a parent.
"I'll often come up with a line in my head, then come up with a beginning and an ending, and work the rest out from there," she said.
"Writing can be a lot easier than other crafts - unlike art, where you have to be there in the moment. You can be thinking about what you are going to write while you are washing the dishes."
She said it was hard to juggle parenthood with writing, but she enjoyed writing for children, who often had short attention spans.
"There's no room for waffle when you write a children's book," she said.
■ The Bouncing Ball will be launched at Newcastle library next Monday, September 30 from 10.30am to 11.15am. There will be a book reading, and cake and craft for the kids.
