“I suppose that every one of us hopes secretly for immortality; to leave, I mean, a name behind him which will live forever in this world, whatever he may be doing, himself, in the next.”
A.A. Milne
The Works of Milne
Alan Alexander Milne, better known as A.A. Milne, was a well-known playwright and author of children’s poetry and short stories. He was also a famous screenwriter in the late 1910s-early 1920s. But he was not popular from any of those endeavors.
In February 1924, an appearance from a “silly ol’ bear” was made in a poem titled “Teddy Bear,” which was first published in ‘Punch’ magazine. Later, in 1926, the book “Winnie-the-Pooh” was published and followed in 1928 by “The House at Pooh Corner.” Afterwards, Milne became known as the author of Pooh Bear, and the story of his creation became legendary.
The Story Behind Winnie the Pooh
As with many children’s stories, Winnie the Pooh was originally written by Milne as a story for his son. The boy, Christopher Robin Milne, was the largest influence on the Pooh stories. Christopher had a stuffed bear which he named Winnie after seeing a Canadian black bear called Winnie at the London Zoo. The Milne boy also gave a swan the name of Pooh, which is where the second half of the bear’s name originates. Other characters in the stories – Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger – were designed based on Christopher’s stuffed animals that he kept in his room. Author Milne later added Owl and Rabbit from his own imagination.
Find Your Own Inspiration
Creators of all types draw from what’s around them. Even illustrator E. H. Shepard used Ashdown Forest – a real forest in East Sussex, South East England – when creating the images for the Pooh books. I’m sure that William Kent Krueger had seen the night sky reflected in the water, “like a swatch of black velvet sewn with a million sequins.” (Mercy Falls) Find inspiration anywhere that you can. Whether it’s a bird flying overhead or an old song playing on a phonograph, you can find a way to take it and make it yours.
“The only excuse which I have yet discovered for writing anything is that I want to write it; and I should be as proud to be delivered of a Telephone Directory con amore as I should be ashamed to create a Blank Verse Tragedy at the bidding of others.”
A.A. Milne
