Striking screenwriters writing kids books

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Several people sidelined by the Hollywood writers strike said they are penning children's tales to pass the time while they wait to go back to work.

"It's kind of a nice way to do something creative at a time when we're having a hard time doing our bread-and-butter work," David N. Weiss, a "Rugrats" writer and WGA official, who recently turned in a first draft of the children's book "Carl the Frog," told The Hollywood Reporter.

Former "Simpsons" and "Malcolm in the Middle" writer David Sacks, who is now an executive producer on Comedy Central's "The Root of All Evil," is writing "Vigfus," a story about Vikings who come to contemporary New York and find the city too tame for their tastes, the entertainment industry trade paper said.

Former "Raven" executive producer Dava Savel is composing a tale about a boy who creates his own town to avoid his sister.

The titles are part of Worthwhile Books, a new imprint at IDT/IDW, The Hollywood Reporter said.

"We're a small publishing house, so we're not a struck company, and these writers can write as much as they want," said Robert Kurtz, the company's creative director, who also has a background in television.