Writing

I was thinking that I have talked a bit about the children's book I have been writing, but nothing really in depth about it. This post will hopefully shed a little more light on it.

With my back issues I haven't been able to work since January, and being stuck in a house for most of that time got me thinking. I have always wanted to pursue a career in writing, but have never been able to finish any of the novels I have started. So I got to thinking that I should try something on a less epic scale; I can build up to the ability that J.K. Rowling or John Green has; I don't have to be them now, but it will be the goal line in the future that I strive towards.

Now I am not saying a children's book is simple. It's not. You have to come up with a story that has a morale or lesson to it, that can be told in simple enough words and terms that children will be able to read it. But you don't want to make it limited by the terminology either; that would cause it to not be able to reach a larger audience in people of all ages. You need to find something that means a lot to you and then figure out how to use abstract characters to bring that concept to life.

You also need to think about the style of artwork you want. Do you want something bright and simple flowing, or a little more realistic and detailed. Or do you go with a mix of the two. Then there is the choice, do I try to illustrate it myself or do I find an artist to work with. If you go with an artist, you will still want to do simple mock ups of the kind of imagery that you want to use.

Once you figure out the kind of story and kind of images you want, then it comes to putting it all together. Draft after draft. You start out with the simple sketches and rough words in your story board and make them a bit bigger, a bit more polished. Then the draft where it is closer to the finished size you want, and then add in the colour to the pictures. Trying different colour schemes or placements for the images. Then printing a copy. That is when you get excited but also a little disappointed (in my experience). Everyone always says you are your own worst critic. And I believe that. I saw my book printed and all I could see were the flaws. That is when I decided to try harder.

For me, I wrote and illustrated my book. I got input from others along the way, but the final product on the page is all my own doing. No one else to push blame on. So instead of coming up with an excuse and do what is easy, I worked on the writing, and then redrew and altered each page slightly. It was hard. The way I sit to draw doesn't help my back, but I will do what I need to to make my dream happen. Now the final stage that I have to do is the colouring.

But here. A look at the cover before I colour it.

I know I may never be successful in the is career path, but I know one thing for sure. I want to give my nieces and nephews books that have meaning. I want to show them that trying for a dream is not silly, as long as you know it will be hard and are willing to face each obstacle as they come, you will achieve your dream. Maybe not the way you were hoping or expecting, but definitely in a way that means something.

" It ain't about how hard you're hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" - Rocky Rocky Balboa