The Finalists
I chose a few of my favorite artists and asked them to draw the same scene from my book. Here are the results:
Will the Real Ulele Please Stand Up?
I’ve been auditioning multiple artists from Fiverr.com to illustrate my children’s picture book, The Princess & Pirate. The main character is a Native American girl from Florida named Ulele. (Pronounced you-LAY-lee). Here are the versions created so far:
Time to Find an Illustrator
It’s been two years since I finished the first draft of my children’s picture book, The Princess and Pirate. Without going into the details, let’s just say these were not two very great years. But now that things are settling down I decided it’s time to get back to work on my book. I found…
A Chapter Book?
Which would be easier: to edit the 1500 word first draft down to 1000 words to make a picture book OR expand the 6500 word first draft up to become a chapter book? I’ve decided to expand. Yes, I’ll still keep the picture book idea but I wanted to create a “middle grade” book anyways…
First Draft Complete
The first draft of my picture book is now complete! Signing up for Anastasia Suen’s “Picture Book Internsive” online course was the best idea so far. It forced me to meet weekly deadlines and really work through my story beats. Oh, and I also changed the name of the book. Originally the book was going…
A New Plan
I’ve been reading lots of children’s books lately. I’ve noticed something interesting about Disney books. They often have multiple versions of the same story all targeted at different age groups. Thus they’ll have a picture book version of the story as well as a “junior novel” version of the story. What a great idea! I…
Build an Audience with a Book
Well, I finished my consultation with Dreamworks producer, Bonnie Solomon. She advised that I should definitely pursue a book project in order to build an audience for this story. I think that’s a good strategy so now it’s time to get writing for real!
Help?!
I made good progress in creating my story beats or plot in Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat workshop but writing a picture book is a lot harder than it at first seems. So I’ve decided to sign up for a Picture Book Intensive online course given by prolific children’s book editor, Anastasia Suen, to help…
The Plot Thickens
Years ago I discovered a screenwriting method called “Save the Cat.” Basically it’s a story theory which many, if not most, Hollywood stories follow. I realized that this method could also be applied to books. So I’m currently using the Save the Cat books and associated software to “beat out” or plot out my story.…
Screenplay or Book?
Coming from a film school background, I’m most comfortable writing for that medium. So I’ve decided to consult with a Hollywood producer to see what input and insights they might have regarding my story. This service is called the Insider Strategy Session offered by Voyage Media. They give you a few producers to choose from…