write and illustrate a children's book

I guess the illustration part would be pretty simple, it’s writing the story that’s the obstacle. I wouldn’t really care if it gets published or not. S took a course on writing (with a focus on children’s writing) and I thought “here’s my chance! I just have to wait for her to write the story and then I’ll nab the good part”. Sadly she didn’t finish the course and didn’t write a story. $600 down the proverbial drain.

This goal has been on my list for ages, and has received so many cheers.

Last night I started coming up with ideas for stories for really young children, toddlers, and found I couldn’t stop!

If I stick to no more than five characters, I could even write a series of them.

I’d like the books to be bilingual, but I’m not sure about this yet. I might just have a set in Welsh and a set in English.

...as I just can’t make it a priority right now with all the other projects I have on. BUT, I did just purchase this book from Amazon today. Looking forward to it arriving!

My dad used to invent these hilarious imaginative stories on the spot when we would go camping in the summer. Now, almost 15 years later, I’m majoring in English and taking visual arts courses as well. This, above all my other goals, is the one that would mean the most to me in accomplishing it. Not just for me, but for my dad (the real brains behind it all).

Ell was not an ordinary 8 year old girl, she was not sweet, she was not friendly and above all she hated the colour pink (she loved the singer, in fact she loved all women punks) Ell was horrible; know one liked Ell except her band of bullies they were her servants they would do anything for her. Even steal a golden pen! This story begins at whitmore primary school in Manchester; Ell was once again picking out who she would bully today, or who her gang would bully today, when she saw it! The pen to end all pens the crème on the cake, a golden gel pen infused with silver glitter. This pen belonged to Lizzie fretwell the richest girl in school (her dad invented the moon, or so she says) know one could touch Lizzie not even Ell and her gang, CHIVES!!! Lizzie’s butler/bodyguard. He was huge a master in karate and judo know one messed with him. But Ell had to have that pen she was enchanted, the second lesson came and Lizzie had gone for her hourly make-up check and chives had gone with her, as he never left her side, the pencil case was there the pen in view once again Ell was enchanted now was her chance…

She stepped up to the pen, imagine what she could do with that! draw the sun, the stars the golden earrings that she had recently been admiring in the pound shop window. So she took it! The pen of her dreams. When Lizzie re entered the room she immediately noticed the pen missing and sounded the alarm, all the teachers were informed and all the pupils were questioned, but know one knew anything (except Ell who just lied, she loved lying.)

Ell Decided not to use the pen at school in case someone noticed it was Lizzie’s pen! 3 days later a police women arrived at the school to give a talk about thieves and robberies, ‘oh no’ Ell was in trouble she couldn’t get out of this she had to admit it she had to give the pen back. In the class assembly when the police lady asked if anyone had ever stole anything Ell stood up, a sudden gasp stood in the air. “I have stolen a pen, a special pen, go on arrest me, take me away and cuff me” after the assembly miss lebrotum, the head teacher had a private word with Ell and Lizzie Ell had to stay in every day at lunch sharpening pencils, and she had to return the pen to Lizzie that was the worst part of it, she hardly even got to use the pen no suns, no stars. Ell was horrible…

I remember thinking of storylines when I was younger (young enough to be reading them). I wrote them all down, and someday I want to make them better and finally get them published. It would please the child in me.

I really hope to do this someday. I actually have a class this fall: Children’s Literature, where I heard part of the requirement is to write a children’s book!

...

is a long-standing dream of mine.

I have started volunteering for a local project in my area called Craigmillar Books for Babies. It is a multi-agency project which aims to encourage and support parents and carers to share books and stories with their babies and to promote reading as a relevant and worthwhile source of pleasure which enhances children’s early development.

http://www.craigmillarbooksforbabies.org.uk/

It will give me the opportunity to meet some local illustrators who may potentially give me some tips as to how to go about this goal. It’s a competitive field and I need all the help and advice I can get! I met one of the illustrators today and she was very nice. I’m volunteering again tomorrow and she will be there again too. And on Friday we will meet again along with another well known Scottish illustrator who I will get to meet for the first time. It’s very exciting!

At the moment I am just helping them set up an exhibition space to celebrate their 10 year anniversary (this Friday) but in the long run, I’m hoping to offer my illustration / writing skills for various rhyme cards, posters etc that they need.