The story so far… As a stay-at-home dad my working hours are cut in the summer holidays (no kids in school), so I had the cunning idea to write and produce a children’s story book with my six year old daughter Alba, who wants to be an author when she grows up (as well as a shopkeeper, obviously).
Two children who absolutely didn’t need to be bribed to pose with some books
We took her idea for a title – The Dog that Mooed, and the cow that woofd – and wrote a full story around it, using (I hope) all the tricks and theories of storytelling that I’ve picked up in writing four full-length novels. The story is about a little girl who lives beside a mysterious wall. She’s not allowed anywhere near, but being an adventurous type, she finds a way over and discovers a bizarre farm where all the animals are mixed up. And what’s worse, she suddenly finds she’s at risk of being mixed up herself…
It took quite a while but it’s now ‘finished’ (Finished-ish. I can’t read it through without tweaking a word here or there, but we’re generally happy with it.)
The next stage was supposed to be finding an artist to work with to illustrate the story. But before I get to that, there’s been a bit of a twist. (Spoiler alert: a wiser parent might have seen this coming…)
It turns out I have two children (who knew?) And Rafa, my little boy, thought the idea that he wasn’t going to be involved was very funny indeed. It was all of five minutes before he announced his the title of his own book. And since I’m clearly dangerously besotted, it also struck me as rather good. Rafa’s title was ‘The Hole in Casey’s Garden’. (He and a friend called Casey had been comparing buckets and spades at the time, I hadn’t realised, but buckets and spades are really important to four year olds.) Anyway. Once I heard this I sat right down and wrote a story to fit this title in about 15 minutes.
The idea in doing so was, not exactly to placate Rafa, but to make him feel involved, while not actually moving forward and getting his story illustrated. It was just a quick story to keep him amused for the five seconds that his attention span usually lasts. There was a lot more effort and creative struggle put into Alba’s story The Dog that Mooed. (I set out in my last blogpost how I tried to explain to Alba about the theory and practice of story structure, the hero’s journey etc…).
So when I sat down to read both stories aloud to the various kids that seem to hang around our house these days (where do they all come from?) I had a clear expectation that the Dog that Mooed would be the better story, the one that the children enjoyed the most. It took longer to write and there was more in it. More thought, more care and attention, more story. The Hole in Casey’s Garden was a bit of fun, something to keep Rafa amused, but nothing I’d want to take forward. Right?
Wrong. Everyone liked The Dog that Mooed. The kids I read it to, their parents. They went off happily quoting some of the funnier rhymes. I was pretty happy. Alba was beaming. But more often than not, the kids would come back and ask:
‘Can you read The Hole in Casey’s Garden again?’
Not only were they not obviously preferring The Dog that Mooed, if anything they were preferring the other story.
So does this mean that it’s better to bash out a story in fifteen minutes, rather than pour hours of love and attention into it? Perhaps, but it’s not as simple as that. There are other differences between the stories. Firstly The Dog that Mooed is written in rhyming verse, while Casey’s Garden isn’t. I think this means it’s simpler for the children to picture what’s happening at this stage (and remember these are currently picture books that have no pictures). But more importantly, I think it just works as a story. Without really trying it contains all the elements that the ‘thought-about’ story contains, without having to be thought about. But thinking a little deeper that shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Because it has been thought-about, just not in the fifteen minutes it took to write it down. It’s been brewing for years, while I’ve read and re-read thousands of picture books to the children over the last few years (and who knows, maybe from my own childhood too). All I’ve really done is take all my favourite bits and fit them together in one story to fit Rafa’s title.
Anyway, this is all a very long-winded way of saying, I’m now committed to producing and publishing two children’s books, instead of just the one!
Stay tuned and in the next post I hope to be able to show some sample images from the illustrators we’ve chosen. And hopefully I can get back to writing and get Burning Boat out soon too.
Gregg
Hi Greg,
I have really enjoyed reading your blog and am absolutely fascinated by the turn things took! I await now all three books ( granddaughters too old to read them, now just for me!)
This whole concept is both brilliant and different. Gregg you are on another winner .Will wait anxiously for the release. Best wishes.
I’m one of six, so count yourself lucky that you only have to write 2 books!!
Congratulations, hope you get both books with good artist and think an artist for you to consider might be Charlotte Voake. Not sure what her contracts etc are, but love her drawings and must mention she’s married to my nephew!
Delighted to hear of the both kids being involved in the stories. Good work.
So if you want a third string to your bow (after famous writer and potential budding children’s author), how about professional blog writer. My wife and I just fell about reading blog 3.
Having just returned from a week in London looking after my 2 granddaughters, aged 2 and 4,they have exhausted both their book stock, and me, with bedtime stories. So you are guaranteed at least 2 sales of your new children’s ventures for them to enjoy. And I’m looking forward to your latest offering for grownups as well!
Good luck.
Paul
Well done. I’m looking forward to reading both.
I’ve enjoyed reading about your summer holiday project with your children. Also looking forward to reading “Burning Boat” some time soon I hope. Best wishes from NZ.
Sounds great! Now you’re going to be a famous children’s book writer!
I haven’t read anything written by you yet Gregg, but you are currently on my list of “must read” authors! These children’s books both sound very interesting too, will look at them as possible presents. Love children’s books written in verse..surprising that Rafa’s book is provong so popular!!
Two books! What have you let yourself in for? And only a couple of weeks of school holidays left. You and everyone around you seem to be having a great, imaginative, creative time so the books are bound to be fun. Look forward to the results 🙂
When will Burning Boat be coming out—- I can’t wait to read it—-
When will Burning Boat be coming out—- I can’t wait to read it—-
Hey Gregg, it’s great to know that Rafa also wants a story published.
In the meantime, I’m looking forward to Burning Boat.
Cheers
I TOTALLY LOVE YOU ARE DOING BOTH for lots of reasons!
I love the fact they have both written stories (or at least had concepts) I love the fact you want to write them both and spend so much time with both!
I can’t wait to buy the books (even though I haven’t got children lol ) and still waiting for ur next book in September yes!??
Keep amazing Gregg and keep it family amazing xxx
I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed reading this blog about the process of coming up with the two books… I don’t have children, but I am a graphic designer who loves to read (including some young adult books) and LOVE illustration… I can’t wait to see both finished, illustrated books! And I also enjoyed the whole story of how it all came about as well. Kudos. What a great dad you are!