I first started out as a poet and genre writer. I did horror, Sci- Fi, gothic, and fantasy back then.
One day my mom told me I should write a book for children. I was frightened. I knew writing for child was hard but I caved in. It's like putting a whole novel in a few short pages.
I enjoyed it. I loved writing these little books.
Children's fiction is like putting out a whole novel in just a few pages and it's a form of art all its own.
If you get a hand written rejection, or a note other than a form letter, your work is on the right track.
Once accepted your fiction will get edited. Editing makes good writing better.
Each publisher is different when it comes to the artwork. With some ebook publishers the artist was chosen for me. I have worked with
amazing artists such as Anne O'Konski, Kym Jones and others.
The smaller houses do not provide art and this has to be supplied by the writer. I found my own form of art that people look at my ebook and say that is done in my own art sculpture style. My art has
became another voice for me. Can you pulp paper, photographs, homemade quilts, felt, and/or finger paint? Not all art has to be paint, and pencil. I love to doodle I am just not very good at it. I would love to paint it is not me, It's best query the publisher to ask permission to send your manuscript unless writer guidelines.
Most of the time I start with the story first. It's very rare that I do the art first for a picture ebook.
Each story comes in its own way. Some are very hard to come up with, some are like seeds that just plant themselves inside the mind and
grow with care. Some stories I don't know where they come from. They just come anyway and yell, "Here I am, write me."
With Star Babies: A story of adoption. www.writers-exchange.com
I first wrote a story about a little girl who loved to play games with her family, but something was missing. A day or two later I started writing a story about adoption and I looked at my first story. I realized they were like a puzzle and fit within each other.
I started adding more and more and I liked the mom in the story.
Inspiration is sometimes hard to find, but writing for children is joyous.
There is a thrill when a writer gets when the CD arrives with real case and cover. That makes it all worth it.