It all seems so fantastic on the surface, but no one sees that my picture book came about through many bumps and bruises (and yes, tears too). Here's part 1 of my picture book adventure.
moreCreating a picture book: the basics
First, the basics. A picture book seems so easy, but when I started, I discovered it's not that simple. How do you write a good story for your target audience? How many illustrations do you use, and in which part of the text? What message do you want to convey? How do you create the same characters over and over again? How do you make your characters believable? And what about the technical aspects, printing, formatting, and editing? Oh, and do you choose a publisher or do you do it yourself?
No one told me beforehand that all this comes your way once you decide to write a picture book. And that's a good thing, because otherwise I certainly wouldn't have started!
Creating a Picture Book: Find Your Drive
Why? Why do I have to do this? Why do I keep going? I've asked myself this question dozens of times (often when I was in tears and couldn't bear it anymore). I discovered that this question is incredibly important. I had to do this; I had a story to tell. And I had found something I truly wanted to do again in my life. I knew I would regret it if I stopped, and that it would severely damage my self-confidence. Giving up simply wasn't an option!
That drive. I've discovered over the past year how incredibly important it is. Sticking to something and also accepting the negative feelings, doubts, and insecurities that come with it. It's simply not always fun. But I think that applies to almost everyone who tries new things, pursues dreams, or takes on big projects. It's simply a matter of trial and error. But if you know why you're doing it, what drives you, you'll get back up even after you fall!
Experience is more important than I thought
A little more about the trial and error. Looking back, I see that I now have confidence. I'm currently working on a second picture book, and it's already going so much easier. In the dark moments, I now have the experience of the first picture book. I trust that I'll get back up after falling, that there will be an end, that I can do it. I don't immediately get stressed out anymore, and I need fewer tissues to catch tears. Conclusion: with experience, it gets easier. Not just the technical side, but also the emotional side!
My first attempt
I wanted to make a picture book about a flying bed. So I enthusiastically started sketching and brainstorming. The sketches were there, I had a rough idea of how the story should unfold, but nothing more. Enthusiastically, I started painting. Nice pictures, but I was completely stuck. The book had no depth yet, no story! All the illustrations from that attempt ended up in the proverbial trash. Conclusion: you have to have a good story before you start drawing. You guessed it, it knocked my confidence, and it took some effort to start over.
Bumbling with the story
Then I decided to delve into picture books, writing, and stories. I read books, asked people for advice, and then I didn't dare do anything at all. It suddenly seemed so complicated. So many "rules" and tips. You know that feeling? Having to meet so many "requirements" that you just shut down?
I let it rest for a while, putting all the information aside, and when I felt a bit better, I started writing the story. This time, based on the theme (which is so important to me) and with a protagonist who truly comes from my own experience. This made it more personal, and therefore scarier. But at the same time, it made it feel more real.
I enlisted the help of an editor (I've already forgotten how to say that politely, but she was fantastic!) to get some tips on readability for the target audience and, of course, language control. This taught me a lot, but also gave me confidence that what I'd come up with wasn't completely ridiculous (otherwise she probably would have mentioned it; I think I only asked three times, haha!).
This entire writing process (not even all the research) took two months. I didn't see that coming! I thought I'd just "get" my picture book done in two months. And now, there wasn't even a sketch on paper!
Paint and go!
Sounds easy enough, but it wasn't! It was a lot, a whole lot. And of course, I'd planned it to be about six children. And I knew that. Six characters, all of whom had to look alike. Sixteen full spreads (full pages) and I'd never done anything like this before. I can easily create a nice illustration, but believe me. Doing the same thing twice (let alone sixteen times the same character with different emotions) is really hard!
Luckily, I had help from a friend who's also working on a picture book (thanks!!), and together we dragged ourselves through all the doubts. From enjoying ourselves, celebrating successes, checking things off, to starting over. It all came up.
The doubt is still there
Wow, you didn't expect that, did you? Such a rollercoaster of emotions, struggles, trying, and doing it anyway. I'd like to end on a very positive note, saying that it truly is the most fun thing I've ever done in my life. That I enjoyed it so much. That I'm proud and completely happy. But that's not the case, not yet. As I type this blog post, the book has yet to be published, and it's just incredibly exciting. It's become a very personal story (I'll blog about that in part 2 or 3), and that makes it a bit vulnerable. But when I talked to my coach about my book last week, I could feel for the first time that I was proud and happy that this important story is now coming out into the world. Proud that I persevered, that I've realized this dream!
So, it'll all work out, and if you want to make a picture book yourself: don't overthink it, just start! You'll see what you come up with!
Next time
In the next installments, I'll update you on the story and what makes it so personal. And there's another installment coming up about self-publishing. I get a lot of questions about this on Instagram, so I'll tell you all about it! Don't want to miss anything? Subscribe to the newsletter or follow me on Instagram (see links below).
PS: You can pre-order my book now. Click HERE .
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