In looking back over my blog thus far, it seems a little, well, boring. Mostly just “newsy” updates on writing projects.
Yawn.
I want to blog more, but there are so many rules to follow to do a blog “right.” And for me to learn to write according to those rules would take time, and would siphon time and energy from the fun, creative playground that words and stories are supposed to be.
I love to write. I love to share things I’ve learned that may help other writers (or others with dreams they are following or want to follow). There are times I want to post a “dear diary” entry, or share about something that’s worked for me–or hasn’t worked for me–in writing. There are times I want to be spontaneous and share a fun little “ditty,” or artwork or a photograph. Or a scene in a story I’m working on. But I haven’t because most of it doesn’t fit in the parameters of what a blog “should” be.
So this is what I have decided. For blogging to work, I have to do it my way. Yes, I hope that it provides value for anyone who wants to stop by and read it. But in the end, this blog is my blog and I’m writing it for myself as much as anything or anyone else.
I CAN promise three things: posts on my blog will be varied, real, and erratic. That’s the story of my life on a daily basis, so I guess it makes sense for my blog posts to be a reflection of reality.
So, how many blog posts would a blog poster post if a blog poster would post posts? Check back in with me next year, and let’s find out!
What do you really know about the book Do NOT Turn This Page?
When you read the title you can probably guess it’s a humorous story about what might happen if you turn the pages in a book when you’re told NOT to do so. You may also guess that the book is told in second person point-of-view, which makes the reader an integral part of the story.
When you look at the cover you may ascertain that this is a book for children, especially early- to mid-elementary students. (Although it appeals to a far greater audience than that 🙂 )
What are some things you might NOT know about the book?
Do NOT Turn This Page is like a “crossover” between a picture book and a chapter book. The story relies heavily on the turn of the page, so different “layers” are woven throughout the book and visual clues (such as different page backgrounds) help maintain the flow and cohesion of the story. The book also includes line art and a large print, dyslexic-friendly font to appeal to early readers, reluctant readers and readers who may struggle with reading comprehension.
Marvin T. Fendersnatch, the main character in the book (aside from the reader, of course), has a bit of an attitude. He throws Dictionary Definition Bricks (DDBs) at the reader every so often, uses several different languages, and throws in some history and science references to boot.
At least one recognizable famous person makes an appearance (two, if you count an antlered companion as a “person”).
The e-book version of Do NOT Turn This Page has extra, hidden content that can only be be discovered by “click-happy” people.
This book has a protagonist and an antagonist. With two main characters–Marvin and the reader–the question is, which character is really the protagonist, and which one is the antagonist?
Curious to find out more? Be sure to grab a copy of Do NOT Turn This Page and see for yourself 🙂
Enter to win an autographed copy of The Very Hungry Duck!
Entry begins April 21, 2015 (12:00 am) and ends May 1, 2015 (11:59 pm).
Just click on the following link: a Rafflecopter giveaway and follow one or more of the instructions listed there. You can enter every day!
After you enter to win this copy, you can increase your odds of winning another book if you go to Goodreads and enter a separate giveaway there! This link will get you there ASAP: Goodreads giveaway for The Very Hungry Duck.
One of the questions people like to ask is, “How long did it take to write and publish your book?” In this episode of Beyond the Written Page, I share how long it took to write, illustrate, and publish The Very Hungry Duck.
Believe it or not, I find this a hard question to answer. In the video, I share the length of time in months. But it’s hard to “quantify” that time, because when I’m in the middle of a project, I don’t think in terms of hours and minutes. I focus in on the project, and get so caught up in it that I lose track of time (and of other responsibilities I should be taking care of).
And each project is different, so each book I work on will have a different answer. The story/rhyme for The Very Hungry Duck came together very quickly. (In fact, I tell you exactly HOW quickly in the video–be sure to watch it 🙂 )
But very few stories fall into place that way. Most of them require more time for the story line or the right wording to come together.
That’s one of the things I love about stories, and about writing them. Each one has a unique “story” behind how it comes together.
I hope you enjoy learning a little bit about the story behind The Very Hungry Duck. And if you have any questions, please post it in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.
I received the first order of books last night for the second edition of The Very Hungry Duck! I have been so involved with the final details for this book, as well as for my OTHER new book (called Do NOT Turn This Page), that I haven’t shared much about the project with you yet.
So, be sure to watch the above video, then read on to find out more about Duck’s new look!
1. Why a second edition?
I’ve wanted to make a hardcover edition of The Very Hungry Duck so that Duck can find a home in libraries, where she will be able to meet, entertain, and encourage children around the world! The biggest challenge with printing the first edition of the book was figuring out how to make the illustrations appear in printed form the way I intended them to. I redid the original illustrations twice, then made changes to the digital files another couple of times to brighten the images.
I have learned so much about digital illustration, as well as picture book layout and design, during the last year that I decided to give Duck a “page lift,” as I like to call it.
2. What has changed in this second edition?
The color scheme changed dramatically. This helps distinguish the second edition from the first one.
Very little of the text changed in the story–just a word here and there to flow with changes to the page layout.
I redid all the illustrations digitally, though I incorporated the original character drawings.
This book is 32 pages. The original edition was 24 pages.
I included a number of new, fun illustrations.
I used a new font for the text, called Quicksand. I chose it because most of the letters look similar to letters that preschoolers and Kindergartners learn to recognize and write. This will help support parents, caregivers and educators as they teach children early reading and writing skills.
3. What is the release date?
The publication date was February 20, 2015. Physical copies of the book should now be available by request through local book stores as well as on my website, and at online retailers. The e-book is available at Amazon.com.
4. Are there other books coming?
Oh, yes! I will be working on translating The Very Hungry Duck into other languages, starting with a Spanish translation. There are also at least three other stories planned for the Duck Tales series. I’m working out the final details in the story line for the second book in the series, which will feature Duck, her Auntie Duck, and a mischievous frog.
Also, in February I completed final edits to my first book for seven- to ten-year-old children, called Do NOT Turn This Page. It was published on February 19, 2015, and is available for purchase by request at local bookstores, at online retailers, or on my website.
5. What surprised me most when I saw the first printed copy?
The book looked so amazing, I almost cried. What surprised me most, though, was the color for the page backgrounds. The background colors I THOUGHT I chose were light purple, dark purple, and a tannish-brown (in addition to plain white). The actual printed colors (except for the plain white) looked off-white, purple-gray, and a mustardy yellow-brown. Although the page colors still worked fine with the story, it was a good reminder that colors can be very different in print than they look on a back-lit computer screen.
If you’d like, you can purchase an autographed copy of The Very Hungry Duck on my book page.
If you have any questions, please let me know! I hope you enjoy Duck’s new look as much as I do!
Writers do a lot of reading! More often than not, the textbooks I learn the most from are picture books.
In this edition of Beyond the Written Page, sneak behind the scenes to find out about a project I’m working on, and a few of the picture book “textbooks” I draw inspiration and direction from.
Without further ado (and in the hopeful absence of additional technical difficulties), here is the first video for Beyond the Written Page!
You may notice the presence of “ums” and “buts” and pauses and all sorts of imperfections in this video (and future ones).
When I decided to start this project, I knew that plenty of it would be NQP, or Not Quite Perfect. I’m okay with that. And I hope you are too. Because if I took myself or the project too seriously, I would never start it–nor would I ever get any writing done.
I made an error in the video that I DO want you to watch out for–I “quoted” an idiom incorrectly. The first person who catches my error and posts it (and the correct saying) in the comments below this blog post will win a free e-book from me!
In the video, I mentioned links to my website and to Facebook. I learned AFTER I recorded the video that I couldn’t embed links in the description (as far as I know). My bad. However, if you’re reading this blog post, you know how to get to my website 🙂
Have you ever wanted to write a book but didn’t know how to start it? Or how to finish it? Or how to try and publish it?
Have you ever wondered exactly WHAT happens behind the doors of an author’s office?
Beyond the Written Page: The Secret Life of a Children’s Author looks behind the scenes at the life of children’s author Bernice Seward (that’s me!). The thrills. The woes. The battle scars. The characters and stories brought to life. The things learned–or relearned–along the writing and publishing journey.
Want to know more? Stop by tomorrow for the first, introductory video!
We have just been informed that the infamous Sheldon Snail and Oscar Slug have been sighted in a video! This is THE FIRST SIGHTING EVER of the infamous friends from the forthcoming graphic novel series, Snail Trails.
Word has it that Sheldon refers to his Merriam-Webster Dictionary App to look up the meaning of the word “intrepid.” That is so like Sheldon!
Be sure to check out the video footage below. And stay tuned for further developments to this story–our photographer assures us she has been able to capture additional photos of Sheldon Snail and Oscar Slug!
And don’t forget to find out more about Stanley & Katrina, and the Word of the Week, at http://www.stanleyandkatrina.com/search/label/word%20of%20the%20week
Teachers, thank you for the innumerable, immeasurable ways you pour your lives out into the lives of the children you teach.
As a small token of thanks, I’m offering copies of my e-book Do Not Click Here free for teachers and educators during the month of November.
For a “preview” of the book, please click on the Do Not Click Here book image on the Home Page. You can also check out the Do Not Click Here Book Page to learn more about the book.
Teachers can follow this link to download the e-book, along with discussion questions and writing prompts.
