VIDEO: Robert McKee on Story
The author of Story and probably the most highly respected screen-writer in Hollywood was recently interviewed on London Real. There is some great advice in here for writers of all media and genres. The video starts on YouTube, or you can watch the whole thing at LondonReal.
Snow in Edinburgh
I constantly tell people the weather in Scotland is just not that bad. It's temperate - rarely gets below freezing in the winter and rarely get above 75°f (about 24°c) in the summers. If you've heard otherwise, it's because a Scotsman told you and they are notorious storytellers - as in the "don't let the truth get in the way of a good story" variety. Most of them have also not experienced winters elsewhere, so they have nothing to compare it to. SO! When we get snow here, it's as much a cause for celebration as it was in Georgia (where it was usually much colder). That said, the snow is also fleeting. I promised pictures, but have to admit, our lovely snow-storm only lasted a few hours and quickly melted away. Here was the view out our front windows.
Friday Links List - 29 December 2017
From Literary Hub: The 64 Best Book Covers of 2017 (According to the Experts: Book Designers!)
From The Scottish Book Trust: Scottish Picture Books of 2017
Also from the Scottish Book Trust: Best books of the year for children - all picked by authors
From NPR: Why Teens Find The End Of The World So Appealing
From SLJ: Stargazing: Let's Prioritize Environmental Literacy
From Brightly:
18 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018
18 of the Most Buzzed-About Middle Grade Books of 2018
18 of the MOst Exciting YA Books to Read in 2018
From SLJ: A Passion for Words: Three Bibliophiles Who Changed the World
Also from SLJ: FCC Kills Net Neutrality, Fight Likely to Move to Courts
From The Scottish Book Trust: Scottish Picture Books of 2017
Also from the Scottish Book Trust: Best books of the year for children - all picked by authors
From NPR: Why Teens Find The End Of The World So Appealing
From SLJ: Stargazing: Let's Prioritize Environmental Literacy
From Brightly:
18 Must-Read Picture Books of 2018
18 of the Most Buzzed-About Middle Grade Books of 2018
18 of the MOst Exciting YA Books to Read in 2018
From SLJ: A Passion for Words: Three Bibliophiles Who Changed the World
Also from SLJ: FCC Kills Net Neutrality, Fight Likely to Move to Courts
Ged Adamson's SHARK DOG
Ged Adamson is on a roll! He visits again to share the creative process behind his newest title, SHARK DOG!
Fantastic Beasts!
Ged Adamson
My picture books can roughly be divided into two basic categories:
With Douglas, I started to think of scenarios. He’s short-sighted so he’s taken to the eye doctor and he gets glasses. What happens to him then? Hmm.
How about he starts to not just see the world more clearly but his mind and imagination open up to knowledge and ideas? He then wants to lead other dogs to enlightenment. Like a canine Timothy Leary. He holds a meeting but then the dogs’ owners organise a protest. As you can see, the story started to get out of hand. My editor at Random House, the fabulous Lee Wade, said I should have a rethink. Strip it back but keep it funny. There has to be some truth in there. When people get glasses, they suddenly see the world clearly. This is a beautiful and amazing thing in itself. Douglas doesn’t have to have a mind-altering epiphany!
With Shark Dog though, my process was different. I thought about story of course but my focus was the feel and style of the book. I wanted to create a world around the main character that had a certain look and humour to it.
I decided that Shark Dog would be discovered by explorers. But how should these explorers look? I thought the best and most fun way to present them would be to have them dressed in a kind of 1960s/70s style. Nowadays, travelers and explorers are kitted out head to foot in expensive, for-the-purpose, hi-vis outfits. But in the days of Jaques Cousteau and Chris Bonnington, utility gear would be mixed up with ‘normal’ clothes. So this is the look I gave to the father and son who discover Shark Dog.
There’s definitely a story and a message in Shark Dog! but my main aim was that children would be intrigued by this funny looking animal and laugh at his exploits and adventures in the world of humans. The idea is always ‘how would Shark Dog act in this situation?’ rather than ‘how will Shark Dog fit into this storyline?’
You could say that the story is kind of a ‘vehicle’ in the same way you would use this term to describe a movie.
This continues into the next Shark Dog book, Shark Dog And The School Trip Rescue. The title sums up what happens: there’s a school trip and Shark Dog comes along for the ride, ultimately saving the day!
So next time you desperately want to fit in but can’t, think of Shark Dog and and rejoice, because, after all, we’re secretly, every one of us, the oddest creatures.
Fantastic Beasts!
Ged Adamson
My picture books can roughly be divided into two basic categories:
1. Odd HappeningsIt’s definitely to the latter category that my character Shark Dog belongs. He’s a strange creature indeed - half shark and half dog. But with his eager curiosity and lovable friendliness, it’s the dog side that seems to dominate. Who knows what weird evolutionary meanderings led to such an extraordinary animal?
2. Strange Creatures
With Douglas, I started to think of scenarios. He’s short-sighted so he’s taken to the eye doctor and he gets glasses. What happens to him then? Hmm.
How about he starts to not just see the world more clearly but his mind and imagination open up to knowledge and ideas? He then wants to lead other dogs to enlightenment. Like a canine Timothy Leary. He holds a meeting but then the dogs’ owners organise a protest. As you can see, the story started to get out of hand. My editor at Random House, the fabulous Lee Wade, said I should have a rethink. Strip it back but keep it funny. There has to be some truth in there. When people get glasses, they suddenly see the world clearly. This is a beautiful and amazing thing in itself. Douglas doesn’t have to have a mind-altering epiphany!
With Shark Dog though, my process was different. I thought about story of course but my focus was the feel and style of the book. I wanted to create a world around the main character that had a certain look and humour to it.
I decided that Shark Dog would be discovered by explorers. But how should these explorers look? I thought the best and most fun way to present them would be to have them dressed in a kind of 1960s/70s style. Nowadays, travelers and explorers are kitted out head to foot in expensive, for-the-purpose, hi-vis outfits. But in the days of Jaques Cousteau and Chris Bonnington, utility gear would be mixed up with ‘normal’ clothes. So this is the look I gave to the father and son who discover Shark Dog.
There’s definitely a story and a message in Shark Dog! but my main aim was that children would be intrigued by this funny looking animal and laugh at his exploits and adventures in the world of humans. The idea is always ‘how would Shark Dog act in this situation?’ rather than ‘how will Shark Dog fit into this storyline?’
You could say that the story is kind of a ‘vehicle’ in the same way you would use this term to describe a movie.
This continues into the next Shark Dog book, Shark Dog And The School Trip Rescue. The title sums up what happens: there’s a school trip and Shark Dog comes along for the ride, ultimately saving the day!
So next time you desperately want to fit in but can’t, think of Shark Dog and and rejoice, because, after all, we’re secretly, every one of us, the oddest creatures.
Drawing for Fun - Tam Lin
I drew this over the holidays in pen and ink - just playing. Anybody recognize the story? It's Tam Lin - Janet holds tight to her love as the Fairy Queen transforms him into all manner of beasts.
Coloring Page Tuesday - Happy 2018!
CLICK HERE to sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and... Please check out my books! Especially...
my debut novel, A BIRD ON WATER STREET - winner of over a dozen literary awards, including Georgia Author of the Year. Click the cover to learn more!When the birds return to Water Street, will anyone be left to hear them sing? A miner's strike allows green and growing things to return to the Red Hills, but that same strike may force residents to seek new homes and livelihoods elsewhere. Follow the story of Jack Hicks as he struggles to hold onto everything he loves most.
I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.
VIDEO: The University of Glasgow during Winter Break
I love this video of the main University of Glasgow campus during winter closing. And if you're wondering... yes, it really is this beautiful. Click the image to watch online.
Friday Links List - 22 December 2017
From Lee & Low Books: Using Picture Books to Support Social Emotional Learning
From Book Riot (via Cynsations): 7 Intersectional Fairy Tale Retellings
From The Bookseller: Literary Fiction Under Threat, ACE Report Concludes
From The Eric Carle Museum: EIGHTY YEARS OF CALDECOTT BOOKS exhibit!
From The Guardian: The best children's books of 2017
Also from the Guardian: Rachel Cooke's best graphic novels of 2017
From The Bookseller: Newton warns of European rights grab after Brexit
From The Daily Mini (via BookShelf): Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Urban Art Scenes by Anonymouse!!!
From the Scottish Poetry Library: Wild Women of a Certain Age by Magi Gibson
From brainpickings: The 7 Loveliest Children's Books of 2017
From BookRiot: Popular Songs Turned Children's Books
From Book Riot (via Cynsations): 7 Intersectional Fairy Tale Retellings
From The Bookseller: Literary Fiction Under Threat, ACE Report Concludes
From The Eric Carle Museum: EIGHTY YEARS OF CALDECOTT BOOKS exhibit!
From The Guardian: The best children's books of 2017
Also from the Guardian: Rachel Cooke's best graphic novels of 2017
From The Bookseller: Newton warns of European rights grab after Brexit
From The Daily Mini (via BookShelf): Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Urban Art Scenes by Anonymouse!!!
From the Scottish Poetry Library: Wild Women of a Certain Age by Magi Gibson
From brainpickings: The 7 Loveliest Children's Books of 2017
From BookRiot: Popular Songs Turned Children's Books
Roxie Munro's MASTERPIECE MIX
I'm thrilled to have Roxie Munro on today to talk about her latest book, MASTERPIECE MIX. Talk about a savvy children's book creator - she has her fingers in so many wonderful kidlit projects. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person when she and her hubbie visited Edinburgh not too long ago. We'd been talking about her visiting my blog ever since. So, prepare for a visual feast from a Master herself! Welcome, Roxie!
Roxie: I’m a “visual thinker.” I get my ideas and develop concepts often by imagery. That’s the way I start, conceive of, and develop my books. So I do a storyboard, dummy, rough sketches, and often final art before I start the text, which is a bit unusual. (Most of the research is done prior to starting the illustrations.) I write to the art, which dictates the concept, the beginning, middle and end, and the flow of the book.
Roxie: It has to be visually rich and sometimes unpredictable. I do not “talk down” to children in my work. Children are keen viewers of art (40% of kids are considered “visual learners”). I want them to have something to really look at, to see – not to skim over, but to engage with, to become absorbed in.
Roxie: In the late 1990s, I was encouraged to do a book about my process – about making art – by my former editor at Dutton. So I created a book dummy and gave it to her. She promptly rejected it, and I stuck it in a drawer for more than a dozen years. A couple years ago I took it out and showed it to my editor, Mary Cash, at Holiday House. They suggested a slight change in the middle part of the book, which was great – that was the “click” that it needed - and they bought it. The beginning and end and most of the book is as I first envisioned it, but the examples of great paintings were based in my first iteration on techniques and formal matters (perspective, color, use of patterns, creating volume, etc); in the new book the examples are based on genres (still lifes, portraits, landscapes, etc). The salient quote from my father – “Do what you really love” – is true. That is what he told his children.
Roxie: I have always been a working professional artist. Did fine art gallery-exhibited paintings and editorial work in Washington DC (for newspapers and magazines) right out of college.
Roxie: I love to get an idea and see if I can make it work. A lot of my books use “gamification” to impart content – mazes, search-n-find, ABCs, shapes, lift-the-flap moveable books – so sometimes it takes a while to figure out whether the device or construct I want to use will work for the subject.
Roxie: You often need to combine history and previous knowledge with new concepts, and wrap the idea around your own sensibilities. So the challenge is making the idea both personal AND universal - letting others relate, and have the Aha! moment.
Roxie: Rodent Rascals, a book about rats and other such critters, comes out in February 2018 from Holiday House. The conceit is that they are all drawn actual size, which gets dicey when you are doing a beaver (three feet long) or a capybara (four and a half feet) and the trim size of the book is 10 inches by 10 inches.
Am awaiting word right now from my publisher on a couple projects (a lift-the-flap book and an ABC concept book).
I didn't submit the following idea to them, but when you asked what my dream project would be .... I have created and completed eight pieces of finished art for a series of complex mazes for a book called MazePlay that I LOVE doing. It’s probably too abstract (and quirky) for a regular kid’s trade book though. Visit www.roxiemunro.com/ to see more.
Roxie: I’m a “visual thinker.” I get my ideas and develop concepts often by imagery. That’s the way I start, conceive of, and develop my books. So I do a storyboard, dummy, rough sketches, and often final art before I start the text, which is a bit unusual. (Most of the research is done prior to starting the illustrations.) I write to the art, which dictates the concept, the beginning, middle and end, and the flow of the book.
Roxie: It has to be visually rich and sometimes unpredictable. I do not “talk down” to children in my work. Children are keen viewers of art (40% of kids are considered “visual learners”). I want them to have something to really look at, to see – not to skim over, but to engage with, to become absorbed in.
Roxie: In the late 1990s, I was encouraged to do a book about my process – about making art – by my former editor at Dutton. So I created a book dummy and gave it to her. She promptly rejected it, and I stuck it in a drawer for more than a dozen years. A couple years ago I took it out and showed it to my editor, Mary Cash, at Holiday House. They suggested a slight change in the middle part of the book, which was great – that was the “click” that it needed - and they bought it. The beginning and end and most of the book is as I first envisioned it, but the examples of great paintings were based in my first iteration on techniques and formal matters (perspective, color, use of patterns, creating volume, etc); in the new book the examples are based on genres (still lifes, portraits, landscapes, etc). The salient quote from my father – “Do what you really love” – is true. That is what he told his children.
Roxie: I have always been a working professional artist. Did fine art gallery-exhibited paintings and editorial work in Washington DC (for newspapers and magazines) right out of college.
Roxie: I love to get an idea and see if I can make it work. A lot of my books use “gamification” to impart content – mazes, search-n-find, ABCs, shapes, lift-the-flap moveable books – so sometimes it takes a while to figure out whether the device or construct I want to use will work for the subject.
Roxie: You often need to combine history and previous knowledge with new concepts, and wrap the idea around your own sensibilities. So the challenge is making the idea both personal AND universal - letting others relate, and have the Aha! moment.
Roxie: Rodent Rascals, a book about rats and other such critters, comes out in February 2018 from Holiday House. The conceit is that they are all drawn actual size, which gets dicey when you are doing a beaver (three feet long) or a capybara (four and a half feet) and the trim size of the book is 10 inches by 10 inches.
Am awaiting word right now from my publisher on a couple projects (a lift-the-flap book and an ABC concept book).
I didn't submit the following idea to them, but when you asked what my dream project would be .... I have created and completed eight pieces of finished art for a series of complex mazes for a book called MazePlay that I LOVE doing. It’s probably too abstract (and quirky) for a regular kid’s trade book though. Visit www.roxiemunro.com/ to see more.
Coloring Page Tuesday - Book Tree!
Click the cover to learn about this state-themed picture book! Makes a GREAT teacher gift! Don't live in Georgia? Check with your local bookseller - Sterling has a version for each state.
I create my coloring pages for teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents to enjoy for free with their children, but you can also purchase rights to an image for commercial use, please contact me. If you have questions about usage, please visit my Angel Policy page.
