Ollerina

work in progress

A couple of sketches for some new stuff I am working on.

Araminta Spook

I came across, Araminta Spook, My Haunted House in. As told by Angie Sage Bestselling Author of Magyk. In Borders, a quick read of the first page and it was coming home with me.
It's a great little read quick easy but I am a grown up and lots of fun. Now i have read it for research I am sending down to my niece and nephew I think they will love it.

Some of my favorite lines are

"I was in my Thursday bedroom."
"Aunt Tabby was sitting at the end of the long table, buttering some toast in a way that made you think the toast had said something really personal and rude."
"Is that my best self raising flour you've been using?" "Yes," I told her "But it didn't work. My feet didn't leave the ground once."

Pure brilliant I wish I had come up with it. www.aramintaspook.co.uk

work in progress

Happy New Year. I don't have any pretty finished pictures to post today everything is work in progress, I am making little cards with ideas for greetings cards.

I am reading Writing a Children's book 3rd edition by Pamela Cleaver it is really very good, I am rewriting my own story at the same time. The book is quick and easy to read and it seems to be improving my story no end.

For a bit of research I am also reading all the Horrid Henry's to my 21 month old he is very taken with the cover of Horrid Henry And The Mega Mean Time Machine (lots of knobs buttons and dials.) He has also learned some new words cowpat being one of them.

Things to do

Hi kids looking for things to do?

click here for free colouring pages.

Help me write the story and design the characters,  click here to do The Cheeky Challenges.

 

Free colouring Christmas picture to download, just click on the download link and print or right-click and 'save link as' to your computer to print later. Happy colouring.

Download tree_decoration_xmas_card.jpg

Merry Christmas from The Christmas Fairies

Writers Day (what no pictures!)

At the end of November I went to Writers Day in Winchester It is run by the scbwi, Society of children's book writers of illustrators and was a very useful day. There was a very inspirational talk by children's writer David Almond, I now have to read his award winning books, I am starting with Clay. I went to two brilliant talks by Dianna kimpton the writer of The Pony-Mad Princess, which I brought and read, when I was little I would have loved it, it was very well written. I have stated reading with a vengeance, if I am going to be a good writer i need to devour books like i devour art, shame you need more time for this. I have started reading when my little boy is in the bath but sometimes I have to clean the toilet instead. I went to a writing characters for a series talk. There were lots of different topics but unfortunately there wasn't time to go to them all. There were editors talking about why they publish what they do and a brilliant talk on using the web by a very funny lady called Candy Gourlay. The day also offers the opportunity to have your manuscript critiqued by a real editor. I did this and found it was very useful but not quite what I expected (It put me in a temporary bad mood but once I had time to reflect I realised it will prompt changes that will make the book much better which is the main aim even though a bit of ego stroking would have been nice.

So here goes changes, unfortunately Rabbington the Magical rabbit has been canned at least for now, I really liked him because he lived in a very roomy top hat, a brilliant idea given to me by my nephew, I think I will have to bring him back but there were too many characters for a first book.
Ollerina's getting a make over, she is too old fashioned, the kids won't appreciate my love of vintage clothing. My niece has suggested she should have cool boots and pink pig tails, possibly inspired by her latest love Mew Mew power, when she grows up she is going to be a Manga artist (how cool).

The book will now be a chapter book with black and white illustrations making it cheaper to produce and i can expand on the writing which surprisingly is better than I thought.

I would defiantly recommend the scbwi for anyone interested in a career in Children's writing or illustrating, the nice thing about it is they support and encourage unpublished writers and illustrators. There is a really nice vibe, very impressed.

Ollerinas bedroom close up

Ollerina's bedroom.

A sketch of Ollerina's bed room. Once it is painted it will be a page on the website so you can nosy around the characters bedroom.

Monkey's story

You'll never work in this town again.

Monkey's story

Dandy Monkey paws bosses lady.