This week we are simply sharing an update on our publishing progress. Next week we will have new chapters to share!
Over the Independence Day holiday, I had time to think about my current writing project and also begin to get it ready for publication.
The biggest “sticking point” has been with how to handle the illustrations.
I wanted to give a true immersive experience for the reader, one that incorporated facimile images of the notebooks kept by Nate, the main character in this three-volume series.
It’s a good concept, but it honestly involves more work than I’m currently able to put into it. So my question has become “Publish now or publish much much much later?”
But having the holiday with my chickens was good for me. It allowed me to consider things in a different way. Believe it or not, it’s true—I rely on Gracie’s thoughts as I always have even though she left us this past cold February. She reminded me that in all of my other books, I’ve relied on the illustrations being the reason for anyone to pick up and read the book.
Gracie challenged me to publish the books in the series without illustrations as I had originally planned. She challenged me to include one illustration for each Act of each book. They are all plotted out to have seven acts with each act having six chapters—only seven illustrations for a total of 42 chapters seemed like it would not attract anyone as a reader, and certainly not young readers.
Perhaps the pictures we create in our minds for ourselves while reading words can be more powerful than the pictures given to us on a page.
Gracie reminded me that when she dances ballet, she only dances ballet. She doesn’t do anything extra to bring attention to her dancing. “I dance. It’s what I do. You write. It’s what you do. Make your book series about your writing, just as I make my performance only about dancing. You don’t need the embellishment that you think you do.”
And then she added, “I know you. And I know you need to know that your books are now a success because of what you write, not because of what you draw.”
And so, I think I have to go with Gracie’s advice. She knows me. She knows what her life was like while we shared our lives here together in our garden home.
“They will love reading your stories as much as I enjoy hearing them read to me. And it’s all my life that I have already lived. I’ve never been bored by what you’ve written about me.”
This is why I love Gracie. She dips her toes into the sweetest, purest part of life and brings its sweetness and purity to every heart she touches.
Next week we will pick back with the next two exciting chapters of Amelia’s grand adventure!
Until next time…
Our best advice to you this week comes from Gracie: Sometimes you need to listen to your “inner chicken” and simply take a leap of faith—just make it your very best grand jéte leap!
John, Gracie, Bessie, Blanche, Pearl, Emily, and Amelia
You're a good artist. Even if you have to pay extra to make color drawings, it'll make the books stand out.
I agree with Gracie's voice. Your writing will stand alone. Pictures are wonderful and you are a talented artist with a keen sense of the right picture for the characters and plot that you are writing about. Kids today are inclined towards more stimulation, but they don't NEED it. I just read my 3 1/2 year old grandson 2 Winnie-the-Pooh stories for the first time. Shepherd's spare illustrations are as charming as ever and my grandson listened to every word of the stories. He kept talking about Pooh all the way home. Just sayin'.