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Writing your first book

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Whether you're writing for yourself or intend to go all the way and publish for your audience, starting a book can be really daunting especially if you don't know where to take it and what mistakes to avoid. Here is a list of things that I did in preparation for my first children's book. Coming up with an idea Sometimes ideas come to us naturally. Out of nowhere you'll have something to start you off, whether it's a character or a setting or simply an idea. Whatever it is, get it down somewhere, a piece of paper, notepad or jot it down in your phone. In my experience, it's important not to rush. Some days nothing will come to you, but don't panic it happens to everyone. Try to think of what sort of story you want to tell. Even if you may think "Oh it's been done", the truth is, no idea is completely unique but the way you write and how you get your point across is what will make the story authentic. Also don't be afraid if you c...

Beyond the pages

The idea for Paddy Plum started off as something slightly different to what ended up being published. The original idea was conceived when my son asked for a bedtime story. All his books were downstairs, so I decided to do what any parent does and just improvise. I just started making things up, such as the pizza rocket and the next day, I sat down and tried seeing how far I could take it. The original manuscript for the book was more or less a poem and I sat on this idea for the best part of a year. When it came time to developing the book, some major changes had to be made. I was lucky enough to have a relative who was in the publishing industry who guided me on how to properly develop my story in to a book. I was also in touch with an illustrator through a mutual friend, who gave me his rate and a month later, I was getting concept art coming through. The refreshing thing about this was the freedom I had for how all the illustrations looked in my book. I was presented with amazing i...