I have not been blogging and so haven't filled you in lately with my new projects that I have been working on. Interestingly enough (at least to me), one is a picture book that has no words, and the other is a chapter book with lots of words! (currently thinking for the late MG or early YA market.) The contrast is interesting.
The picture book takes place in Paris, and stars a girl, her dog, and some pigeons. It is all about love. I have no idea if this will interest anyone - but I love it. As I am working on it, I am taken right back to my time studying and living in Paris. I am thinking of doing it in mostly line art with a hint of colour. Maybe a reduced palette.
The chapter book is Arthurian, and surprisingly more commercial than anything I have done before. It takes place in modern era - but has timely twists. I am loving my characters who are interesting, quirky, complex. Currently I have about 8000 words in about 4-5 chapters or roughly 1/4 of the book written. There is so much more to say though! I had played with a couple of ideas which had been rolling around in my head for a few years. I had thought them distinct books, but never got my head around them enough to turn them into anything. It was mostly just names and geneologies for one of them, and the other seemed to gather interesting stories. What happened recently was somehow I found a missing piece that just pulled it all together. I don't even know what that piece was, only that once it was in place - all the other stories just fit right in.
I have been on a roll and writing like crazy. I have been very much inspired by all the writers I now know and follow and have learned much from them in the last year about the writing process. They keep me going. Even if it is not good writing - I am finding my characters; the process reveals them and their story. The trick to writing a chapter book is to not stop writing - even if you don't like it yet. It is a commitment you must make. So I am trying.
I will post a couple of sketches from the Paris book soon. I am vacillating between titles for both books. I don't know which one is better. For each I have a title that is more appropriate, perfect even, but less commercial that the alternative titles I have - which work - just not as well.
Maybe by the time my work is done I'll have figured it out."
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