Boo k Pa ss a ge, C o rte Ma de ra, C A

MELISSA BAY MATHIS

Nove m be r 3, 19 91

CREATING CHILDR EN 'S B OOKS

I. ASPECTS OF CREATING CHILDREN'S BOOKS A. Writing for older children (ages 12 and older) B. Writing picture books (important how art and words work together) C. Illustrating II. QUALITIES OF A CHILDREN'S BOOK C REATOR A. Integrates many aspects of life, everything tha t happens in life 1. Opportunity to use all parts of oneself; integrate life with work 2. The more "you" the work is, the more interesting it will be to others 3. Draw upon unique memories ("real life") B. Is in touch with oneself and one's own childhood 1. Remember what it is like to be a child; don't look at children from the outside 2. Communication must happen between "equals", with full respect for the child C. Is in love with the world and many aspects of it 1. Express genuine likes and dislikes (can't be camouflaged) 2. Create excitement, "high energy" a. Stay internal; look for things for "you" to write (don't take just any project; excitement needs to come through in the book) b. Most effective when project is fun; cultivate wide interests; path becomes automatic D. Translates life into ideas 1. Life as it happens isn't enough; must be crafted (symbolic, theatrical) 2. Be open, a receptor; see life as it happens, as raw material 3. Be focused, and an open, ruthless critic; not sentimental or self indulgent (my child likes my book!)

4. Organize and collect ideas from life a. Sketchbook, journal, notebook: always keep collecting (you never know when connections will form) b. Collect specific details (instead of generic); be nosy, watchful, listen c. Research 5. Must be comfortable alone; enjoy solitude a. Teamwork: editor, art director, marketer, printer, book reviewer, librarian; "team" produces better product b. Not heavily product oriented (no formula); sincere interest to create literature c. Psychological work; manage oneself through long periods alone 6. Create "experience"; reach out beyond personability a. Film director: create little bits of life, a "trip" into feelings, something or someplace a child hasn't been b. Transpiration of time: not too fast or too slow (pacing is important) c. "Real" time experience: time to turn page, time enough to surprise (size and type of paper are important to picture books) d. Theatrical (bigger than life): make child care about characters like someone they know; know them, care about them, sense who they are, feel bad if something happens to them e. Good sense of humor (no silly antics); "see" how funny things really are (no jaded attitudes) - silly customs - different perspective due to child's size - interesting and unusual combinations or juxtapositions 7. Be conscious of children's grammar and vocabulary III. CREATING A CHILDREN'S BOOK A. The Team 1. Editor: helps figure out what communicates the best 2. Artist: good at drawing; room for many different styles; no room for lack of control 3. Writer: complements pictures; describes things that can't be shown - emotion, passage of time, action, speed, smells... (don't do work of pictures: colors, visuals, looks on faces) B. The Book 1. A book is a series of different things on the same level (not one work art, or one page at a time); illustrations must be consistent from page page

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2. The art of the book is the book itself (the book doesn't exist to produce something else; media that doesn't print well won't make a good book) C. Professionalism 1. Maintain good psychology - important to "feel" - how you feel about yourself comes through in your work - art succeeds when it's something "special", new, or different 2. Take responsibility for oneself: call editor, get help when needed, "Tell me what's working and what isn't." 3. Separate business from personal life - don't involve non-professionals (friends and family don't have to like your work) - "boundaries" are yours to break - only show your work when productive to do so (use peer groups for critiques: same agenda, same level, similar path) - be serious about rewriting; don't just expect pats on the back 4. Use publishers carefully - not that many around (have bought out each other; "small world": talk around to each other) - don't send or show work if you're not ready (one chance for first impression) 5. Work around long term deadlines - create pressure: 8 month schedule ( can't work haphazardously) - make agreement for amount of time you will spend and stick to it! (work isn't "spare time"; nothing this important happens casually or when you "feel" like it) - set guidelines (no. of pages, no. of hours, ...) - focus cannot be violated (no telephones, spouses, children, ...) 6. Be meticulous to detail - characters should consistently look alike in each illustration - "imaginary" characters must still be true to life - use models but work "abstractly"

IV. PURPOSE OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS A. Business: employs numbers of people and continues to grow; picture books serve as an art form

B. Educati on: extend children's knowledge (lack mobility, exposure; subject to adult tastes and attitudes; dependent on books for other experiences) 1. Introduce children to art history, culture - children's literature is a big, rich field of literature (READ children's books, be literate, become familiar with history of children's books) 2. Share values without instructing how to be or telling to be a certain way (expecting to change someone is not respectful) - children learn from the fabric of a book (values are communicated indirectly) - can teach how to have emotions, how to deal with other's emotions - don't use "adult" concepts; children express direct actions, are in the "now", vividly feel the present (haven't reminisced for long), don't have enough experience to relate to abstract feeling states - bring "new" in through a familiar context; give a "hand up" to more complex world children are apart of (learning language, emotions, dealing with adult emotions) C. Exercise imagination: fantasy is accepted by children; envied by adults 1. Children will accept imaginary as long as it has boundaries, culture, rules 2. Fantasy must have a purpose; can't be avoidance of problem solving 3. Art of a book lies in creating something unique from raw materials of life (excitement in life does not necessarily make an exciting book) 4. Action must be logical, real not magical - create conflict (set up problem) - resolve problem within established world (bike can't appear out of nowhere for escape if this is not the rule) 5. Heroes should be children not adults - don't reinforce children's lack of power - children need to learn how to use power, solve problems - always allow choices (good and bad results) 6. Utilize emotions, sensations, actions, and subplots - butterfly and turtle: turtle is lonely, unaware of butterfly (two plots: one visual, another literal; not just illustrating the book) - "The Trouble with Mother" (mother is a witch) deals with serious problem (being different); doesn't preach, doesn't hit over the head 7. Relationship of character to setting should be clear (one character that child identifies with most) 8. Change viewpoints (like film director: close in, pull back, sense of distances) 9. Characters should be believable (not too "perfect" or too "bad")

- explain dysfunctional behavior, e.g. what's happening at home children need to like characters and care about them (form attachments to uniqueness, quirks) 10. Real audience is children (booksellers and librarians do the selling) - children curbed in ways adults wouldn't allow; subject to adult convenience (powerless, delays, situations out of their control) - interested in situations not of their own making - show triumph, ways to be in spite of obstacles 11. Setting should be believable - don't fake things; get exposure; research, hang out, take photos - write from perspective you know (you never know as much as you think you know) - research, visit place: write as a traveler, not a native V. ILLUSTRATING CHILDREN'S BOOKS A. Publisher accepts manuscript; constructs time frame for publication B. Search for illustra tor is conducted (choice depends on schedule) C. Contra ct is drafted; due date established for artwork D. Cost estimate is established for project (decisions must be made: printed end papers?, ...) E. Artist produces thumbnail sketches (avoids a lot of drawing at early stages: too constricting) F. Rough drawings produce d and shown to editor ("dummy" or "mock-up") 1. Artist may play with lights and darks 2. Choose size of book and block out type; design layout of book as well as artwork 3. Decide page breaks, make sure text and pixs aren't contradicting or spoiling surprise G. Final artwork 1. Use models, but keep a wide view 2. Best models have their own interpretation, a willingness to play, a lack self consciousness

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3. Maintain consistency: draw each character as it occurs in each illustration and place side by side 4. Sample (mixed media): acrylics, colored pencil, pastel 5.

VI. WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS A. Types of Children's Book Manuscripts 1. Concept Book: more of a toy than a book; expensive to produce 2. Picture Books: 3 or 4 year olds to 6 year olds; for non-reader 3. Story book 4. Juvenile: 8 or 9 year olds and older