Being a new writer and illustrator, I can definitely identify with this feeling. I’ve got manuscripts submitted but nothing to show in public, and no books published. I love how Kendall turned this way of thinking around and thought about herself as a beginner, not an imposter. Once she had done that, her mindset shifted and she was able to engage with the other musicians with far more confidence.

Check out the conversation below:

The Waiting Game And The Doing Game

Most of the work I’ve created so far is being submitted to contests. Which left me wondering ‘What am I supposed to do in the meantime?’ Keep creating, of course! My son just pointed out that you can’t expect people to engage with your work if they don’t know you and know what your work is like. His suggestion was to write some stories to publish online, on my website, and on social media, to give people some insight into my writing style. That way, people can test the water and find out if they resonate with my work. Great idea!

I began to realise I was in a bit of a scarcity mindset. I was thinking of each story as something I had to hang onto just in case it was “the one.” The reality is, that I can write many stories, so why is it that we often feel like every story we create is our best and last? Maybe, if we didn’t feel that way we might be inclined to put less effort in, thinking that the next story will be better.

It could be said that the more you create, the more creative you become. Ideas tend to spark more ideas and being creative should be a fun and pleasurable experience. The trick is to find a balance. You don’t want to give everything away but you also want to have fun with it and interact with people.

My last mission was to write a story every two weeks, which I have been doing, and it’s been a lot of fun! My second mission over the next few weeks is to write some stories for sharing. I might add a few illustrations because that makes it more fun.

^_^R xox

The post Stepping Into Who You Really Want To Be first appeared on Renea Mackie.

I’ve always admired how some people can write in flow. The words run like liquid gold, from their mind to the paper, or keyboard these days. As a reader, it’s like going zip-lining. You hook into the wire and off you go, on an exhilarating adventure until you get swiftly to the end, disappointed that your journey is over. Always left wanting just a little more.

I feel that way when I’m reading a novel but strangely, I feel differently when I read a good children’s picture book. When I get to the end of a picture book, I experience a feeling of satisfaction, of completeness. One journey has ended now another is free to begin. A picture book, to me, is like a tidy package of happiness. A perfect circle. You can revisit it many times, and every time is just as exquisite as the first.

Developing Your Craft

Children’s books look very simple but they can be incredibly difficult to craft. As someone who is new to this field, I thought it would be a good idea to challenge myself; to evolve my skill in this art. I’ve decided to write a story every two weeks. Some of them might be wonderful, some of them might be terrible, but I’m interested to see how my skill develops over time. One thing is for sure, I’ll find some diamonds that I can illustrate and publish. I’ll find some little sparks that I can share online and no doubt, I will fill up the trash can on my laptop!

I started this week and I surprised myself. I wrote a story that I’m entering into the Storylines Joy Cowley Award (thank you to my friend, Robyn, for sharing this link!). It was a very interesting experience! I discovered my writing voice was really starting to take on a life of its own. It felt like I was weaving a magical tapestry and the pattern of children’s book writing started to appear. That’s the point I was hoping to get to – that magical place where the ideas flow.

I haven’t been at this long enough but I suspect, as in life, your writing personality develops over time as you become more adept at expressing your ideas.

But Wait! There’s More!

Yes, there is always more! The other types of writing I need to get better at are blogging and social media posts. There’s a lot of work in becoming a writer of any kind these days. Thinking about what to post and creating the posts takes as much time as working on your books.

A valuable exercise that has emerged from my blog posting has been creating images for the posts! I’ve taken to using my blog as a way to be creative and develop ideas for stories. Today, I created Whoopsberry. Very rough, playful, random, and fun. Whoopsberry will go into my Idea Bank to be resurrected at a later date!

There’s a lot to learn when you’re a newbie. I saw the free HubSpot Content Marketing Course advertised on Facebook and decided to do it. So far, it’s pretty good. A great starting point when you’re new to all this.

Why Am I Doing This?

Two of the most challenging questions in the Marketing Course so far have been WHY and WHO are you writing for?

WHY

To nurture and empower self-expression. I love working with the idea of self-reflection – who are we in the world, what do we think about ourselves, how and why do we compare ourselves to others, and how empowered do we feel to express ourselves, to develop and use our own voice.

WHO

As with everything, you can’t write for everyone. You have to figure out who you are writing for and focus on them. They say you should write what you know about so I’m writing stories for kids like me.

I’ve always loved stories that inspired me to be me and to learn something new. Whether it was the meaning of a new word with a lot of syllables, a new concept, a different perspective, a place in the world, or an event. I loved stories that inspired my imagination and set me off on all kinds of tangents. I’ve always enjoyed complexity, figuring things out, problem-solving, detail, systems, and processes. Not in a rigid sense but in a flexible, creative way. I love color, interesting characters, and humor. So that’s who I’m writing for.

WHAT

At the moment, I’m thinking the what is probably just as unique to each writer as their why. You can get super creative here but at first, there is probably a dominant means of expression. Whether it’s through characters, design, storytelling, or subject matter. My guess is that mastery in this field would be to use all of these expressions in equal measure.

So, back to the art of becoming a writer. There are many different aspects that need to be considered. You, as a creative writer, and you, as a marketer. Why are you doing it? Who are you doing it for? What are you going to do? How do you choose to develop your skill? And that’s just the beginning. That’s where I’m at right now. The next step is to think about the publishing path.

^_^R

The post The Delightfully Challenging Task of Creating Unique and Wonderful Stories first appeared on Renea Mackie.

Today in Doodling with Donk we’re going to create AXY Monsters!

What are AXY Monsters? Let’s start drawing to find out!

The AXY Monster

If A = Prickly

Then The A Monster = The Prickly Monster:

If X = Peanut Butter Coloured

Then The AX Monster = The Prickly, Peanut Butter Coloured Monster:

If Y = Ten-Eyed

Then The AXY Monster = The Prickly, Peanut Butter Coloured, Ten-Eyed Monster:

Other versions:

The AY Monster = The Prickly, Ten-Eyed Monster:

The XY Monster = The Peanut Butter Coloured, Ten-Eyed Monster:

Let’s try another!

If A = Bendy

Then The A Monster = The Bendy Monster:

If X = Friendly

Then The AX Monster = The Bendy, Friendly Monster:

If Y = Cake

Then The AXY Monster = The Bendy, Friendly, Cake Monster:

Other versions:

The AY Monster = The Bendy, Cake Monster:

The XY Monster = The Friendly, Cake Monster:

FYI – Donk loves to draw words backwards!

Try It Yourself

Now, make up your own AXY Monsters!

Some words to try:

• Sleepy
• Jumping
• Bubble
• Ice-cream
• Robot
• 9-armed
• Floppy
• Zig-Zag
• Stripey
• Dotty
• Tall
• Thin
• Round
• Triangle
• Sticky
• Snotty
• Feverish

Check out this cool Game Word Generator via The Game Gal if you’d like more word ideas. And if you would like an extra challenge, try creating your own Random Word Generator in Scratch! Check out Perfectly Penguin‘s tutorial on YouTube and adjust the program by creating lists A, X, and Y instead of First Name and Last Name!

What might a WAXY Monster look like?

Share your creations with me on Facebook or Instagram!

^_^R & DLPDCC

The post Doodling With Donk! – AXY Monsters first appeared on Renea Mackie.

Up until the age of 6, I remember having complete freedom to draw, color, and paint whatever I wanted, and however I wanted, or at least believing I had that freedom. So why does that belief fade as we get older? It certainly did for me anyway.

I distinctly remember, at the age of 6, looking at another kid’s drawing and for the first time beginning to compare it to my own work. I thought it was a great drawing, an interesting idea and I asked myself ‘Why didn’t I think about doing something like that?’ It was an abstract picture. I didn’t explicitly know what an abstract picture was at that point but looking at this other artwork compelled me to make comparisons.

I usually drew pictures based on the world around me and what I was experiencing at the time. Otherwise, my drawings would represent things I was interested in, like architecture or people. I can’t recall ever drawing an abstract picture before that time – unless finger painting counts. But being confronted with the idea of abstract artwork piqued my curiosity and inspired me to explore this new concept. Was that drawing a new creation that didn’t exist in our world or was it literally the way that kid experienced and saw an everyday object or happening?

Felts Fear Increases Exponentially Over Time?

As I have grown older, I’ve noticed that it has become increasingly more difficult to put pen to paper without the self-critic awakening within me and putting its two cents worth in before I’ve even come up with an idea! This is especially so if I’m using felt pens or any other permanent marker that I can’t erase. Once I make a mark, it’s there to stay. It can’t be changed. Even if you draw over it or try to incorporate it into a rethinking, the original thought still remains for all to see.

These days, I worry about what other people will think of my expression, how it compares to other work, whether I think it’s good or not, whether it serves any purpose, and really, does it need to serve a purpose? The kid that drew that abstract drawing when I was six years old probably didn’t think about me sitting there with my synapses alight in contemplation of what she had just produced. You could say, that every work has a purpose even if the creator isn’t aware of its purpose at the time.

I suppose this seemingly negative, possibly reflective change in thinking, helps us to navigate our way through the world and interact with others, responding to what’s happening around us with a degree of empathy. But I do miss that freedom of expression. I’d like to get back there. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I’d like to try.

Renea’s Donk Le Ponk de Clompity Clomp book series focuses on different ways to unleash our creativity, find inspiration and express ourselves using our own unique voice.

The post The Blank Page Monster – Putting Your First Felt Forward first appeared on Renea Mackie.

The first book in the Donk Le Ponk de Clompity Clomp series is called I Can’t Draw Horses. The series follows the protagonist Donk and his good friend and muse Cobalt Bloo on a journey that illuminates creativity and inspiration and explores how these concepts help us to reflect upon our inner nature. I’ve begun my journey by submitting the first book to the dPICTUS Unpublished Authors Showcase 5. The applications closed on July 13th for the 2024 Showcase. I find out in November if my book has been selected.

Being a new author holds many challenges. When you don’t have a track record, it’s difficult to get your work in front of publishers. So the dPICTUS Showcase is an opportunity to get your work in front of renowned publishers and agents from around the world. That said, these days you do have the option to self-publish and there are several platforms set up to help you sell your wares such as Amazon KDP and Draft-2-Digital.

Regardless of the path you choose to take, there’s no getting away from that nagging Aunt that wants you to put yourself out there, be brave, be entrepreneurial, wear your best dress, and show the world that you’re as brilliant and glowing as your family says you are. Yes – Aunt Marketing. But what do you post about if you’re a newbie? How do you start building a social media presence as a writer and illustrator of children’s books when you’re just starting out, and what the heck do you put on your website?!

Where to start? It feels like the Chicken (me) and Egg (my work) scenario – to make your website look appealing you need content, but when you’re at the starting line, you don’t have content. Can you say you’re a writer and illustrator before you’ve written your first book? What if you’re halfway through? What if you’ve finished your book but it isn’t yet published? At what point do you officially become an author? Is it when you publish your book and at least one unknown-to-you person buys a copy? Is being a newbie author yet another case of fake it ’til you make it?

Then you begin to look at other writers’ and illustrators’ websites and social media pages to get inspired and you begin to feel as if you’re the only person in the world who started at the beginning! Everyone else is sitting in the long-established Hen House, with dozens of eggs and lots to cluck about. And there you are, waiting for your first egg to hatch, not really knowing if it will be a chick that takes on a life of its own or an egg that will be scrambled with a serving of bacon and hash browns at breakfast tomorrow.

It might feel all scrambles and feathers, but really, everyone starts at the beginning! And one place you can start is by writing blog posts – frequently. Yes, frequently. Blog posts always look better with a featured image, so there’s an opportunity to get some content up. Best of all, you can repost it to your social media accounts, along with an original illustration. What do you write about? Well, I’m going to write about my interest in creativity and inspiration, my author journey, and associated thoughts. Every step of the process is a learning opportunity and presents a new challenge. As it happens, challenges tend to conjure up ideas for blog posts! Win-win?

I was wondering how I should approach my blog post illustrations and I realized the trick would be to create something quickly – something original that doesn’t take forever to draw. Bearing in mind that I still have to work on my books! I like the idea of developing a “Quick Style” especially for blog pics so I’m going to experiment with different styles and media and see what happens. The featured image for this post will be my first attempt.

What about the product? What are you supposed to post as your offerings when you haven’t printed your books yet? I’m on the fence about whether I should go ahead and self-publish on Amazon or wait and see what happens with the Showcase. I can do both. You’re still eligible to apply for the Showcase if you have self-published.

Many established authors suggest that you create a portfolio and post that on your website. Use old fairytales and works that are out of copyright if you want to show off your illustrative powers. These are wonderful suggestions. You can also post samples of your work from completed books or works in progress, as I have done. This brings me back to my original pondering re The Chicken or The Egg. We could theorize and say that both exist at once. Therefore, the key to this newbie author thing is to take the hardboiled approach and just get on with it. Make French Toast. Start posting, start writing, start conversations, participate, and most importantly, enjoy the meal.

^_^R

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