Another week has passed and, as promised in Asking my mom for help, I finally sent out part of my upcoming ( first ) book to her, for feedback. I merely sent it her way to get unstuck but, by the time I did, my writing was already flowing again.
So it's fair to say that I sent her more than I expected to share with her, even though it was only about half of what I've finished so far.
She replied the day after, in a positive way. Not that I needed the encouragement
I feel confident enough about my own writing these days
but my Ego, as well as my inner child, liked her message and especially the parts that said that she had read it with a wide grin on her face and that my way of writing is vivid and makes her want to look for illustrations ( it paints a picture ).
Talking about that, I plan to add illustrations to my writing and also make some art connected to the story / world of Hypersensitivosaurus. I have already done so, in the last half a year or so, but back then I had no idea what the actual books would be about, so this was more like 'random dino art'.
My mom ended her message with the following question:
What age group do you think you are writing for?
To which I replied as follows:
I have literally been thinking about this today. I haven't decided, as of yet. Probably older children and adults, although younger kids can get part of the story.
I know there's probably many writers who would say that it's of paramount importance to decide on these kind of things before you start writing but that's just not me. I like to break the rules and go with the flow, whenever I can.
I have said repeatedly, in the past, that I want to write a children's book that is as fun for the adults as it is for the kids that read it. It might have ended up to be more of a ( young ) adult's book but that is fine too. I feel I'm finally carving out a way of writing that befits me and apparently it lies somewhere in between children and adult literature. Not surprisingly, as I've always felt younger than I actually am ( and my books are very much me ) and I will be 40 in October.
I also heard somewhere, recently, that people tend to write the kind of book that they need to read. Although this referred to self help literature, I like to think that it isn't a bad thing to write the kind of book that you would like to read yourself or would have liked to read in the past.
Anyhow, this was kind of a random update, because another week has passed. I am about to share more of my writing with my mom, possibly tomorrow but will need to do a little more fine tuning first. I must say that I also feel like working on the illustrations for my book. I'm starting to feel itchy ( in a good way ) but I sense that that will need to have to wait till I finished the actual story.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Was signed,
Hypersensitivosaurus
P.S. This is one of the comments that I received on my previous post, two days ago:
I must say that I'm pretty proud that I stuck with Hive/ formerly Steemit for so long. I also realized that I've never held a job that long in my life, so that tells you enough. Not that this often feels like a job but you get the point. It takes commitment and perseverance to stay ( active ) during highs and lows.
And let's be honest... if it wasn't for you guys ( especially those who leave a comment every now and then and actually interact with me on a more or less regular basis ), I would have left a long time ago. So thank you!
The picture above this post is a slightly adapted version of a painting I made two months ago, depicting a dino 'cave painting' ;<) that full post can be found here
Even when you can merrily carry along just doing what you do purely because you want to and don't need any for of external validation whatsoever, it is still always nice when someone else happens to appreciate your work. I got a bit of a wide grin myself when I read about your mum saying she read everything with a wide grin XD
I think this may have been part of why I started on my stupidly big project, I didn't like what was floating around at the time I started XD
and now I'm just kind of obsessed aaaahhhhhh x_x
Nice that yours is all ages :D I didn't specifically aim at older audiences but due to the content mine definitely is parental guidance recommended for 15 and under ^_^;
Glad to hear that that described grin was infectious. I expect that you will grin too, when you get to read the final result. Having three kids yourself, I'm sure you can imagine how she feels.
Keep going with your 'stupidly big project'. I know for a fact that it's very much you ( in a good way ) ;>)
My book might need parental guidance - and possible explanation - recommended for 10 and under haha!
Leave it to the Mothership to bring the hard-hitting questions. Well, in all honesty I guess this her experience showing through, and it's probably a good idea to sort these things out so you can best decide what target audience you will appeal to.
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Hi buddy :<)
Thanks for reminding me of 'Alien', one of my very favorite movies.
As described in today's post, I once again reached out to my mom. I had never imagined that she could be this much of a help ( creatively ) in my adult life. It's awesome!
She also answered your question ( about the target audience ), today.
Thanks for reaching out and for including my post in your curation. I appreciate it!
It’s nice that you consent your inner child and allow him to be encouraged by your mother, despite your already gained confidence. Keeping tenderness alive is what makes life so beautiful to live, otherwise it just becomes a mathematical, grayscaled and bizarre show.
Glad to know you’re making progress, hope to someday read the final result!
Yeah, that inner child of me gets a lot more attention as of late. It has been suppressed for way too long which isn't a healthy thing.
Thanks for passing by my friend and for leaving this thoughtful comment.
I will do my utmost best to wrap things up in the not too distant future.
Un abrazo!
I think your book crosses so many age groups! I love that your Mum read it.. she must be so proud xx
:>)
Knowing that you are a proud mom yourself, I ( extra ) appreciate your words.
xx
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