Every story, great or not so great, begins with a flicker of imagination—but turning that flicker into an actual story for children to cherish, is an adventure in itself. Creating stories is a deeply personal and magical journey. I describe how my stories seem to morph from my somewhat chaotic thoughts to a word layout in my overused laptop, from which draft after draft is read, reread and often rewritten, before the final published storybook, hurrah, joy oh joy!

The Flicker, Flicker of an Idea

Inspiration can strike me anywhere, anytime—while greeting the sights and sounds of an early morning, hearing or reading a peculiar or amusing phrase and watching everyday moments and scenarios unfold. I capture fleeting (and sometimes ridiculous) concepts in notebooks and I tend to record notes on my mobile before they slip away into the ether. This stage is all about raw imagination! I often ask myself, "what if?" and let my mind wander without any constraints at all.

Shaping the Concept and Characters

Once an idea takes root in my mind, I feel vindicated and relieved when said idea is anchored into a real story structure. After defining an ideal age group for the story, I settle loosely on a meaningful theme and create the characters as the story grows. This allows for a little flexibility with characters. I am not one to plan, plan and plan a story. My stories evolve organically. I imagine how each page could impact a child and hope the centre of the story has an emotional heart strong enough to captivate the young reader.

Braving the First Draft

Writing the first draft effectively silences my inner critic and really helps the story flow onto the page. For picture books, less can be more, but in my experience, this is not always so. I tend to write descriptively. And although I strive for one or two impactful paragraphs per page, with creative room for illustrations, this happens rarely in my stories. Perhaps it is due to my organic style of writing while trying to bring the adventures and experiences to life on each page.

The Craft of Revision

Each story is truly born during the editing phase. Guided by industry insights—like those found on varying platforms, I will edit, rewrite and rewrite again to achieve what I think is the perfect cadence, rhythm and flow. I try to question every sentence to make sure it adheres to the storyline and becomes ever closer to a publishing-ready manuscript.

Storyboarding and Visual Layouts

Long before the final artwork is settled upon, the pace of the text is tested visually. I lay out the text across individual pages to check the flow of the story. By creating rough thumbnail sketches, the ‘drafts’ of the story or a mock-up of the pages is outlined and can be moved about to better suit the narrative. All the while, I imagine the rhythm a child may experience as they read and turn each page. 

Recommended Standard Layout for a Children's Story  

By this stage of the writing process, I have well and truly determined the page layout for the story. In the children's storybook industry, a recommended standard children's book layout is 32 single pages, excluding the front cover. This serves as a guide only and my story layout for the introductory and end pages often varies. In the standard layout, pages 1-4 are the introductory pages before the story actually begins. The Half-Title is the book title without the author's name or illustrations. The Title Page includes the full title, author's name, illustrator's name and the publisher's logo, if available. The Copyright Page features publishing details like the year, copyright symbol (©) ISBN and relevant library data, if any. The Dedication Page has a brief, meaningful blurb where the author dedicates the book to someone special. The Main Story is usually set out on pages 5-30, leaving 26 single pages for the actual story and illustrations. Double-Page Spreads occur when the book is open and two facing pages become a spread. The majority of picture books use oversized artwork, so pages 6-29 are usually designed as 12 double-page spreads. The page-turn is a powerful tool in a children's book as it can create suspense or reveal a surprise on the very next page. Page 31 is often blank, or used for an "Author's Note" to provide additional facts or context about the story. Page 32 is the final page and is sometimes used for a short biography of the author, or for promotional text to advertise other books. Please understand this is a recommended standard only. Most printing houses will offer a decrease or increase option in page layout, based on text length.

The Final Production and Publication

In this final phase, detailed illustrations bring the characters to life with vibrant colour, warmth and emotion. Text and art are placed together into a final design layout. I prepare the files for printing and self-publishing platforms. Watching the digital proofs transform into a real, tangible storybook is the ultimate reward for me. This opportunity to share the creative process may well make the final story even more special for young readers and the young at heart! If you love the English language and writing, follow your dreams and heart, become a writer!