Frances McKay Illustration

VG Lee's Guest Post

I am a writer, but for the last two years I’ve also been a stand-up comedian.

At the age of fifty my first novel ‘The Comedienne’ was published, ten years later in my sixtieth year a friend enrolled me on a comedy course.

“You’re hilarious,” she said.

Carey Morning - Mysterious Births

 
What a mystery! We give birth to our stories - conceived in what impenetrable realms? - and they fly off into the world, a few hundred words, flapping black and white. If we are very very lucky some may return to us as full-grown books, in full-colour, to perch on many strangers' shelves! What a miracle! What gorgeous plumage!

The Electricity of Ideas - D J Connell on Creativity

I’m a novelist and write books for a living. But my first love was illustration.

I can’t remember learning how to draw. It was something that fell from the sky and landed in my lap.I was never formally taught techniques but as soon as I was old enough to hold a pen, I was drawing.

Undead Ed

Illustrator Nigel Baines

For me, illustration MAKES a good children’s book....whether it’s the cover that initially grabs someone’s attention or the interior drawings and sketches that keep the plot bouncing along with enough amusing or – in many cases – breathtaking additions to the text.

Illustrator Bob Lea. Represented by Artist Partners

I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the most gifted illustrators in the field.Bob Lea brought the Illmoor Chronicles and Davey Swag to life with his vibrant portraits of my oddball characters, while James de la Rue managed to install SO much action into the Gladiator Boy books that the readers regularly told me they felt like they were ‘living’ inside the arena!

Spindlewood Tales UK Tour

 
Well, I’ve been on my travels again publicising SPINDLEWOOD TALES.

Pip and the Twilight Seekers is the second instalment in the series and so, assisted by Victoria Roberts from Publicity we took to the road in the Spindlewood Carriage and headed for our first stop.

Mary had a Little Lamb

 
 
I was working as a teaching assistant in a reception class when the idea struck me to make this book. The kids I worked with were a real racial mix, so when we started looking at nursery rhymes the traditional characters didn't feel particularly representative. I started sketching the kids while they ran around like loons at playtime, and eventually came up with my Mary character.

Andy Cope

World Book Day
 
It’s my blog so I’m allowed to brag. For those who know me, you’ll appreciate that I have a bizarre double life. I run ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ courses by day and masquerade as a children’s author at night. ‘Spy Dog’ has sold almost a million copies worldwide and, I’m delighted to say, has been chosen to be the featured book for this year’s ‘World Book Day’. Pretty cool stuff, at least it is from where I’m sitting. So I’ve written a brand new title called ‘Spy Dog’s Got Talent’, that has a decent shot at being number 1 in the book charts in March.

Sue Purkiss

 
 
Emily’s Surprising Voyage is a chapter book for young readers, written by me (www.suepurkiss.com). It tells the story of two children, Emily and Tom, and some of their adventures on board the ss Great Britain, Mr Brunel’s beautiful ship. It’s set in the 1850s, and the two children are travelling with their families out to Australia.

 

As a writer, one of the most exciting moments of the publishing process for me is when I see the first rough of the cover. That’s when it all starts to become real – my words are actually going to be printed and bound into a real live book!