What's on my Desk

I am actually working on a drawing but it's been earmarked for next week's blog entry. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, eh? Anyhoo, I've decided to share with you the other goodi-ness I'm focused on right now.

I just posted on my blog about a writing workshop I went to. Several things just clicked for me, and it felt like all of the ideas and stories that have been floating aimlessly in my head suddenly found the drain, and wanted out! I'm trying to accommodate them as best I can. The photo above is for a book I started today. I've had the idea since last Christmas, but I just figured out the proper format for it.

I'm going to borrow a phrase from Kathi Appelt and say it's my down-draft. (It's a rough draft where you're just trying to get the ideas down on paper.) I was surprised by how many pages I needed for my down-draft, but I actually enjoyed pulling the flotsam together. I was also a little tickled that my writing occurred in conjunction with doodling. I actually thumbnailed the story as I was coming up with it-the pictures and words intricately intertwined. Does this happen to any of you other author/illustrators? Or can you guys get the words out without the picture?

I haven't finished hammering out the details of the story by any means. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm just giddy with the fact that I've taken the first step.

My next big step is to bring a cleaned up (and revised) draft to my local critique group by year's end. Hopefully I can get this all pulled together and dummied up for Editor's Day in February-if I decide to go. If not, then I think I'll be mailing some dummies to a few houses and crossing my fingers through the Spring.

Well girls, what do you have on your desks?