tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post7608336674126054253..comments2024-03-28T06:28:49.282+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: So much effort for something so small • Paeony LewisUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-8387086142372920202017-11-01T22:43:39.161+00:002017-11-01T22:43:39.161+00:00Hi Paeony, I love this story -and I love Thing. It...Hi Paeony, I love this story -and I love Thing. It sounds great. (But my original comment when this post first came out has disappeared!) Hooray for perseverance!xJuliet Clare Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06020801246132751659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-5359870972099651382017-10-16T08:55:26.534+01:002017-10-16T08:55:26.534+01:00Ha ha, Enid! I suppose there's only so much th...Ha ha, Enid! I suppose there's only so much that can be said about a story. Plus I hope that after 17 years I'm better at self editing!<br />I'll admit the kangaroo comment did baffle me as although not indigenious, I believe they are familiar in the US. However, I'll admit I think it can be confusing for young children if there see animals in a story that are not familiar to them AND the story is not obviously set in a different country or environment or the animal isn't explained.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-37169705848802429282017-10-15T17:14:42.098+01:002017-10-15T17:14:42.098+01:00Oh SO MUCH "been there, done that" - eve...Oh SO MUCH "been there, done that" - even the editorial comments are familiar, and that one about Americans being completely incapable of recognising that there other countries/animals etc in the world. Has me wondering if there might even be a single Mighty Editor who just materialises in different guises.Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-67177357422346884892017-10-14T00:47:22.525+01:002017-10-14T00:47:22.525+01:00Yes, and although I wish I could now rewrite '...Yes, and although I wish I could now rewrite 'Thing' as a picture book with meerkats, I'd never have got to that point if I hadn't been rewriting it as a reading scheme book. Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-74464404913297503212017-10-12T13:17:20.207+01:002017-10-12T13:17:20.207+01:00My chapter book Danny Dreadnought Saves the World,...My chapter book Danny Dreadnought Saves the World, was originally written as a picture book called Daisy Dreadnought Saves the World. While I'm very pleased with the way the chapter book came out, I still think it would have made a great picture book, but I'm grateful to get it published in any form.Jonathan Emmetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11413964991466780348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-7749423788842244142017-10-12T00:00:06.519+01:002017-10-12T00:00:06.519+01:00Thanks a lot, Dow :-)Thanks a lot, Dow :-)Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-11397134758952497532017-10-11T23:59:42.819+01:002017-10-11T23:59:42.819+01:00Many thanks, Annette. I'm a compulsive reviser...Many thanks, Annette. I'm a compulsive reviser! I adore fiddling with words and sometimes I need to learn when to stop ;-) Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-44622830280907077132017-10-11T23:57:38.344+01:002017-10-11T23:57:38.344+01:00Thank you, David. I think a rummage through old te...Thank you, David. I think a rummage through old texts can be quite intriguing. Some stories are best left to languish, whilst others still make me smile and I think, hey, that's a good story... Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-31846018786019099772017-10-11T23:54:38.145+01:002017-10-11T23:54:38.145+01:00Thanks a lot, Debbie! I suspect it happens quite a...Thanks a lot, Debbie! I suspect it happens quite a bit as one idea leads to another idea, or the original idea is simply transformed. Some ideas stick around longer than others. One of my early chapter books was originally a picture book text.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-36571691829833184722017-10-11T23:46:54.485+01:002017-10-11T23:46:54.485+01:00Many thanks:-) I think early reading books are gr...Many thanks:-) I think early reading books are great fun to write, albeit not everyone shares my enthusiasm and I suspect it's because I like writing 'short' and playing with words. I never thought of trying an Australian publisher and only sent the kangaroo version to one editor - sometimes I'm my own worst enemy and give up too quickly! <br />By the way, I gather that in the US there are no hedgehogs in the wild, but the African Pygmy Hedgehog is a popular pet (just what I've read - I'm not an expert!). I always thought the comment about kangaroos and the USA was a strange one as they're not an obscure animal, but perhaps the editor was just looking for a quantifiable excuse for rejection. Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-38979564105434210452017-10-11T23:29:11.994+01:002017-10-11T23:29:11.994+01:00Thanks a lot, Lisa.Thanks a lot, Lisa.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-89811778191930676842017-10-11T23:28:42.360+01:002017-10-11T23:28:42.360+01:00Thanks so much, Katherine. Now, with more experien...Thanks so much, Katherine. Now, with more experience, I wish I could rewrite it as a picture book (with meerkats!).Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-86938165949746797122017-10-11T23:27:36.984+01:002017-10-11T23:27:36.984+01:00I'm delighted to have inspired you, Rebecca :-...I'm delighted to have inspired you, Rebecca :-) Many thanks. However, I'm glad all my books weren't so protracted! The editor's comment about kangaroos surprised me too as I assumed they were familiar to everyone.Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-91952157422701893042017-10-11T23:21:41.296+01:002017-10-11T23:21:41.296+01:00Thanks, Jane :-) Recycling ideas is great when it ...Thanks, Jane :-) Recycling ideas is great when it works!Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304088335318285353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-22143500790733187642017-10-11T15:59:40.871+01:002017-10-11T15:59:40.871+01:00Thank you for sharing all about your journey with ...Thank you for sharing all about your journey with this book! I love it!Dowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07707345632642399567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-26678865914489329872017-10-11T15:50:55.947+01:002017-10-11T15:50:55.947+01:00I loved hearing this story! And it says a lot abou...I loved hearing this story! And it says a lot about the role revision plays in a writer's life!Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04520519734235161989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-61078254776657613222017-10-11T15:36:01.450+01:002017-10-11T15:36:01.450+01:00What a great story. Looks like we should never giv...What a great story. Looks like we should never give up on something we love.David McMullinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11976625439508466025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-39519885439661951692017-10-11T12:18:42.962+01:002017-10-11T12:18:42.962+01:00Wow! Thank you for this post on writing and persev...Wow! Thank you for this post on writing and perseverance. It was really encouraging to discover that an idea can transform, be banked, changed over so many years and become a published book. I really enjoyed reading your post. Debbie G.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-32959874151964619392017-10-11T08:06:15.825+01:002017-10-11T08:06:15.825+01:00WOW, good story on perseverence. In fact, you hear...WOW, good story on perseverence. In fact, you hear that continually about authors who don't give up. I always wondered who wrote those reading books. My son had to read many in Aus. I wonder if a publisher in Aus would have liked your kangaroo story. There is a huge sense of pride over their country and animals and Mem Fox may have started this with her books about possum magic and koala characters. Claire Alexander had an editor tell her she couldn't have a hedgehog in her book because they don't have them in the USA - and that is a lie! I lived there and we hired a petting zoo w/ a hedgehog for my son's bday. UK editors are very careful about those things because the market here is so small. Congrats on getting it published in the end – the illos look great too.woolypearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251868820161389163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-4834043281470166832017-10-11T02:23:08.986+01:002017-10-11T02:23:08.986+01:00So glad you persevered. Thanks for sharing your st...So glad you persevered. Thanks for sharing your story.lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10193517239424602687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-26505841039117986372017-10-10T19:25:18.255+01:002017-10-10T19:25:18.255+01:00Wow! And wonderful! So glad it finally made the li...Wow! And wonderful! So glad it finally made the light of day - with all that work! Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-82562678849761351932017-10-10T16:44:36.086+01:002017-10-10T16:44:36.086+01:00This is one of the most inspiring road to publicat...This is one of the most inspiring road to publication stories I've ever read! <br /><br />And by the way, as an American, I love kangaroos!Rebecca Gomezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06842712720778708758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-58171584924166511192017-10-10T13:43:33.206+01:002017-10-10T13:43:33.206+01:00This did make me smile, Paeony, glad you found a h...This did make me smile, Paeony, glad you found a home for your lovely idea!Jane Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01361379190770989657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-44652883620700451182017-10-10T12:41:43.213+01:002017-10-10T12:41:43.213+01:00Many thanks, Candy. It did take a while!Many thanks, Candy. It did take a while!Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-19156545117393138372017-10-10T12:41:13.979+01:002017-10-10T12:41:13.979+01:00Ha ha, the British climate makes us think of umbre...Ha ha, the British climate makes us think of umbrellas! Good luck with all your reading scheme books, Chitra, and many thanks. Paeony Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13129555451791248798noreply@blogger.com