Speaking of Drawing Boards
May 30, 2012
By the illustrator, Lisa Mertins
Well, a computerized drawing board, anyway…
I knew it would be easy to fix any changes with my final paintings in Photoshop but I didn’t anticipate that the first piece I finished so it could sent to Mill Press would […]
Jim Doti—The Bard
May 29, 2012
The lyrics I wrote for the song the elves sing during the performance of “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and again at the conclusion of the book have an obvious rhyming pattern:
We love to sing our song
as we sew shoes all night long
Putting meat pies in our […]
Mapping a Chicago Neighborhood
May 18, 2012
By the Illustrator, Lisa Mertins
Remember me? I’ve been in the art cave for the past six weeks painting. All socializing, blogging and showering came to a screeching halt so I could complete the paintings and I’m starting with the (next to) last image I finished to demonstrate […]
Revisiting the Title Redux
May 18, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
The Jabberwocky editor suggested the following title:
Jimmy’s Turn to Speak: A Story about Teasing
This didn’t work for me for several reasons but mainly because I don’t think the story is about teasing. To me, it’s about Jimmy’s experience as an actor on stage that […]
Continue Reading →Revisiting the Title
May 08, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
In her cover letter to me, Marna expressed another concern:
You might consider changing the title or possibly adding a subtitle. Jimmy the Elf doesn’t really convey the book’s content, and it might be mistaken for a Christmas story (I’m thinking that Santa and his […]
Continue Reading →More Editing
Apr 26, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
I’d like to share just a few more examples of how Marna’s editing helped me to overt several major errors in the book.
For example, here is the opening sentence of the story:
Jimmy walks to school with his mom and his dog, Blackie.
Marna caught something I […]
Continue Reading →Time for Editing
Apr 20, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
Now that I’ve finished the manuscript, I need to remind myself that it’s still only a first draft.
When we finished
A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy
, we sent it to Mill City Press. I had read […]
The Denouement
Apr 12, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
With the climax of the story literally and figuratively played out, it’s time for the denouement. That should be short and especially so for a children’s book. So I create a final scene where all the characters come together for a post-play party […]
The Curtain Rises
Apr 06, 2012
By the author, Jim Doti
It’s clear from the last page that Jimmy is on to something. But exactly what it is still not clear to the reader. Now that the curtain is ready to rise, it’s time to reveal the idea Jimmy got while watching his Mom’s expressions. That reveal will actually serve as […]
Continue Reading →Preparing for the final illustrations
Mar 23, 2012
By the Illustrator, Lisa Mertins
I’ve been drawing like mad for the past month and I’ve had to put everything else on hold the last few weeks. However, I can show how I create texture in the final art before I begin the drawing process while I wait […]
