Finding Time and Losing Weight

In my most recent post I shared an idea for a method of staying on track. I'm happy to say it worked.
In the past eight days I have lost 2.4 pounds, found the top of my desk and made a LOT of progress on my children's book. I also made all four of the Mousekin birthday cards that I hope to be selling on MousekinMarket.com by September, so all four of my goals were met.     
                                   

One of the 4 new cards

                            
                    Here are the steps to take:

• Set small, achievable goals for each day
• Write goals down
• Post where you will see it multiple times each day
• Check off each goal each day as you complete it
• If possible, have a friend or family member share the news

This worked like a charm. I think I will make a habit of this.

The hour (or more) I spent each day at my desk in my studio was very productive. I did reading about writing children's picture books. I read several children's picture books. I made some major revisions on my text and have revised my thumbnails for the book three times.

New Insights:

1.  Decide what question your book answers.
2. Check to see that it is answered in what you have written.
3. Focus on that one small question.
4. Consider two levels: The child and the adult who is reading.
5. Keep reading new books, as tastes, formats and interests of both readers and publishers change over time.

Baby Raccoon and Mousekin

After I did this, I remembered a piece of advice from a speaker at an SCBWI workshop I attended several years ago. The suggestion was to draw a map of the space where your story takes place.  When I did this, I realized that by using the map, I could clarify the flow of action in the book. I changed a lot of things and switched one creature for another as I visualized the yard in which my characters are interacting. I also did some research on various animal species that appear in my story and, as a result, switched the order of baby birds and crows, and then dumped the baby birds and added baby raccoons instead. I think the fuzzy baby raccoons will be more attractive to young listeners than the  baby birds in pinfeathers.

I have accepted that several pieces of my original text will not appear in this book, but I comfort myself with the knowledge that they may reappear in another story in the future. I have definitely graduated to letting go, which makes revisions far easier and less painful. I've even accepted that the title will probably change and that the cool back-matter pages will have to become part of a website to support the book and its readers in the future.

For me, this was BIG progress in a short period. I now feel that I will really get back to work on the book. Now it's time to set the next set of goals and see how far I can go in the month of August  toward meeting big goals like:

• Print, package and market a set of Mousekin Birthday Cards by the end of September.
• Acquire a table at the Hollyberry Fair in November to sell Mousekin cards, puzzles and prints.
• Search for an agent and/or identify publishing companies that are currently accepting proposals from unrepresented author/illustrators.

Small steps can lead to big strides. We'll see how August flows. I'd LOVE to hear from you about whether any of this advice is helpful to you.

Cheerio,
Momma Mousekin