More time to write

Things have been changing around here so much since August.  We had so many weeks off during the school summer holidays thinking that William and I were both returning to the same Montessori school.  Then we had sad news that there was not going to be a job for me there.  No job means no money and no money means no way of paying for William's tuition fees.  William and I thought we'd found the answer at a different Montessori school with a place for us both.  Unfortunately the school turned out to be anything other than a Montessori school and seven weeks later William and I said goodbye.
After a couple of weeks of William and I at home, which I really don't mind as we get along really well, we had an amazing offer to return to our original school.  But the best part about my new role at the school is I only need to be there two hours a day, leaving time on my own to think, to read, to research and to write.
There's a library close by, quite areas in the school to sit and work and the school is located next to a beautiful park.
I'm so excited with our change in routine and selfishly grateful of tons of extra time to work on the book.  At the moment I' feel like I'm just playing at being a writer.  When I talk to friends I feel like a fake, maybe because there's still a part of me that doesn't believe I can do it!  I have so much self doubt and I'm overwhelmed about how much I need to learn, but I'm sure after a week or two of alone time to work I'll feel much better....I hope!

I know I'm no illustrator

Today I sat with pencil and paper trying to draw someone who is the main character of the book. Someone I know so well but have not seen for many years. Someone whom I love so much and will always love for the rest of my life. My Dad. I'm not the best at drawing even though I do enjoy it, and I've not practiced for some time.  

I can't describe how I feel at at the moment.  I just wish more than anything that I could take a photo of him rather than trying to draw him with wings.  This is going to be a tough journey! 

Quite please!

Thought a little research would be a good idea so I'm in the quite room of the local library. Odd to think that libraries these days have quite rooms. I did, however, find some interesting titles, aurthors, illustrators, and publishers who have similar books out.....not the same, but a similar subject. 

I'm learning that there's more than one way to write and publish a children's book. The old fashioned, more expensive, time consuming and professional way is to send your book without pictures to a publisher and if they like it they match you up with an illustrator. Then there's the quick and easy, unprofessional 2013 version of book writing and publishing which is to have an online company such as Amazon make your book....not sure how you sort out an illustrator with this option.   

I guess I have a while to figure it out since only the first line of my story has been written ;-)

Not sure what I'm doing...

A new page....a blank page.... with such potential, eagerly waiting with cursor flashing as my four year old draws space shuttles on a piece of copy paper.  Have you ever noticed how a child can pick up a blank piece of paper and immediately the pencil starts moving.  They don't seem to sit and stare and wonder what others may think of their space shuttle.  Is it too big?  Too yellow?  Too silly?  They just draw.  I could learn a lot from that.
And I'm going to try.  Two people came up with the idea of my new project.  Being very self critical I'm not sure how far it will go.  I dream of seeing our work, the idea, on a shelf in a bookstore.  Not for fame or fortune but just to say "I did it.  The dream came true!".
So we'll see what I can do with this flashing cursor and blank page staring at me and start thinking about my potential, and not the paper's!