Daisy Chains
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Coming up with the story
Kids often ask me about where Daisy Dreamer story ideas come from, and I tell them the truth: I have a hard time coming up with stories. I can sit and stare at the computer screen for hours, trying to spin out ideas.
The only thing that ever really works is to just start writing -- even if I don't know what I'm going to write. I start with some basic idea (something like "Daisy will be visiting the world's tallest building") and then go from there, trying to figure out what is going to happen next.
Just this week, I learned again how coming up with a plot can be easy and hard at the same time. I needed to suggest a plot for the September Daisy Dreamer comic. I knew where it was going to be set, then spent all morning trying to figure out a story that made sense in that setting.
Finally, I finished writing the plot synopsis. I wrote in my email to Chickadee that I thought there must be a better story out there, but this was the best one I could come up with.
And as I wrote those words, suddenly I realized how to make the story work better. Ten minutes later I had a new plot outline.
Was the first few hours working on the story wasted? It felt like it. But it probably wasn't. I imagine my brain had to work through those bad ideas until I hit a good one.
Look for it next September.
The only thing that ever really works is to just start writing -- even if I don't know what I'm going to write. I start with some basic idea (something like "Daisy will be visiting the world's tallest building") and then go from there, trying to figure out what is going to happen next.
Just this week, I learned again how coming up with a plot can be easy and hard at the same time. I needed to suggest a plot for the September Daisy Dreamer comic. I knew where it was going to be set, then spent all morning trying to figure out a story that made sense in that setting.
Finally, I finished writing the plot synopsis. I wrote in my email to Chickadee that I thought there must be a better story out there, but this was the best one I could come up with.
And as I wrote those words, suddenly I realized how to make the story work better. Ten minutes later I had a new plot outline.
Was the first few hours working on the story wasted? It felt like it. But it probably wasn't. I imagine my brain had to work through those bad ideas until I hit a good one.
Look for it next September.
Labels: Chickadee, Daisy Dreamer, Writing Comics
¶ 12:44 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Daisy Dreamer in Thailand
The March issue of Chickadee magazine is out!
The theme for this issue is art, and the Daisy Dreamer comic takes place in Thailand. Daisy and her pals are visiting an elephant park, where the elephants make art.
I based the idea for the story on some real places where elephants create art. They run with help from the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project. For years, loggers in Thailand have used elephants to help them in their work. Just like loggers in North America once used horses and oxen to pull logs out of the woods, in Thailand people used elephants to help move lumber.
But what happens to those elephants when they can't work any more? There are elephant conservation areas in Thailand where these elephants can live comfortable lives. The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project allows elephants to create artwork. The money they raise from selling the paintings goes towards helping to care for the elephants.
You can see some of the paintings by the elephants here.
The theme for this issue is art, and the Daisy Dreamer comic takes place in Thailand. Daisy and her pals are visiting an elephant park, where the elephants make art.
I based the idea for the story on some real places where elephants create art. They run with help from the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project. For years, loggers in Thailand have used elephants to help them in their work. Just like loggers in North America once used horses and oxen to pull logs out of the woods, in Thailand people used elephants to help move lumber.
But what happens to those elephants when they can't work any more? There are elephant conservation areas in Thailand where these elephants can live comfortable lives. The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project allows elephants to create artwork. The money they raise from selling the paintings goes towards helping to care for the elephants.
You can see some of the paintings by the elephants here.
Labels: Art, Daisy Dreamer, Elephants, Neat stuff
¶ 10:24 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Summer!
Yes, the ground may be covered in snow, and our driveway iced over, but it is time to think about summer. I like writing the summer Daisy Dreamer comic in the middle of winter. It makes me feel like winter is almost over.
The summer story is also fun because it is different: more panels, more adventure -- even more animals sometimes! In summer sometimes Daisy gets to turn into more than one animal for the story. More animals = more fun, I think. ¶ 3:12 PM 0 comments
The summer story is also fun because it is different: more panels, more adventure -- even more animals sometimes! In summer sometimes Daisy gets to turn into more than one animal for the story. More animals = more fun, I think. ¶ 3:12 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Upper Musquodoboit Consolidated School
I spent the day yesterday at Uper Musquodoboit Consolidated School talking about Daisy Dreamer and writing comics. (Maybe we should have a pronunciation test on the name.)
It was a great school. It had 60 kids, and every single one of them knew about Daisy Dreamer and had read some of the comics. They had fantastic questions.
One of the things I love most about visiting schools is answering questions. There are some questions that come up almost every single time. But at UMCS, I heard some new ones. A girl in grade 6 wanted advice on where to look for publishing opportunities, because she loves to write. And a boy asked me if I could write a Daisy that involves zombies. Maybe she could become a zombie, or fight zombies.
I often get requests for animals Daisy should turn into. But zombies? That was the first time I'd heard that suggestion. Of course, I answered that zombies weren't really appropriate for the comic. But afterwards, one of my kids said that maybe we could gently work a kid dressed as a zombie into the next Halloween comic. But I still think that might be too scary for the younger readers.
It was a great school. It had 60 kids, and every single one of them knew about Daisy Dreamer and had read some of the comics. They had fantastic questions.
One of the things I love most about visiting schools is answering questions. There are some questions that come up almost every single time. But at UMCS, I heard some new ones. A girl in grade 6 wanted advice on where to look for publishing opportunities, because she loves to write. And a boy asked me if I could write a Daisy that involves zombies. Maybe she could become a zombie, or fight zombies.
I often get requests for animals Daisy should turn into. But zombies? That was the first time I'd heard that suggestion. Of course, I answered that zombies weren't really appropriate for the comic. But afterwards, one of my kids said that maybe we could gently work a kid dressed as a zombie into the next Halloween comic. But I still think that might be too scary for the younger readers.
Labels: Daisy Dreamer, Writers in Schools, Writing Comics
¶ 10:32 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Back again
A little while ago, I wrote a post -- which I have now deleted -- saying I didn't think I was going to keep this blog going.
Since then, the number of people visiting has gone up. Go figure. I guess I'll keep writing it. But not today, because I have to come up with a plot idea for the Daisy Dreamer adventure that will appear in the summer 2008 issue of Chickadee.
See you soon.
Since then, the number of people visiting has gone up. Go figure. I guess I'll keep writing it. But not today, because I have to come up with a plot idea for the Daisy Dreamer adventure that will appear in the summer 2008 issue of Chickadee.
See you soon.
Labels: Daisy Dreamer
¶ 2:31 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Recent reading -- comics
I've been reading some excellent graphic novels and comics. I'll write a bit about them over the next few days.
Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, vos 1 and 2
Tove Jansson was a brilliant writer and artist, and for five years she produced a daily comic strip about the Moomins and the other residents of Moomin Valley. (She had already been writing books about them.) The comic strips are now being collected together in what is going to be a series of five books, published by Drawn and Quarterly.
I picked up these books without knowing anything about them - and they were great. I enjoyed them, and so did two of my kids (ages 14 and 11 -- my eight-year-old was not crazy about the Moomins).
The stories centre on Moomin, his parents, his sort-of girlfriend Snork Maiden, and a cast of characters who come in and out of the stories. There is Snufkin, a quiet wanderer; Little My, who causes lots of mischief; Sniff, who is always looking for new ways to make money fast -- and many others.
The Moomins seem most interested in eating, sleeping, and pretend and real adventures.
I think what makes these stories work so well is the combination of simple drawings, characters who are childlike, whether or not they are children, and humour based on misunderstandings that build and build -- like the time the Moomins stay at a fancy hotel, but have no idea they are supposed to pay. They think the suite is too big, and they build a tent in their four-poster bed. They order oatmeal for breakfast and pay extra for it because it is not on the regular men. And when it comes time to pay, they use Snork Maiden's casino winnings, which up until then were so unimportant to her, she had forgotten where she put the money.
One of my favourite characters only appears in one story. His name is Mr. Brisk, and he arrives in the valley full of energy and enthusiasm for winter sports. The Moomins are roly-poly characters who like to sleep a lot. Mr. Brisk organizes skating parties and ski competitions, and tells them that the "time for leisure is over Moomins!". I love that idea. That participating in sports is different from leisure. ¶ 9:00 AM 2 comments
I've been reading some excellent graphic novels and comics. I'll write a bit about them over the next few days.
Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, vos 1 and 2
Tove Jansson was a brilliant writer and artist, and for five years she produced a daily comic strip about the Moomins and the other residents of Moomin Valley. (She had already been writing books about them.) The comic strips are now being collected together in what is going to be a series of five books, published by Drawn and Quarterly.
I picked up these books without knowing anything about them - and they were great. I enjoyed them, and so did two of my kids (ages 14 and 11 -- my eight-year-old was not crazy about the Moomins).
The stories centre on Moomin, his parents, his sort-of girlfriend Snork Maiden, and a cast of characters who come in and out of the stories. There is Snufkin, a quiet wanderer; Little My, who causes lots of mischief; Sniff, who is always looking for new ways to make money fast -- and many others.
The Moomins seem most interested in eating, sleeping, and pretend and real adventures.
I think what makes these stories work so well is the combination of simple drawings, characters who are childlike, whether or not they are children, and humour based on misunderstandings that build and build -- like the time the Moomins stay at a fancy hotel, but have no idea they are supposed to pay. They think the suite is too big, and they build a tent in their four-poster bed. They order oatmeal for breakfast and pay extra for it because it is not on the regular men. And when it comes time to pay, they use Snork Maiden's casino winnings, which up until then were so unimportant to her, she had forgotten where she put the money.
One of my favourite characters only appears in one story. His name is Mr. Brisk, and he arrives in the valley full of energy and enthusiasm for winter sports. The Moomins are roly-poly characters who like to sleep a lot. Mr. Brisk organizes skating parties and ski competitions, and tells them that the "time for leisure is over Moomins!". I love that idea. That participating in sports is different from leisure. ¶ 9:00 AM 2 comments
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Walt and Skeezix
I have been reading comics from 1921 to 1924 the last few weeks. They are early strips of Gasoline Alley, collected in two books called Walt and Skeezix, and published by Drawn and Quarterly.
The comics feature the residents of Gasoline Alley, in Chicago, and are from the early days of a comics saga that would carry on for decades, with the characters aging in real time. If I look at Hagar the Horrible today, it is pretty much the same (and just as awful) as when I was a kid. Gasoline Alley is not like that. It was the first comic to have its characters grow older, year by year.
I love these comics, and I have been trying to figure out why. They can be funny, but mostly they are very gentle. Unlike other comics you might describe as gentle though (Family Circus?) they are almost never sappy or sentimental. The stories move slowly and gracefully, and even though they are clearly set in another time (just look at the cars) they still seem very familiar. I don't feel like I'm reading something written almost 90 years ago.
Drawn and Quarterly have committed to producing many of these collections (unbelievably, almost none of the Gasoline Alley comics had ever been published in book form before). The books themselves are beautiful, including essays on creator Frank King and his work and some truly amazing old family photos. Plus they come with endnotes that help point out little extras a reader like me might not notice (like the Skeezix doll in one of the panels).
The books are normally priced at $39.95 in Canada, but I noticed on the Drawn and Quarterly online store that they are now selling for $29.95. It is a bargain.
The comics feature the residents of Gasoline Alley, in Chicago, and are from the early days of a comics saga that would carry on for decades, with the characters aging in real time. If I look at Hagar the Horrible today, it is pretty much the same (and just as awful) as when I was a kid. Gasoline Alley is not like that. It was the first comic to have its characters grow older, year by year.
I love these comics, and I have been trying to figure out why. They can be funny, but mostly they are very gentle. Unlike other comics you might describe as gentle though (Family Circus?) they are almost never sappy or sentimental. The stories move slowly and gracefully, and even though they are clearly set in another time (just look at the cars) they still seem very familiar. I don't feel like I'm reading something written almost 90 years ago.
Drawn and Quarterly have committed to producing many of these collections (unbelievably, almost none of the Gasoline Alley comics had ever been published in book form before). The books themselves are beautiful, including essays on creator Frank King and his work and some truly amazing old family photos. Plus they come with endnotes that help point out little extras a reader like me might not notice (like the Skeezix doll in one of the panels).
The books are normally priced at $39.95 in Canada, but I noticed on the Drawn and Quarterly online store that they are now selling for $29.95. It is a bargain.
Labels: Comics, Gasoline Alley
¶ 9:33 AM 0 comments