Karen Tyrrell’s new illustrated novel, Jo-Kin Battles the IT has just been released.
Today Karen shares some great tips about writing an illustrated novel. These tips are for writers of any age who are interested in writing for kids.
How to Write an Illustrated Novel by Karen Tyrrell
- Write an action-packed adventure story that kids will love. Consider using humour, as kids love the funny, the quirky and the ridiculous. Add some delicious food scenes as kids really love food and eating. Make the story as exciting and adventurous as you can.
- Create a main character the reader really cares about. A loveable hero that has some flaws and faults. Make us care about this character and what happens to him.
- Give your hero a side-kick so they can work on their mission together.
- Write your story in intriguing scenes from the main character’s point of view. Sequence these scenes into chapters that hook in the reader from the beginning to the end.
- Choose the most exciting parts of the scenes to illustrate, preferably where the main character is doing something exciting, funny or scary. Make sure the pictures depict a wide variety of different characters, scenes that makes us ask a question. What’s going to happen next?
- Describe these exciting scenes in detail (a brief) so that the illustrator can understand, visualize and illustrate the characters and the scene. Work co-operatively with the illustrator, listen to his suggestions giving him some creative freedom to create the most enticing pictures possible. The pictures will be completed in stages from rough sketch to ready to publish.
School of Rock back cover
Max 909 robot scene shows intrigue and tension
Jo-Kin Battles the It is available on Amazon, LSI, library services and selected stores including some Dymocks and Angus & Robertson.
Karen’s touring cyberspace with her book and she’s visiting lots of other great blogs. Find out more about her book and her writing by following the blog tour:
Jo-Kin Battles the It Blog Tour
19 Oct Dee White http://writingclassesforkids.com Blog
20 Oct Di Bates http://diannedibates.blogspot.com.au Review
21 Oct Alison Stegert http://ali-stegert.com/ Interview
Jackie Hosking https://jackiehoskingpio.wordpress.com/ Blog
22 Oct Georgie Donaghey www.creativekidstales.com.au Review & Interview
23 Oct Robyn Opie http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au/ Review
25 Oct Rebecca Sheraton http://www.rebeccasheraton.com/blog Interview
26 Oct Sandy Fussell http://www.sandyfussell.com Interview
27 Oct Jill Smith https://authorjillsmith.wordpress.com/ Review
Melissa Wray http://melissawray.blogspot.com.au Blog
28 Oct June Perkins http://gumbootspearlz.org Interview
29 Oct Sally Odgers http://promotemeplease.blogspot.com.au Interview
30 Oct Kate Foster http://www.katejfoster.com/blog Interview
Book Giveaway
Win a signed copy of Jo-Kin Battles the It OR one of four eBooks of Jo-Kin Battles the It OR signed artwork from the illustrator, Trevor Salter.
To WIN please LIKE Karen’s Super Space Kids book series page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SuperSpaceKids and
Leave a comment on any of the above Blog stops 19-31 Oct to win. Good luck.
