CONCEPT ROADBLOCK - part 2

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:06:34 -0600

I like the series the way it is! I like not having to clean up Coby’s messes! I like no consequences!
STOP YELLING!!
That was me...yelling at my subconscious. My inner voice however, was not yelling back. It was calmly repeating the same thing... “Stop taking the easy way out”.
I hate my inner voice...especially when I know it’s right.
So, off I went to...back to the drawing board with Elephitten. And a nagging question... “Can I write straight fantasy?” Not imagination fantasy, but straight fantasy, where the things I’m writing actually happen inside the framework of the book. It was an interesting concept. I decided that I just had to start writing.
The first question I had to ask myself was, where did Elephitten come from? For that, I have to give some credit to my writing workshop partners from Big Sur. They had suggested a few options but there was one in particular that stuck out in my mind. And, being a closet tech guy, I like the idea of some cutting edge technology. It’s not exactly Frankenstein’s monster...but it’s as close to magic as I’ve ever seen in real life. The 3D printer!
With this concept in mind, I started writing a chapter in the book where Coby uses the 3D printer to create a model of Elephitten. Once I got that far...it tied nicely into the main story of the book.
Once I got to the end... then I had to deal with the other burning issue...consequences. I decided to leave some of this up to the reader, but Coby still has to solve the problem of what to do with this creature he’s created. I felt like I had a clever solution for that, and as I finished the book, I really liked the way the whole thing came together. As writers tend to do... I went back and read the book a few times through just to make sure I connected all the dots.
Amazingly, I had just wrote my first full fantasy book. And, I’ve used a formula that I can play with moving forward with the series.
Now that the road is clear - let’s get Elephitten out there for everyone to enjoy and I can move on to the next one!

CONCEPT ROADBLOCK - part 1

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:12:50 -0700

Ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a writer...especially a writer of children’s books?
Here’s something that keeps me up at night...
After Dogopotamus was published, I started working on book #2, Hamstigator. As I was writing, I was using the same formula that I used for Dogo. Coby creates a Petimal in his imagination, wonders what it would be like to have that Petimal as an actual pet, comes to the conclusion that it’s a bad idea, and wakes up. It was the “wakes up” part that was starting to bother me. Could I continue to write books where all the action takes place in a little boy’s imagination? No mess to clean up, just the realization that he needs to go back to the drawing board. It seemed fine to me. And, as a writer, I liked the idea of no consequences. Coby’s mind is so vivid, that he can imagine all these things as if they are really happening, therefore coming to a logical conclusion on his own...without the fear of actual choas and destruction. It’s like a dream that seems so real that it startles you out of a dead sleep. For Coby, the imagination is real enough. And for me, I love the idea that I can destroy a neighborhood and a house without worrying about cleaning anything up.
So, as I began writing Hamstigator, I was content with using this formula. I didn’t worry too much about it and went about destroying another house!
However, as I began to write Elephitten, I was having those same thoughts. Even though this notion was beginning to keep me up at night, I pressed on and finished writing Elephitten sometime after Thanksgiving 2014.
In mid December, I attended a writer’s workshop in Big Sur, California. I was actually workshopping the 4th Petimals book since I had already started writing it. And, didn’t want to workshop Elephitten because, in my mind, it was completed. At the workshop, I got some great feedback on Petimals. Mostly postiive, but I kept hearing the same response from a lot of the other writers. It was the same thing that was bothering me this whole time. The fact that these books only take place in someone’s imagination is a little bit of a letdown. The reader wants to keep reading to see what’s going to happen. Part of the reason is to see how Coby’s is going to get out of this situation he’s in. Once the reader realizes that the situation isn’t real, the book loses it’s appeal. At least this was the opinion of the other writers as well as the literary agents and editors who were running the workshop.
My worst fear was realized... now what do I do with Elephitten?
I couldn’t continue publishing Elephitten with this new knowledge. Therefore, I had to rethink how I was going to move forward with the series....
Just like Coby, I had to go back to the drawing board.

Halloween Short Story

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0600

While I was waiting for Ed to finish the illustrations for Elephitten, I was feeling inspired to write. I decided that it would be fun to write a short story for Halloween.
Finding inspiration from my own life is pretty easy with 2 boys running around. Halloween is a big deal in our house. We love to decorate, and we LOVE to scare the neighborhood kids on Halloween. I always hang back at the house and do most of the scaring. Now that Zack is in high school, he’s pretty much done with the Trick-Or-Treating. So, he’s going to help with the scaring this year. I love to sit in front of the house, in a scary ghoul outfit with a bowl of candy in front of me. I pretend to be a stuffed halloween prop so that the kids have to reach into the candy bowl in front of me on their own. I usually let the first kid reach in and grab candy without incident. As soon as the second kid reaches in, I grab their hand. They usually scream and take off! Always fun for the parents watching...maybe not so much for the kids. But, the next day, they’re all talking about that crazy house with the ghoul sitting out front.
Coby, on the other hand, is still into Trick-Or-Treating, so he’s searching for the right costume. His costume search was what inspire me to write this story. In true Petimals fashion, I imagined what Coby would do if he was forced to combine two costumes to make one scary outfit. I went back and forth with a few different names and costumes, but finally settled on the conbination between a Panda and a Tarantula.
I actually started writing the story based on a Tarantula and a Bat. I loved the idea of a flying spider, which would scare the heck out of me! But as I started writing, the story wasn’t quite coming together the way I wanted. Sometimes, you have to take 2 steps back to take 1 step forward. Tarantubat wasn’t working for me. I stumbled upon the Panda idea, and once I had a different direction for the story, it came flying out.
I hope everyone enjoys the latest Petimals addition....
PADARANTULA!

®® Petimals Is Official ®®

Sun, 1 Sep 2013 22:22:02 -0600

It’s been another great summer! Publishing Hamstigator accomplished more than just having a 2nd book in the Petimals family. It also means that Petimals is now a true series. It is also now recognized by the US Trademark Office. Even though they allowed me to use the ® symbol for the first book, it wasn’t really official until book 2 came out because you can’t trademark a single book. You must have at least 2 books under the same series name to trademark your series. So, now Petimals is an official US Trademark.
You can’t even imagine what that process was like. I had to put my lawyer hat on multiple times to get through the mountains of paperwork and legalese. But, after a year and a half, Trademark Serial Number 85360106 is now on the books. So - don’t get any fancy ideas of stealing, or copying the Petimals idea....or I’ll send my crack legal team after you. The law offices of Laney and Rockie. They’re not exactly great in the courtroom, but if you try to step onto our porch, they’ll bark you to death

Hamstigator

Fri, 1 Feb 2013 22:17:44 -0700

Hamstigator is written!
I wanted to give everyone an update on Petimals book #2, Hamstigator. I started writing in mid January and it’s finally done and edited. I sent it off to Ed so he can start working his magic with the illustrations. The projected release date is May, 2013.
Writing book #2 is definitely easier than the first book. I learned so much writing Dogopotamus. After going through the process once, it made sitting down and writing Hamstigator a lot easier.
For me, the actual writing process doesn’t take very long. Coming up with the storyline is the most time consuming. How does the book start? What happens along the way? How is it going to end? Those are all things I’ve been thinking about since Dogopotamus was published. Once I had the general idea of how the book was going to be structured, actually sitting down and writing becomes the fun part.
Here’s the synopsis of Hamstigator:
Coby is back at the breakfast table, trying to convince Mom that he’s ready for his own pet. He gets downstairs early, hoping that Mom might not be thinking clearly at such an early hour and she’ll say yes to his request. After asking for an alligator as a pet, Mom says no way! She suggests starting with something small, like a hamster. Coby returns to the drawing board, creates Hamstigator and imagines what it would be like to have Hamstigator as a pet. It’s fun at first, but Hamstigator gets loose in the plumbing of the house and proceeds to destroy everything.
Here’s an excerpt from Hamstigator:

CHAPTER 1
   The first rays of morning sunlight came through my bedroom window. I watch a beam of yellow slowly creep across the wall next to my bed. I’ve been awake for a while, staring at the ceiling, just waiting to get up and go downstairs for breakfast. The breakfast table is where I do my best work. It’s my office. My sharpest negotiating tactics all take place between the hours of 6:30 and 7:45 a.m. Instead of fancy chairs, coffee, and three-piece suits, my boardroom consists of a round, wood table, fruity cereal, and spaceship pajamas. Shirt optional.
   My target: adults over the age of 30 who, somehow in their advanced age have lost the ability to think clearly before 7 a.m. Perfect situation for me! Anytime I want something, need something, or have to bargain for something, this is THE time to do it. Unfortunately, my biggest roadblock is my older brother, Zack. Nobody kills a perfectly executed plan like he does. He’s equal parts boring, lame and annoying. Zack thinks all my ideas are stupid, and instead of just sitting there minding his own business, he has to make a face or a comment, or otherwise say something that somehow snaps our groggy parents out of their morning fog. No breakfast table board meeting goes well when he’s around.
   That’s why I’ve been staring at the ceiling for the past hour. Today’s negotiation is particularly important. I’m ready, again, to ask for a pet. And, I’m not talking about just any pet. This one is going to be special, and will require special bargaining tactics. I need total concentration and no distractions. Dad isn’t around this morning because he’s traveling for work. Zack should still be asleep, so it’ll just be Mom and me. Mano a Mommo.
   I get up and decide to put the pajama shirt on today. You’re always taken more seriously with a shirt on. Even though it’s nearly Summer and I don’t sleep with one when it gets hot, I feel like I should be slightly more formal this morning. I could put on slippers, or actually get dressed for school, but that would be a dead giveaway that I was up to something. I open my door as quietly as I can and slowly walk down the hallway towards the stairs.

Hamstigator was a blast to write, it’s a fun story. I hope everyone will like it. I’ll keep you posted as we get closer to the publishing date and as Ed creates the illustrations I’ll share them with everyone. Also - I’ll share more excerpts from Hamstigator along the way.
Thanks again for everyone’s support!
Mike