My sanity
Do you ever question your sanity ? I ask as I write this blog and laugh because on most days I find that I am either talking to myself or saying frequently, «what was I thinking?????!!!!!!». I am a mama of 3 girls and that alone should allow me a free pass on the insane train. Can't you just picture the train, full of overworked,exhausted mamas who cry at the drop of a hat or laugh for fear of crying. We mamas board the train with hopes of a little time for a cup of coffee, maybe an unintertupted bath, the chance to maybe even rediscover what sleep looks like? Yes, I can wish for said train because I am a writer , and perhaps writing is how I stay somewhat sane in all the madness of this crazy life. But then again, I cannot imagine my life without my three girls. They are as necessary to living as breathing and provide me inspiration far beyond my expectations. And if I come across as ths slightest bit insane and in need of a trip on the insane train, then so be it.
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I love what you have said. My mama passed away three years ago, and as much of a neat freak she was, she put that all aside for my babies-,her grandkids:). Its amazing how those little bundles of joy and fiestiness can be so ultimately incredible.
Thanks for your response:). It made me smile a lot.
Jodi wrote: "I love what you have said. My mama passed away three years ago, and as much of a neat freak she was, she put that all aside for my babies-,her grandkids:). Its amazing how those little bundles of ..."
Jodi, so sorry you lost your mother. You must be so sad that she can't watch your babies grow up. I feel the same way about my father as I lost him years ago, and much too soon. I'm lucky to still have my mother alive and well and she is great for promoting my three children's books as all her pals at the retirement village where she lives buy and read them. They love them and think they're hilarious. I never guessed pensioners would buy them, but selling children's books in these hard times is a real struggle, don't you find?
Before my grandchildren came along, I was a clean freak too, and as we had just built a new house in the country, everything was new. Then along came the Drooling Dollies. (That's what my husband calls the grandchildren. LOL.) After that, I didn't worry about the stains on the carpet any more and I bought heaps of toys and movies for them, plus books, colouring books and crayons, a swing and paddling pool.
I was so happy to have grandchildren because we thought we would never have any. We had our two children whilst still a teenagers and I was fifty three before we had our first grandchild, so who cares about a dirty carpet or messy house. The sounds of children laughing more than make up for that.
I checked out your website and your three girls look delightful.
Have a lovely day, Jodi.
You have such a kindness in your words. Thank you for saying that about my mom. I miss her terribly. She was only 64, and I could talk to her about anything.
Your grandkids are lucky to have you, and you to have your mom. I think that is fantastic that your books sell where your mom is. And you should write a book entitled "drooling dollies"-love it!
It is hard being an author in these times, but not a day goes by that I am not in love with words;).
Thanks again for writing, I feel like I have a new friend.
You have a lovely day as well,,
Jodi
Jodi, that is so sad to lose your mum at such a young age. She wasn't much older than me. I'm fifty eight. My daughter-in-law lost her mum, who was about the same age as your mother. It's way too young, but I bet your mum is watching over you and your girls. I'm sure my father watches over me and my kids.My daughter is forty and she talks to me about everything too, and so does my son.
You're right, I should write a book called Drooling Dollies. I have a chapter book I'm writing at the moment that would fit that title. (My husband is great at coming up with titles and phrases for my books. I use all of them )
It's great to have someone else to chat to about writing for children. Pleased to meet you, new friend.
Pleased to meet you as well:). And you are right, I am positive that my mom is with me, and your dad with you. That in itself brings comfory, and my dad lives about twenty minutes from me-he is a rock in my life. Tell your husband to keep inspiring you:), my husband likes to suggest ideas for my illustrations:). I loo, forward to knowing you my new friend,
Jodi
I love drawing my own illustrations, Jodi. I had my first go at it in one of my chapter books. I made the pictures coloured in the eBook, but they had to be black and white for the paperback. After drawing the characters, I scanned them, filed them on my computer, then saved them as a JPEG. Then I opened them in Paint and added lot's of colour. I didn't like how one of the pictures had turned out so I used the eraser to rub out some of the background, but didn't realise that rubbing out actually added a white colour and lots more pixels. This made the file so big that I couldn't upload it with the book. That's what you get for cheating. LOL. I had to crop it, then resize it many times so it would take.Have you had any problems with your illustrations?
That is funny:)! Yes, definitely. The main problem I have had is when I first began submitting them I uploaded them as well, and didnt realize how dift the coloring would be from paper to computer. It took me forever to realize I could adjust the color with switching the saturation and playing around with the program. I find that if I use colored pencils and outlining the pics with sharpies. That is prob the best trick I have evef learned:)!It is great to have someone to talk to that understands the difficulties and commitment it takes to be an author/illustrator!
Have you always loved to write?
I've always loved telling stories to make people laugh. I was in and out of hospital at the age of six and seven and missed a lot of schooling, plus I had a really bad teacher,who was later fired for abusing children with her violence and mental cruelty. She refused to teach me how to write and thought it funny, so my family thought that I was slow or had a learning disability, when I actually didn't. (I wasn't the only child she did this to, there were many of us. She picked out the shy ones, who wouldn't stand up to her. Plus I had her as a teacher for three years, which made things even worse.) She was a very respected and liked teacher by parents as she used to threaten us not to tell our parents. We were too scared most of the time to dob on her. Anyway, instead of doing lessons I used to draw characters and then tell stories about them. I could read and write, but my writing was scribble with very bad spelling and commas in all the wrong places. I left school at the age of fourteen still not knowing where commas went or how to spell. I started working in offices and often got laughed at because of my spelling and writing, so I never dared attempt writing a book.Though I did write my stories in text books, I filed them away until I was fifty-three. After we moved to the country, I helped my husband to build our full brick house. It took us two years to finish it and my husband bought me a computer, so I enrolled in TAFE to learn how to use it. Then I went on on-line websites and critique groups for writers and spent the last five years learning how to write children's books. And because I spent so much time drawing as a child, it came in handy for my illustrations. After years of rejections from publishers and agents, I self published, but I couldn't afford an illustrator, so I thought I'd try drawing them myself. They're not brilliant drawings but not too bad.
It's quite time consuming drawing illustrations, don't you think? You have to make sure the characters have the same features and body size in all the pictures. I love playing with colours too. I know what you mean about colours coming out different when you scan them to the computer. I spent a whole day colouring in my drawings with colour pencils, but they looked awful on the computer screen. I played around with paint to fix the problem then resized them. I tried the saturation to, but didn't get the hang of that one, so I'll try that again.
I was thinking of trying water colour painting them before scanning next time.
Great chatting about illustrations, Jodi. Here's one of my drawings before I coloured it:
Pollyweena and Gertie's Brickfield Mountain from my story STAR CROSSED RASCALS
First let me say that your illustration is adorable. And you are so right, illustrations are so time consuming. All of my books are about my daughters and I taught myself to draw and after people started complimenting them, my confidence grew. I got married at 22, and my husband was in the navy. To fill time when he was away, I wrote. And then after my first daughter was born 11 yrs ago, I wrote and illustrated my first book, and fell in love with the process. I think I submitted stories and illustrations for ten years and recvd countless rejections before I self-published my first book. Then, fate kicked in, and I came across a local authors press release, and she asked to see my work. Story short, she showed it to her publisher, and I received my first acceptance. Writing is a way of life, and I wanted to give up a few times. But after my mom passed, I realized how short life is, and that if I didny keep trying, how would I ever know. The publishing world can be cruel, cant it? I have to say, yout story is so inspiring. Look at how much you have overcome. When you become famous, never forget that:).
If you can watercolor, defininitely try that in the illustrations, and if you adjust the saturation, do it manually, if your program allows it. It works well, but I bet watercolors would be good. Be careful on the face though, maybe color pencil the face, and watercolor other details:).
Not sure of the time difference with us, I am in Florida. I babysat my year old niece, and that combined with my own three makes for one sleepy mama. Have a great night(if it is night there,lol) and I will talk to you, my dear new friend, soon.
Good night!
Jodi
By the way, You really write beautifully. It is so sad that your teachef was so cruel, especially seeing how only having email conversations for two days, I can sense that your heart is pure and you are so kind. Kudos to you for overcoming such a tough situation, and making your life so positive. Good night:),Jodi
Thanks for your kind words, Jodi. Have a good sleep. I live in Australia, so it's daytime here. I'm working as a volunteer today on my own phone for a wildlife rescue. So far today, I've had an injured Brush-tail possum, an injured Tawny Frogmouth,and an owl caught in some fencing. Poor things. Talk soon.
You certainly have the makings to write a novel with the fascinating material of life experiences. Have you ever written about your experiences?It is something about the way you wrote about your childhood that would make for a great story:). Australia? Very cool. What is the weather like there? Here in florida, it is always warm, but WOW we are having.extreme temps and I am thinking I am crazy because I am about to take my girls to the park:).
Have a great day:),
Jodi
Hi Jodi, I do write novels about my experiences, but turn them into fictitious children's books. My chapter book Star-Crossed Rascals is actually my memories of my childhood (as a seven year-old) I added Great Aunt Mabel though instead of a cruel teacher. That book is aimed to make children laugh. Molly Gumnut Rescues a Bandicoot is a fictitious children's story, but I did have a baby bandicoot I named Furble. I cared for him after he was attacked by a cat. He was adorable and I filmed and photographed him and he inspired that story.Velvet Ball and The Broken Fairy is totally fictitious. I bought a weird fairy doll in a curiosity shop and she inspired me to write that story. I had to come up with a character that would wish for something and I came up with a nine-year-old bald girl, who gets bullied at school. But the fairy just makes her life even more difficult. I love to make my characters suffer before the happy endings.
How about you, Jodie, what inspires you?
Well I cant wait to read them now that I know more:). My daughters are the biggest inspiration. I remember the first story I wrote ten yrs ago for my oldest daughter Brooke. She was turning two, and going through major temper tantrums, and I was planning a princess birthday party. I was trying to deal with the tantrums, and planning her party, and if I asked her what she wanted, the only response she would give is, "no". So I wrote to ease my stress and the story was called "Glass Slippers", about a young princess that is never pleased with anything, and is saddened when she cannot find the perfect pair of slippers. Needless to say, she finds herself through obstacles, and realizes th at being a princess is about more than the perfect pair of slippers. The characters besides my daughtet were her friends, and my best friends' kids, and it got such a positive response that writing stories became both addictive anf healing.
As my family grew, my stories grew also. But somedays I can feel inspired simply to draw, and a story can derive from a drawing.
I am writing my first chapter book, and although an editor has agreed to help me, its not guaranteed to be published. It is both scary and exciting. What is it about putting our work out there that is so scary?
I think my only regret is that my mom nevef got to see me get published. I know she knows, in a sense, but she was a huge encourager of my work. So in a way, she and my dad have both been sources of inspiration as well.
I enjoy hearing your story, and will recommend the books you have written on my next blog, if you don't mind. I wont say anything too personal, but would love to say how much you have overcome, and put a link to your books for you. Would that be ok?
Jodi Your books sound delightful too. I'll have to check them out. I'd love to go on your blog and have you on mine. It's okay about the personal stuff, I say most of those things on my blog and websites. If you ever do want to buy my books, let me know and I'll give you a discount coupon if it's a paperback and the link on my website through the CreateSpace eStore. It's is cheaper deliveries through the estore and you can use the coupons. If you wanted an eBook, they arre all $0.99 Or I can email you the PDF for free and you can read them like an ebook on a kindle or the computer.Glass Slippers sound perfect for my grand kids.
Thank you, Patricia:). I am going to order the paperback version of the broken fairy book, but would love if you would like to maybe exchange one of our e-books? I can send you a pdf too:), and am excited to write the blog. Which of your books is most reflective of you?I will have to pull put Glass Slippers again, if I do I will send it your way:)
I haven't looked at it in so long, yet I would love to read it again, and to share it.
Hope all is well, and I am going to think of some questions to include with the blog. I am excited:).
Have a great evening, my new friend:),
Jodi
Thank you, Patricia:). I am going to order the paperback version of the broken fairy book, but would love if you would like to maybe exchange one of our e-books? I can send you a pdf too:), and am excited to write the blog. Which of your books is most reflective of you?I will have to pull put Glass Slippers again, if I do I will send it your way:)
I haven't looked at it in so long, yet I would love to read it again, and to share it.
Hope all is well, and I am going to think of some questions to include with the blog. I am excited:).
Have a great evening, my new friend:),
Jodi
Thank you, Patricia:). I am going to order the paperback version of the broken fairy book, but would love if you would like to maybe exchange one of our e-books? I can send you a pdf too:), and am excited to write the blog. Which of your books is most reflective of you?I will have to pull put Glass Slippers again, if I do I will send it your way:)
I haven't looked at it in so long, yet I would love to read it again, and to share it.
Hope all is well, and I am going to think of some questions to include with the blog. I am excited:).
Have a great evening, my new friend:),
Jodi
Hi Jodi,I would love to swap PDF files with you. Then I can give you reviews. I'll have to check out your books too. Oh, if you're going to buy Velvet Ball and the Broken Fairy, go to my website and click on the picture of the paperback version of Velvet. I'll give you a coupon to get a discount and your postage will be cheaper if you buy directly through CreateSpace. I can give out discount coupons that way too. Or better still, I'll give you a direct link for the paperback version at Creatspace, and the coupon. Here is the Link To Createspace Velvet page: https://www.createspace.com/3505805 And here is the coupon: 7QYBRD2L
Just add the coupon when you pay where is says add discount coupon.
Here is a link to my website:
http://childrens-books-author-p-puddl...
And here is my blog: http://trish-mollygumnut.blogspot.com/
That is fantastic, thank you:). My email is stone3snuggles@netzero.netCan you send me your email, and we can exchange info:).
Cant wait to read your bks. Tonight I toast to meeting a nice, new friend and the ability to prop my piggies up after a long day:).
Jodi
I'll email you tonight, Joodi. Thanks, looking forward to swapping stories.
Though us mothers wouldn't change it for the world, would we?
I never question my sanity, I know I'm odd and accept it. LOL. I can't get by without talking to myself or my characters and often wonder what I've got myself into, but I couldn't live without my writing.
I love having the grandchildren over to stay, even if it does mean toys strewn from room to room, cartoons blaring from the TV, food spilt on the carpet and puddles on the bathroom floor after bath time. Oh, and the lack of sleep? I know that one. When the children end up staying up late, then wake early, wanting breakfast of course.
Then there's our other baby to worry about, our little old man of a guinea pig. He's eight and need the same care as a little old man. He's nearly totally blind and has the same ailments as an eighty-year-old man, and as he doesn't move around much any more, he has bumble foot. His poor little feet and paws are bandaged for a while and we have to keep moving him around because he can't walk properly. Plus we have to wash him all the time as he doesn't bother cleaning himself any more, bless him.
Life does get a little easier when you're older though, Jodi. At least you get to have some time to yourself and to sleep the hours you chose, well almost.