I created a couple of mindmaps on the website bubble.us, which was an excellent online tool. It was a very quick and easy way to jot down ideas while keeping them in an orderly fashion.
I created one for the two main characters in the book, which are Gonzo and Ruby. They both have very different traits that are evident in the mindmaps.
However, from completing them, I realized that the two characters also share aspects of their personality that connects them such as loyalty and affection.
I’ve been thinking hard recently on what ways I want my book to be laid out. I want to avoid the traditional layout. I have been sketching and jotting down different ideas for the layout, some of which I’ve attached below.
One main dog that stuck in my head is called a Samoyed dog, which is a beautiful big dog that I know well of because my sisters boyfriend James owns one. It was the first dog that I illustrated and pulled inspiration from pictures of the samoyed dog which James sent to me along with attributes from other dogs as well. I gave him a beige colour and started on some lighter shading that I need to complete. I feel beige will look nice in print in comparison to white.
As the main character in my story is Gonzo the Guard Dog, I had to do research into what exactly I wanted Gonzo to look like. As I haven’t got much knowledge on dogs and the different breeds, I began by looking up different types of guard dogs and studied their appearances.
German Shepard
Obviously the main type of Guard dog I came across was a German Shepard but I feel that this particular type of dog could come across as too viscous unless I try and soften its features.
The Akita
The second type of dog I came accross was the Akita dog. It s know to be a very intelligent and intense breed. The Akita can be very loyal to its owner and very standoffish to strangers. It’s a beautiful dog and is definitely one to consider as it is very big and again could work well if I was to soften some features.
Chinese Shar-Pei
This dog is definitely another consideration. While all those wrinkles may make it look cute and cuddly, the Shar-Pei is a serious family protection dog. I think not only would he be suited but would also be very fun to draw!
Samoyed
One particular dog that has been stuck in my head since I’ve written my story is the Samoyed Dog. My sisters boyfriend owns this dog and it’s so beautiful and large. It also guards their back garden at night.
Rottweiler
Another guard dog I’ve came across is a Rottweiler. Intimidating to look at, the Rottweiler is sweet and easy going with his family apparently. The only problem is the colour of the Rottweiler might darken the feel of the book.
The main character in a book, film, play etc. plays a huge role in a persons enjoyment of the story, whether it be a child or an adult! If we think back to books we’ve all read and films we’ve watched throughout both childhood and adulthood, certain characters always stick in our minds. Making my characters appealing and memorable is a very important factor for me. I done some research into how to do this to the best of my ability.
I learned that the best way to do this is to know your characters inside and out. It is not enough to have a general picture of a character in your head when you start writing. I am aware that the book is not long enough for the reader to get to know Gonzo to extensively, but creating the best picture I can of him that I have in my head will play an important role.
The main five aspects to consider are Name, Age, Appearance, Relationships and Personality. I continued on these through the basis of my character in more details in my next blog.
I had to make a lot of changes to my story. I realised that the idea of a burglar coming over the back garden wall could indeed be to frightening for children, as this is a real issue. I focused on how to make this obstacle more fantasy based. I decided upon a cat as an alternative to the thief for various different reasons.
As I began this thinking process, parts of the storyline weren’t making sense with the incorporation of the cat. I had the thought that introducing another character solve this problem.
The images I’ve attached beneath are rough (and messy!) documents of my thinking process.
After my FYP meeting this week, I know now that I need to make some adjustments to my storyline.
The obstacle that my main character, Gonzo, faces in the story is a burglar who is climbing over the back garden wall with supposed intent to rob the house. After discussion today at my meeting, this now seems to be too scary an option for young children, especially in the age bracket that I am targeting, 4-7 years.
I now need to adjust the story in a way that the obstacle isn’t such a realistic problem like a robber or thief, to a more unrealistic obstacle such as introducing another character.
I also have set aside aims for the following week, that include developing my character of Gonzo more as well as developing my illustration style better. I plan to make some more trips to the library also to look at books which have various different layouts of the wording that I can seek inspiration from.
What I need to do now is develop a list of questions to ask children in order to find out if my story is clear and if the underlying meaning is evident to them. I need to target my new chosen age group of 4-7 to make sure this story is suitable for them and appeals to them.
One of my concerns was that putting the age group up to 7 years might be a risky move. I have to keep in mind that a book full of illustrations might not interest an older child as much as it would a younger one. This shows that there could be conflict between my illustrations and storyline, as I feel the storyline may pose for an older age. Then again, the story can be read to them by an adult, meaning not every word needs to make sense to them. I want the children to ideally learn some words through the book.
Choosing what questions to ask the children is my next step. I plan on asking open-ended questions as when children are asked open-ended questions, it shows them that their opinions, ideas, thought, feelings, etc, matter. I will begin the questions with what, who, why and how. I want them to use their imagination while giving as much information as they can.
After nulling over different options, I came to a decision.
I came up with the idea of using a guard dog as my character. I want the dog to be big and strong, but inside he is easily scared and afraid. This in a sense is his “defect”. His owners think that he will protect them and are not aware that he is so easily frightened.
Every story, no matter how small it is, needs it to have a turning point. I came up with the idea of the dog to be faced with something that puts his owners/family in danger, and he is forced to face his fears.
I want to write about a burglar attempting to get into their house, which would put the family in danger. The dog will be forced to face his fears in order to protect his owners.
I want to story to end with the realisation that he faced his fears and to acknowledge that his self-confidence has improved. This will subtly teach children to not be afraid and to have confidence in themselves.
I also recently decided on the name “Gonzo” for the dog!
After my presentation, I began to think more on my storyline, which I knew needed a lot of work and adjustments. I needed to take a step back as I was over-thinking ideas.
I took a couple of days away from my project and went back and looked at it with a clear mind. I went into the ilac centre library several days this week and just sat amongst the various different types of children’s books that are on offer, not necessarily running alongside the same theme as mine, but just to gain different perspectives. I hadn’t gone to a library previous to this and I really found it gave me a new outlook.
I took out a selection of books that I found to be inspirational and brought them home to scan over throughout the week. I not only sought inspiration for my storyline development, but also on the idea of the book itself, the look and feel of it, and how I want it to be presented.
Some of the main books that I sought inspiration from have been included below. One of my personal favourites was “Norman, the slug with the silly shell”. It talks of a slug who has no shell and looks to fit in with the other slugs. He gets his thinking cap on and comes up with creative solutions to make his own shell! I not only loved the storyline in this particular book, but I was inspired by the illustrations and the shape and medium that the book was made in. In relation to self-esteem and confidence building aspect of things, I took out books like “The Great big book of Feelings” and “Stick up for yourself”. Although a couple of these book types were aimed at an older age, I found of helpful information in them.
Amy O' Reilly 