Author Interview - GRANDMA PAINT POT talks about her process, inspiration and hurdles!

Author Interview

Grandma Paint Pot

Grandma Paint Pot (named so by her Grandchildren) was born and raised in South Wales, but now resides in Cornwall which gives her the inspiration for her book series - 'The Sea Creatures'.

A keen writer, poet and outdoor walker; Grandma Paint Pot is a nature lover and this shows in her beautiful writing which features an array of adorable characters from a Selfish Shellfish to a Starfish with a missing leg! 

Thankyou for taking the time to talk to us, can you start by telling us more about yourself?

I’m a mother of three and a grandmother to four lovely grandchildren. I was born and raised in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. Now, I live in Cornwall, in a caravan. I love to spend time out of doors walking the coastal path and feeling close to nature. I have two Border Terriers - Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde - and in June will be having a Springer Spaniel puppy. She will be called Lizzie Lou after the heroine in the novel I am currently writing. I have a BA (hons) in Literature and an MA in Professional Writing.

Great names! How did you start writing for children?

I’ve written poetry since the age of thirteen or fourteen. When my children were quite young I started rewriting nursery rhymes such as: What was Humpty doing, sitting on the wall, he shouldn’t have been up there, it was obvious he’d fall... My children attended the Welsh school and had several cousins around the same age. I wrote my first children’s story for them. It was handwritten into a blue scrapbook in the Welsh Language and every character in the story was named after the children. I drew all the illustrations. I have since translated it into English and changed the names accordingly to suit newer, younger family members. I might use elements of it in a future publication.

Do you have a process you follow when writing?

Usually, a germ of an idea might take hold and I play around with it in my head for some time. With my publication The Selfish Shellfish, I was playing around with this title for a poem, focusing on the tongue twisting alliteration. I then thought I could make up some other sea creature characters. When I had several characters the idea grew into something bigger. In my head, each character had a voice.

            I don’t commit anything to paper until I’ve thought out the entire story. Then I write it up, and after that I type it on the computer. More often than not the word count is far too much and that’s when I begin to edit it down and structure it.

What or who gives you inspiration?

Nature is the most inspirational thing there is. I can look at the sea, a river, flowers, trees, the earth, the sky and never fail to be moved. I love watching the birds and animals and life in general. The world seems so simple and straight forward and breathtaking and mysterious. It is lifetime of study.

I admire so many writers but, in my eyes, Julia Donaldson is a children’s writing phenomenon. She creates beautiful characters, beautiful stories, empathetic scenarios and puts them together in verse.

Did you encounter any problems when releasing your books?

As a self-publishing author (as with any author, I suppose) I have to create interest in my book via social media. This is something that causes me a few problems. How to connect with the right people? How to reach people other than friends and family? How to pitch your posts and blog in such a way that will engage and draw interest without coming across as pushy, boring and completely self-indulgent?  

What was the BEST part of releasing your book?

The best part about releasing my books was (firstly) holding a physical copy and then seeing copies on the shelf in bookstores. It gives a wonderful sense of achievement. Also, it’s an amazing feeling when people come up to me and say: my child loves your book. When asked what book they want at bedtime they always want to read The Selfish Shellfish.

...and the worst?

The worst part is facing rejection from some booksellers. It’s tough to take when someone says they don’t want to stock your book - for whatever reason. Some places will order my book for a customer if they ask for it specifically but the chances of that happening is unlikely. As a new, independent author my book needs to be on display to stand any sort of chance in such a saturated market.

It sounds like you love doing what you do! 

What were your favourite books when you were a child?

I grew up in the world of Enid Blyton. I loved everything from Noddy and Big Ears, The Famous Five to Mr Meddles Muddles and Brer Rabbit. But, if I had to pick one book from my childhood, it would be Joanna Spyri’s Heidi. I always wanted to live on top of a mountain, sleep in a bed of straw, eat fresh bread and cheese and run wild all day. It was my kind of heaven.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I love going somewhere to write rather than staying at home. Often, I write in The Falmouth Hotel. I order a pot of coffee, sit in the window overlooking Castle Beach and write the morning away. This is one of the reasons I set The Selfish Shellfish on Castle Beach and some wonderful illustrations of the Hotel feature in the book.

            I also like to write in cafes or libraries or anywhere I’m not distracted by thoughts of chores I should be attending to.

Finally... 'The big debate'; physical books or eBooks - which do you prefer?

I much prefer a physical book. I buy ebooks for convenience. They make ideal traveling companions and, as I live in a caravan, they don’t clutter up my cubby holes. My books are also available as ebooks for these very same reasons, and because I want to cater for the ebook market. But physical books are special. They are personal and intimate. In my opinion, a person - young or not so young - is more likely to flick back through the pages of a physical book time and time again to enjoy the feel and colour of the book and to linger over the words, and each time the book is revisited they will see and understand something different and gain a bigger picture. 

Thanks for sharing with us Grandma Paint Pot!

Grandma Paint Pot is currently launching her latest book; Stanley Penwellington and the Exploding Seagulls

Until then, you can check out her books below!

The Selfish Shellfish (ISBN 9781781322147) is £7.99 

The Selfish Shellfish ebook (ISBN 9781781322154) is £5.99

Leonard Limpet Lost at Sea (ISBN 9780993090707) is £7.99

Leonard Limpet Lost at Sea ebook (ISBN 9780993090714) is £5.99

Buy from...

GrandmaPaintPot.com

Amazon

Or on sale locally in Falmouth at;

Falmouth Bookseller

The Falmouth Hotel

The Maritime Museum

Cornish Maid, Mawnan Smith

Meudon Hotel, Mawnan Smith

The Kingsley Village

Seawitch Stores, Mousehole

The End of the Earth, Hayle

Visit Grandma Paint Pot and find out more!

 Website | Twitter | Facebook

A Guide to Writing the BEST Blurb for your Book!

So you've written your book, you've got the perfect illustrations to accompany it and your front cover screams 'read me!'... are you ready for your blurb?

What is a 'blurb'?

A blurb is the text on the back of your book which describes what your book is about.   The dictionary says;

blurb

 (blɜːb) 

n

1. a promotional description, as found on the jackets of books

Why is it important?

Think of it as your sales pitch - that one chance to describe your story to potential readers and hook them in. A lot of authors write their blurb as an afterthought - something that sums up the end of their project when really, you should be thinking about this before you've even finished writing your story! Your blurb will be the text on which the rest of your book is judged - rush it or half heartedly write it and the customer may think your story will be the same. 

Every word in your blurb should work towards selling your idea, your story, your characters - and make it the reader want to find out more! Why should they buy it? Why this book? Your blurb should be THE BEST blurb you could possibly write for this book, anything less will not do.

What should it contain?

There are no set rules for what your blurb should and shouldn't contain, but in my many years of working with children's books I've read a lot of them - good and bad. Here's some pointers to get you started.

What kind of book have you written? A kids picture book? A horror novel? Make sure it's clear what kind of book your reader can expect!

What words describe your book and fit well with it's theme? Fast? Passionate? Quirky? Awkward? Sad? These are the words you should try to use. Try to only use powerful words and avoid cluttering up sentences with pointless, long descriptions.

Who is reading your book? If your book is aimed at high school girls, then you probably don't want to talk to them in the same way you would a 54 year old mechanic. Use appropriate language for your target audience.

Keep it SHORT!

I can't stress this one enough - you have a very limited window to sell your book here, someone has picked it up and is actually reading the back of it! Don't bore them or scare them away with an essay. keep it short, sweet, to-the-point and make every word an important, powerful word.

Do...
-Introduce your main character
-Explain the situation and main conflict without revealing the ending
-Keep it short, but powerful
-Write, and re-write until your blurb is perfect

-Use powerful words that reflect the theme of your book

-Write in the present tense

-Use a short extract from your book if it is action filled and catchy

Don't...
-Use lots of words to over describe
-Clutter the blurb with too many characters or events
-Mention other books or authors
-Blow your own trumpet - let the reader be the judge of that!

Your blurb should sound nice. (Sound nice?) Yes! A little bit like a poetic verse, your blurb wants to roll of the tongue, be easy to read and flow like a lover serenading. I've  included below some examples of blurbs from popular, famous books that you have most likely read. Let's see if you can guess which book they are from!*

Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is 

rescued by a beetle-eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!

Streetwise George and his big, childlike friend Lennie are drifters, searching for work in the fields and valleys of California. They have nothing except the clothes on their back, and a hope that one day they'll find a place of their own and live the American dream. But dreams come at a price. Gentle giant Lennie doesn't know his own strength, and when they find work at a ranch he gets into trouble with the boss's daughter-in-law. Trouble so bad that even his protector George may not be able to save him...

When Alice follows the White Rabbit down the rabbit-hole, she finds herself in a wonderland of amazing characters where anything can happen. There is a Mad Hatter, a March Hare and a sleepy Dormouse who hold a never-ending tea-party; a Cheshire-cat who appears and disappears at will; a sad Mock Turtle who enjoys dancing with a Gryphon; a Caterpillar who gives invaluable advice on how to shrink and grow and a Queen of Hearts whose constant command is 'Off with their heads!'

Think about your font...

It may not be the first thing you think of, but the font of your blurb is important too. Overall, it must be readable, but you want the font to relate to the book and accompany the theme. Don't settle for Times New Roman because it was the default font - explore and experiment to see what fits best! 

Print out your blurb at the size it will be read. Does it look good? Can you read it? Does it sit on the back cover nicely? Could it be better?

There are plenty of fonts available on the net and a lot of them are free! Just make sure you are allowed to use them for commercial use.

Should I pay someone to write a good blurb for me?

I've seen several publishers offering a relatively cheap service to write a 'professional' blurb. While I can't say I have ever used this service, I can see why it is appealing. Ask yourself - have you tried writing your own before giving up? Has the person writing your blurb actually read your story? Do they have the same connection you have to your characters and the events that shape their lives?

I'd be interested to hear if you did pay for a blurb and the outcome was successful - please get in touch in the comments below!

I hope that helped you write your blurb, or at least got you thinking about what it should contain. Good luck with your book!

In the meantime, if you have a project you need illustrating, you can email me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk

You can see my online portfolio on my website at www.izzybean.co.uk 

Izzy Bean

*The answers to the famous blurbs...

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Of Mice and Men

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Did you guess correctly? Let us know in the comments!