A Story for Children

Since the results are out, and we didn't win, I believe it's okay for me to post an entry about another children's book competition Leir and I joined in. (We are not allowed, however, to publish the entire book online, because we have already given the rights to reproduce the story.) The last time we did this, we got the second spot, and now, we own no spot, but we still had fun. Reading Leir's story, which target is most likely 11-year-olds and the competition's target is preschool, it is reasonable why we got that spot (i.e. no spot). Well, I (or we) like the story--reason enough to compete.  Also, thanks to the competition for the deadline, else we might not be able to finish the book.

Title page

     Unlike the previous one, They Could Not Play, Leir did not just write the story, he also did the illustrations for this one. What I only did is to color and lay-out. I partly pissed my writer friend in the process because the original plan is for me to use watercolors, but instead, I took pictures of his illustrations using my phone, and outline and color the images in Photoshop. With effort, I pleased him with a likeable coloring technique, and we were able to submit our final draft to the staff behind the competition 30 minutes before the deadline.
     A Story For Children, a 15-page story, is not actually for children, especially when the themes single parenting, death of loved one, sacrifice, and Oedipus (even Electra) complex are implicitly presented by it. Basically, it is a story about a boy who has a supermom fighting the monsters in his room. You'll be happy if the story ends there, it'll save you from the emotional torture the story provides in the succeeding pages. It's good. I'm not even biased here, I asked Jovi, and she said "Yeah, it is."

Sample pages

     Along with this another storybook writing experience, I got to read one of the winning pieces in a nursery school. It would be twice as awesome if they allowed me to read our story, but I don't want to see crying kids, or do I? Anyway, my spectator brother told me that I seem so used to reading stories to a bunch of little ones . (Justifiable, he added, because I used to play teacher calling myself Miss Amelia when I was 7.)
    I look forward to being a part of similar projects in the future. My mental age won't go up to 12 until I exhausted the possibilities.

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I made an ask.fm account under my college or organizational nickname, Sir Paul. I answered "Dr. Seuss" in response to the question "Shakespeare or Marlowe?" Not a very good move, but I do like Dr. Seuss. It must be obvious by now why.