My writing process starts with an idea that excites me. During the first draft, I have no idea what I’m doing until I get words on the page. I’m incapable of knowing any details about my idea until it’s written down, at which point it usually surprises me.
David Anderson – 25 March 2013
The Back Flap
Charlie Sparrow has no idea he can fly. It’s no wonder–in Tree City, none of the birds know anything about flying at all. Not Charlie’s parents, not his friends, not the doctors or police. But Charlie is sure there’s a magical secret behind his feathers. He’ll do anything to find out what it is, even break the laws of Tree City. Will he figure out the truth before Doctor Nightingale straps him in the plucking chair and pulls the lever, plucking his beautiful feathers?
This entertaining and inspiring chapter book for kids ages 6-9 has over thirty illustrations.
About the book
What is the book about?
It’s a kids’ illustrated chapter book about a young bird named Charlie Sparrow’s journey of self-discovery. Charlie lives in Tree City, a place where the birds don’t know they have wings. Charlie freaks out his parents and doctor by jumping off of things and experimenting with his feathery “arms.” Unfortunately, the doctor wants to cure him of this leaping disease by strapping to him a kind of barber-chair with toothy clamps and plucking his feathers. Charlie must find a way to stay true to himself in the face of the foolish beliefs of the adults around him, because he certainly isn’t going to stand for any feather plucking.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing it in 2008, for a children’s book publishing workshop I was taking in Vancouver.
How long did it take you to write it?
I picked away at it for about four years.
Where did you get the idea from?
I was tasked with coming up with an idea for a children’s book for the children’s publishing workshop, and the bird idea is what I came up with. I remember being delighted by the idea of a city of birds who can’t fly. Not because anyone has done anything to them, but simply because somewhere along the way they forgot and it has become the status quo that they don’t know about their wings anymore.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I did the first draft as a picture book in the workshop, as this was our assignment, but the publisher running the workshop suggested I expand it into a chapter book. This transition was a struggle, but it was good advice. Another struggle I had was with making the opening two chapters work in the chapter book format. The earlier drafts of the chapter book were basically the picture book text with a bunch of chapters tacked onto the end. It took me a long time to figure out how to make the picture book (which was basically the first two chapters) and chapter book (the remaining nine chapters) into a piece that flowed.
What came easily?
The story itself came fairly easily. I didn’t change the overall plot at all after writing the first draft of the chapter book. Everyone who helped me edit it liked the plot, so I kept it as is.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
As far as I knew they were fictitious, but after the book was done, I realized Fanny Finch, a supporting character and friend of the protagonist Charlie, shares some personality traits with my wife. Namely her plucky confidence in the face of daring challenges.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
It’s difficult to figure out which writers have influenced my own writing style. I’m not sure I can answer accurately, as it would imply I have more awareness of my writing style than I actually do. I can say that my favorite children’s writer is Roald Dahl. Although he’s not a writer, the creations of Jim Henson had a real impact on my imagination when I was young. I like to think that both of these creators have had some influence on my writing. It does feel like self-flattery to entertain this possibility, though.
Do you have a target reader?
Kids ages 6-9, though I also wrote it for adults like me who love children’s writing.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My writing process starts with an idea that excites me. During the first draft, I have no idea what I’m doing until I get words on the page. I’m incapable of knowing any details about my idea until it’s written down, at which point it usually surprises me.
After I get a chunk out, I start to figure out where the idea might go. I mostly plan in my head, but I do jot notes at the end of my writing sessions so I know where to go next in the plot. I also sometimes add comments or footnotes to longer works to remember little details that need to show up later, or events that have to happen.
Once I have an idea that I like, it tends to stick around for years. I pick away at things over time, fleshing them out in my mind during my ordinary life, sending myself an email now and again with some ideas, tapping away at a chapter or two in the evenings. It can take me a very long time to finish something. Part of me believes this is because of the constraints of real life, but I do wonder if it’s also just my writing process. I’m not always the brightest, so it sometimes takes me a few read-throughs of a piece to notice I’ve made a horrible, amateurish error that has to be fixed.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do sometimes use chapter headings and sentences as an outline, but for the most part I don’t outline on paper. It’s mostly in my head.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I’m an obsessive editor. I tend to do a lot of editing and end up with multiple drafts. I also sometimes end up completely rewriting a manuscript, because I think the original just can’t be saved with more editing.
When writing, I have to control my impulse to edit as I go and force myself to keep moving forward. Otherwise, I risk never getting past chapter one.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, once I had what I considered to be a finished draft of the manuscript, I hired a professional to edit it. It was a very positive experience.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
There’s a record player next to the desk where I write, so I do put music on while writing. Some of my favorites while writing are Skip James, Oddissee, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Iron & Wine, Sigur Ros, and Otis Redding.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, but I didn’t get any response.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
Self-publishing was something I never even considered before the spring of 2012 when I joined a wonderful online writing workshop called Critique Circle. It was through Critique Circle that I was first exposed to talented self-published writers. Before this, I had assumed that self-published writers probably weren’t very good. Critique Circle showed me that this opinion was completely ill-informed. I’d never actually read anything self-published before joining the site, so I don’t know where the opinion came from.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I did it myself. I did a cover drawing intending to hire a professional. For fun, I threw together a mock-up cover in Photoshop Elements and people seemed to like it so I decided to run with it. After first releasing the ebook version, I used InDesign to upgrade the typescript for my cover, but essentially kept the same design. I rereleased it with this slightly better cover, and it also appears on the print version.
I have no doubt that a professional could have done a better job than I did.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I’m winging it and have no experience in promotion or marketing. I’ve been learning one step at a time from other self-published authors, via online forums like Kindle Boards and on Critique Circle. I’m discovering that the book bloggers seem to hold a lot of power, and have been focusing my energies on requesting reviews from them.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I’m so early into my indie publishing adventure that I don’t think the bulk of my advice would be of the tried and tested variety. I do have one piece of advice, learned painfully: if you are asked to come up with a projected publication date, take the date that seems reasonable to you and add two weeks to one month to it. It’s fine to release something early, but if you end up encountering delays during the publishing process (which you will, particularly for print publishing), you will feel pressure from your own deadline. And guess what? It’s self-imposed! (This is me talking to myself.)
About You
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but grew up in Stratford, Prince Edward Island, Canada’s smallest province.
Where do you live now?
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel aimed at 9-12 year olds called The Maker. It’s about a kid who discovers his obsessive drawings are actually the plans for alien machines. It’s a space adventure.
End of Interview:
For more visit David’s website or Goodreads page.
Get your copy of Charlie Sparrow and the Secret of Flight from Amazon US or Amazon UK.