I entered the Teatrio children’s book competition this year, where you create six panels based around a yearly theme. This year’s theme was “Ghosts and Get-Aways,” so my 6 panels told the story of two flies who fell in love, died, and came back together as ghosts. (Yes, I know, disgusting) Unfortunately my pieces didn’t make it into the book. However, I am a practical, lazy young lass, so I decided to regurgitate some of the panels for use in my other goal: creating a children’s book.
After spending a few days staring at my blank computer screen, I decided to go with a story about a sad, ugly maggot:

Basically, the maggot lives in

a piece of rotting meat or poo or some such thing, and meets a nice colorful caterpillar who thinks the maggot is disgusting. They hang out and the caterpillar goes on about how awesome it is and how stinky and nasty the maggot is, which makes the maggot a bit upset. Ideally the maggot would then become bulimic, but as this is a kid’s book she just pouts instead.

Soon, the maggot and caterpillar become pupae, and when the maggot comes out as a housefly she is positive that now she must be beautiful. She goes and finds her companion, who is now, of course, a lovely butterfly. The butterfly goes on about how the fly has tiny sickly wings and ugly body hairs and is not at all colorful or beautiful. Several creatures come by and comment on the butterfly’s beauty, ignoring the fly and increasing her suicidal tendencies. Finally (and this is where I am uncertain) either a bird is going to notice the butterfly’s colorful wings and eat her, or a child is going to come by and comment on how beautiful the butterfly is, and catch her in a jar, supposedly to impale her on a peg later. Either way, they ignore the fly, and she gets to stay alive and free.

Of course at the end a boy fly will come by and say how beautiful she is, and they will fly off to go share a steaming dog turd or piece of roadkill. Ah, love.

Now, at this point in time I’m just spilling out whatever comes to mind… I’m sure after months of work the story will be completely different.

Just for fun, I messed around and cut off 10 hours of my time in making this book by re-using one of my Teatrio pieces for the cover. Easy! Now if I can manage to ever get started writing it.

ALSO! I was just shown this web site lulu.com, which is an amazing place that will print and bind your books at a really cheap price. I haven’t actually gotten any made yet, but I could see this being used for children’s book dummies, comic books, interesting portfolios, porno mags, anything a creative entrepreneur would like to create. HOORAY!