Negotiating with a Stubborn Wizard
One of the surprises of creating children’s books is discovering just how many versions of a character can appear before the final one emerges.
Today, I spent hours working on illustrations for my new book, and everything was going remarkably well. The characters were behaving, the scenes were coming together, and I was beginning to feel rather pleased with myself.
Then we reached the magician’s palace.
Sometimes creating a fantasy world feels a little magical. At other times, it feels like negotiating with a particularly stubborn wizard.
And Grimstitch, the magician of Sockland, has proved to be stubbornness personified.
All I wanted was for him to wear the same clothes throughout the story, keep the same face and run in the right direction.
Surely that wasn’t asking too much?
Apparently, it was.
Grimstitch changed his clothes, changed his face and, at one particularly memorable moment, appeared looking like a cross between a scarecrow and a drag queen, with his feet pointing backwards.
When I finally persuaded him to run, he insisted on running towards us instead of away.
I know he’s a magician. I know that in a magical world almost anything is possible. But surely even a magician should be able to remember what he looks like and which direction he’s supposed to be going!
There were moments when I seriously considered abandoning him in his palace and leaving him to sort out his own wardrobe.
The final illustrations are beginning to come together now. Grimstitch has, for the moment, agreed to wear the correct clothes, keep his original face and run in the appropriate direction.
I think we may finally have reached a truce.
Although, knowing Grimstitch, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he turns up tomorrow wearing a ball gown.
Such are the trials of creating a magical kingdom.
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