The Making of Duck & Bear

Amanda Lillywhite, creator of the popular Duck & Bear comic, recalls her processes and shows us how she came up with the idea for the series. For those who missed the series, check the Words and Pictures archives, or alternatively download all five episodes here


Do you have an idea for a webcomic for Words & Pictures but are not sure how to develop it further? Perhaps reading about how Duck&Bear came into being will help you on your way. 

Background 

I am a freelance illustrator, that is how I have earned my living for a long time now, but I have also spent many years trying to write novels. One of my stories, Butterfly Girl, achieved an honorary mention in Undiscovered Voices 2008 but it has never been properly finished and neither have the rest of my manuscripts. Whether or not I take any of my stories further in the future I believe that I have already gained a lot from the process of learning to write. The knowledge and information I absorbed while working on my manuscripts helped me to form the plots, themes and even the episode titles for Duck&Bear. The characters and their experiences came from my life as an illustrator and a writer plus stories I had heard from others. Why a duck and a bear? They, and all of the other animals I have used, were chosen because they are so frequently found in children’s books. 

you can add texture, humour and depth in many subtle ways

It seemed natural to use both words and pictures to tell a story about a writer and an illustrator. Plus the comic strip format allowed me to add in a lot of small details via the drawings such as the owl photobombing the mole in the first panel of episode five. And this is why I love comics so much, you can add texture, humour and depth in many subtle ways that, because they are not directly related to the plot, might clunk or distract in a text-only story. Having the extra dimension of the comic being online gave me even more opportunities for a bit of fun. I am grateful to the Carr family for picking up on “a huge cake in the shape of a mouse” in their Tweets because this inspired me to add an extra picture to episode four of T. Rex making the cake via a clickable link from Bear’s rumbling stomach. This further inspired me in episode five to create a couple of animated gifs, click on Duck in the penultimate panel and Bear’s letter in the final panel to see them. 

 Pitching the Idea 

The first document I sent to Words & Pictures had ideas for seven Duck&Bear episodes plus a description of the overarching themes that linked them together. It also had character sketches. 

 Here is the first synopsis I wrote for episode one: 

1. The box. 


Duck finishes the current draft of her story and is overjoyed. But wakes up in a cold sweat that night with the thought that her story is not working and thinks it might need to go in ‘the box’ with many other abandoned manuscripts - next to a box of rejection letters. She is despondent until she talks to Bear in a one-sided conversation in a café (while Bear draws her) eventually deciding that her heroes (the triplets) should be from a dystopian future – her MS needs a major rewrite but is salvageable. After briefly being happy that she has found a solution Duck is despondent again and then cheers up when she finds out about aids for replotting her story and enjoys buying some stationery. 

After I’d received feedback on the episode ideas from my partner and from Words & Pictures I began work on the scripts. 

Scripting the Episodes 

"it needs more! More words! More excitement! More, I don’t know, stuff!"

You have probably seen scripts before. Whether they be for TV, film or theatre they seem to follow the same basic format and I’ve found that it works well for comics too. Below is the first script for panel two of episode one, you will see how the Duck&Bear story was refined during its creation by comparing it with the synopsis above and with the final version online. While I was writing the scripts I found that some of my episode ideas were not strong enough to stand alone so seven episodes became five. 

1 - Panel 2 Caption: 2 o’clock the next morning 

Duck sits upright in bed with wild eyes. Mr Duck is waking up. 

Duck: It needs something extra... 
Mr Duck: *Snnnnrt* Wha....? 
Duck: My story – it needs more! More words! More excitement! More, I don’t know, stuff! 
Mr Duck: Go back to sleep... you’ll feel better about it in the morning... zzzzz [text trails off] 

Along with the scripts I sent Words & Pictures a rough of the layout design for episode one. 

Designing the Layouts 

Below is the first Duck&Bear page rough. As you can see dialogue is not included, it is intended to be viewed in tandem with the script. So as to avoid becoming emotionally attached to particular images the drawings are deliberately rough – just enough information to give a basic understanding of what is going on but not enough to get me hooked on details. This technique saves time and enables me to edit with a clear head later when I might have to kill some darlings (harder to do when you have carefully drawn them). 

After I’d received feedback from Words & Pictures I started working on the episodes in Photoshop - using typewritten text so as to be able to easily edit the dialogue. 

As I developed the designs I uploaded rough versions onto my website so that I, and Words & Pictures, could view them online. This helped me to plan the sequence and sizes of the panels. 

Creating the Artwork 

Duck&Bear drawings and panel text were hand drawn in pencil or pen and scanned into my computer. This was combined together in Photoshop along with colour and typewriter font navigation text. 

The final result was five jpegs that were 950 pixels wide, 1733 pixels long and 72dpi. The jpegs were put onto pages in my website with links created from empty html boxes placed over the relevant text. 

What Next? 

 I am working on other comic ideas and I’m hoping that I have encouraged a few of you to create your own webcomics for Words & Pictures. You don’t have to do it all yourself - why not team up with someone else? 

Here are a couple of sources of information about creating comics that helped me get started on Duck&Bear: 

Scott McCloud’s website

 
Will Eisner’s book Comics & Sequential Art 

And here are some wonderful examples of webcomics: 

Astrodog (a great story for young kids) by Paul Harrison-Davies


Sarah McIntyre has a range of delightful comics online 


Sarah and the Seed by Ryan Andrews is beautifully done


Emily Carroll has a collection of eerie webcomic tales


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Amanda Lillywhite is a south London based illustrator, writer and comic creator.Her children' s portfolio is at Crazy Panda. For more information about graphic novels and comics visit her blog or follow her on Twitter 

It’s all About Audience in Central North

 Liz Miller

We’ve had a busy few months in Central North. Lincoln Inspired  has been and gone but is not forgotten. It was every bit as enjoyable and inspirational as we had hoped. Addy Farmer blogged here about the SCBWI events and the importance and delights of communing with your fellow writers and illustrators.

Addy Farmer busy plotting!

Addy combined communing with teaching when she ran a workshop on plotting in an extension to one of our monthly critique sessions.

Central North member, Debbie Holt reports: Addy helped us to get right to the heart of our favourite stories by asking us to think about what makes our favourite characters behave the way they do. We all agreed that the most interesting ones are on some kind of journey and, of course, something or someone tries to hold our heroes back and throw obstacles in their way. We considered our own works in progress and Addy gave us examples and before we knew it we were ripping apart our favourite novels and films to expose their plots. We all left inspired and with a deeper understanding of how essential a good plot is to every story.

Communing and teaching 

Communing with your audience of course is immensely important and a lot of fun as Sam Hawksmoor has been finding out. Regular readers of Words and Pictures will know that Sam has been dashing about the country meeting lots of his fans and readers of his YA thriller The Repossession. His fellow Central Northerners are delighted that Sam has collected so many accolades (and new fans!) on his travels – Joint Winner with Jon Mayhew of The Wirral Paperback of the Year, Bronze Winner of the Amazing Book Award in Sussex and a finalist for the Leeds Book Award. We’re sure that the sequel The Hunting will prove just as popular and successful.

Keeping your audience on tenterhooks 

Suzanne knows something
but she's not telling us!

Keeping your audience on tenterhooks is one of Suzanne Afford’s many skills. Suzanne writes breath taking YA fiction and always knows how her stories end but, by her own admission, can be distracted when a new story idea takes over. Earlier this year, Suzanne sought advice on Creative Writing MA courses from the SCBWI Facebook group. This lovely supportive community duly advised and Suzanne has been accepted onto Manchester Metropolitan’s MA in Creative Writing. We’re thrilled for Suzanne not only because she deserves it but because we’re hoping they’ll tease out one of her endings for us to share!

Join us in the Central North 

If you’d like to commune with us in Central North or would like any other information about our group and meetings please contact Gill Hutchison and Addy Farmer at centralnorthATbritishscbwiDOTorg

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Liz Miller writes picture books and joined SCBWI in 2010. She has a penchant for volunteering which has led to her being joint moderator of the SCBWI e-critique group PictureBook Too, co-founder of the Early Readers e-critique group and a reading volunteer in local schools. She knows she should sit on her hands when volunteering opportunities arise but life would be less varied and she can’t write with her nose.

Featuring the Words & Pictures Editors

There are members of the Words & Pictures Team who are amazingly organised, work very hard but often don't get enough recognition for their talents. First up are two members of the writing features team (which also includes interim celebrations editor Tania Tay), Mel Rogerson and Katrina Charman, who have been in the thick of it since January.


Mel posts on Mondays and Katrina on Wednesdays; they are both insightful, creative and wonderful to work with.  Jan asked them about their Words & Pictures journey, where and how they work.

Katrina

Katrina in her alternative writing space

I volunteered to be a part of the Words & Pictures team, because I'm one of those people who volunteers for, and says "yes" to everything! When I began my long (ongoing) writing quest towards publication and had absolutely no clue where to start, the SCBWI was there, offering a wealth of information and support for aspiring writers like myself. It has been great to be able to give something back to such a brilliant organisation.

I'm one of those people who volunteers for, and says "yes" to everything!

Being a part of the Words and Pictures editorial team has been a bit of a whirlwind. We only launched in March, but the time has flown by.

It seems like we've been going forever, and I think that is due in part to the way everyone behind the W&P scenes really does work as part of a fantastic team. Working with Jan, Mel and Tania, and all of the writers and contributors who put so much time and effort into their features, has been wonderful, and I have made some new friends along the way.

 ...it has been really enjoyable, meeting fellow Scoobies, and working with editors and agents.

During a typical month, I will liase with Mel, Jan, Tania and our writers, to see what features we have coming up, and what features we might be able to commission to fit into our upcoming themes. Although some weeks there can be more to do than others, it has been really enjoyable, meeting fellow Scoobies, and working with editors and agents.
I'm hoping to make it to the SCBWI conference this year to finally be able to put some faces to all those names, so come and say hi if you spot me! I mostly write YA Sci-fi and Fantasy, and am currently working on polishing up my submission for Undiscovered Voices. (Good luck to everyone who is entering this year!)
Jan asked for a picture of my usual working space, but as the weather has been so lovely (and I usually write in bed, which wouldn't be a pretty picture!) I cheated a little to show my outdoor writing space.

Mel

Mel with assistant features editor

Words & Pictures came at just the right time for me - two months into maternity leave. People said that I was mad to take on a new commitment, but it turned out to be the perfect antidote to the long, icy winter.

All we had to do was set up a schedule, which immediately appealed to my control freak instincts... 

I got to hang out with a great editorial team and talented contributors - all from the comfort of my own home. To be honest, I didn't really have a clue what an editor did before I accepted the role, but luckily Jan, our fab editor, had prepared a lot of the groundwork before we started - lining up volunteer authors and establishing ground rules. All we had to do was set up a schedule, which immediately appealed to my control freak instincts (I'd been a production manager for a publishing house in my former life so knew the value of spreadsheets!) and contact the wonderful people who had kindly offered to submit features. Their enthusiasm was overwhelming and it soon became clear that we weren't going to run out of material (a major fear at the outset) for quite some time.

The quality of the copy has always been outstanding...

Since that heady start, things have calmed down slightly, and it's become easier to manage the technicalities of the job. I can now upload a post to Blogger in thirty minutes, rather than two hours. I also understand rudimentary HTML. Little things that add up when you're trying to write a new YA novel and grapple with a demanding baby.

The quality of the copy has always been outstanding so that's never been a major issue. We have regular Skype catch-ups to discuss planning, or to brainstorm fresh ideas such as Agent Confidential (inspired by our own search for literary agents). I love the variety of the role, and nothing beats the excitement of receiving a new feature or being the first to read the answers to Sara O'Connor's Ask A Publisher column. But my favourite part of the journey so far has to be working with Katrina, Tania and Jan. Being part of such a supportive and friendly team has made all the difference to my big year out.

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Thank you Mel and Katrina for all your behind the scenes planning, emailing, posting, html-ing and emailing and social networking and emailing some more, you're stars in the W&P universe!

Ten-Minute Blog Break - 20th August

The Blog Break meets Breaking Bad this week, as crazed drug dealers, prize geraniums, summer stodge and parental challenges meet in another eclectic SCBWI selection!



Nicky Schmidt delivers one of those blogs that had me pumping my fist and saying "That is so going in the Blog Break!" Although, as it involves putting herself in a certain amount of danger, I wouldn't recommend she does it too often. Join Nicky as her writerly research into the seamy side of South Africa takes an alarming turn...

Jane Heinrichs is having a somewhat calmer time, spending the summer at her family home in Canada. Her post is a beautiful meditation on what home and family mean to us, and how the seeds sown by an earlier generation can bear fruit in our own.

Over at An Awfully Big Blog Adventure, SCBWI author Miriam Halahmy has some tips for that summer slump. If you're feeling stodgy and unable to get much done creatively this month (a problem I've certainly been having), then check out her post. If that isn't enough incentive, bear in mind that the blog also contains pictures of chocolate (although too much of that can cause stodginess as well).

Finally, I spotted a interesting article by Hari Kunzru in the weekend newspaper. Hari started out, like many of us, with the intention of putting his writing first, but then life caught up with him. Does having a family inspire or impede a writer's art? Personally, I would say both!

Nick.

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round techno-ninja. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.
For his latest blog post, Nick has Submissianxiety, a nasty nervous condition caused by having a manuscript on submission.

Picture Book Master Class with Egmont

Heather Kilgour

This year I helped organise a picture book illustration master class with Sarah Malley, Art Director from Egmont Children’s Books, writes Heather Kilgour . 

The workshop had two phases. First, Egmont provided the fifteen illustrators who had enrolled with a picture book text that they had commissioned. The Illustrators produced black and white roughs of character studies and two full page spreads from the story, which were submitted to Sarah for feedback.


Then the illustrators used this feedback to produce final colour illustrations which they brought along to the workshop. 

Sarah started the workshop with a summary of what Egmont do, along with examples of what she is looking for in artwork. We then gathered round as Sarah reviewed and critiqued everyone’s colour work. To complete the day she showed as the work of the illustrator that Egmont commissioned for the book.

I always jump at the chance to get feedback

Illustration can be a lonely business so I always jump at the chance to get feedback about my work especially if it’s from an industry professional.

Unfortunately other deadlines prevented me from participating, but I have interviewed Anna Violet, Julia Woolf and Shana Neiberg-Suschitzky, about their experience.  Below are their paraphrased answers.

Why did you go?

A:   It was great to get feedback half way through a project, and have a chance to work on a new text. It also gave us the opportunity to meet Sarah Malley and get feedback in person.

J:    It sounded interesting and SCBWI events are always good value for money. You always gain something even if you think you won’t.

S:   I went to build my folio and get experience. In effects it’s like a commissioning opportunity where you work with a brief and a publisher and get feedback.

What were the positives? 

A:   It was great to see what everyone else had done as they all had completely different takes on the story, and then to see the one that Egmont commissioned.

J:    Sarah was very positive. 

S:    It was great to feel like part of a community, to see what fourteen other illustrators came up with from the same idea, and to get an idea of what publishers are really looking for at the moment. Sarah was so generous about giving advice about the industry and how we can improve ourselves to get through the door.

What was helpful for you?

A:   Feedback on character design.

J:    It wasn’t a pitch so I could experiment and do what I wanted. It was a complicated story with lots of characters and no art direction to go by so it was up to you. It was a real challenge; you had to just go for it.

S:   The advice she gave us and the feedback on our work.

Has it inspired any long term changes in your work?

A:   I’m going to try to make my characters funnier.

What would you say to recommend it to others?

A:   Sarah brought promotional work so we could see that she likes, and what works for Egmont.  It’s a great opportunity to meet an art director and get direct feedback. You learn a lot from seeing other peoples work and hearing Sarah’s response to it.

J:    It made me produce some work I’m really pleased with. You can’t lose really, you get to put work in front of a publisher and get a reaction, and even if it’s not a positive one you can learn from it.

S:   It was a vital wonderful opportunity.  No other society generates these types of workshops and events that can really benefit you. SCBWI illustration events are special and unique and it’s all down to Anne-Marie. 

Thanks Anne-Marie and Sarah Malley! And to all the participants who made it a fabulous day. 

Left to right. Susmita Roy, Sarah Malley, Rachel Quarry, Amanda Pollard, Anna Violet, Sarah Underwood, Heather Kilgour, Shana Nieberg-Suschitzky, Katie Weymouth, Clare Tovey, Jasmine Mercer, Elizabeth Norris, Mary Blackshaw, Elisabeth Newson, Anne-Marie Perks, Julia Woolf 

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Heather has been an artist, a blacksmith, a film sculptor and now a picture book maker. She has embarked on an MA in children’s book illustration at Anglia Ruskin College in Cambridge – which might be the start of a collection, as she already has an MA in Fine Arts.

Could a critique group be for you?

Annie Neild

A face-to-face critique group in action

"Find a good critique group,” is a piece of advice that is often given in books about writing and getting published. The suggestion is that if you’re serious about your craft, you ought to consider joining a critique group. So, what’s all the fuss about?


“I think critique groups are one of the most important writing tools,” says SCBWI member Justyna Golebiowski. “Having valuable feedback and suggestions from other writers who are not only writing and learning themselves, but who are unbiased too.”

Submitting your work for a critique can be daunting, but if you’re keen to develop your writing style or you’re at an impasse with a particular text, you may decide it’s worth the leap of faith. After all, sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees. The objective comments of a critique group can help a writer regain valuable perspective. “Often I know there’s something wrong with my text and can’t quite put my finger on it,” says Alex English, journalist and picture book author. “A fresh pair of eyes makes all the difference.”

“A fresh pair of eyes makes all the difference.”

Most of us would agree it’s preferable to have the flaws in a text pointed out by a fellow writer than by an agent or editor. Nonetheless, be prepared for a full and honest assessment. “We stress to all new members that we’re a group whose members like constructive criticism, so the discussion is often pretty frank,” says Ruth Hatfield, co-founder of the Cambridge Writers writing for children group, “but always with the emphasis on making practical suggestions about possible edits, rather than just giving personal reactions.”

Since detailed, practical advice can be hard to come by when you’re trying to get published (or find an agent), joining a strong critique group is akin to tapping into a rich vein of constructive criticism. If your group shares work regularly it can be time-consuming to submit and comment each month, but you may well find that your critiquing commitments are absorbed naturally into your writing routine. Alice Hemming, who is published by Maverick Arts, says of her SCBWI online critique group: “I feel the group has really helped improve my writing and it now forms an essential part of my writing practice: I write a draft, show my husband, write another draft, post to Eureka!, edit and polish, then submit or shelve for a while.”

Cake always helps!

Although a critique group that discusses a broad range of genres, or sub-genres, has much to offer, it can also be helpful to find other writers working within your specific field or age-range. SCBWI BI has established, and manages, a range of these niche groups using a blog-based format. Alice describes the benefits of this kind of set-up: “Everyone in the group is a picture book writer, which is great. We all understand the importance of finding exactly the right word, getting the page turns just right and finding the right balance with our illustration notes.”

The online format of groups like EUREKA! engenders a different feel to a face-to-face collective. Online groups may occasionally meet-up in person, but members often live hours apart - even in different countries - so it’s not always possible. The general consensus seems to be that it doesn’t matter. “I was worried that an online group wouldn’t have the same synergy that happens with a face-to-face group,” comments Patty Toht, who also belongs to EUREKA!, “but surprisingly that still happens.”

Honorary attendees welcome

The synergy of a critique group can take time to develop. Trust is key, and once that trust has been established, space opens up for broader discussions between members. Experiences are shared, advice is sought and given freely, and achievements are celebrated. One SCBWI author describes the other members of her group as ‘supportive friends’. This is where the added value of a critique group lies. For many writers, published and unpublished, these groups offer support, friendship and camaraderie. They can be a crucial source of inspiration and creativity, as well as of constructive feedback. Writing is often a lonely experience and it can make all the difference to share your highs and lows with someone who understands exactly what you’re going through. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, joining a critique group could be the best thing you’ll ever do.

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Annie Neild is an unpublished picture book author. She joined SCBWI in 2012 and is a member/ moderator of their online picture book critique group, EUREKA! Annie has also been part of the Cambridge Writers writing for children group since 2010.

Social Sheila Video: What's okay to say to an agent on Twitter?

Sheila Averbuch

Have you ever wanted to chat with an agent or publisher on Twitter, but haven't felt confident enough?

This month, our resident social media expert, Sheila Averbuch, shows you how to communicate with the professionals without breaching etiquette.




You might've heard that one reason writers and illustrators should use Twitter is that agents and publishers are on there.

But what should you say to them?

It's hard to be breezy when you feel like all the power is in the other person's hands. I thought it would be useful to zip through a few of the conversations going on out there, to help you develop a sense of what's considered acceptable conversation with an agent or publisher on Twitter. The three sample conversations I'll take you through in this video fall into the following categories:

Confident approach
Friendly follow-up
Praise

Social media is of course no substitute for doing your homework: do figure out which publishers and agents are likely to be interested in your work and genre, information which is readily available in resources like the Children's Writers and Artists Yearbook.

Don't forget to hit the "bull's-eye" icon below to view the video in full screen.



Are there more social media opportunities you'd like to see? Just drop me a line at sheila@spacekidsbooks.com

 Teddy image by Chris Blakeley on Flickr

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@spacekidsbooks

Sheila Averbuch lives in East Lothian in Scotland and is currently working on SPACE KIDS AND THE SPY FROM PLANET 12, a sci-fi adventure for 9-11's. She holds an MA in journalism from Stanford University and a BA from Harvard University in American History & Literature. Sheila is managing director of the content services and social media training agency ENNclick and blogs at www.spacekidsbooks.com