What
inspired you to write your first children’s book?
It was most definitely my own children, along with the fact that young minds are so impressionable. I wanted to create a book with the empowering messages that I try to instill in my children so that we could read it again and again at bedtime. I saw the need for children’s books with real, empowering messages about the inner self, and our real-life superpowers of creativity, imagination, and intuition.
It was most definitely my own children, along with the fact that young minds are so impressionable. I wanted to create a book with the empowering messages that I try to instill in my children so that we could read it again and again at bedtime. I saw the need for children’s books with real, empowering messages about the inner self, and our real-life superpowers of creativity, imagination, and intuition.
In
unraveling my own experiences, I uncovered a powerful message that I felt a
strong urge to share, which fueled the birth of my first book. Since then, the
inspiration just kept flowing. Now, I have fallen in love with the process and
have no plans to stop anytime soon.
When did you actually start writing your first book? How long did it take to write your first draft?
I began writing my first book in December 2016. I wrote the initial draft in an hour and a half. This isn’t always normal for me, but I had an idea, got in a flow, and the words just poured out on to the page.
Prior to writing your children’s books, what was your publishing and writing background?
When did you actually start writing your first book? How long did it take to write your first draft?
I began writing my first book in December 2016. I wrote the initial draft in an hour and a half. This isn’t always normal for me, but I had an idea, got in a flow, and the words just poured out on to the page.
Prior to writing your children’s books, what was your publishing and writing background?
I had
absolutely zero experience or knowledge about the publishing world.
Writing-wise, I wrote for my own blog, email newsletters, and social media, but
it felt like it was out of necessity from a business perspective. I have been
an entrepreneur for almost a decade, so I did write, but I didn’t have the
spark for writing like I do now.
Describe what you mean about finding your inner compass.
Each and every one of us has an Inner Compass. It is an inborn guidance that sends quiet signals to help navigate life with inner alignment. Your Inner Compass is your intuition. As really little kids, we are great at listening to it.
Describe what you mean about finding your inner compass.
Each and every one of us has an Inner Compass. It is an inborn guidance that sends quiet signals to help navigate life with inner alignment. Your Inner Compass is your intuition. As really little kids, we are great at listening to it.
As we
grow up, often our intuition can get shut down and overpowered by logic. Then,
the whispers from our inner wisdom become harder to hear. The process of
finding your Inner Compass is about getting reconnected with yourself and
establishing trust in your inner knowing.
I wanted to introduce the concept of an Inner Compass to children to encourage them to find and follow their inner compass, to stay connected with themselves, to understand how it works, and to see the benefits of trusting their inner knowing throughout their lives in order to stay true to who they are.
I wanted to introduce the concept of an Inner Compass to children to encourage them to find and follow their inner compass, to stay connected with themselves, to understand how it works, and to see the benefits of trusting their inner knowing throughout their lives in order to stay true to who they are.
I decided to go the self-publishing route for two main reasons. I wanted to have creative control over my book, and I didn’t want to wait. Like I mentioned, I didn’t have any experience in the publishing realm, so I did my research and ended up using an assisted self-publishing company to help me through the process.
Because I
was fresh into creativity, I felt pretty vulnerable jumping into this new arena
and knew that if I had my manuscript rejected multiple times, I probably would
have given up on my book. I also did not want my message to get skewed or lost
along the way if I had gone with a traditional publisher. It was nice to know
that I would have the final say.
What has frustrated you the most in the process of putting together the books?
It’s how long the whole process takes and not knowing what was coming next when I first started. I felt like I was always flying blind, unsure of what was around the next bend. This is the exact reason that I was inspired to create an online course for authors.
What has frustrated you the most in the process of putting together the books?
It’s how long the whole process takes and not knowing what was coming next when I first started. I felt like I was always flying blind, unsure of what was around the next bend. This is the exact reason that I was inspired to create an online course for authors.
Coming
this fall, The Author Atlas online courses will give aspiring authors a
step-by-step self-publishing roadmap to help take them through every step from
research, to writing, to editing, to planning illustrations, to setting up
distribution, and beyond.
There
will even be courses for supercharging your creativity, author mindset
makeover, routine revamp, and finding your author special sauce. It’s going to
pack a ton of value while taking the confusion and guesswork out of the
process, which I’m sure will alleviate frustration for new authors. It is going
to be very impactful and I am really excited about it.
What has pleasantly surprised you in the process?
I’d have to say how much I truly enjoy envisioning and planning the art direction. When I dove into self-publishing, I had no clue that I was going to need to come up with descriptions for every single illustration, but the process has really grown on me and now I actually look forward to it! I look forward to sharing my experience in The Author Atlas course.
What are some of the promotions that you’ve done for your books that have been the most successful?
That would be my book launch events and media interviews. I’ve been fortunate to be interviewed on CTV Saskatoon Morning Live, CTV News at Noon, Global Saskatoon, and Lit Happens with ShawTV. My team and I are currently working on building an ambassador program, so I am hopeful that program will be very successful as well.
What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s stories?
My advice would be to write children’s books you wish you could have read as a child. What would have made an impact on you? Read lots of children’s books and pay attention to what you like and don’t like. What resonates with you and what doesn’t.
What has pleasantly surprised you in the process?
I’d have to say how much I truly enjoy envisioning and planning the art direction. When I dove into self-publishing, I had no clue that I was going to need to come up with descriptions for every single illustration, but the process has really grown on me and now I actually look forward to it! I look forward to sharing my experience in The Author Atlas course.
What are some of the promotions that you’ve done for your books that have been the most successful?
That would be my book launch events and media interviews. I’ve been fortunate to be interviewed on CTV Saskatoon Morning Live, CTV News at Noon, Global Saskatoon, and Lit Happens with ShawTV. My team and I are currently working on building an ambassador program, so I am hopeful that program will be very successful as well.
What advice would you give someone who wants to write children’s stories?
My advice would be to write children’s books you wish you could have read as a child. What would have made an impact on you? Read lots of children’s books and pay attention to what you like and don’t like. What resonates with you and what doesn’t.
My next best advice is to edit, edit, edit! See the editing process as an evolution of your story. Allow your story to grow, change, and release the parts that aren’t working to make space for new, improved ideas to come in.
What is the best writing advice you’ve been given?
Write something every day. This advice has been instrumental in expanding my writing, encouraging me to try new things, helping me get out of my own way and getting my pen on to paper.
How much time daily do you have for writing?
During the week, I am an early riser to write before the kids get up. I usually write for 30-60 minutes just for fun. Sometimes those ideas turn into something more, but sometimes they don’t and that’s okay, too. For me, it’s all about exercising that writing muscle. Every Friday, I have a full writing day. That is my best way to head into the weekend feeling like a million bucks!
What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?
It is my mission to create mindfully crafted children's books that help children ignite their passions, think outside the box, and create a life full of purpose, impact, and fulfillment. I believe that books can open a door in the mind and that is precisely my goal—to open minds to the potential that already exists within them. We all possess the real-life superpowers of intuition, creativity, and imagination and it is my goal to allow readers to see how incredible they already are.
Through
my books, I hope readers will feel inspired and empowered to connect with their
inner selves and harness the (often untapped) potential of their minds. By sharing
empowering messages within my books, I hope that readers realize they are
powerful beyond measure, that their passions can reveal their purpose, and sharing
their gifts with the world can help others in more ways than they can imagine.
What’s coming next for your writing?
What’s coming next for your writing?
I have
two new books coming out, and I’m very excited about them! Magnus O’Meere, Mind
Pioneer is releasing October 2019, and Hazel Mist, Hypnotist is coming out Spring
2020.
Can you give
my readers a short blurb about them?
Magnus O’Meere is always off in another dimension, building epic ideas with his full-blown attention. But when Magnus’ inventive passion becomes disruptive and distracting at school, he lands himself in the principal’s office. As Magnus begins to question the things he has created, a stroke of fate delivers an eye-opening message that leads him to discover just how powerful his mind really is. Follow Magnus on an incredible learning adventure that highlights some of the most magnificent Mind Pioneers of our time, including da Vinci, Einstein, Tesla, Mozart, and many more.
Magnus O’Meere is always off in another dimension, building epic ideas with his full-blown attention. But when Magnus’ inventive passion becomes disruptive and distracting at school, he lands himself in the principal’s office. As Magnus begins to question the things he has created, a stroke of fate delivers an eye-opening message that leads him to discover just how powerful his mind really is. Follow Magnus on an incredible learning adventure that highlights some of the most magnificent Mind Pioneers of our time, including da Vinci, Einstein, Tesla, Mozart, and many more.
However,
each time Hazel gets up on stage to perform, her stomach is in knots as she
faced with stage fright. Will she let her fears stop her from creating her
dreams? Follow Hazel on an entertaining and intriguing venture that will open
your mind, broaden your perspective, and evoke curious questions.
If those storylines intrigue you, here’s how you can learn more about Kristin’s writing and buy her books.
If those storylines intrigue you, here’s how you can learn more about Kristin’s writing and buy her books.
www.InnerCompassBooks.com
For more information about The Author Atlas, please visit:
www.InnerCompassBooks.com/author-serv...
To join the launch team for Magnus O’Meere, Mind Pioneer, visit: www.InnerCompassBooks.com/launch-team
For more information about The Author Atlas, please visit:
www.InnerCompassBooks.com/author-serv...
To join the launch team for Magnus O’Meere, Mind Pioneer, visit: www.InnerCompassBooks.com/launch-team
No comments:
Post a Comment