Telling Picture Book Stories with Animal Characters: Author Interview with Stephen G. Bowling

You’ve now published 5 picture books, but what inspired you to write the first one?
I got the idea for my first book, Calvin the Christmas Tree, about 20 years ago when I was traveling during the Christmas holiday. I was meeting some family and friends and we had rented a house. It was Christmas Eve, and everyone decided that we should decorate the house and it would be nice if we had a Christmas tree. The men in the group had the mission to get a tree, which was not easy as everything was closed. 

We went looking to no avail, and finally saw an abandoned Christmas tree stand, which was now basically an empty lot. Someone spotted a small, not very good-looking tree that fell over and was left behind. We considered ourselves fortunate that we found something to bring back. We loaded this awkward little tree in the car, and on the drive home I thought this would make a wonderful story. A story about a little tree that almost didn’t make it for Christmas. One that beat the odds and became a Christmas tree.

It was just a thought, and I didn’t have any plans to do anything with it. A few years later I needed to buy Christmas presents for a lot of young nieces and nephews and found myself with a lack of funds. I decided to write the story and give it as a present. It seemed like a good solution to resolve my dilemma. I had, as usual, put off getting presents until the last minute, so to get this completed in time I needed to work fast and well into the night. 

I wrote the story and illustrated it, finally finishing on Christmas Eve. I made copies of the “book” and gave them to the children. A friend of mine, who is an author, recently encouraged me to self-publish the story. I rewrote it, found a real illustrator (who is amazing), and did just that. So far it is the only book I wrote in prose, the rest are written in rhyming verse.

Three of your books have a bird as your main character. Why not make the story a magical adventure for a young boy rather than a bird?
Children seem to have a special relationship with animals. In their world, anthropomorphizing animals comes naturally. It wonderful aspect of being a child and I like to use it in my books. In one of the books, the bird talks to a ladybug on a flower having a cup of tea at a little table. I find it enjoyable creating animal or insect worlds that mimic our own. I believe children enjoy it as well. My first book does that with trees.

The three books you refer to are a series I wrote about Simon, a young bird. The first book came about when I had a challenge to write a story involving a birdhouse. It seemed natural to write about the occupants. I thought what do children do regarding their house? How do they think of their house or their room? Simon would think the same way any young child would. I wrote the story and thought it would be fun to use Simon in more books, adding more animal characters in each.

You are part of a non-profit philosophical organization that teaches students critical and analytical thinking. Would they also find that in your books?
To some degree, yes they would, in subtle ways. I don’t write with that specific purpose, however as the story unfolds analytical thinking often comes into play, perhaps because of my background. For example, the second book in my Simon bird series has the main character searching for a dragon that he has heard rumors about. He does what a lot of children do, or at least what I did, and he decides to look for it. He puts a bottle cap on his head as a helmet, as the dragon is rumored to be very big and mean, and begins his search. He asks the other animals if they have seen the “beast” that flies around the barn, none of which had ever seen it. 

What Simon eventually discovers is something quite different from the rumors he has heard. I think this helps children realize they need to question and search for the facts, to be critical and analytical about what they have heard as some things are not always what they seem. Another story deals with spatial relationships and resolving a problem by thinking of alternative solutions. My upcoming book deals with scarecrows who have a debate and use reason to settle an argument.

As an indie author you are responsible for every aspect of publishing. Other than writing, what other parts of the process do you personally do? What do you hire others to do? 
I currently do the formatting and put the books on all the platforms I use. I hire someone to turn the book into an eBook, although I may start to do that in the future. I obtain ISBN numbers, apply for the Library of Congress number (LCCN), and I do the copyright myself. I hire a company to do the Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication Data (PCIP). 

I do some of the marketing, and I hire and try various companies and services for marketing. Some parts of the process may seem daunting at first, however like most unfamiliar tasks once you get familiar with them they become merely a chore you’re used to. I am by no means an expert at any of them and I am still learning. Doing much of the work yourself may not be for everyone. I have a tendency to jump into things without knowing much and learning as I go. I like to be familiar with the process even if I hire that process out. Doing these tasks yourself does take time which some may deem better spent on writing.

How did you find your illustrator?
I was very fortunate to find my illustrator whom I love working with. We have become great friends and a team, despite living on different continents and speaking different languages. He is an amazing artist and he hand paints all the illustrations. We work extremely well together. I happened to find him on one of the networking platforms. I saw his work and it was perfect for what I wanted. He had no reviews, so I decided to take a chance. I was lucky I suppose, and I am thrilled to be working with him.

What do you know now about publishing you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I had known how to launch a book before publishing it. That would have helped a lot, getting reviews and some awareness through blog tours, public relations, etc. before publishing.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
My advice for children’s book authors is that you still need a good, well told story even though the book is written for children. Children like and enjoy good story telling as much as adults do. Books for toddlers would be written differently of course. Additionally, if you are writing in rhyming verse, it is vital to maintain a rhythm and cadence, and the words you chose for rhymes must be meaningful and advance the story, not chosen just because they rhyme.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
For children’s books, authors should keep in mind that they are writing for two different readers. The challenge is writing children’s books so they are enjoyable for the child and the parent or adult who reads them to or with the child.

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is Winslow Scarecrow which should be out in late June in time for National Build a Scarecrow day. Winslow happens to be a very friendly Scarecrow who invites the crows to rest on him. Some of the other scarecrows are upset, as being scary is their job, it’s what they do. There is a fun debate between them, and Winslow comes up with a solution to make everyone happy. Describing what the scarecrows were wearing was a lot of fun. One of my favorite lines in the book is: “Now hold on there” said Jack, who had a Pumpkin for a head. Jack wore baggy trousers that were green but mostly red.”

I got the idea when I heard someone say “Aren’t scarecrows supposed to be scary?” I thought that would make a good story, having no idea how I would do it. I did know that many kids like scarecrows. And I have heard some young girls say they never see girl scarecrows, so I have plenty of both boy and girl scarecrows in the story. The next book after Winslow Scarecrow is about a man who yells at the Moon, that’s a fun one too.

That's all for today's interview. I hope it has encouraged you to learn more about Stephen's books. Here's how you can do that.
 Website: www.StephenGBowling.com
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stephen-G.-Bowling/author/B07S94JV84

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19443914.Stephen_G_Bowling

And here's some additional bonuses!
Free Activity Pages: https://stephengbowling.com/simons-tree-party-free-activity-pages/

Here's your chance to win a free eBook of Stephen's story Simon's Search for the Scary Dragon. Just leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive this eBook. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Friday!