Creative Writing

I love writing. It is fun to work on something creative or just pour out any insights or thoughts God graces me with.

I have grand ideas for myself — especially with getting any of my children’s stories published for “realzies”. But, like most unpublished wannabe authors, I don’t quite know how to do it.

So here is a limited smattering of my stories. I would love to monetize them. But I would love it more if people read them. Enjoy.

“Fun with Letters & Numbers” is a reminder that “it’s all in how you look at it”. Life can show you one thing one way. But that’s not the only way to see it. Take it in your hands. Turn it in your mind. See that there is more than meets the eye.

I worked on this a few years ago in a software that I no longer have access to. My grand vision for myself is to re-do it and make it even better. But since I’d have to start again from scratch I haven’t quite gotten to doing it. But someday I will and it will be even more amazing.

“Please Color on This Book” is “the story book that’s okay to color on”. Created as a story book that doubles as a coloring book you will enjoy these silly animal stories. 6 different stories available in one PDF.

These stories all started after my daughter was born. The perpetual lack of sleep unlocked a sustained creative story writing side of my brain. Luckily I could channel the exhaustion into creation. Thanks to Nora “Ernie the Squirmiest Worm”, “Zig. Zag. Nibble. Nibble.”, “Ralph the Giraffe Who Loved to Laugh”, “Carlos the Cuddliest Cat”, “Toppy the Octopus Who Loves to Hug”, and “The Outcast Animal Soundbook” all came to life.

I’m most partial to Ernie because he came along first. And I love the Outcast Animals because all children’s animal story books will teach you what a horse or a cow says, but how many will tell you what a whale or an elephant says?

Hayden the Horse is a yaysayer in a field of naysayers.
Unlike the other horses on Farmer Reese’s farm he likes chasing butterflies and jumping over wildflowers. And he especially loves saying ‘Yay’.
Join Hayden as he shows other horses the power of saying ‘Yay’ instead of ‘Nay’.

Written for my cousin after she had her son Hayden I commissioned an artist friend to create a Hayden the Horse illustration (as featured at the end of the doc; because for the life of me I couldn’t draw a cute horse). I was able to take the image and the story and use snapfish.com to put it into a printable storybook format. I “published” 5 copies and handed them out to family and kept one for myself. Unfortunately I don’t have that fancypants version available as a PDF for you. But the words are the same — and as for the images? Looks like you’ll just have to use your imagination.

Written in 2017 for a certain toddler who was adamant she could not read a book by herself. “For Nora and all other toddlers who think they are not able to read a book without a grown-up. Yes you can. Blub.”

In Progress:

I’m working on a “Little Miss Holiday” series inspired by Nora. I have a few written with ideas noted for the illustrations, but I haven’t yet gotten to completing the illustrations. They are early reader chapter books.

The premise:

Little Miss Holiday loves every holiday. She spends most of her time planning for whatever holiday is coming up next, making holiday-related projects, and getting others to join her in her love of every holiday no matter how big, small, or invented. 

The rest of the time she goes to school and does her homework, plays violin, and is just a regular kid (and big sister!) who just happens to also be on a quest to fill the world with endless joy.

I have a Christmas story I wrote and partially illustrated but I drew the illustrations on paper and I haven’t been able to convert them to digital images. On my “to do” list is figuring out how to get them to play nicely with software so that I can finish the book.

For over a year I’ve worked on a different Christmas story. I love love love it and think has real potential to be an actual book. I haven’t yet been able to illustrate it so I can’t share it. And who knows, maybe by the time I’m done with the illustrations God will help me get it published for realzies.

2022 Update: I’ve taken my “The Lumberjack’s Christmas Tree” story and turned it into a book of rhyming verse. I figured out how to illustrate it — by painting peg dolls and inserting them into a diorama and then doing some photoshopping as needed. Nora helped me out with the photoshopping and different elements in the Christmas scene have personal meaning which is a fun layer for us for the book.

A Touch of Christmas Magic (2022)

The Lumberjack’s Christmas Tree (2021)

I’ve also been working on a book for my niece Vera Rose who has a 1 in 100 million medical condition.

Tiny But Mighty (2022) — Naturally Ryan offered feedback after I printed a few copies. So here is version 1 with a mock-up of my illustration ideas. Version 2 I illustrated better-ish and I printed but I don’t have in nice PDF form (it has the new “Tiny But Mighty” name). And version 3 is pending.