Greg, thanks for sharing this. I appreciate your goals for worthwhile stories that are entertaining and don’t talk down to kids. Kids are smart! On the art side, I absolutely love the gesture and utility of worm’s tail! Excellent! Very best wishes on your series.
It’s great to learn about your process! I’m pivoting from illustrating and writing GNs to chapter books. I look forward to purchasing your book and donating it to my school library!
Thanks for the positive feedback - I would like to write more process-y posts like this - they are personally my favorite kind of post to read. Good luck on that chapter book!
i loved seeing your process! I want to branch out from picture books for the first time soon, I'm playing around with chapter book & early reader ideas. it's really helpful to see your writing process. thanks!
Glad it was helpful! If you have any specific questions you'd like me to show how I'd tackle them, let me know - I am always trying to think of substack topics worth everyone's time.
Thank you so much for this post, Greg. I'm currently trying to figure out how to layout an early reader I'm working on, and it is new territory for me, so this was VERY helpful. Early readers are so stinking cool and innovative -- especially the specific sort of rhythm the form requires -- and I love what you've done with Earl and Worm. The Hi JACK! series is also one of my faves. Love a good trickster. Can't wait to learn more from your books and process!
Love this so much! Yay for early readers (so important and also deceptively tricky!)
Thanks so much!
Greg, thanks for sharing this. I appreciate your goals for worthwhile stories that are entertaining and don’t talk down to kids. Kids are smart! On the art side, I absolutely love the gesture and utility of worm’s tail! Excellent! Very best wishes on your series.
Hi Trish, hey thanks! I had a lot of fun drawing Worm and coming up with how she'd hold a pencil, etc. Thanks again.
It’s great to learn about your process! I’m pivoting from illustrating and writing GNs to chapter books. I look forward to purchasing your book and donating it to my school library!
Thanks for the positive feedback - I would like to write more process-y posts like this - they are personally my favorite kind of post to read. Good luck on that chapter book!
i loved seeing your process! I want to branch out from picture books for the first time soon, I'm playing around with chapter book & early reader ideas. it's really helpful to see your writing process. thanks!
Yay! Sounds good! I'm sure it will be great.
Congrats! Looks great!
Hey thank you!
This is so so cool! I'm currently working on my first illustrated middle grade so seeing this process is super super helpful.
Glad it was helpful! If you have any specific questions you'd like me to show how I'd tackle them, let me know - I am always trying to think of substack topics worth everyone's time.
Thank you so much for this post, Greg. I'm currently trying to figure out how to layout an early reader I'm working on, and it is new territory for me, so this was VERY helpful. Early readers are so stinking cool and innovative -- especially the specific sort of rhythm the form requires -- and I love what you've done with Earl and Worm. The Hi JACK! series is also one of my faves. Love a good trickster. Can't wait to learn more from your books and process!