Lots of people say time is money.
I get it, but at this point in my life I’m not doing the best at converting time into money, and that’s okay.
I spend most of my time raising Rosemary, who, as of writing this, is nearing 19 months.
During nap time and the gap time between her going to bed and when I go to bed,
I can usually sneak in some writing and crafting.
I love writing and making things, but at this point in my life, those activities are long term investments too.
So what I’m saying is, I’ve got more time than money.
And when you’re in that situation, you can afford to do some awesome stuff.
Like write out more than two thousand words in a thank you note.
It all started when I found the right card.
My picture book coming out in June is called TA-DA! and I’d NEVER seen a card that had TA-DA! on it before, so I had to get it.
Once I bought it (at Target!) I thought, “Oh, when I get the final copy of the book, I’m going to write out everything that I love and give it to the illustrator.”
The final copy of the book came at the beginning of February.
And then my Mom got sick and passed away and February turned into a fog that I’m still trying to get out of.
But I knew I couldn’t give up on this.
I needed to do it.
So I did.
I opened the book up on a table right next to my laptop and typed out my response (that’s how I know it’s more than 2,000 words!). Next I cut some paper in half and folded it, then wrote out enough to cover one side of the paper. Once I figured out how many words fit in there (roughly) I did the math to see how many pieces of paper I needed, then got to writing. As I went along I did add some words here and there, but I still finished perfectly, with no extra paper space.
Lastly I grabbed a big needle and some quilting thread and sewed the pages into the card. How long did this take me? Between typing it up and writing it out, probably around three hours.
Is it worth it?
I say yes.
This is the book that I’ve essentially waited my whole life for, but in reality, it’s been four years of waiting since I sold the book to now, seeing the finished copy in my hands.
Picture books rely on words and pictures to deliver the story,
and Kaylani delivered so much through her illustrations.
I wanted to let her know that.
It was time well spent for me.
And I have the time to do it now.
Will I be able to do this for every picture book I write?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Maybe someday I’ll have so many books coming out,
and tours to go on,
and kids at home
and interviews at NPR
that I won’t have time to do this,
so I’m glad I did it now.
Are there things you have time for now?
It’s always fun to do one of them if you can.
Bye for now,
Kathy Ellen
