#145 Progress Report for Jessie's Journey

     My newest project is another "Agent C" chapter book entitled Jessie's Journey.

     The art work has progressed through four steps.  All of them involve either the cover or the inside title page.

     This one is an early sketch for the cover design:

     

     Initially, I had thought that the following image of the cover was finished.  Do you notice anything missing?

      

     It was missing a sticker that all of the books in my "Agent C Series" have on their covers.  This is how it looked with the sticker added:

     Then using the same basic design without some of the detail, I created the following inside title page:

     If I follow my current plan, the book will have eighteen chapters.  Each will have its own illustration, but my text guides me in the decisions about artwork, and the text is not finished. Thus, the illustrations have to wait.

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     Let me tell you more about the text...  

     It begins with the idea, then progresses to one simple statement called the story line:

     This story is about ________ (name of main character) who wants _______(what)  more than anything, but can't get it because _______ (what prevents her?)

     The story line for Jessie's book would read something like:

     "This story is about Jessie, who passionately wants to become more involved with technology, but she can't because there are real people who depend upon her."

     I have written a chapter-by-chapter outline which I may not follow completely. However, it includes most of the story details I plan to use.

     The short prologue that I've written might not be used either. That's another decision for later.  

     Chapter 1 has been finished (?) as a rough draft. 

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     So that's where I am with this project.  It all takes time, and I can't hurry it.  From this point on a story seems to have a mind of its own.  It speaks to me when I'm taking my daily walks.

     Jessie's character first appeared in Pomegranate (Agent C Series) as Percy's friend. 

      After Percy described her as a "joyful rebel", I decided that Jessie was a character who deserved further study. When she moved away from Percy, I was determined to find her again and allow her to tell her own story.  Jessie's Journey is the result.

     Next time I will begin to discuss some additional  writing approaches that I use with story elements, starting with an explanation of the setting (time and place) in Jessie's Journey.

     Until then, please keep reading...