Vivian French (and Kat Park!)

Since the day I decided to work with text I pretty much committed to writing a children's story.  Actually writing the words has been such a major worry that I new I had to find someone who knew how to write to help me quickly.  I send the first version to Kat Park, a friend who is an English student, and she transformed my rambling into some beautiful text.

Then from my 'reveal and engage' meetings with illustration students I discovered that children's author, Vivian French, comes to the college to help the illustrators with their stories. I met her for half an hour at lunch today, and she was great!

She seemed excited about my project, and very encouraging. As well as giving me some lovely little phrases to slip in, she was an invaluable pair of eyes for my animatic.  She identified a few parts that seemed a bit flawed, mainly the Tree's personality and motivations, and showed me how to use the text to iron them out.

Just a few more changes when it goes onto the storyboard and its sorted!

Here is the text at the moment:

Every evening when Hannah came home, her mum was too busy to talk.

So, every night, at bedtime, Hannah talked to the moon… and the moon listened.

One winter’s day, Hannah went to her window. 

Hannah panicked, 

Where was the moon?

but her mum was still too busy.

(Hannah picks up torch, climbs out of the window)

The frosty air bit at Hannah’s fingertips.

It was cold outside and things seemed to hide and jump out of the darkness.

But through the fog she saw the friendly glow of the moon.

So she climbed…and climbed…and climbed.

And slipped 

(branch snaps, torch falls, tree comes to life)

“AAARRRGGGHHHH” screamed Hannah.

“I’m sorry Tree, I was trying to reach my friend, the mooooon”

Tree: "If I help you will you let me sleep?"

Hannah: "I promise, I promiiiiiise..."

(tree throws Hannah up and clears fog)

So Hannah could talk… and laugh… and tell all her stories to the moon.

And the tree slept peacefully

(wind/cold)

Hannah realised she was alone…surrounded by darkness… at the top of a tall tree.

She slithered and slid and 

AAAAAGH

She slipped.

Hannah looked down and saw her mum reaching up.

She leapt into her arms.

As they walked home, Hannah told her mum about her friend, the moon.