IN THE SHOES OF… Dawn Treacher

What's life like in someone else's shoes?

This month Françoise Price invites author-illustrator Dawn Treacher to tell us about her day.

Author-illustrator Dawn Treacher

6:50am

 

There is no typical day for me — everyday is different — not least because I am a stay at home carer for my husband. I am also an author and illustrator working with three independent publishers. So whatever the day brings there will also be creative projects to work on, new ones to plan, promotion to do or emails to attend to.

 

My day always begins with a cup of tea in bed brought to me by my husband who may have been up many hours earlier using his amateur radio station located basically at the foot of our bed.

Me, I am not a morning person, so tea is a lingering business, usually while checking any emails and social media activity on my mobile.

But this morning, as my new middle grade novel, Lost in Time, was launched in the summer, I’m heading to a primary school to do an author visit. 

For me, these events should be as creative as possible. For each children’s book I have published I have created props. For Lost in Time, that’s a swarm of white mice. In my little suitcase I carry a wooden mantle piece clock and approximately 70 knitted and crocheted mice, created for me by my mother, my aunt and my aunt’s knitting group and my craft group. 

This morning I am taking two sessions, years 5-6 and then years 3-4. For the younger group I’ve prepared a craft activity inspired by my book, so the children will be designing their own atomic clocks in card. Children love to get stuck in and the things they create always amaze me.

 

'In my suitcase, I carry a wooden clock and about 70 knitted and crocheted mice'

9:15am

 

I am at Foston primary school, a blast from the past for me as our daughter started there in 2007 and I was a parent helper in the classroom. It is a small rural village school. I cut the ribbon on their new school library this summer and was invited back to visit.

 

Oh what a busy morning, sharing what I love about writing, which is the love of storytelling. The older years joined me in an interactive fantasy adventure story generating session, creating their own fantastic story. A best seller in the making!

 

1:00pm

 

Home for lunch, still buzzing from the excitement of the classroom. When it is possible, some of the afternoon is spent in my creative space at the bureau in the bedroom. 

Every book I’ve written and illustrated, of which there are now quite a number, have been worked on at this bureau. Right by the window, it looks out over a row of beech trees. Its cubby holes are stuffed full of my favourite Posca acrylic paint pens and books on writing and the top is covered in creatures I’ve created. It’s a fun, colourful and inspirational space within which to create.

Dawn's writing bureau 

 

At the moment, the bureau is where I am illustrating the first of a series of picture books which I’ve written and am illustrating for Tiny Tree, about Mabel the Gardening Witch. Once I’ve light-boxed my final line drawings I sit down here to paint the many components which will eventually be put together digitally to create a double page spread by my publisher. 

It’s also where I work on my other creative projects at the moment. I am drawing prototypes for an adult mindfulness colouring book for which I have just signed a publishing contract.

'My illustrations for the latest project with Tiny Tree publishing' 

If I need a break from one of my publishing projects, don’t have much time or need to lift my mood, I’ll just sit down to paint a new illustration for my growing portfolio. Since I became chronically ill two years ago I try to sit and paint each day if I can, even if only for an hour. It is a great way to focus the mind on good things and remain positive. It’s a great exercise in positive well-being.

 

As for writing, I always have a number of projects on the go. Depending on what time I have for myself I’ll work on one of these. At the moment my projects include perfecting a new picture book text, mapping out a chapter book series, formulating a new middle grade text and writing an adult psychological thriller.

 

Today I will head for the bureau, but when the weather is warm enough, about six months of the year, I will head to Geraldine, my caravan on the drive, where my husband also has a portable radio station and where he can join me for tea breaks.

 

'When it's warmer, I head to Geraldine, my caravan on the drive'

Some people have a set place to write. But for me it can be in the caravan, at my bureau or, on a Sunday morning, in the library of York University. My husband reads books beside me and I aim to write at least 2,000 words of my current novel.

 

I write all my books by hand in notebooks and only have them typed when they are finished. Much of every day revolves around my husband. I am where he is and vice versa. Our garden is a beautiful place we love to use as much as possible. It is a great place for inspiration and general well-being for both of us. So if the sun is shining we’ll be on the bench having tea, even if that means a coat, hat and gloves!

 

After 5:00pm

 

As we are now in winter all creative activities at the bureau will have stopped as for me they require natural light.

 

If I have correspondence to deal with I can do this before supper. Today it is chatting via WhatsApp with the publisher of my adult books, discussing the cover for my new cosy mystery which launches in March next year. It’s also time to email my other children’s book publisher to discuss a new project I would like them to consider.

 

7:00pm

 

Supper is always listening to Radio 4 with my husband. For me, since I became chronically ill myself, it will signal the end of my creative day.

 

8:00pm

 

This is when I retire to bed to read. I read every night, usually for a couple of hours, all genres, both children’s and adult fiction. It is also a good time to think, to plan new ideas, mull over plot twists and possible solutions so that my brain may continue considering them as I sleep.

*Header image by Ell Rose & Tita Berredo;

all other images courtesy of Dawn Treacher

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Dawn Treacher is an author and illustrator of children's books living in North Yorkshire. She has published both middle grade and picture books for independent publishers and is currently working on a picture book series for Tiny Tree. She also publishes adult cosy crime novels.

www.dawntreacher.com 
X: @DSquiffy
Instagram @dawn.treacher

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Françoise Price is a Feature Editor for Words & Pictures magazine.

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Ell Rose is Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures. Contact them at illustrators@britishscbwi.org

Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles and Art Director of Words & Pictures. Contact her at illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org