Author says writing for kids is an “interesting challenge”
Can a crab named Clarence learn to cooperate from a sponge named Saul?
The only way to find out is reading “Clarence the Crab,” the winner of a children’s book writing competition hosted by The Craddock Center said.
“I wanted to challenge myself with something new,” said the book’s writer, Gilmer County 17-year-old Lucas Watson.
For his achievement, Watson received a $1,000 prize from The Craddock Center, a nonprofit dedicated to giving children educational and and cultural programs for children.
“I was blown away by the quality of the graphics,” Craddock Center Executive Director Kirk Cameron said while giving Watson his prize. “It’s a wonderful story about friendship.”
On the surface, writing a 17-page children’s book sounds easy. One simple sentence per page, an engaging plot and illustrations.
As part of his creative process, Watson read old children’s books to understand what kids enjoy in a book. He found that even as a teenager, the old books encouraged him toward exploration and curiousity.
“Children are more curious than you think,” Watson said.
But creating simplicity is a challenging and complex art.
With just 16 pages, every writing choice had to make a good story for kids.
“It forced me to be very purposeful with my words,” he said. “A lot of what I wrote initially, I cut.”
Clarence the Crab’s writing and illustrations are all Watson’s original work.
The illustrations are all oil pastel paint. As he worked on the book, his skill with painting grew.
“By the end, I felt comfortable with the materials,” he said.
Making the book took Watson two weeks. When it was done, he shared the book with his young cousin.
“She’s kind of shy, so I didn’t really get that many words,” Watson said. “But she seemed to be interested.”
Watson plans to save the prize money for college. He hopes to attend Georgia State University.
Watson hopes to publish the book soon.
“I really enjoyed the process of making it,” Watson said of the book. “I could definitely see myself writing another children’s book.”