"In the face of our greatest adversities, people can still do great things using their innate God-given gifts. Regardless of the circumstances, work hard, be persistent, believe in yourself, and never give up."
~Don Tate
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| The Fabulous Don Tate and writing peeps. |
I too am a lover of words. I had the great fortune of meeting and listening to author/illustrator, Don Tate at the WOW Retreat. Don's words encouraged me and it was a delight to see his process.
As a child, Don preferred drawing to reading. When Don illustrates a manuscript, he begins by doodling in the margins all the images that come to his mind as he is reading.
One of my favorite books Don Tate wrote and illustrated is Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton. Don said he became a lover of words after he wrote this book. Find a teacher's guide here.
Don said, "I began by writing and revising the manuscript many times. Then I began to sketch, which affected the words. Revised the words, which affected the sketches--it was like a moving target."
The last page of Poet reads: “Words made [George] strong. Words allowed him to dream. Words loosened the chains of bondage long before his last day as a slave.”
Three Tips from Don Tate:
1. Draw, read, and write everyday.
2. Make your scenes visual and engaging to the reader--be a visual storyteller.
3. Work hard, be persistent, believe in yourself, and never give up.
2. Make your scenes visual and engaging to the reader--be a visual storyteller.
3. Work hard, be persistent, believe in yourself, and never give up.
Great advice and videos in this interview, Janie. I meet Don at the AASL conference last fall and wish I had had the kind of time you did w/him.
ReplyDeleteKathy it was so much fun to see Don's process. Don was easy to talk to.
DeleteDon was amazing. Thanks for highlighting this particular book, Janiw.
ReplyDeleteSherri I was so excited to meet Don, because I love his book!
DeleteThe Retreat was amazing and I was enthralled by Don's presentation. o gifted. Thanks Janie for summarizing his talk.
ReplyDeleteBeverley, me too. I would sign up to see Don anytime!
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks for sharing this. I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to meet this wonderful storyteller and artist.
ReplyDeleteDon is genuine and enthusiastic.
DeleteDon Tate is truly an authentic soul...I loved his presentation at WOW...and am so happy you posted this, Janie. My takeaway as I work on revisions today will be: be a visual storyteller...make scenes visual and engage the reader. Thanks for keeping these important words at the front of my mind!
ReplyDeleteVivian doesn't it make you wish you could draw? We will have to paint with words.
DeleteThank you for this recap. I enjoyed his presentation and all his advice and knowledge. It was indeed a pleasure to participate in this retreat and get to know Don.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I enjoyed listening to him as well.
DeleteThank you for this recap. I enjoyed his presentation and all his advice and knowledge. It was indeed a pleasure to participate in this retreat and get to know Don.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad Don Tate researched, wrote & illustrated the life of Mr. Horton. He created an important book for young readers & all readers.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's fascinating to hear about revisions, one of my favorite things.
Appreciations for sharing, Janie.
You are most welcome Jan.
DeleteRead, write and draw every day. That's what I need to remember. Thanks for sharing Don's words of wisdom. He was a great addition to WOW 2016.
ReplyDeleteLeslie, I agree.
DeleteRead, write and draw every day. That's what I need to remember. Thanks for sharing Don's words of wisdom. He was a great addition to WOW 2016.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. Love Don Tate's work, and the book "Poet" is waiting for me at the library now. Will follow his advice.
ReplyDelete