No. 1: Always be yourself.
When I finished writing, my husband kindly offered to read my work to check for possible mistakes in French (he is French).
Some of his questions concerned what he felt might be “too difficult” content: “Is it really necessary to give the etymology of the word?” “Do you really want to include the scientific term?” “You could leave out the bibliography to save space.”
My answers were all “no,” because: As a child, I loved discovering the origin of words, but I only gained that knowledge much later. Introducing some Greek into a text can enrich the reading experience. Scientific terms are fun! Learning them can spark a child’s curiosity and encourage them to explore the subject further. Providing additional information is part of my role as a science communicator. Planting those little seeds of curiosity is my favorite activity.
So, I proudly wrote the book in the way I would have loved when I was nine years old, thirsty for knowledge and endlessly curious about everything.
When I finished writing, my husband kindly offered to read my work to check for possible mistakes in French (he is French).
Some of his questions concerned what he felt might be “too difficult” content: “Is it really necessary to give the etymology of the word?” “Do you really want to include the scientific term?” “You could leave out the bibliography to save space.”
My answers were all “no,” because: As a child, I loved discovering the origin of words, but I only gained that knowledge much later. Introducing some Greek into a text can enrich the reading experience. Scientific terms are fun! Learning them can spark a child’s curiosity and encourage them to explore the subject further. Providing additional information is part of my role as a science communicator. Planting those little seeds of curiosity is my favorite activity.
So, I proudly wrote the book in the way I would have loved when I was nine years old, thirsty for knowledge and endlessly curious about everything.
No. 2: Don’t hesitate to start over if you’re not convinced.
For the chapter on lake turnover, I had a specific layout in mind.
I completed the first illustration, arranged the layout, added the text, but the result didn’t feel right.
For the second attempt, I tried to make it more original: the seasons shown in a circle, the same landscape repeating itself. Interesting, but then I asked myself, “can you grasp its meaning at a glance?” My answer was “no”; so, I redid it.
On the third try, it finally worked. New designs, a new layout (more simple and classic but understandable), and the message came across much more clearly.
For the chapter on lake turnover, I had a specific layout in mind.
I completed the first illustration, arranged the layout, added the text, but the result didn’t feel right.
For the second attempt, I tried to make it more original: the seasons shown in a circle, the same landscape repeating itself. Interesting, but then I asked myself, “can you grasp its meaning at a glance?” My answer was “no”; so, I redid it.
On the third try, it finally worked. New designs, a new layout (more simple and classic but understandable), and the message came across much more clearly.