Featured Interview With Liz Lim
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Ottawa Canada and moved to Calgary Alberta Canada when I was in my early twenties with my husband. There I taught for a number of years before having our first of four children. There is a nine year age span between our oldest daughter and youngest son and so I was able to read children’s book to all four of my children for the better part of twenty years! I have always loved picture books in particular because I believe that they can teach important life lessons to little people while entertaining them. My Special Sound is the first book I wrote and illustrated. Before this book I did not believe I could draw but as the story came to life I could not imagine letting someone else draw my story. Sooo, I decided to learn how to do my own illustrations in watercolour ink and then get them into digital format. It was a really enjoyable part of the creation of the book. I found myself immersed in the story as I drew it and the hours just faded away. It has now definitely become a new passion of mine to draw and watercolour.
When I am not working on my books, I am busy attending to my two dogs’ every wishes! I don’t have a cat because I know that “cats are not good dogs!”
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have been fascinated with stories all my life and books at age 6 as soon as I could read. The idea of going into the characters’ world again and again is still very appealing to me. I started writing as soon as I could write and have done that all my life as well. Story telling has always been part of my life whether in written form or spoken form and with these books I have been able to tell stories with pictures as well.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favourite authors are varied. For children’s authors it ranges from the classics of Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Greene Gables) to E.B .White (Charlotte’s Web) to Robert Munsch (The Paper Bag Princess.) In other genres I enjoy J K Rowlings Harry Potter series, Anne Bishop Black Jewel Trilogy, Kushiel’s Dart Jacqueline Carey, James A Michner Texas.
Children and life’s funny incidents inspire me in my writing. A Cat Is A Cat (Not A Dog!) was inspired by my daughter’s cat Pepper. I was playing with her (or trying to) and I said, Pepper you are not a good dog and then laughed when I realized what I had said. Of course she could not be a good dog as she was a CAT!!
Tell us a little about your latest book?
A Cat Is A Cat (Not A Dog!) was inspired by my daughter’s cat Pepper. I was playing with her (or trying to) and I said, Pepper you are not a good dog and then laughed when I realized what I had said. Of course she could not be a good dog as she was a CAT!! From there came a story about a little girl Annabelle who has a cat but wants a dog. When she asks her mom for a dog, her mom tells her no she can not have a dog. Her cat Pepper, will have to do. So Annabelle sets out to try and make her cat Pepper do dog behaviors creating some very funny situations for both Pepper and Annabelle. In the end Annabelle finds out what Pepper really is!
The book took about six months from start to finish. The story was written at least 20 times and then had even more small tweaks. Each illustrations has a number of steps, a rough sketch, a good sketch, colouring with Inktense watercolor pencils, applying water to the ink, touch ups, outlining, scanning, downloading into a file. The entire process of the illustrations takes over four hours a pictures.
Many people had a hand in this book. One of my daughter’s inspired the cover, my son suggested a copy of my first book My Special Sound be drawn on a table in some of the pictures of this book. All of my children edited this book and made suggestions to make it better. My son in law suggested one of the funniest pictures when Annabelle decides to try and walk her dog!
Feel free to contact me at my website or email e.lim@shaw.ca with comments.
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