You don’t have to travel far to encounter a published writer; John Norris is best known for his charismatic personality and friendly demeanor as an instructional aide and girls’ soccer coach at LM, but unbeknownst to many, this September he published a children’s book titled What’s Your Favorite Dinosaur?
Norris has always had a passion for writing, including short stories, poems, and, especially, song lyrics. From years of musical experience he gained while playing six instruments, Norris has become a veteran composer for himself and for his band. He has particularly enjoyed creating the lyrics as well. In fact, Norris published a lyric book this past March. Seeing the beautiful product that the local publishing company constructed, he thought to himself, “Maybe I can get them to do more?”
One idea had been scratching Norris’s brain for the past few years: to adapt a song he had written with his nephews and nieces into a children’s book. He had already modified the song’s verses to produce a short, informative narrative about dinosaurs told from an archeologist’s point of view. However, he stated that he had encountered “barriers” that he found difficult to overcome, specifically the fact that he wasn’t an illustrator. Although he had storyboarded his plans years ago, designing each page’s rough outline in his sketchbook, he decided to just “sit on the ideas” until he found the right talent to “execute [his] vision.”
As it turned out, this missing piece was easier to find than he had previously anticipated. Upon prompting from Mrs. O’Bannon, Norris decided to post flyers around the school for prospective illustrators. One student, John Patrick ’23, was more than eager to participate. After reviewing some of Patrick’s previous graphic design projects, Norris knew he would be the right fit. They quickly planned to meet in the library where Norris divulged his vision, which was laid out in crude sketches on a storyboard. From then on, their correspondence continued mostly via email. Norris would give Patrick a general framework for each page, and Patrick would do his best to fulfill the idea. However, Norris soon realized that if he didn’t give Patrick enough direction, he might “draw a picture that [Norris] didn’t want…that he wasn’t expecting.” This collaborative process illuminated the need for clear communication between the two in order to have a successful partnership. Norris also wanted Patrick to maintain his “artistic liberty” and express his concerns wherever they might be, not only regarding the illustrations but also the narrative. For example, when Patrick believed a page was redundant, he was confident in telling Norris, who welcomed his input and constructive criticisms.
Despite a few unexpected obstacles, like the publisher requiring Norris to adjust the size of the graphics and pages, Norris and Patrick finally completed the long awaited book. Patrick received an “artist’s stipend” for his hard work, and Norris saw his aspiration transpire. But he still considered this first publication a prototype and has many plans for what he referred to as “version two.” The main addition Norris wishes to see is the inclusion of the song that the book stemmed from, possibly connected by a QR code within the book that leads to a recording. Although he loves the way the book turned out, Norris remains deeply attached to the song that “everything was built out of,” and its incorporation would not only immortalize the song, but it would add an entirely new level of creativity and originality to the book. Unfortunately, in order to take this next step, Norris must first have the song audio recorded in studio quality, which could pose its own setbacks. Until then, he hopes to give his book exposure by reading at local bookstores and potentially selling the copies from the first round of publication. Though, he did note that he “[doesn’t] know all of the steps,” and he is “learning as [he] goes.” Nevertheless, Norris welcomes this adventure and recognizes that uncertainty is just part of having a new experience.
The future is very bright for What’s Your Favorite Dinosaur? and Norris, who shared that he would “like to see this become a sequence of more books.” Not only that, Norris already has a potential illustrator for future endeavors. Patrick, who is currently studying at Saint Joseph’s University, has informed Norris that he had a wonderful experience and would be interested in pursuing future opportunities as well.
Norris has accomplished what many can only hope to—pursuing a dream and succeeding. His experience exemplifies the benefits of following through with a goal even though it may require traversing unfamiliar territory. If you have a vision, what’s stopping you from making it a reality?
