I have been waiting for what feels like an eternity to finally be able to talk about this upcoming project of mine. It was the first story I ever really set out to really complete and make happen, and over the years it’s grown so much from what it originally was into this story that I’m so incredibly proud of. I’m beyond excited to see come into this world.
From the announcement in Publisher’s Weekly:
Lily Kessinger at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers has acquired ParaNorthern, a middle grade graphic novel written by Stephanie Cooke (that’s me!!!!), with art by Mari Costa.
In ParaNorthern, a witch named Abby and her three friends—a wolf-girl, a ghost, and a pumpkinhead—band together to try and save their supernatural town, North Haven, from an invasion of rabid (but adorable!) chaos bunnies.
ParaNorthern is planned for release from HMH Kids in Spring 2021.
A sneak peek of Abby (the adorable one with the broom) and her friends!
There’s no one way for me to find inspiration, but I love to consume movies, TV, podcasts, comics, books…anything that I might enjoy. When I really like something, sometimes it makes me think about how I could tell a story like that and I start crafting ideas around it.
Other times, I just have a good old fashioned brainstorm session where I write down all the story ideas that I’d love to play around with and then I narrow things down based on what I think is strong and could be developed more.
And with comic books, one of my other favourite ways to find inspiration is to talk to an artist that I want to work with, and ask them what sort of stories that they want to tell. With their ideas, I try to create something based on what they’re keen to work on, in the hopes that we’ll get the opportunity to work together on something that we’ll both really enjoy.
When I was starting in the industry, Kelly Sue DeConnick was one of the first people stepping up for women (that I saw) and taking the time to really encourage them to tell the stories that they wanted to see in the world.
She would frequently give out her personal email and information to any woman who wanted her to look at their stories and scripts, and not only encourage them but to also help them along their way.
Kelly Sue not only spoke a big game about wanting to see more women in the industry but actively worked to make it happen alongside everything else she was doing at the time.
If that isn’t a true goddamn comic book hero, then I don’t know who is. I will never forget the kindness and time she gave to anyone that wanted or needed it.
Ask yourself why you created art in the first place and try to find that passion again.
My friend’s frequently remind me that even though I’m starting to find some success with my projects, that ultimately I need to be writing and editing, first and foremost, for myself.
Try playing around with different mediums and genres. Try new things and step outside of your comfort zone! Sometimes just learning something new can help reinvigorate what you originally loved about your art.
The short answer is this: both too many and not enough because of imposter syndrome, and also anxiety. But the slightly longer answer is that I have:
- Three longform OGNs
- Five comic editing projects (two ongoing series)
- Two web sites (Creator Resource and Creator Advisor)
- Two volunteer organization projects (TCAF and The Canada Comics Open Library)
And then in addition to that, I try to maintain a decent social life, I go to the gym three times a week, I have a 40+ hours per week day job, I’ve been teaching myself to draw again, and I try to make time (3-4 times per week) to see my partner as we don’t live together.
So… you know, a lot.
