Birthing a television show

 


    The holidays have passed, and just before the year’s end, I hit a major milestone: I finished my latest novel, A Touch of Magick. Three months. 82,000 words. And yes, there was a happy dance across the kitchen floor—because this story poured out of me, arriving fully formed in ways I couldn’t have anticipated when I sat down to write that first word. Literally, I was going to write a totally different story and then that spark of creativity launched and took hold.

Here’s what I learned along the way: deadlines work for me. There’s power in setting a goal and harnessing that inner static energy of momentum. Deadlines turn my creative spark into a fire, fueling me to step into the unknown and make it real. It’s about controlling the narrative—the one within myself—and now, I’m shifting that mantra to tackle something completely outside my comfort zone.

The goal? Launching my own television program for kids.

Yes, it’s a big leap, but creativity thrives in challenge. This new project, Drawing Magic, is an ambitious one, with over a hundred action items to address and a funding strategy to master. But I’m not afraid. I’m trusting the process. After all, I’ve done this before. Back in 2018, I created a pilot concept for Drawing Magic to test its potential as a TV show, and the response was incredible. While technical hurdles like lighting kept it from being exactly what I envisioned, the core idea has stayed with me—waiting for the right moment to resurface.

That moment is now.

I can already picture Drawing Magic completed, distributed, and inspiring children everywhere. This isn’t just about drawing—it’s about unlocking creativity, sharpening focus, and fostering the kind of motor skill development that helps young minds grow. This isn’t “busy work” or cookie-cutter copying; it’s an innovative approach to connecting the brain, hand, and heart to create something truly original.

My dream? To see Drawing Magic distributed through PBS Kids and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which brings entertainment and education to children in hospitals across the U.S. The magic of creativity is transformative—I’ve seen it firsthand during my years running the largest art education school in Texas. The "ah-ha!" moments, when children realize their potential, are nothing short of extraordinary. Now, I want to bring those moments into homes, classrooms, and hospital rooms everywhere.

If I can produce thirteen episodes, I can pitch to PBS Kids with the professionalism and heart this project deserves. And if the distribution model aligns, I’ll extend the program to hospital networks like those run by the Seacrest Foundation. I’ve already seen the possibilities—like the incredible media set up at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth. Many major hospitals have internal programming that includes music and creative outlets, providing children with vital joy and expression during their toughest times. I want Drawing Magic to be part of that effort, a beacon of light and creativity for kids who need it most.

On top of that, many independent television stations are required to include educational programming as part of their mandate, making Drawing Magic a perfect fit. The pieces are falling into place.

Meanwhile, I’m putting the finishing touches on my new children’s coloring book, Monsters and Myths: A Cryptid Coloring Journey. It’s nearly ready for release—a whimsical dive into the world of legendary creatures that I know kids (and parents!) will love. And somewhere in the chaos of projects, I need to track down those audio files for my children’s fairytale, Journey to Cinnamon Valley.

So, what’s next? Stay tuned. Big things are coming down the pike. Watch as this vision unfolds—because just like those 82,000 words, this story is ready to pour out into the world.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Ring

Image
  The Ring Every family has a story about an heirloom—something prized, coveted, and often contested. In mine, it was my mother’s jewelry. Let me set the stage. During his time in Vietnam, my father made several trips to Hong Kong, each one resulting in a new piece of jewelry for my mother. He’d developed a rapport with a jeweler there, whom he visited first thing in the morning when the shops opened. In Hong Kong tradition, the first sale of the day was considered auspicious; if it went well, the whole day would be prosperous. Dad would choose a stone, select a setting, and on his next trip, he’d return to pick up the finished piece, starting the process all over again. He loved that jeweler. Over the months, my mother’s collection grew to include black star sapphires, large smoky topaz, strands of pearls, a color-changing sapphire ring, jade bracelets, pearl earrings, and an assortment of other treasures. Among them was a particularly striking ring—a large green stone set i...
Read more

The Treasured Gift

Image
  I recently told a friend the story of my trip to England and she practically shouted, “You have to write that down!” So… here goes. It all began on a cold, blustery winter’s day—cue the Dickensian fog—when I found myself walking the cobbled streets of Leeds, England, which looks like the inside of a storybook someone forgot to close. Ancient stone walls wrapped around the city like it was guarding treasure, and every shop looked like it could house a wooden puppet with commitment issues. I was enchanted. Also: giftless. Christmas was a few weeks away, and I was on a mission. I needed something special for my in-laws, something with heart, history, and hopefully, less drama than last year’s personalized cheese board fiasco. Then—I saw it. The Angel. Hand-carved, about eighteen inches tall, made of sturdy wood with elegant embellishments along its gown. It practically glowed under the shop lights. My husband, predictably waiting outside, looked up from his coffee as I ca...
Read more

It Finally Happened

Image
  It Finally Happened Deep breath. Writing has always felt like a solitary sport to me, full of highs and lows—almost like backroad biking. You put in the effort, push through the grind, but there’s always that gnawing unease, that whisper in the back of your mind: Did I just write junk, or is this one actually good? This fall, I took a leap and wrote my first attempt at a Romantasy — A Touch of Magick. The setting hit me like a gut punch. It had to be the Everglades , with its haunting beauty, its mist-drenched cypress trees, its raw, untamed magic. A perfect place for a witch, a curse, and lovers torn apart. I wanted readers to feel it—to smell the damp earth, to hear the rustling fronds, to step into the murky depths of something ancient, powerful, and undeniable. The story flooded out of me. I’ve always been a fan of Ladyhawke and wanted to create a modern twist on that aching, impossible love. So, I put my head down, let my fingers fly, and let the smoke rising fro...
Read more