About the Children’s Book: My Friend, Water 💦
(Behind The Scenes Details)
Illustrator: Natalia Hartono Laytno 😊
The Idea 💡
This story merged from two real life experiences that had to do with water safety:
Real-Life Experience One
I was in Bali and went surfing with three close friends who were like brothers to me. The waves were double overhead and the current was strong. It was a risky day to paddle out, but was also an amazing day to go surfing.
At one point, I dropped in on a wave and didn’t land it correctly, and wiped out. I kept getting pinned down by the waves and white water, and my focus was to get out of the impact zone (where the waves crash) back out to the safe area past the breaking water (toward the horizon).
The power of the waves and ocean is incredible, especially on a day like that. Between the power and wave intervals, I could only take a quick breath before the next wave would crash over me. Then I surfaced long enough to realize that nobody was near me and the coastline had changed.
Worse, I was laying on my board over shallow reef and near big boulders that waves were crashing onto. I was also about twenty feet away from a steep jagged rocky cliff. Each wave was pushing me closer, and I knew that I wouldn’t survive the power of the waves crashing into the rocks and cliff.
I stayed calm, and kept paddling against the waves, but was losing energy. I prayed with all my might for a lull. The waves hadn’t let up yet, so a lull would be an act of God.
Eventually, after a long while, I couldn’t quite feel my arms anymore and gave up. I laid my head down and my life flashed before my eyes like a quick slideshow of random memories. I felt immense peace.
Then, I couldn’t hear the waves anymore. I lifted my head up, and there was a lull. No waves were coming towards me at the moment, and I had my chance. My arms felt like jelly, and I had to look at them to make sure they were moving. I paddled fifty strokes, then rested. Fifty strokes then rested. And kept my eyes on the horizon.
Another set was building and I mustered the remaining strength that I didn’t even know I had and prayed the entire way in my mind for God to give me strength to paddle to safety.
I made it out far by the time the waves started to form, but not quite far enough, and the first wave crashed over me, and I duck dived underneath and made it. Then paddled until I was far from any breaking waves and safe, stopping somewhere out in the ocean between the horizon and the waves.
I couldn’t believe it. I laid out on my board on my back and floated in gratefulness and in glee. My prayer had been answered. With the intervals of the waves that day, a lull was a definite anomaly.
Sometimes I forget to pray, or to include God in my day, but in moments like that, he is the one who I reached out to. I truly felt like he was there alongside me. In a way, I wanted to thank Him and wondered if I would write about this one day, someway, somehow.
I know for sure that if I had panicked, I wouldn’t have survived. I was really grateful to know the importance of not panicking. At the beginning, when I was held down without being able to breathe, I had to mentally remind myself not to panic. And it worked. And I survived. And my gratefulness overshadows any other emotion I feel about that day.
Real Life Experience Two
I wrote this back in 2015, after I had met a little girl named Mikaela. I was working on a manuscript project, and for a month, I spent my days alone in Costa Rica in a small home in the jungle. I would only see people when I finished my work and made my evening trips to the beach, or once per week when I went to the grocery store.
Every evening, I would walk a few miles to the beach to unwind and go for a swim. It was there that I met this little girl who was scared to go in the water. I saw that as the other children played, she looked on. I smiled at her, wishing I could help.
One day, after I had gotten out of the water and was sitting on my towel, she came over and introduced herself. She plopped down on my towel, and we talked and giggled at the similarity of our names.
She explained that she had almost drowned once, and was too scared to swim. She wanted to go in the ocean, but had fears. So, she took my hand, and we started going in together. After that initial day, I would get to the beach, and she would be waiting for me. We started out in the shallow area, and little by little, she started confidently swimming out further.
A couple of times, she swallowed water and almost panicked, but I was right there to help her. Before I left, I wanted her to remember that the most important thing she could do was to stay calm and not panic in any situation out there. That was actually the last lesson I left her with.
Soon after I left, I was super inspired to write this story. The story is based on both of our life experiences, but I named the main character after her.
The Awareness
I’ve spent thousands of mornings and nights out in the ocean water, and I know that the number one water safety rule is to not panic in any kind of potentially dangerous situation. However, over the years, while talking with other watermen and waterwomen, many people know this rule, while many other people do not.
Just to be aware of the importance of not panicking saves lives. Being aware is the first step to react accordingly. Because without knowing, how can you know the importance of putting something into action?
Last year, a man who was a pro (land) athlete drowned while he went for a leisurely swim nearby to my home. He was fit and strong, but got caught in a rip current and panicked.
This lesson is one of the first things that my dad taught me when I was young, and it’s saved my life over and over (that might sound dramatic, but that’s only because I spend a disproportionate amount of time in the water).
The drowning statistics for children are high in number. I often have wondered throughout the years, that if every child knew of this, by what number would these statistics be reduced?
I think this knowledge is important, and something that we could all learn while we are young. It’s something that will stay with us throughout our lives, and come in handy in a variety of situations as well.
The Process
There was a lot of time, effort, and dedication involved in bringing this story to a published fruition. And in a way that was magical and friendly and true to life.
First, there was the writing of the story. Then the personal revisions until it felt authentic and just right. Then the editing. Then passing it out to valued beta readers and getting feedback.
Then to learn about KDP and Ingram Sparks, as well as traditional publishers and making the decision on how to publish. Then searching for an illustrator.
Luckily, I was able to have contact with three talented illustrators, narrowed it down to two, and then found the perfect illustrator through a sample piece. When I saw her sample piece, it was such a perfect fit, that I teared up (which was unexpected!). I realize now that for any author, seeing your story come to life through the talent of an illustrator can be a heartwarming process.
Finding the right illustrator is key to a children’s book. That process alone took me a month to find someone that felt just right and who brought the story to life in such a beautiful, perfect, and creative way.
Then the next step is to provide detailed scenes, but not too detailed, so that the illustrator has creative freedom to make the story better than you could have imagined. For example, I wasn’t sure how to personify Water, until Natalia, who is the amazing illustrator for this book, came up with the idea of illustrating Water as Mother Nature/a big sister figure to the main character. Natalia is so creative and talented, I might do a feature article on her and post it on this site.
Then, there is marketing to consider. I’m joining the game late, but I have started a Youtube and Tiktok channel. I also have friends at local libraries and bookstores who I hope to ask about displaying the book. Then I will make bookmarks and some other promotional material to distribute the week before the book goes live. I’m reaching out to various events and schools to ask if they would like a children’s book reading.
Then a near final step is formatting and submitting your book. Then, continuing the marketing plan. Someone told me that, “If you build it, they will not come. If you think you have something good, you have to work to show it to the world.” And I’m willing to do that 🙌. Each step is a process in itself, but thus far, a very fulfilling one.
Some statistics
Water safety is a serious subject that can always use more awareness in a fun way at an early age, because there are some alarming statistics.
According to Marianne Spencer (who authored a recent research study in 2021), unintentional drowning deaths are the second foremost cause of injury death for children (anyone aged up to seventeen years old).
According to the WHO in 2021, drowning is the third foremost cause of unintentional injury death worldwide (among children and adults combined), and there are 236,000 drowning deaths annually worldwide.
Staying calm and not panicking can hugely increase the risk of survival. The first step to achieving this is to understand the importance of it. Natalia and I present this lesson in a charming, magical, and fun way in this book so that it appeals to readers at an early age.
Hopefully the readers of this book will learn the lesson early, and the lesson will stay with them throughout their lives, to pass on to generations to come… 💦
My Friend, Water 💦
Is available in ebook and softcover formats (hardcover coming soon!)