I'm writing a children's story

I recently learned that a friend of mine has begun writing a story to read to the child that he and his partner are expecting. I found the idea wonderful, and have taken inspiration from his example.

My fiancée and I will marry this year and are planning to start a family, so I've started writing a story too. It's quite literally a faery tale, in the contemporary setting of a family home.

At this point I am 18 manuscript pages in, which is more than I've ever written in a story before. I usually write very short stories, some of which I've released as ebooks which are now somewhere in the wild. This was before the Kindle got going, when ebook self-publishing was a bit more hit and miss. But the point is that in this instance, at 18 pages, I'm still very much at the beginning of my story.

You may well have picked up on my use of the term "manuscript pages". Like many people I have long dreamt of publishing a book in the traditional manner and, with my determination to complete this story and others that would form a series, can not help but hope to publish my current project. It's by no means vital as it is, first and foremost, a story for my own children but it would be nice to be able to realise the dream.

At the same time I wonder if its right. Should one seek to publish a story written for one's own children? It's been done before, but that doesn't make it right. I will continue to mull that matter.

Another goal of mine is to share the story with friends of ours who have children. I want to share the story once I've finished my first draft, to get feedback from my friends as I value their opinions very highly. Obviously there is an element of free editing in that process, but I would do no less for my friends. Besides, published or not, if my friends like what I write I would gladly share it with them.

Is that big headed? Or selfish? I hope not.

Besides, I am not a great optimist. I do not really believe that I would be particularly likely to win over a publisher. Nor am I comfortable the expense of literary agents, professional manuscript review or other services sought in so speculative a manner.

So, either I could self publish, through vanity publishers like Lulu or by releasing an ebook, or I could simply keep the story for myself and give copies to friends if they were interested. The first option would go some way to satisfying my dream of publication, but the latter options may be of greater integrity.

But the thing that's most pleasing is how little all of that matters, despite the time that I clearly spend considering it. Because what really matters is that I create a story for my children, and for their children. A story of friendship and family with adventure and action and a basis in comfort and safety. I think I'm doing quite well, I hope my future children agree.