Dan Richards recently had the unforgettable experience of giving a signed copy of his first published book to his junior high english teacher whose encouraging words stuck with him for more than 30 years.

The way Ms. Verstegen responded to Richards’ approach to creative writing had one of the first and lasting influences on him.

“I think teachers can have a real impact on someone’s life, but the opportunity to acknowledge just how much they may have influenced you doesn’t always happen,” Richards said. “Giving her one of my books was an amazing feeling.”

Richards returned to Sequim from his home in Bothell for his 30-year high school reunion, but as a bona fide author he also visited Helen Haller Elementary to share his picture book, “The Problem With Not Being Scared of Monsters.”

Never too late…

Following high school Richards had a sleepless desire to do something creative with an emphasis on songwriting. But, despite having the intent and passion to pursue songwriting as a career, Richards didn’t take the appropriate steps to be formally educated in the field, nor engage with the songwriting community. Instead, Richards said he went the more traditional route after high school and attended Seattle Pacific University, followed by a 20-year career as a real estate agent. It wasn’t until about five years ago that Richards’ lifelong passion to pursue a creative outlet came to be when he decided to write a novel.

“The great thing about writing is age doesn’t matter,” Richards said.

After struggling to write a novel, Richards reflected on the types of books he reads in a search for inspiration. Having always been drawn to more or less children’s books, like “Harry Potter,” Richards shifted gears and decided to “follow the fun,” he said.

In the fall of 2009 Richards continued pursue writing for children more seriously, and completed a writing for children program at University of Washington.

“This time I decided if I wanted something to happen professionally I need to make a serious effort to get involved with the right people,” Richards said.

Richards inundated himself in the writing community and became educated on the style of writing he was interested in. Such decisions soon lead Richards into the world of picture books and eventually to the sale of his first book.

Picture books

“A picture book is a unique art-form and are considered one of the most challenging to master,” Richards said.

A picture book is very specific, Richards explained. Picture books are 32-pages and require both the text and illustrations to make sense.

“To write a picture book, you have to be able to think very visibly,” Richards said. “You also have a very limited amount of space.”

Although Richards had a visual of the characters in his story while he was writing it, after selling the text to a publisher, the illustrator is picked by editor and art director. Richards has yet to directly speak with the illustrator Robert Neubecker.

“I feel like we’ve collaborated, but we’ve never actually talked,” Richards said. “I had to put some faith into the system and trust the editor and art director. It wasn’t until I saw his color sketches that I knew it was going to work.”

Because the success of a picture book relies on the text and illustrations ability to complement one another, it takes a lot of trust and somewhat a risk on both the writer and illustrators part, Richards said.

‘The Problem With Not Being Scared of Monsters’

In order to take the many risks involved in writing a book, let alone a picture book, Richards used the skills he learned throughout his career as a real estate agent.

“Being involved with real estate helped me take the risks associated with being an artist,” Richards said. “You can’t do art and put it out there without having to deal with rejection – similar to real estate.”

Having encouraged himself to finally face many of his own fears by putting his creative work into public view, Richards said he was thinking a lot about facing fears throughout the last few years. Incidentally, one of the themes in Richards’s first published book, “The Problem with Not Being Scared of Monsters” is the problems that can arise when fear isn’t present.

“Fear isn’t all bad,” Richards said. “I don’t know if fear ever goes away, but it can motivate you.”

Despite the ongoing fears Richards must face on his path as a writer, he intends to continue to write children’s books with a goal of publishing a youth novel. “The Problem With Not Being Scared of Kids,” the prequel to his first book, and “Can One Ballon Make An Elephant Fly?” are Richards’s upcoming picture books.

Richards also aspires to continue to participate in school visits and perhaps encourage children in their creative writing.

For more information about Richards, visit www.danrichardsbooks.com.

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.