Inspiring 'The Girl who Sings to Snails'.

I'm working on a short story at the moment, the working title is 'The Girl who Sings to Snails'. As I've discussed before I write my stories a little differently, usually my stories are inspired by my illustrations, so I draw some of the illustrations before I write the story.

'The Girl who Sings to Snails' is inspired by two things, the first is a night of snail hunting. If you follow my blog you will have noticed that alongside my love for art I also have an interest in gardening, you may have even seen my post crypto garden or read my tips on growing your own crypto! I have lots of snails in my garden, but I don't use slug pellets (nasty things), no I use a Snail Transfer System. This involves going out at night with a torch and removing the snails from my veggies patch at the back of the house and taking them to my flower garden at the front of the house, where I have plants that the snails also love to eat but I don't mind if they do. This way no snail is harmed, just slightly disorientated.

Participants of the Snail Transfer System on route to the front garden

So on to the second source of inspiration for my story 'The Girl who Sings to Snails'. I drew this quirky little illustration of some of my snail friends making there way to the last uneaten seedling in my veggie patch, I think they may be planning a little snail party.

All these snails seems to have an individual character to them, I don't know if I will use this illustration in the final piece or go for something with more realism, but for now it's sitting by the desk in the french gîte I am staying in providing plenty of inspiration for my writing. I may even have some more illustrations of my snail friends to share soon!

If you want something to read while you are waiting for 'The Girl who Sings to Snails' then you might enjoy my other stories The Rain Fairy and the Armies of Ants and The Star Thief.

Now I'd better get on, I have a story to write and I'm going at a snails pace!