Behind the Scenes: How 'Plan B' Found Its Feet

Getting the Idea

Some stories started with an idea. But for Puss in Boots, I didn’t have one at all. I simply felt like Puss would be a fantastic character to work with. Surely there was more to his story than people say!

As always, I pulled out one of my favourite tools for getting my creative juices going — brainstorming. I asked myself countless questions about Puss and his history: Who were his friends? What did he like? Did he go to school? And more importantly, what flaw did he need to overcome? What lesson would be meaningful?

That’s when I realised Puss didn’t start out as the confident cat we all know. Quite the opposite. He started out as a timid little kitten who had to grow his confidence. The contrast was too good to ignore — I had my story.

Did you know?Naming this story took longer than writing some of it’s stanzas! Naming stories is honestly the hardest part of writing them! The book’s working title was The MasterCats Boots and The Boots That Puss Wore (terrible, I know). 

Creating a Storyboard

Sometimes my storyboards are only legible to me!

Instead of writing, I grabbed a pen. It was time to draw. While no one could interpret my “drawings” except me, they helped me imagine. As I drew, I thought about:

• Who else was in the story

• What helped him grow in bravery

• How to connect with the original fairytale

If I laughed at an idea while sketching it, I knew I was on the right track.

Did you know?

At one point I sketched boots so oversized they kept slipping off tiny Puss’s paws. Needless to say, it didn’t make the cut!

Making the Story’s Skeleton

Imagining skittish little Puss hiding behind a chair, I started drafting. At this point, I didn’t care about making it sound good — I just wanted to create the story’s skeleton. I used my storyboard and also created headings for each stanza to guide me.

This stage was never about polished words. It was about getting every raw idea out of my head before it disappears — handy rhymes, descriptions, scenes, and plot beats under the headings I’d created. Sometimes I even set a timer, making myself write the story quickly — and then repeat that exercise two or three times, every time discovering new ideas and rhymes. 

It was just as well I didn’t waste time on polish, because my first attempt came to only 13 stanzas. Way too short. My target was around 20–24. So I re-shaped it, adding more twists to the story. That’s the beauty of skeletons: you can rebuild and rework them quickly.

As I wrote, I fell in love with this timid little kitten hiding behind a chair. I also loved the cat-loving, selfless owner who was doing everything he could to get by. Creating characters you love is so important.

Did you know?

An early version had the kind-hearted owner welcoming hordes of stray cats into his homestead. It was fun to imagine, but it made the story too long and complicated.

Creating a Final First Draft

Using everything I had created in the skeleton stage, I started to really write - trying to finesse a first draft. Some stanzas flowed easily; others were a pain in the… well, you know. When they got really frustrating, I highlighted them to deal with later. That wasn’t running away from the hard stuff — it was much better to keep my flow and sometimes the tricky stanzas came easily the next time I looked at them...or were culled completely.

The story moved and changed as I filled it in. I learnt more about my characters and focused on keeping the story moving — both plot and emotions — making sure my message came through. It took about four hours to reach a final first draft.

Did you know?

I was going to have Tom, Puss' kindhearted owner, buy Puss a hat as well. After all, we all know him with a hat and boots. However, I ditched the idea so it would be cleaner. After all, it's not called Puss N Boots N Hat!

Revising

I hated my first draft. 

In that version, timid Puss talked to his owner, “saw the light,” suddenly became brave, and saved the day. For a series loved for its twists and turns, it lacked tension. I wanted it to hit my readers with an unexpected ‘ah ha’ ending, but I was in a bind — unlike my other stories, it was a prelude to a traditional story. We all know how it ends. 

Of all my Fairytale Fraud stories, this one tied me up the most. I wrestled with it — deciding that something else had to go wrong. So I made him fail. That one change opened the story up: suddenly Puss was calling the shots, his plan went awry, and he needed to overcome it. It even gave me the inspiration for the story’s name, Plan B.

With the story idea clear, I started on my long cycle of reading line by line to check rhythm, rhyme, word balance, story length, emotional arc, and clarity of message. By this point, I’d spent about 7.5 hours.

Did you know?

I was surprised that Puss pretended to be a changeling. I was in the flow of the story, imagining Puss talking with the Ogre, when I wrote Puss’ next line: “That’s simple…”. I didn’t pre think that — sometimes the characters write the story themselves! 

Getting Feedback

Next came feedback. I like surprising my family with a finished story before sharing drafts, so I read it to my kids. My children are the most honest editors. Enough said ;)

I then shared it with more children, tweaking the story with every bit of feedback. I even put it down for a few weeks and came back with fresh eyes. Finally, I sent the manuscript to an editor for line-by-line review.

By this stage, I’d spent at least 20 hours. At this point, the line-by-line review is so painful I have usually stopped counting!

Working with an Illustrator

Every step of the way, I shaped my stanzas with compelling illustrations and page-turn moments in mind. By the time my final edited draft was done, I was excited for the illustrations.

I was fortunate to work with the fabulous Anastasia Belik, who immediately understood the heart of the story. First, she provided character sketches. Once those were agreed, she sketched the storyboard. Finally, she delivered the full illustrations. Because my text had to stay tight, her drawings carried much of the humour and emotion. Watching the story come alive in art is always one of my favourite parts, and especially with Anastasia.

Did you know?

The storyboard for Plan B was created by Anastasia, but the colouring was done by Rodrigo Paulo. Collaborating with two such talented illustrators was pretty cool.

Design

Once the illustrations were complete, it was time to bring words and art together on the page. Deciding where the text sat, how a reader’s eye travelled across each spread, and finalising the cover was more work than it looked. Thankfully, I had the same designer across the series, so many key decisions — like font style and placement — were already set.

One feature I discovered readers really loved was the “Behind the Scenes” section at the end of each story. This was my last chance to refine the content and make sure it sparked conversations between parents and children.

Plan B: A Puss N Boots Retelling

Preparing for Launch

There is a huge amount of vulnerability in putting your creations out into the world. In other roles I’ve had, I’ve always had anonymity or had the safety of my organisation. But when writing, it’s just you and the reader. 

So this is where I hold my breath. I’m crossing my fingers — not just that it resonates, but that children and adults reading it hear the message meant for them: their strength is already within.

🎈Top Tips

A first draft isn’t supposed to be beautiful — get the bones down fast, even if it’s messy. You’ll be amazed what new ideas surface once something’s actually on the page.

⭐Try This Challenge

Choose another fairytale story or character and tell the prelude to their story. Have fun with it!