Bringing Stories to Life with AI
How I created a children’s book, based on my daughter’s writing, using AI-generated images
As parents, we all want the best for our children. Lately, my daughter Addison has not been having her best days. Addy is 7 years old and likely has ADHD (though our doctor won’t officially test until she is 8). She struggles to remain still in school, particularly when it’s calm or quiet. She has a tendency to fidget, making it difficult for her to concentrate on subjects and tasks. She’s got the wiggles, loves to gab, and has a tendency to act impulsively. She interrupts conversations, and has a hard time waiting for her turn. This has caused her to struggle quite a bit in certain subjects like math. She is our precious gift from God and we wouldn’t change a thing about her. What’s more, the girl can write! She loves to write short stories and doodle little characters. She understands writing in a way that is beyond her peers. She’s not just creative, she’s advanced.
One day, my wife Jenn was working with Addy on her math homework and Addison burst into tears. She was angry because she just wasn’t getting it and she felt stupid. My poor girl. Jenn encouraged her and consoled her for the umpteenth time. We really wanted to find a way to show just how incredibly gifted she was and is. We wanted to encourage her.
Addison had recently written a short story about a scarecrow that becomes friends with a crow and they go on adventures together. It was good! It caught the attention of her teacher and she couldn’t believe we hadn’t helped her write it. My wife had the perfect idea: “Let’s make her short story into a children’s book! You can do that, right?” Of course! I’m a designer by trade, I have printed many a things, and even skilled in illustration work.
Challenges Arose
As a designer and illustrator, I knew that I could create the illustrations and book layout that showcased Addison’s story. But I didn’t have the time to do it all by hand and I didn’t have the money to pay someone else.
- Time: To illustrate this book myself, it was going to take me months. Between a full-time job and 4 other kids, this was going to be long and drawn out. My last book took over a year to finish.
- Cost: To pay someone else, it was going to require money we didn’t have. We aren’t exactly rolling in the Benjamins over here. One of my good friends is an award-winning illustrator and caricature artist. I’ve used him in the past, along with other illustrators, so I know what the going rate is. I just couldn’t do it.
Yet, we were determined to find a way forward. This is where AI came in. I had already been experimenting with MidJourney, an AI-powered image generator, so I knew it was possible to use that tool. It was the perfect solution for me, as it allowed me to spend more time with my daughter and work on the book in a short amount of time. Actually, again, this was my wife’s idea. I want to make sure she gets the due credit. She understood the time and cost constraints and suggested I use AI. For months I had been showing her things I was doing with it. This was a good next step and challenge.
The Process
I started by exploring different illustration styles that would suit Addison’s story, including wondrous illustrations and comic book style. Ultimately, I chose the expressive watercolor style, as it fit the mood and tone of the story perfectly.
Next, I focused on bringing the characters to life, creating the scarecrow, crow, farmer, and other key figures in the story. With these characters established, I moved on to designing the scenes. I worked on each scene individually, using the expressive watercolor style and the characters I had already generated.
Although the process involved a lot of trial and error, I was able to get the results I wanted. Jenn, our kids, and other family members played a huge part in this as they gave feedback and criticism for every image I considered using in the book. Overall, I generated thousands of throwaway images in the process, but that didn’t stop me from achieving the final product that I envisioned.
In the end, I was able to use MidJourney to create a beautiful and professionally designed children’s book that brought Addison’s story to life. The expressive watercolor illustrations and carefully crafted characters added depth and emotion to the story, making it a special and meaningful gift for my daughter.
From start to finish, the process of creating this book cost a weekend of our time (20 hours in total) and $250 for printing costs. We were able to create the entire book and send it off to the printer over the course of 1 weekend! Friday evening we started. Sunday evening it was off to print. A month later the copies arrived in the mail.
The Unveiling
The day we gave the book to Addison was a special one. We kept this project a secret from her and enjoyed surprising her with it. She was so excited to see her story come to life, and her face lit up as she flipped through the pages. She was so proud of her story and the illustrations, and it was amazing to see her confidence grow as she shared it with others. She immediately—and excitedly—began discussing other ideas for stories.
The power of AI helped me create a special and meaningful gift for my daughter. It allowed me to showcase her creativity and help her build confidence in her writing skills. With MidJourney, I was able to make a lasting memory for my daughter and show her just how talented and amazing she is. This likely would not have happened with AI. I am grateful for the tool and hope this experience leads to many more books from my daughter.
Note: If you read this and still feel the need to shame me or troll me, don’t bother. I won’t hear it. I am unashamed of my actions and at peace with my own convictions.
