Scott finds it's Tickety Boo chasing his lifelong dream
Despite a full-time job, Scott Morton has rigorously pursued his ambition to be a children's book writer and illustrator. He spoke to James Whitworth
SCOTT Morton is sitting in his living room surrounded by Tickety Boo, Babs the Hedgehog and a rat named Yabba.
His wife Angela is unfazed by the odd assortment of characters with which they share their home as they all feature in Scott's children's book, The Great Old Wizard Tickety Boo.
"When I was pregnant with my first child I used to wake up in the middle of the night to find Scott on the edge of the bed writing or drawing something that had come to into his head during the night," she says.
"When our elder child Kyle was younger, Scott used to read his stories to him. Then when Daniel, our second son, came along Scott wrote a new batch of stories."
It was these stories that form the basis of 39-year-old Scott's current book. "It's always been the same characters," Scott says.
Demands of a full-time job as a supervisor at Pennine Foods, along with a mounting list of rejections from big-name publishers, led Scott to put his pens away for a few years. The death of his father, Ernest, in 2005 was the catalyst that finally brought Scott's cast of characters to the printed page.
"When my father died I felt that I just had to finish my stories, so I wrote off to all the top publishing houses but it was knock back after knock back."
Scott and Angela, who live in Westfield, then took their two sons on a Disney cruise where they met artists and illustrators from the studio.
Scott got as far as Disney HQ before he was told that the company did not see authors – only agents.
The frustration only spurred Scott on and soon his luck began to change.
"My eldest son told his English teacher, Mr Khan, that I write stories and illustrate them and I was invited into Westfield School to discuss them. He's been brilliant in motivating me, although it's funny that I'm still being told what to do by a teacher…"
Encouraged by the positive response, Scott set about putting his stories into the format that was to become the published book.
It was only when Scott had finally completed his collection of stories that he realised he did not to know how to take the next step – turning them into a book.
"I was really excited about finally finishing my stories but I knew that I might struggle to get it into print."
Scott contacted Yorkshire firm Pen2Print who were happy to take on Scott's book. Then came the problem of getting the book on to the shelves. Large chain bookstores are notoriously reluctant to take on self-published books but Scott was lucky that one of the city's best-loved bookshops was happy to sell it.
"Rhyme and Reason were brilliant," Scott says. "They agreed to take some copies, which is fantastic, but now I need a publisher to take on the book."
"Nobody at work knew I did this but Angela persuaded me to take a copy in and they all thought it was amazing. I had them queuing at the door to buy a copy."
His job has proved useful in other ways, as many of the characters in the book are based on people he has worked with over the years.
"It's a great way to get character profiles," Scott says of his colleagues, although he is understandably reluctant to say on whom Grumpy Stumpy is based.
Scott has been inspired by his late father, who was a miner, and loved to carve walking sticks as well as draw; and his mother who is an accomplished artist and taught Scott how to draw and paint.
Further afield he drew inspiration from a book by Spike Millegan in which the text was accompanied by a picture on every page.
"Having a picture helps hold the kids' attention. Even books aimed at primary school aged children don't have so many pictures and a lot of kids still like to look at pictures, as do many adults."
Scott in turn has passed on his talents to his two sons who, along with all the usual interests of modern day teenagers, love to draw. "I think it's great to bring kids' minds on, and I don't think enough books are read now.
"Trying to find something that will stimulate their minds instead of computer games isn't easy; it's all about finding the books that will interest them. If you can find a book they'll sit down and read, you've achieved something."
Scott has entered his book in the Red House Children's Book Awards. "The competition is judged solely by children but the winners aren't announced until next summer." By which time he hopes to have finished his second book. "Every day after I've been to work I come in, have a bath and put my author's head on."
He then either picks up his sketch pad or works on the text for one of his new stories.
"I have so many ideas that I just have to write them down straight away. In fact I wrote the outline for my third book on a sun lounger on holiday.
"If we're sitting around the pool, all the kids find out I can draw and they all want me to draw their favourite cartoon characters. They'll be kids all around the country who have my drawings of Spiderman…"
Angela, aged 36, says: "Scott has been a fantastic husband and I think it's time he shared his talents with everyone else. This may be far-fetched, but I think he could be the UK's Walt Disney."
Now that would be Tickety Boo.
The Great Old Wizard Tickety Boo is available from Rhyme and Reason, 681 Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, and from Scott's website www.oldwizardticketyboo.co.uk. It costs 11.99.
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