Stephen W. Martin

Can’t Draw ... But He Did It Anyway

by Lindsey Giardino

It’s possible that deep down, Stephen Martin always knew he’d become a writer. “I was obsessed with stories growing up,” the children’s author says. “Whether it was Saturday morning cartoons, Friday nights at the movie theater, or late nights reading Stephen King, I was always immersed in a story. I think this passion for reading and stories led me to this career. I honestly can’t think of anything else I would want to do … well, besides being a Gundam pilot if that was possible.”

After graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Martin started his career in Vancouver as a teacher to both adults and kids alike. “Teaching was extremely rewarding, and some of my first book ideas were formed in the classroom,” he says.

Martin also studied filmmaking in graduate school and eventually worked as a sound tech on shows like Supernatural, Psych, and Bionic Woman.

Then he scraped together some money and convinced a few friends to help him make a short film, Dead Hearts, which enabled him to move to Los Angeles and make connections, one of which was the show runner on Bravest Warriors. That connection led to Martin’s first TV animation writing credit.

Today, Martin is a writer on Netflix’s Emmy-nominated Trash Truck—a role he got because show runner Max Keane enjoyed Martin’s picture book, Charlotte and the Rock.

“TV animation writing and picture book writing are actually very similar,” Martin says. “You have a very limited amount of time to tell your story. It’s a visual medium, so it’s always better to show and not tell. Classical structure when forming your story is your best friend!”

Martin is also the author of Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion and, most recently, I Can’t Draw.

The picture book highlights acceptance, creativity, and believing in yourself. More importantly, it’s about not falling into the trap of comparison—a trap that feels ever-present, especially with the rise of social media.

Booklist called I Can’t Draw a picture book that would help “encourage frustrated or timid young artists,” while Kirkus said, “Whether they can draw well or just love to draw, children will enjoy the efforts and friendship,” of the two main characters.

The book is personal to Martin.  “Well … I can’t draw,” he says. “But I have always been fascinated and amazed by people who can just naturally draw. That feeling of fascination, jealousy, and self-doubt is something I think all artists deal with on a daily basis, and I think it starts when we are kids, so the idea of doing a book about these emotions really inspired me.”

Martin also thought creating a picture book with terrible drawings could be hilarious, so he drew the entire book himself. “I created a full dummy book where I drew each and every page in pen and then scanned them into Word,” he says. “Yup, every drawing is super terrible!”

Although drawing isn’t his forte, Martin is deeply interested in comic books. “I love the medium,” he says. “Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because that’s when all the new comics hit the stands. Honestly, I can’t think of a Wednesday in my entire life when I was not at my local comic bookstore picking up the hot books of the week.”

As an extension of that passion, Martin created a graphic novel series, Nancy Spector Monster Detective, drawn by Linh Pham that will debut in August 2023. 

No matter how he’s sharing his stories, Martin believes that storytelling is rooted in truth. “I think the best stories contain personal truths from the author,” he says. “It’s always scary to bare a little bit of your soul for everyone to see and read, but that’s how we really connect with people and readers. I struggle with this every day, but on the days that I am really brave and do this, I produce my best work.”

Outside of his writing, Martin lives in Los Angeles with his dog and wife, Lola, for whom he’s entirely grateful. “To this day, Lola is my first reader and my first editor,” he says. “I have dyslexia, so she proofs everything I write before it goes over to my agent. Thank you, Lola, so much.”

For more information about Stephen W. Martin and his books, visit stephen-w-martin.com.