From Idea

To Publication 

Kamilla Heinze’s experience with becoming a published author and how the two friends Black Horse and White Horse from her children’s book series have had a positive effect on her life.

By Line Møller Larsen

28-04- 2022

An early start 

Kamilla’s desire to illustrate and her passion for telling stories started at a very young age. She has always been drawn to the world of books, even from the time when she was too young to understand the words on the pages. This did not stop her from “reading” and while her peers played kitchen, she played library much to the regret of her mother. Her favourite books were read until they fell apart, but that only made her love them more, and, as Kamilla describes it, when you listen to a lot of stories, ideas of your own stories start bubbling to the surface. Even if it should prove to be a while before Kamilla published her first book the inspiration and urge to draw and narrate stories had taken root early on which her parents can verify. They have immortalised the first story that Kamilla ever told on a cassette tape when she was no more than five years old. 

A new beginning 

At first, when Kamilla started drawing again as an adult it was not out of pleasure but out of need. She had previously worked with young children but sustained a pretty serious work-related injury which resulted in her not being able to continue in that line of work. Therefore, she had to look around for a different way of earning money, and at the job centre she was kindly but firmly told that she was very sweet but that they could not help her. This resulted in Kamilla feeling like she was between two worlds. She was irrevocably cut off from one due to her work-related injury and it was impossible to obtain any practical experience in the other, related to her academic education. 

Even though she felt trapped at first, she did not let adversity stop her. The work-related injury meant that she had reduced capacity in her dominant hand, but she taught herself to draw with the other hand, and slowly the injury healed enough that she had regained the use of both her hands. After this victory, she set up her Instagram profile which resulted in jobs gradually trickling in. Kamilla and her family would have to eat many servings of rye bread if they were to live off her salary alone, and their rabbit does not like rye bread, but Kamilla is the one putting clothes on their bodies and shoes on their feet and everything else needed to take good care of your family of which she is extremely happy and proud of. Everything is moving in the right direction, and she is enjoying the ride.  

Time to slow down 

When Kamilla is not working on her own stories, she likes reading other’s especially thought-provoking and funny books. She enjoys Dostoevsky’s work particularly his book Crime and Punishment and Dr. Zukaroffs Testamente by the well-known Danish brain researcher and entertainer Peter Lund Madsen, but also Flemming Jensen and Storm P. She experienced the latter through the interpretation of Ebbe Rodes when she was a child, and you can find a nod to Storm P. in one of her illustrations in Black Horse & White Horse look for a job. Kamilla has also started using her creativity to keep a drawn evening diary which she fills in at the end of each day. It is her way of summarising what she has felt and experienced during the day. 

When she is not lost in a book or in her drawings, it is not unusual to find her in nature. She grew up in the Danish city of Thy that is near both the sea and a national park, and she still has a rather large collection of fossilised urchins in her attic. Even though she now lives further away, she is not opposed to going on a longer drive to the nearest coast, which she describes as her favourite place to be.  

Explosive inspiration 

Kamilla is often struck by inspiration from unexpected sides, e.g., something she does not understand or something that is going out of fashion but which she still sees light in. When she tries putting into words where her inspiration comes from, she describes her brain as a mix between a second-hand store and the longing for something different. 

Once an idea has taken root, the writing process in itself is short and explosive like a rocket. Firstly, the idea is lit like a spark. This can happen in a number of ways, but most often as a result of a conversation, through visual impressions, or when Kamilla gets the felling that she is missing something.  

Secondly, she presents her idea for a select few people and observe how they react and talk about it. This is not meant as an assessment but rather like a way in which Kamilla can observe how others perceive her idea contra how she thinks herself. She dips her toe in the water, but she believes that it is important to listen to that small internal voice and recognise whether it is going to work or not. Kamilla’s ideas does not always work but she is often willing to go a long way to make sure that they do eventually. 

Thirdly, the fuse reaches the gunpowder which represents the writing process. Here Kamilla writes until she can present a finished product. Often, it only takes her about four hours to write down a story, and after it has been proofread, she is ready to let others read it before, lastly, sending it off to the publishers.  

The inspiration for her children’s book series about Black Horse and White Horse, which Kamilla illustrates herself, often occurs as a reaction to her wishing to act on something and a desire to live freely. The world that Black Horse and White Horse inhabits is in no way perfect, but the two friends create their own world, and that is precisely what Kamilla wants her readers to take away with them when reading the series. We do not know what happens after death and as an agnostic Kamilla is not interested in the afterlife, but as she states, she believes that in our lifetime, we can create our own Paradise on Earth. She wants to show this in her writing – happiness is not perfect – to be happy is imperfektum participium – a verb without the one who acts, because you yourself have to be the subject who sets things in motion.  

A motley team 

The idea to the first book in the series Black Horse & White Horse occurred as a result of a musing. Kamilla explains that the first book Black Horse & White Horse look for a job is somewhat autobiographical, but that it otherwise is fairly important to her that her books are not influenced by her own emotions. She has made the language deliberately sober as a way of keeping her emotions at a distance and simultaneously connect with the reader. She herself likes children’s books that stick to a descriptive approach and leave the interpretation and emotional connection in the hands of the reader. It is some of the finest things she knows. She also knows Black Horse and White Horse so well now that it is as if they narrate their stories themselves. She describes their trio as a motley team.  

As previously mentioned Kamilla illustrates the Black Horse & White Horse series herself, however the words come before the drawings in her creative process, and only when the stories are written down does she start imagining what the two friends would do. She often draws Black Horse and White Horse for fun independently from their stories, so the process has become organic to her, and it has given her the opportunity to play with perspectives and focal points, so the two friends are often thrown into some wild poses. These illustrations and many more can be found on Kamilla’s Instagram profile where she is highly active (www.instagram.com/kamillaheinzeillustration). On it, you can also find Black Horse and White Horse in scenarios which cannot be found in the books. You can, for example, gain an insight into some of their political opinions. The two friends are certainly not fans of the war in Ukraine, and Kamilla has created a series of little stories in connection to this which have been very well received. It always makes her happy when she posts something that people respond well to and get something good out of.  

Her readers often contact Kamilla especially on Instagram and it makes her happy every time. Every inquiry is special to her because she knows how insecure it can make you feel when deciding to contact someone that you really want to express something to but who is a stranger. She has been on the opposite side of that type of interaction before so readers should not be afraid to reach out to her. She has had the opportunity to share Black Horse and White Horse with others and for that she is very grateful including all the positive feedback she has received from readers. It is a happiness that she feels every day. To think that she has created something which can make other people happy. She has also been given the opportunity to visit a school on several occasions both to talk about Black Horse and White Horse but also about illustrating.  

She is also using Instagram to keep in contact with her author colleagues and especially her many artistic friends. It is important to her to cheer on other authors and artists. She knows the journey they are on and as a self-taught artist it meant the world to her that someone encouraged her when she first started out.  

Believe in your project 

If Kamilla had to advice others who dream of one day writing a book she would encourage them to listen to their small internal voice and to believe in their project. As she states, what you do is what is good for you. You are the only one in the world who can write your story which is why you have to take care of your little internal voice and listen very carefully when it tells you something. To make the voice audible you have to make time to rest, so you should take time out of your day when try creating a calming environment – not for writing, but for listening. 

Kamilla does not have a muse or a sure-fire way to be inspired. She works every day from 8 am to 4 pm and if her personal calendar says that she should write, she writes. She sets a timer and works for 33.33 minutes followed by a break and then again 33.33 minutes of work. She has found that if all the necessary needs are covered when settling down to write, and if you remember to silence your mobile device and put all outside worries on hold for a while then concentrating on work becomes easy. As she says, roll up your sleeves and 3, 2, 1 go.  

Finally, Kamilla has some thoughts to share with her readers. She wants to thank everyone who has given Black Horse and White Horse such a warm welcome. She hopes that they can bring people joy and support. And she is grateful for the opportunity to do this interview.  

As Black Horse might say: ”Not a writer would write, what a writer has written – with no publisher to enlighten – what write is right to write and what wrong is poorly written”.