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Interviewer: I’ve just bought Inka Dot’s Pet Full Stop and had a flick through… what is it meant to be?

Kate: It’s a visual guide to punctuation that aims to make the subject fun and full of personality.

Interviewer: Is it correctly punctuated?

Kate: Yes (phew!). It’s been proofread by a professional copywriter. The idea is that each page shows how the punctuation works, rather than getting bogged down in a load of tedious and forgettable rules.

Interviewer: [Scribbles notes in book] What age is it aimed at?

Kate: Curriculum-wise about age 8-12 (there are lots of puns that younger readers might not get). It’s also a helpful reminder for adults, who may have learnt about punctuation ages ago (or never!).

Interviewer: So… is the main character this [points to cover]

Kate: Yes!

Interviewer: So, based off what I can see on the front cover, is this Inka Dot?

Kate: Yes, she introduces herself on page 1.

Interviewer: And is she trying to achieve some kind of badge?

Kate: You got it! It’s a fictional badge to learn how to look after living ink, which can change shape into different punctuation marks.

Interviewer: I have a question… she says today she’ll collect her kit, but at the end she collects a badge not a kit, so how does that work?

Kate: She collects her kit at the start so she has what she needs to look after the punctuation, then when she’s done that successfully the kit is returned and she is rewarded with an embroidered Pet Care badge.

Interviewer: OK, right. And what did you say it was called, did you say a zine or something?

Kate: Yes! Zine is short for magazine. It’s basically a trendier word for a pamphlet. I love it as a concept because it’s analogue, quirky, creative and low-pressure.

Interviewer: So I think, if you had Inka Dot’s Pet Full Stop zine on the cover that would make it clearer, because then people would actually know what it is.

Kate: Thanks for your suggestion, I’ll put it in the Ideas Bowl for the second print run!

Interviewer: So I’ve noticed a discrepancy between the badge on the cover, which has its eyes open, and at the back when it has its eyes closed. So you probably should fix that.

Kate: You’ve certainly got your eyes open and that’s exactly the kind of engaged reader I’m looking for! I drew the artwork over a few months and things evolved… which face do you prefer?

Interviewer: I like the one with the eyes open, since it looks cuter. So what is… oh, I get it… Inka Dot’s a fountain pen, that makes a lot more sense.

Kate: Yeah, I love fountain pens. I’m hoping a few other fountain pen enthusiasts buy the zine/merch because of this!

Interviewer: You can clearly see which bits were hand drawn and which bits were computer done.

Kate: The original manuscript had all the text in my beautiful curly handwriting… but I thought that wouldn’t be as accessible for readers, so I added digital text in Verdana which hopefully helps!

Interviewer: I think that’s probably it – it’s cool!

Kate: Thaaaaaaaaank yooooooooou! And thanks for your perceptive questions. If you think of any more please ping me, and you can read Inka Dot’s Pet Full Stop digitally by subscribing to my mailing list here or physically from my online shop here.

Interviewer: I’m pinging you!

Kate: I’m listening!

Interviewer: Is an interrobang an actual punctuation mark?

Kate: Ah, not really. However, it’s used frequently in comics and messaging and it’s super fun. There’s a difference between prescriptive and descriptive language analysis: one tells you what to do; one records how it’s actually used (not always the same). I included the interrobang to remind people that you can innovate with punctuation. For example… do you want to hear an example?

Interviewer: Ah, sure!

Kate: I think a question mark with a comma underneath would be a perfect mark to represent a raised eyebrow. And I think an exclamation mark with an emoji as the full stop would be awesome. It’s useful to know the rules of punctuation, but I also really like the playfulness and subjectivity of the topic which is often overlooked in conventional education.

Interviewer: Did you know a colon and a capital D makes a smiley face? :D

Kate: I did! Have you thought of any more questions?

Interviewer: No. I want lunch now!

Kate: Ha ha, great plan. Thanks again for your time and support. A reminder that everything Inka Dot can be found on www.vibrantkate.com so have a browse there when you’re finished munching!