OK, time’s up! Do you have 30 new picture book ideas? You do? Excellent! Time to take the PiBoIdMo pledge to qualify for one of our keeno-Yaccarino prizes. (Sorry, there are no Dan Yaccarino books to give away. I just like that phrase.)
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Now I’m not saying all 30 ideas have to be good. Some may just be titles, some may be character quirks. Some may be problems and some may create problems when you sit down to write. Some may be high-concept and some barely a concept. But…they’re yours, all yours. Small seeds that may sprout into a story.
You have until December 3rd at 11:59:59PM EST to sign the pledge. Remember, this is an honor system pledge. Those who sign will be entered into the random grand prize drawing: review of your best 5 ideas by a literary agent. There are three grand prizes! Thanks to Jill Corcoran of Herman Agency, Inc., Lauren E. MacLeod of Strothman Agency, and Elana Roth of Caren Johnson Literary Agency for volunteering their time and expertise to PiBoIdMo.
In addition, I have two adorable kidlit prints by illustrator Naoko Stoop to give away–something to keep you inspired throughout the year.
Winners will be drawn and alerted on December 4th. Grand prize winners must contact their assigned agent no later than December 7th. Winners will be given full instructions…when they win!
If you’re an illustrator who participated and want to display your artwork, when you sign the pledge, please let me know that I should contact you to collect images. I’ll create a special PiBoIdMo art gallery to showcase your sketches.
Illustrator Ryan Hipp, who so generously created the PiBoIdMo logo and participator badge, is busy making you an “I did it!” badge to proudly display on your blog. Everyone’s a winner, so it will be posted when the grand prize winners are announced.
Finally, a ginormous THANK YOU to everyone who participated in PiBoIdMo, from the guest bloggers to the aspiring writers and illustrators to the authors and agents. This has been a inspiring month full of creativity and imagination and, not to sound corny, but I couldn’t have done it without your support and enthusiasm!
*Sniff, Sniff*
So enough of the sappy stuff, go sign the pledge. When you leave a comment, be sure to put your email address in the email field so I know how to contact you. You do not have to put your email address in the comment itself. And, you do not have to submit your 30 ideas–they are yours. Treasure them. Just your name and “I did it!” will suffice. Let everyone see your virtual John Hancock. Or maybe that should be a virtual Jon Scieszka?
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 
59 comments
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December 1, 2009 at 10:01 am
Melanie Szymborski
I have completed my pledge and have 30 ideas ready to go-go! I’m excited with fingers-crossed!!
December 1, 2009 at 10:02 am
Easter
I did it! To my utter amazement, I actually ended the month with 41 ideas. Thank you for putting Piboidmo together; I had such fun.
December 1, 2009 at 10:09 am
Rebecca Colby
I did it!
Thank you so much for a sharing your idea, Tara, and for your hard work and for lining up all these talented people to share their idea generating methods. I ended the month with 40 ideas. Very productive!
December 1, 2009 at 10:14 am
Melinda
I pledge. Thanks for a great assignment and great encouragement.
December 1, 2009 at 10:26 am
Jennifer
Thanks SO much for the motivation, Tara. PiBoIdMo has been AWESOME!
I finished my 30 ideas and then some. Now I”m excited to start writing the stories.
Can’t wait to do this again next year!
December 1, 2009 at 10:36 am
Southpaw
I did it!
This was a new and exciting challenge. I got my 30 and found that creativity started leaking into everything I did!
Thank you Tara.
December 1, 2009 at 10:40 am
Dana
I did it!
Thank you so much, Tara. This has been a great month of learning, sharing & idea-ing. I signed up not really knowing what to expect & have come away with a lot: ideas but more importantly ways to get ideas. You & your guest bloggers showed us the way. And I really enjoyed meeting fellow PiBoIdMo-ers on twitter. I’m going to keep coming back to your blog because I really enjoy reading it! Thanks again to you & everyone involved in the challenge.
Congratulations to everyone who participated!
December 1, 2009 at 10:42 am
Corey Schwartz
Ughh, I have 30, but I don’t like a single one. Not sure I deserve to be entered!
December 1, 2009 at 10:48 am
Lynn Bemis
I did it! Now, how cool is that? You have opened up a new Avenue filled with new friends and new places to go. Thanks Tara.
Lynn Anne Bemis
December 1, 2009 at 10:52 am
Lori
I did it–30 picture book ideas in 30 days! PiBoIdMo was just the inspiration I was looking for. Thank you, Tara!!
Pledge: “I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.”
Lori
December 1, 2009 at 10:54 am
jo
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 31 I have created.
thanks for all the encouragement. I am so glad I did this. I even am really excited about a few of the ideas I came up with. Yay!
jo swartz
December 1, 2009 at 10:59 am
hipphop
Thanks Tara! What an information-full month! Nice job.
I pledge allegiance to #PiBoIdMo
Ryan
December 1, 2009 at 11:07 am
sruble
I did it!
“I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.”
Thanks so much for PiBoidMo!!!
Stephanie Ruble
p.s. I have to admit that I didn’t think about doing the challenge as an illustrator. (Duh!) Maybe next year I can do it as an author/illustrator. It could be fun, or super crazy.
December 1, 2009 at 11:08 am
Sarah
I Did It – *hopes up and down in excitement* 🙂
December 1, 2009 at 11:11 am
Melissa
I do solemnly swear that I did it. 31 PB ideas plus a MG novel idea too. So thank you for all of the inspiration!
December 1, 2009 at 11:15 am
Auntie Flamingo
I did it!
Thank you so much Tara. You did a wonderful job!
Good luck everybody!
December 1, 2009 at 11:31 am
Kara Parlin
Yay! I actually completed it! Thanks for making it so fun and easy to follow along!
December 1, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Bonnie Adamson
I did it!
30 ideas–harder than it sounds. But I’ve got the much-worked-over legal pad to prove it. 🙂
The challenge to spend a part of every day in picture book mode helped enormously–and just the thought of that grand prize carrot made me examine my ideas more rigorously.
Thank you, Tara. Thank you to the amazing guest bloggers, and congratulations to all!
December 1, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Brianna
I did it! Yay! When I started out, I wasn’t sure that I’d follow through, but my email file that I keep updating my list in now has 33 ideas (and there’s a few that I’m really excited about!). Thanks so much for a wonderful challenge and all the very inspiring blog posts!
December 1, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Debbie Austin
I do solemnly swear … I did it! Got my 30th idea last night at 11 pm. Thanks so much, Tara, for hosting and for all the great advice and encouragement along the way!
December 1, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Patricia J. Murphy
I did it! Have all my 30+ ideas sketched out in my writer notebook. Thanks, Tara, for the amazing PiBoIdMo extravaganza! (Blog entries, guest bloggers, encouraging words, grand prizes, etc.) I can’t wait to hear of all of the picture books born from this wonderful collaborative event. Three cheers for Tara! (Wait a minute–I think that might make a great title for a picture book. Gotta run!) Hugs, Patricia
December 1, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Beth Coulton
I did it too! I solemly pledge- I did it! This was a lot of fun, and kept me encouraged and inspired. I ended with 30 wonderful ideas that I think have a lot of possibility. This month long idea-gathering activity kept it forefront and “out there” for me – kept me keen and aware of what was going on around me for ideas. Thanks, Tara!
December 1, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Dana Lardner (aka Whimsical Walney)
Thank you for organizing this event. It’s been a fun month keeping my eyes and ears open to see what they’ll find in the nooks and crannies of daily life.
I was honored to be a guest blogger with so many wonderful people and authors.
So how many people are going to take the list and participate in Paula Yoo’s NaPiboWriWee event next year?
December 1, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Courtney pippin-mathur
I did it! I have a few sketches (messy) too. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
December 2, 2009 at 9:51 am
Lynn Bemis
Sheesch, Courtney Pippin, thanks for the reminder about the messy sketches I did too in my Journal. 😉
Tara, I’m no where as talented as Naoka or Bonnie, but I did do a few sketches. When you’re ready drop me an email. I’ll work on setting up my scanner.
Thanks,
Lynn~~
December 1, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Laurie Young
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability, parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
I did it! Whoo-Hoo! Thank you Tara for coming up with this wonderful idea, and the near-daily inspirational blogs! It has been great fun and a fantastic mind-expanding exercise. I can’t wait to see which ideas develop and sprout!
December 1, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Loni Edwards
I did it!
Thank you so much Tara! And thanks to the guest bloggers who helped keep the ideas flowing! I have taken the pledge and am very excited about some of my ideas. Thanks for an inspiring, creative month!
I am an illustrator and would love to have a sketch put in your gallery!
December 1, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Laura
I do solemnly.. I do! I do!
Thanks Tara… onto Revision month! : )
December 1, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Lyon
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability, parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Pick me! Pick me! *smile*
December 1, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Michael Sussman
I done did it.
(It was a breeze, using my IdeaCatcher…)
Thanks to Tara for dreaming this up, and thanks for inviting me to be a guest blogger.
December 1, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Jewel
I did it! Heee-Haaaww!
“I Jewel do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.”
I am so amazed at the results for my month of over 60 ideas. I didn’t count them until next to the last day.
Thank you Tara and guest bloggers for your brain-stretchers! They helped me stay motivated to keep looking for new ideas in my existing raw material that lays around in any writer’s environment. Plus I will always remember the “Idea catcher.” What a hoot.
December 1, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Laura Renegar
I did it too!
Thanks, Tara. This was awesome. I feel like I’ve trained my brain to look for stories around me. I’m hoping to stay in the habit of writing down my ideas every night. Hooray!
December 1, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Mimi Cross
Thanks Tara!
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Yay!
Best,
Mimi
PS One more – very strange – thing before I click. As I was finishing NaNoWriMo I began to see/hear an idea for another novel – and I’ve started writing it! I have a sneaking suspicion that between NaNo clearing the pipes and PoBoIdMo inspiring me to keep my catcher’s mitt on at all times, my writing is about to take me to a new place. THANK YOU!
December 1, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Amber Alvarez
You rock my world! I did it. The month of November was crazy, but I have a huge book of more than 35 ideas, some are sketches some are random bullet points, and some are fleshed out and raring to go. I’m seeing things differently because of PbIdMo. Thanks for stoking the fire. You so excellently pulled this together.
December 1, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Sarah Dillard
I did it! Some of the ideas are even pretty good! And then there are the ones that I truly hope will never ever ever be seen…
And I forgot to say a BIG HUGE THANK YOU to all of the guest bloggers and especially Tara for putting all of this together and cheering us all on through out the month. Could you please come and sit in my studio every day?
December 1, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Sheri Dillard
I did it! 🙂
Thanks for a wonderful month!
December 1, 2009 at 2:14 pm
tammi
I did it!
Now I must tend to the business of parlaying……..
December 1, 2009 at 2:14 pm
IllustratorErin
WooHoo!! I too solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas, sketches, and ramblings into picture books from the list of 30 I have created. I am so lucky I stumbled upon this blog and exercise at the start of the month!! Thank you Tara!
December 1, 2009 at 2:37 pm
peg366
Tara,
This has been one of the most productive months I’ve had in a while. I am so proud to have been a part of PiBoIdMo with you and all the other great participants. Picture book authors rock and you are an inspiration.
The habit of being open to new ideas has them coming at me from all corners of my world. I’m even dreaming picture book characters. All this creativity led to five ideas this morning, after the challenge was over. lol.
Thanks for all the amazing guest blogger. Your hard work is so appreciated.
The other unexpected benefit for me was that because I posted some of my ideas on my blog, at least one a day, the number of views on my blog went from a mere 243 to 564 during November. Not much by some’s standard but more than I thought I would see. Thanks so much.
Even if nothing else ever comes out of this, the discipline you’ve helped me to develop is worth so much to me.
Here is my pledge.
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Peg Finley/peg366
December 1, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Angela
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Thank you for hosting an awesome challenge. The guest bloggers had terrific ideas and were most inspiring.
December 1, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Debbie
Tara, THANK YOU so much for creating PiBoIdMo! I’ve definitely been inspired and plan to continue a notebook of picture book ideas. Not only was I inspired by the challenge and your posts, but also by the posts of others who participated.
No need to enter me in the draw for an agent reading (I already have an agent & would rather give that space to someone who doesn’t) but would love to be entered for any other prizes, like those fabulous illustrations by Naoko Stoop. I’d also love to contribute sketches I did during the month for PiBoIdMo, if you’re posting any.
THANK YOU, TARA!
Debbie / @inkyelbows on Twitter
December 1, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Lori Degman
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.
Thanks so much Tara – it was incredibly helpful!!!
Lori
December 1, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Yaya
Tara,
This has been the most remarkable month for writing. I solemnly swear and promise… that is to say, I Did it! I Did It! I have finished with more than 30 ideas and I am so excited. Thank you so much for hosting such a fantastic idea. You deserve a blue star and you shall get one, just as soon as I replenish my ‘Blue Star’ supply. Now, if you would kindly draw my name, I shall be even more excited… if that’s even possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you. ~ Yaya
Yaya’s Home
December 1, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Gail Handler
Pledge: “I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 I have created.”
I did it!!
December 2, 2009 at 12:18 am
Heather Burnell
I did it too! I ended the month with 32 picture book ideas, two YA ideas, and a new feature idea for my blog. PiBoIdMo has taught me that a little discipline, such as carrying a notebook and pen with me at all times, can go a long way. Thanks Tara!
December 2, 2009 at 12:36 am
Kelly Fineman
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability, parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 50 I have created.
Yes, I somehow managed 50 ideas. Some are crap ideas, and some have serious potential, including 2 or 3 for poetry collections, and one that turns out to be a way into the middle grade fantasy novel I’ve always wished I could write. Still not sure I’ll manage it, but even deducting those things, I have an abundance of ideas – some of which interest me and some of which don’t.
I couldn’t have done it without the ongoing inspiration here. At least, I’m pretty positive I wouldn’t have done it without your motivation.
December 2, 2009 at 12:52 am
kathytemean
I did it. Now it is just excuting the ideas.
Kathy
December 2, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Lynn
I did it! Thanks to Tara and all the guest bloggers!
December 2, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Kate Higgins
“I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo challenge, and will to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture books from the list of 30 (and then some) I have created.” KAH
Wow, the hardest part was putting them all in one place…now I have to choose…that means I have to focus…which will be hard with all these ideas chasing their tails in my head. What fun!
Get on your mark, get set….GO!
December 3, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Jean Reidy
Tara,
I loved following your posts all through PiBoIdMo. What a great idea. I’ll be holding a Ho Ho Ho Holiday Picture Book Peek Week soon, hopefully inspiring a few authors to turn their PiBo ideas into full manuscripts.
December 3, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Deborah
Hi Tara,
I did it too! solemnly swear that I have 30 picture book ideas all ready to sprout into beautiful books. Thanks SO much for the inspiration and the push to get these ideas down – it’s been fabulously fun!!
No need to enter me in the draw though – I feel like I already have my prize!
December 3, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Luke Bell
Tara,
Thank you so much for putting together such an excellent idea as PiBoIdMo.
As an aspiring new writer, your site (and the numerous ones visited after reading the guest articles) has really inspired me to put my nose to the grindstone.
The creative juices have been flowing and I was a little saddened when the month ended. Now the real work begins…
December 4, 2009 at 7:29 pm
PiBoIdMo Grand Prize Winners! « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)
[…] December 4, 2009 in KidLit, Literary Agents, PiBoIdMo, Picture Books Without further ado (I know you’ve been waiting all day), here are the PiBoIdMo Grand Prize winners! With the help of Random.org, winners were selected from the eligible pool of 51 picture book writers who signed the PiBoIdMo pledge. […]
October 31, 2010 at 11:06 am
laura brown
I did it…..I am ready to join in and produce 30 new ideas!!! Thank you
November 1, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Holly Boker
Okay, I think I’m ready for this. I hate the dearth of ideas and love the birth of ideas. I’m gonna do it!!
November 2, 2010 at 1:55 am
Jenny
Have taken the pledge. Thanks for your inspiration. The creative juices are flowing and flowing and flowing!
December 2, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Katrina
Pledge Pledge Pledge!
December 3, 2010 at 11:10 am
Robin Munson
I did it! Thanks for the challenge. I’m energized.
December 3, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Audrey Simonson
I completed the first 20 titles/ideas in the first 10 days. The other 10 have come a few at a time, but I did complete 37 titles/ideas in November. Reading the pledges above inspires me to make some of those ideas into Middle Reader books rather than picture books.
My “picture books” are exactly like they sound. I use photos from the lives of my pets or of the farm to illustrate the rhyming/straight script on facing pages.
Thank you so much for the challenge. I’m in the process of marketing my first three books, Where’s Your Mousey?, Oh, No…Not Again! and Your Mousey Needs a Bath (The Cat and Mouse Trilogy), but want to keep working on the other titles at the same time.
I do solemnly swear……..