PiBoIdMo Day 29: Arree Chung Gets an Idea OUT and Makes it Work (plus a prize!)

I love that you didn’t give up on the concept through all the bumps, Arree. Looking forward to your next book! Thanks for the awesome tips to navigate through tough times.

What a great story of developing a book from a really catchy idea – a breakout – and making it work for toddlers. Thank you so much for your advice and for sharing.

Arree, Thank you. great reveal for how I could struggle with a book idea and win. This is very helpful.

Thank you Arree for showing me how to reinvent an idea I have strong feelings for.

Ahhh….feelings! Great advice. Thanks for letting us see your process:>

Perfect post! Love your persistence. Can’t wait to read OUT!

Thank you for sharing the evolution of this idea. Super interesting post! Will be looking for OUT now too.

Thanks Arree for the great post! it will be a big help when I’m stuck on a story idea.

Great tips for re-thinking a manuscript that isn’t working. Thanks!

Thanks so much – great idea!

This was so helpful

Thank you for this great post. I really enjoy learning how others recycle their ideas into even better ones!

Excellent advice! Thanks so much for the post!

Great post….thanks!

I like your listed device, but more than anything, love number one, start with feelings. Those are the books I like most too. Thank you!

Arree, thanks for the great ideas and inspiration! Happy Holidays to you.

Thank you, Arree, for the tips and examples you have shared today. I like the thought of trying to shift your story if it isn’t working. I look forward to your new books 🙂

Oh! This came at the perfect time for me. I just shared a new version of a story I’ve been working on for 5 years with my critique group, and none of them liked the new ending! For a day, I really felt like giving up on that story. Your ideas of what you can do when you’re frustrated and stuck are helping to pull me out of the funk.

Great ideas. Thanks for sharing. I especially like “Start with a strong feeling”. That keeps the idea from being “slight”. I’m inspired to take a new look at some old ideas that didn’t work.

Thank you, your tips are extremely helpful. Great post!

Nice to “meet” you and learn about your work, Arree. I felt inspired by your story of making OUT work. Tara, thank you for introducing me to so many authors/illustrators I didn’t know about before. I have visited their websites and followed them on Twitter. I’m sorry PiBoIdMo is going to end tomorrow.

I really needed this post! Ideas are easier than the next step — making the idea work (when it’s not working!). Can’t thank you enough for sharing how you worked through one of your ideas and came up with a way to reshape it into a book. OUT sounds fantastic!!

Love this! Thank you–

start with a feeling – great advice!

Thank you for your tips!

It’s great to see how the pieces finally fell into place with OUT. This is one post I’m saving for future reference.

So INCREDIBLY helpful! So easy to give up on our ideas – love these tips to not only salvage them, but to make them shine!

Just the encouragement I needed to hear.

Thank you for sharing your process. I love how the image/idea that made it work was one of connection. that’s it!

Thanks for sharing all the pieces, Arree. Love that Ninja face!

Thanks! The feeling I chose to pursue was the feeling of safety and security, and I ended up writing a story about a boy whose odd “safe space” is a spot right in the middle of a well trafficked living room. As usual, you can read an excerpt on my blog.

I like your advice not to “overshare”-ideas are delicate and need time to bloom.

Piecing a story together is like working a puzzle, but, as you reminded us, Arree, one where we aren’t stuck using one set of pieces. When I look back at old drafts, it always amazes me how swapping out a few pieces can reveal a whole new story picture.

Once again, great suggestions

Thanks Arree, I have a couple of manuscripts in this boat. Time to bring them ashore for help and advice from others.

Such a great topic! I admire your perseverance. I know this will help me work on my ideas. Thank you.
My gratitude to Tara for setting up such a wonderful event. It’ s hard work. Hats off to you!

Thank you Arree for the great post! Thanks for sharing this journey of revision. Changing an idea that I love is not easy to do. But it helps me to realized that how a good idea can be changed into a great idea if I allow my story to develop. Thanks for sharing your drawing.

Great post Arree! Can’t wait to see OUT when it comes out!

“If you have an idea or strong feeling for a story, don’t give up. OUT took 2 years to piece together. Refining ideas into a core story is the hardest part of developing a book. Remember the feeling you want to capture in your story and get excited. Keep at it and you’ll get there.” You have no idea how encouraging this is to read. I’ve been struggling for a year with one of my ms’s. I gave up on it, truthfully. This post, however, has given me hope and courage to try again! Thank you!

A great post that will keep me in the trenches. Thanks, Arree.

Great post, Arree. I loved seeing the revision process and detours you took while finding the right puzzle pieces for OUT. Hysterical thumbnails! So many people think revision is just rearranging or cutting/adding words. But it’s giving that core feeling or idea permission to take a detour, and turn itself inside out to find the missing pieces, creating a new and better ‘vision’ of itself.

OUT looks adorable–I can’t wait to read it. Thanks for the great advice–especially that of starting with a feeling and of being open to change characters, etc. to make the story work.

Thanks for insights into the process. Looking forward to reading Out!

Thank you for the tips! I’ve got an old story that wasn’t working either. I’ve been letting it percolate for about a year now and am still collecting pieces. Maybe another year will do it!

Thank you, Arree. Wonderful advice!

Start with the FEELING you want to capture in the story. I love that idea. It’s so simple but so important. Thank you!

Love your process, thanks for sharing!

Thank you for sharing your process. These are helpful tips.

Thanks for sharing your witting process – it has given me (and lots of others apparently) hope.

Great post on revision! Thank you!!

Thank you for that inspiring post. I love the step by step summary.

Terrific reminders that ideas don’t have to be thrown out, simply modified. Thanks for the “how to” suggestions, as well Arree!

Thanks for this great post!

It is helpful to know that other writers struggle with what they envision as a wonderful idea that gets the axe from the editor. The suggestions of what to do next, is even better. Thanks for sharing!

I loved seeing your process to transform your original idea to a very cute story. I have a story that my critique group says just won’t work so I’m going to take your advice from your post and see what I can come up with. Thank you!

Thank you for the wonderful advise.

Thank you for sharing

I love how you shared your story behind Out, and how you had the persistence to keep at the feeling you wanted to capture, when your first story container wasn’t working. I’m inspired:-) and will also be looking for Ninja–I have two sons who most definitely would enjoy reading it.

Aree, great advice to start with a feeling. Sometimes, in an effort to control our writing, I think I forget to just sit in the feeling for a few moments, and that the story will emerge. Thanks for sharing advice with PiBoIdMo folks!

Very excellent, thanks!

Looking forward to reading OUT. Love to see the evolution of ideas. Thank you.

Great post! I like to let things percolate too and see what develops. I’m doing that with a few PiBoIdMo ideas, but I’m writing them down first so I don’t lose any while I let a few swirl around.

Wonderful advice that’s both practical and creative!

Thanks so much for the advice and encouragement. 🙂

Thanks. It’s good to remember that a good idea can become great with a little tweak!

Perfect……I will use your ideas to guide me as I currently struggle with a story I’m working on. I am excited to implement your ideas. Thank you kindly for sharing.

Thanks for showing how to transform a story that isn’t quite working!

Maybe this will help me get past a block I have in my story development. I appreciate the suggestions! Thanks.

Thank you so much for this post! I’ve had tons of ideas that weren’t working and I gave up on them. Maybe I’ll go revisit a few and brainstorm new possibilities.

Oh, Arree! I’ll have to share the video of my puppy escaping from his fenced in kennel with you sometime! He wanted out and made it happen. It wasn’t until we video taped him that we figured out how he did it! You book sounds perfect! Thanks for sharing your process with us!

Great Post Arree!!!!

I loved hearing about your process, and I can’t wait to read your book. Thank you!

Thank you for your advice on re-working an idea. Great story!

Thank you for your honesty and detail. It’s so rare that creators share the ribs of their workings with the world. Thank so much!

Great tips! Very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

Great post! Thanks, Arree!

Arree,
This is awesome advice! I love to be reminded of not being afraid to share your early ideas, especially the ones your feel so passionate about! Other people can really shed light on aspects not originally thought of- or alternatives!
Great article! Thank you!!! ⭐️

Love it! I tend to give up. Now I’m determined to revisit old manuscripts. Thanks for the inspiration! And thanks for describing a rewrite in progress!

Thanks for the inspiration and sharing your process! 🙂

Thank you for sharing your process!

I love your Ninja book and love this post!

Thanks for sharing these great ideas, Arree.

Thanks for walking us through how you went from one idea to another, while keeping the important part of the feeling and theme. It also helps to see the iterative images as well.

This is a great post- really enjoyed reading about your process!

OUT sounds like a really sweet tale.

Love your post, Aree. Thank you for reminding us to never give up and also for sharing the story behind your story.

Love the concept of Out and thank you for the practical advice!

Love your ideas!

I love seeing your process- how OUT developed.

Thank Arree. Love seeing your sketches in progress and couldn’t agree more on starting with a feeling. It seems to ground my work when everything else is up for grabs with interchangeable pieces.

It’s great to have an editor in your corner to help with critical, honest feedback. Never give up!

So helpful to see your creative process – thank you.

Thank you for the great ideas.

Great tips. Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks!

These are great ideas to throw in my “book of tricks” thanks for the ideas.