by Sita Singh
Hello, Storystormers! It’s my honor to be your guest blogger today.
I first participated in PiBoIdMo (now known as Storystorm) soon after I started to write, and quickly realized that all my ideas come from real life experiences. I was born and raised in India and moved to the United States in 1999. My ideas are inspired either from my own childhood or from my experience of mothering three, first-generation Indian-American children.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER, my debut picture book began with an idea listed in my notebook as “peacocks.” It was inspired from my childhood memories of watching peacocks. But it isn’t enough to say, okay, I’m going to write about peacocks. I needed a story. I needed to craft a character readers would care about. I needed a problem. I needed tension. I needed a lot. I tried several ways to tell my story, but none felt good enough or satisfying. At that same time, I was working on another story idea inspired from my daughter’s experiences; listed in my notebook as “standing out and feeling different.” This too wasn’t coming together to my satisfaction.
Then one day, it clicked. Like pieces of a puzzle. The thought of combining the two ideas (peacocks + standing out and feeling different) got my heart pounding and my imagination soaring. Right away, I knew what I wanted my story to be about.
For me, it took an amalgamation of ideas to spark a story!
Sometimes, connecting unexpected ideas, people, places, and objects, can result in stories that are fresh and unique. January is almost over, and if you’re anything like me, at least twenty-eight ideas must have come to you in form of words, phrases, titles, sketches, and some random thoughts, as well. If you ever get inspired to amalgamate any of these ideas, recognizing the ones that could come together to write a story only you can tell is exciting and rewarding. Here’s to recognizing those ideas!
When Tara asked me to write a guest post, I was curious to see who else has combined ideas to tell their story. Being a member of an incredible group of picture book writers and illustrators, Picture Book Scribblers, I didn’t have to go too far to find out. I was pleasantly surprised to see a generous number of stories come about from an amalgamation of ideas. Check out these ideas and look out for the fresh and unique stories coming to you in 2021!
HOME FOR A WHILE (February 2, 2021)
is an amalgamation of three ideas. 1) I wanted to write a story to honor the children with whom I’d worked when I ran a day treatment preschool. 2) I wanted to write about emotion regulation. 3) I wanted to write about seeing your strengths rather than just focusing on perceived challenges.
-Lauren Kerstein
THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP (March 1st, 2021)
is an amalgamation of three ideas 1) I passionately believe that if enough hands join together we can change the world. I wanted to write about little hands joining together to make big change. 2) I wanted to write a story that showed that you don’t have to be a superhero to make a difference. 3) I wanted to write a story that highlighted the growing plastic pollution problem and the steps that we can all take in our daily lives to make a difference.
-Charlotte Offsay
DON’T CALL ME FUZZYBUTT! (March 3rd, 2021)
I was inspired by both my son’s use of bad words and by our former president’s name calling. When my son was younger, he thought he was so grown up and cool when he used a word that he wasn’t supposed to say. I’d catch him saying it, and then he would come up with some variant of the word. “Mom, I said mitt. It’s not the word you think I said.” During this time, President Trump was also pretty much calling anyone a name who disagreed with him or his policies, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of impact are his actions having on our children.
-Robin Newman
A FLOOD OF KINDNESS (April 13, 2021)
1. I wanted to write about a child navigating through a disaster and 2) I wanted to write about how kindness can heal.
-Ellen Leventhal
PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! (May 4, 2021)
I was specifically interested in writing a fractured fairy tale, and the Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorites, 2.) I wanted to add an empowering, STEM twist and 3.) I was thinking about how rigid gender roles can be detrimental to both girls and boys.
-Tracy Marchini
FLY (Fall 2021)
is an amalgamation of Black Girl Magic and the childhood sport of double Dutch. As a kid I could jump rope, but double Dutch baffled me. I was always mesmerized by people who jump with two ropes. As a kid I didn’t tap into my potential as often as I could have, if only I had known my “magic”. My character, Africa, realizes her ability to double Dutch has and will always be part of her. Black girls are talented on their own.
-Brittany Thurman
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: The Art & Life of Amrita Sher-Gil (Fall 2021):
1) wanted to showcase a South Asian female artist/painter AND 2) wanted to explore emotions around living across two cultures inspired by my own life experiences
-Meera Sriram
EVERYBODY IN THE RED BRICK BUILDING (Fall 2021)
When I wrote this story, I was raising my children in an apartment. I noticed that there were plenty of books about families in houses, and not as many about families in apartments. So my first idea was to write a book set in an apartment building. My second idea was to write a cumulative story. I loved The House that Jack Built when I was a kid. The logic of the structure was very comforting for me. Those two ideas combined – an apartment story and a cumulative tale – gave me Everybody in the Red Brick Building.
-Anne Wynter
BATTLE OF THE BUTTS (September 28, 2021)
is an amalgamation of two ideas. 1) After I saw a meme on Twitter about manatees controlling their buoyancy through farting, I went down an internet rabbit hole learning about animals that do weird things with their butts. 2) I used to watch way too many competitive reality shows (American Idol, Survivor, Amazing Race), often the more ridiculous the better. As I learned about these talented tushies, I imagined them competing against each other in front of judges, and I knew I had to write about it. I tried to come up with a title that riffed off one of these reality show names (Butts Got Talent! American Butt! Butt Idol!), but they sounded a bit awkward. So as an alliteration junkie, I decided to go with a homage to the old school battle of the bands to end up with BATTLE OF THE BUTTS.
-Jocelyn Rish
MY BORDERTOWN (Fall 2021)
is an amalgamation of two different cultures that have a lot of similarities. The story is in English and in Spanish and says the exact same thing in both languages, but the illustrations show very different cultures. Ultimately I wanted kids to know that even though people on both sides of the border have differences, they are ultimately the same.
-Nicolas Solis
BENNY’S TRUE COLORS (November 17, 2020)
is an amalgamation of these two ideas: 1) I wanted to write about a small brown bat who every night roosted in our brick entryway instead of flying around eating bugs like all the other bats , and 2) I wanted to write about assumptions and judgements made about people based on their outward appearance.
-Norene Paulson
Sita Singh was born and raised in India, and moved to the United States in 1999. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, three children, and an immensely cute and curious dog. An architect in the past, Sita now enjoys writing heartwarming picture books with a South Asian backdrop. When Sita isn’t reading or writing, she can be found trying new recipes in the kitchen, experimenting with food photography, walking with the dog, or movie marathoning with the family. Her debut picture book, Birds Of A Feather, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, will be published on March 2nd, 2021 by Philomel Books. Find out more about Sita on singhsita.com and connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @sitawrites.
Sita is giving away a copy of BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
544 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 28, 2021 at 11:35 am
Sue Heavenrich
Thanks for the inspiration – and the wonderful collection of examples. Can’t wait to see Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 11:36 am
katiemillsgiorgio
Your book looks so lovely! Thanks for sharing!
January 28, 2021 at 11:36 am
sherry fellores
I love how stories come together like pieces to a puzzle. Great post!
January 28, 2021 at 11:36 am
bonzerb
Beautiful post, Sita. And your book looks lovely, congratulations!
January 28, 2021 at 11:37 am
Writer on the run
So much inspiration in this blog! now you have me thinking about how one good idea paired with another good idea can make a great story!
January 28, 2021 at 11:38 am
Jessica Swaim
Thanks so much for your thoughtful post, Sita. I love both the cover and the story behind Birds of a Feather.
January 28, 2021 at 11:39 am
rnewman504
Congratulations, Sita! Cannot wait for my copy of Birds of a Feather to arrive. Awesome post!
January 28, 2021 at 11:40 am
Dayne Sislen, Children's Book Illustrator
Thank you so much. I love to see the pieces of a story come together into a delightful picture book.
January 28, 2021 at 11:40 am
Debra Shumaker
Brilliant post. I love, love, love hearing “the story behind the story” so this is probably my favorite post! And congrats on your book. It’s beautiful!
January 28, 2021 at 11:40 am
martyfindley
I used a character from an old manuscript and combined it with a new idea from Storystorm to write a new story! Thank you for your ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 11:40 am
Anita Banks
How inspiring, looking forward to all the new coming books.
January 28, 2021 at 11:41 am
Melissa H. Mwai
One takeaway I have from this post is that the ideas that are combined usually has a personal experience or something the creator is passionate about + other ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 11:41 am
Jany Campana
Thanks Sita, for the wonderful and inspiring ideas to combine stories.
January 28, 2021 at 11:43 am
Monica A. Harris
Editors love when stories have multiple layers of “messages” so that every reader can walk away with something. Great idea!
January 28, 2021 at 11:44 am
suumac
Thank you for this great list of books that use of amalgamation in stories and Congratulations on Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 11:44 am
Sara Ackerman
Fun post! Thank you, Sita, for the wealth of examples!
January 28, 2021 at 11:45 am
Susan C.
I keep saving pictures of white peacocks and I know there is a story there! I can/t wait to see your book, Birds of a Feather.
January 28, 2021 at 11:45 am
rosecappelli
Thank you, Sita! All of the books you mentioned look so good. I can’t wait to read them, and to try out your advice.
January 28, 2021 at 11:45 am
Kirsti Call
Great post, Sita! Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 11:47 am
Armineh Manookian
Thank you, Sita! Love how the combination of different ideas and interests brings so many layers to a story.
January 28, 2021 at 11:47 am
Meldaarts
I was literally just working on an ‘ugly duckling’ story that is similar to one I’ve written before. It needs something else, so now I need to combine it with a few more stories…
January 28, 2021 at 11:48 am
Suzanne Lewis
Great encouragement to combine ideas that bring forth the desired soul-satisfying tale. The examples are really helpful in understanding how it’s done. Thanks so much, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 11:48 am
danielledufayet
Such great books and thank you for the inspiration! Looking forward to your latest book! Congrats!
January 28, 2021 at 11:48 am
Jacqueline Adams
It’s great to see how a one-word idea turned into a book. Congratulations, and thanks for the inspiring post!
January 28, 2021 at 11:48 am
goodtimegreatstory
Thank you for the amazing insight and inspiration! I am excited to look at my collections of ideas with this mash-up idea in mind. Can’t wait to see your new book!
January 28, 2021 at 11:48 am
Kathleen B.
A pounding heart and soaring imagination do signal inspiration! Congratulations on your book, and thank you for your generous sharing of other authors’ creations.
January 28, 2021 at 11:49 am
Joan Swanson
Thank you for showing us your process of combining two ideas to make a cohesive picture book. Thank you also for the list of books coming out.
January 28, 2021 at 11:50 am
ptnozell
Thank you for reaching out to your fellow writers to create such a terrific list of paired ideas that will be new picture books this year. So inspiring! And your debut looks gorgeous!
January 28, 2021 at 11:50 am
Janice Woods
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
January 28, 2021 at 11:50 am
Mark Bentz
Hi Sita,
Thank you for participating in Storystorm.
Congratulations on your first book. Great idea and title.
Mark
January 28, 2021 at 11:50 am
Jenny Morales
This is very helpful. Thank you, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 11:51 am
Angie
Great examples of mashing ideas together. Thank you, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 11:51 am
catherine owen
Stores from the relationship of stories. I like it x
January 28, 2021 at 11:51 am
marty
Hi Sita,
I love your peacock book’s cover! It sounds like a great amalgamation, too. I’m looking forward to reading it. Thank you for all those inspiring examples of idea combining that resulted in books.
Hi Tara! Wonder Woman of book ideas! Thank you for another amazing Storystorm post.
January 28, 2021 at 11:52 am
judyrubin13
Thank you, Sita, for sharing your wealth of ideas and inspirations. I look forward to experimenting with your suggestions today.
January 28, 2021 at 11:52 am
Darcee A. Freier
Such a wealth of information and inspiration. I love to see how writers’ books come together. Thank you. And congrats!
January 28, 2021 at 11:52 am
Misty Morris
Your cover reminds me of the time I came across an albino peacock! I can’t wait to read the story. And I love the examples you’ve listed. Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 11:53 am
Cathy Ballou Mealey
Super Sita! Lots to love when we see how to combine our sparks of inspiration.
January 28, 2021 at 11:53 am
lavern15
Thank you Sita! I sometimes combine stories as you do as well. I’m so excited for you and can’t wait to read Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 11:53 am
Elizabeth Saba
Thank you Sita. Requested your book from the library. Not listed yet but I will ask them to buy it! Looks beautiful.
January 28, 2021 at 11:54 am
Jennifer Kay
I love the idea of combining two (or more) ideas to deepen a story. Many of these examples combined a surface-level plot idea with a deeper emotional theme. I usually have to write many bad drafts of the surface-level idea before I find a second idea to take the story deeper. Maybe I should let the story idea germinate until I have both.
January 28, 2021 at 11:54 am
Claudia Vigil-Perez
Fantastic post! Thank you. I always have the feeling that all these “random ideas” I have will somehow click eventually when the time is right. I was inspired by all of the examples you shared.
January 28, 2021 at 11:56 am
susanzonca
Sita, thank you for sharing the way you have used combinations to develop your stories.
January 28, 2021 at 11:57 am
Teresa Rodrigues
Congrats on your debut, Sita, and thanks for the tips and list of upcoming books!
January 28, 2021 at 11:58 am
Tracy Hora
Super post! Thank you for sharing this list of books that put different ideas together!!
January 28, 2021 at 11:59 am
Cathy Ogren
Great post, Sita! I loved the list of how authors combined ideas to come with their book.
January 28, 2021 at 12:00 pm
Candace Spizzirri
Thank you, Sita, for the inspiration! Off to combine ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 12:02 pm
Nichole Bowers
Congratulations Sita! No matter how I begin a story, it seems to always end up an amalgamation of ideas. It’s so interesting to read how successful picture book writers combined ideas to tell their stories. Thank you for sharing your unique story and the unique stories of your fellow Picture Book Scribblers.
January 28, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Stephanie Gibeault
Thank you for sharing your story, Sita! And for sharing the amalgamation stories of the Picture Book Scribblers! I’m ready to start brainstorming.
January 28, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Sarah Hetu-Radny
Great post! Thank you Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 12:06 pm
tasha woodson
definitely seeing more lately that combining elements enriches the story. congrats on your publication!
January 28, 2021 at 12:06 pm
TerriMichels
Good job and so many ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 12:07 pm
Lucretia S.
Thank you for a great reminder for creative inspiration, Sita. I enjoyed hearing how you combined two ideas to create a wonderful PB story. Congratulations on Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 12:07 pm
readmybook2002
This was great to see the beginning “why” & “because of” to a story then to see how the idea became a complete book. Thank you
January 28, 2021 at 12:07 pm
ejessmurray
Thank you, Sita! Loved reading the breakdown of your fellow scribblers as well.
January 28, 2021 at 12:09 pm
sareenmclay
Thank you, even reading this post made me go back to a story I’ve been working on to add in another dimension! Great advice here and I loved reading about all the new books coming out. Congratulations!
January 28, 2021 at 12:10 pm
Kim Erickson
Thanks! Great blog post.
January 28, 2021 at 12:11 pm
jenabenton
I love seeing these mashups of ideas. I can’t wait to read all of these books.
January 28, 2021 at 12:12 pm
mona861
Another great post to get me brainstorming. Love that you used quotes from other authors on why they wrote the stories they did. Thanks, Sita.
January 28, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Julia
I’m excited to think about what ideas I can combine- thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Brenda Flowers
Sita, thank you for sharing your testimony of how BIRDS OF A FEATHER was birthed from an amalgamation of ideas jotted down in your journals. You’ve given us a special bonus gift with the testimonies of other picture book authors who also crafted their stories by intentionally fusing ideas.
I’m looking forward to reading your picture book and sharing it with my son and grandsons. When my son was three he announced, “I want to be a peacock when I grow up.” Your story will touch many.
January 28, 2021 at 12:16 pm
dedra davis
Thank you for showing us so many examples of inspiration mash-ups!
January 28, 2021 at 12:16 pm
Jessica Potts
Loved reading everyone’s ideas and how the books came to be!!
January 28, 2021 at 12:16 pm
betlw
Joining two ideas into one amalgamation is terrific. It adds more to the story. I enjoyed reading how other writers combined to get their stories. Now, I’ll have to try it myself. Great post, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 12:16 pm
Roxanne Troup
Great post! It’s fascinating reading about where all those stories came from. Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 12:17 pm
Brenda Grant Lower
I love the smashing of ideas! But I also love how many of these ideas you shared came from personal life experiences. Makes me want to mine my childhood for ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 12:18 pm
vgraboski61gmailcom
Wow, lots of examples of combining ideas. Thanks for the inspiration. Can’t wait to read Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 12:18 pm
Sherri Jones Rivers
Sita, this is a delightful post, and so special that I helped critique one of these early manuscripts that is a book coming out in spring 2021. I am going to try to put your advice into practice. Birds of a Feather should fly off the bookshelves!
January 28, 2021 at 12:18 pm
Kassy Keppol
Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Kathy Crable
Looking forward to reading your beautiful book and those you gave honorable mention. Thanks for a lovely morning read!
January 28, 2021 at 12:21 pm
Annie War
Very interesting way of combining different ideas and values in one story.
January 28, 2021 at 12:23 pm
Renner Writes (@barbararenner)
Congratulations on your debut picture book. It sounds wonderful. And thank you for the list of the new books that combine ideas. This was a very helpful post.
January 28, 2021 at 12:24 pm
Judie
Your post is a good reminder that tinder AND sparks create a flame! Thanks for your post!
January 28, 2021 at 12:25 pm
Robin Brett Wechsler
Thank you, Sita, for all the stories behind the stories. It’s great to see how ideas come together. And now there are so many great new books to read!
January 28, 2021 at 12:26 pm
Lydia Lukidis
I love the idea of putting things together….great inspiration.
January 28, 2021 at 12:27 pm
Maria
I have BIRDS OF A FEATHER on hold at the library. I can’t wait to read this one. Thanks for the great writing advice.
January 28, 2021 at 12:27 pm
blancamanzanilla
Very inspiring. Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 12:28 pm
R.L.S. Hoff
Loved this–so many inspiring stories.
January 28, 2021 at 12:32 pm
Jessica Hinrichs
I love this post so much! Thank you!!
January 28, 2021 at 12:33 pm
Roberta Gibson
The cover of your book is stunning. I can’t wait to read it. Also, thank you for all the examples of how putting ideas together really works.
January 28, 2021 at 12:34 pm
Arlene Schenker
What a fantastic post, Sita. I want to read all those books you referenced, and especially your book, Birds of a Feather! Good luck with it.
January 28, 2021 at 12:36 pm
Rebster
I absolutely loved hearing the idea generating and writing processes behind these many books. It gave me much food for thought. Thanks, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 12:37 pm
andynarwhal
Great post. Whenever I worry I don’t have “enough” for an idea, I will remember your picture book germinated from the idea “peacocks,” a reminder a great story can come from a small spark.
January 28, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Patricia J Holloway
Thank you for all these wonderful resources! You have a gifted way with combining two or three ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 12:39 pm
Deb Sullivan
Great suggestions, Sita, not to limit yourself to one idea..Thanks for sharing!
January 28, 2021 at 12:40 pm
matthewlasley
I am going to take a look at some ideas from this year and years past and see what might go together! I only need a few more ideas….oh the pressure! LOL
January 28, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Linda KulpTrout
So many great stories! I look forward to reading all of them. Thank your for the great post and inspiration, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 12:43 pm
Lynn Baldwin
Thank you for a great post and on your upcoming book!
January 28, 2021 at 12:48 pm
Gabi Snyder
I loved reading the origin story of BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Thanks for the inspiration, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 12:49 pm
kathalsey
Hi Sita, lots of stories need another “hook” or “layer” and I loved that the Scribblers helped you out here. I know some of them! Congrats to you on a beautiful book.
January 28, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Karen Pickrell
Congratulations on your upcoming book! Thank you for sharing the inspiration behind your book and other picture books too.
January 28, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Gretchen McLellan
So many great books to look forward to. Congratulations to all you Picture Book Scribblers! Your debut cover for BIRDS OF A FEATHER is gorgeous! You must be thrilled. Thanks for the tour through the amalgamated ideas of your group. I’m looking forward to becoming an amalgamation alchemist.
January 28, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Janie Reinart
Sita,
Thank you for the post. Combinations here I come.
January 28, 2021 at 12:57 pm
Aimee Haburjak
These combinations are the perfect unlocking of what sound like magical stories … books. Thank you for sharing the magic💫
January 28, 2021 at 12:57 pm
paulaobering
You’ve given me a new way to look at my currently ‘un-used’ ideas. Perhaps I’ll find the perfect pairing!
January 28, 2021 at 12:57 pm
Sara Weingartner (@SJWeingartner)
Beautiful post. Thank you! And congratulations on Birds of a Feather! Looking forward to reading it.
January 28, 2021 at 12:59 pm
Melisa Wrex
Thank you for all of these awesome examples! Headed into the mixing machine now!
January 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm
YauMei Chiang
Congratulations on your book, Sita. Thank you for providing a list of amalgamations.
January 28, 2021 at 1:01 pm
pollyrenner
Thank you, Sita, for your post on blending ideas and for your book reference list! Congrats on your new book!
January 28, 2021 at 1:02 pm
Cathy L. Murphy
Your book’s cover is gorgeous! How kind of you to share every member of your group’s inspiration, including your own. Wishing you continued success, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 1:02 pm
Joy Wieder
Great inspiration for what to do with all my Storystorm ideas! Maybe combining a few of them will make a great story!
January 28, 2021 at 1:04 pm
Tanya Konerman
You’ve offered some great examples here. Combining two or more elements can strengthen a story, and my WIP can benefit from this idea. Thanks!
January 28, 2021 at 1:05 pm
Sue Welfringer
Enjoyed seeing all these examples! Thank you and congrats on your book!
January 28, 2021 at 1:09 pm
Dee Crick
Thank Sita! Excited to get hold of your book in the next couple of months! I worked in marketing innovation previously and that is exactly one of the techniques we were taught too. Hopefully, I will tell you how this post inspired a future published book one day 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 1:10 pm
Gail Hedrick
Thank you so much for this peek at your process, and the nudge to not toss the ideas away, but realize that the idea is the beginning of an interesting, amazing journey-to create a book. Congrats on Birds!
January 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm
pathaap
So many wonderful examples of combining ideas. Can’t wait to read the stories they’ve inspired!
January 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm
BARBARA SENENMAN
Fabulous post! I will look at my lists from Storystorm past and see about possible combinations. Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 1:12 pm
Penelope McNally
An amalgamation of ideas is a great way to generate story ideas. I’m inspired! Thank you for sharing your group’s amalgamated ideas as well. Congratulations on Birds of a Feather – I look forward to reading it!
January 28, 2021 at 1:12 pm
Angela De Groot
Wow, there are a lot of amazing amalgamations coming out in 2021. Thanks for sharing your process.
January 28, 2021 at 1:15 pm
aidantalkin
Love the sound of your book, right up my alley thematically! Thank you for such a rich post… great examples in all these new books!
January 28, 2021 at 1:15 pm
Marci Whitehurst
Yes!! Amalgamation!! Great post, thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 1:15 pm
Jennifer Rathe
Thanks. Will have to see what comes out of some of my different ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 1:17 pm
Lauren Barbieri
I loved hearing about how all these combinations came together in stories—thank you for the post. Congratulations on BIRDS OF A FEATHER! Looking forward to reading it.
January 28, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Charlotte Offsay
An inspiring post, Sita! I am honored you included my story in it. Congratulations my kind friend!
January 28, 2021 at 1:20 pm
Colleen Owen Murphy
These all sound like such wonderful stories and you are right, our notebooks should be teeming with ideas. Now to try to put a few of them together! Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 1:20 pm
danielle hammelef
I need to check out some of the books listed to gain a better understanding of these ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 1:22 pm
Beth Holladay
Can’t wait to read this sounds so lovely! Thanks for your post, Sita :))
January 28, 2021 at 1:23 pm
Lauren Hidalgo
Loved the examples you shared! Can’t wait to find some ideas from my lists that might be a perfect match.
January 28, 2021 at 1:23 pm
Kathy Mazurowski
You have us proof! Thank you
January 28, 2021 at 1:24 pm
Pamela Haskin
What a fun way to generate story ideas! I think I could create some great – or crazy – story ideas that way. Thanks for sharing with us and for a chance to win your new book.
January 28, 2021 at 1:24 pm
Shelley Isaacson
Love this post, and the cover of Birds of a Feather! Thanks for sharing.
January 28, 2021 at 1:28 pm
sallie wolf
This is a great post that leaves me with an even longer wish list of books to read and digest. Also, the idea of combining ideas is a great one. Instead of dismissing an idea as being too “slight,” combining with a different idea gives layers and depth that might well make a good picture book. Thanks for the post.
January 28, 2021 at 1:28 pm
thecrowsmap
Sita, thank you for this tip and the wonderful examples. Congratulations on your book!
Gail Hartman
January 28, 2021 at 1:31 pm
Cindy S
Thanks for sharing your story.
January 28, 2021 at 1:32 pm
Sheri Radovich
Thanks for your amalgamation of two ideas and the ideas from the PIcture Book Scribblers group. Did Tracy Marchini form the group? Would be great to have an agent in your group. Congrats to all the scribblers and their new books for 2021.
January 28, 2021 at 1:36 pm
Susan Jobsky
1) I want to write a story about children whose parents do brave and dangerous things to keep others safe, and the emotions these children feel about what their parents do each day.
2) I want to write a story about how being bullied not because you are different in any discernible way, but because you are true to yourself.
Perhaps I can combine the two ideas in a story set in a school through using a class project or show and tell, and/or something n the school playground through imaginative play at recess. I’ll have to toss it around a bit and see what breaks through.
January 28, 2021 at 1:37 pm
Kathryn Cunningham
Great tip, all those books sound amazing!
January 28, 2021 at 1:39 pm
Hélène Sabourin
I think that a story only you can tell, makes the best kind of stories
January 28, 2021 at 1:41 pm
Janet Johnson
S0 fascinating to read about all these books with a combination of ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 1:42 pm
Jocelyn Rish
Thanks for including us Scribblers, Sita! It was so cool to learn more about how these books came about!
January 28, 2021 at 1:43 pm
Marlena Leach
A wonderful post, Sita. Thank you for sharing this wonderful process. I am looking forward to combining my ideas and see what emerges!
January 28, 2021 at 1:45 pm
Maria Altizer
This is a great post. I look forward to reading you book.
January 28, 2021 at 1:45 pm
angie9091
Thanks for sharing! Angie Isaacs
January 28, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Marcie Mahuta
Great advice & timely so we can look back at our snippets & put together 2-3 ideas that aren’t going anywhere on their own!
January 28, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Joyce
Your book looks beautiful. Looking forward to reading it.
January 28, 2021 at 1:48 pm
Nancy Ferguson
Thank you Sita, This is such valuable advice. Including the examples was quite helpful and made me THINK. Now to write!
January 28, 2021 at 1:49 pm
Shannon Hitchcock (@ShanonHitchcock)
Really great tip! I love that you included so many examples.
January 28, 2021 at 1:49 pm
Julia Lyon
Congratulations on your new book! I, too, am a mom of 3 and feel like they are great inspiration/distraction but help me get many of my mashup ideas. They’ve also been chased by more than one peacock at our local aviary! Love to know that they’re called a party!
January 28, 2021 at 1:49 pm
Shaunda Wenger
Thank you, Sita, I for sharing all these examples of amalgamations of ideas. And congratulations on your book!
January 28, 2021 at 1:53 pm
Nancy Colle
An interesting post. Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 1:57 pm
Amy H
Thanks for the inspiration. Your book looks beautiful!
January 28, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Lois
I wanted to write about a girl fixing a rocketship. I also wanted to write about dealing with intercultural misunderstandings. I wound up with a variant of Beauty and the Beast in an alien rocketship where my protagonist eats what she thinks is a free sample, and has to pay for it by washing the dishes, but the ship has no hot water so she has to fix the rocketship before she can wash the dishes.
January 28, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Lisa Riddiough
Thank you, Sita! Wonderful post. I am going to mine my ideas for two or more that can go together. This will be fun!!
January 28, 2021 at 2:01 pm
Linda Sakai
Great ideas. Appreciate your many examples of amalgamation. It gets me thinking…Thanks.
January 28, 2021 at 2:03 pm
Shawna J. C. Tenney
I loved reading about how all these stories came from the Amalgamation of two ideas. Thanks for the great post!
January 28, 2021 at 2:04 pm
Amanda
Wow! Some of these ideas are so creative! Congrats on your new book; it looks beautiful. I love peacocks and can’t wait to read it!
January 28, 2021 at 2:04 pm
triciacandy
Thank you for this post, and all of the great examples!
January 28, 2021 at 2:06 pm
Laura Bower
Thank you Sita for providing so many great examples of mashing together ideas to make a solid PB story! Congratulations on Birds of a Feather – can’t wait to read it!
January 28, 2021 at 2:09 pm
Susan Klaren
Wonderful Blog. Thank you. The shared examples were brilliant.
January 28, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Betsy
Very inspiring ideas! I’m going to try this with my ideas from this month! Thanks Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Christine Van Zandt, author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNDERPANTS
Thanks for the reminder that, sometimes, just one word is enough to spark a story that leads to publication. And, peacocks are awesome!
January 28, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Sarah Tobias
So far all of my stories come this way. Maybe a mix of ideas, but also as I’m working, more pieces to the story puzzle come to me because if things I see and hear, taste and smell.
January 28, 2021 at 2:17 pm
Catherine Brewer
Thank you for sharing this great article Sita! Congratulations on creating such amazing books!
January 28, 2021 at 2:17 pm
Gail Aherne
Sita, thank you for sharing your ideas! Terrific and very helpful examples. I look forward to reading your new book!
January 28, 2021 at 2:19 pm
Hank Dallago
Sita, thank you for sharing how a wide range of stories where made using two, three, or four amalgamated ideas to form some incredible picture books. It’s not only thinking outside the box, it’s combining different shapes and sizes of boxes to build the unique story.
January 28, 2021 at 2:21 pm
LenoraBiemans (@BiemansLenora)
Congratulations! And thank you for all of those great examples!
January 28, 2021 at 2:22 pm
LeeAnn Rizzuti
Thank you for sharing these inspiring examples of idea amalgamation, Sita. Looking forward to BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
January 28, 2021 at 2:27 pm
Melizza
It resonated with me when you spoke about having an amalgamation of ideas. Ideas are these fairy-like creatures floating around us and the notion of them gathering to complete a thought is one I’m sure I’ve experienced but have never identified it with such clarity. Thank you Sita. Lovely article.
January 28, 2021 at 2:27 pm
romontanaro
Thank you Sita! Excellent! What an inspiring and interesting collection of ideas… A great study — can’t wait to storystorm today …
Look forward to reading your book. All the best. I’m Canadian so I’m only commenting. 😃
Thanks again, Rosanna
January 28, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Bonnie Kelso
Great examples of blended ideas. Thank you, Sita, for your contribution to storystorm. 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 2:30 pm
Marilyn R Garcia
Wow, what a great list of examples showing amalgamation at work! Now I have a whole list of new books to put on my library request list. 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 2:30 pm
Abby Wooldridge
Thank you for this post, Sita! I loved reading about how your ideas came together, and I enjoyed reading the examples from other authors as well. Congratulations on BIRDS OF A FEATHER! 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 2:36 pm
Claire A. B. Freeland
This post is so helpful. Congratulations on BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Also, looking forward to reading the other books you highlighted.
January 28, 2021 at 2:36 pm
mariemessinger
You are so prolific! How inspiring!!
January 28, 2021 at 2:40 pm
boardmancamera
Wow! What a talented critique group you have! It was so helpful to hear the ways those very different stories came to be. Thank you! And congrats to you and all your friiends!
January 28, 2021 at 2:41 pm
deirdreprischmann
Super interesting and helpful!
January 28, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Cathleen Collins
I like the idea of arbitrarily picking two ideas and trying to mesh them together. I will definitely be trying that.
January 28, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Rebecca Arent-Draper
Thank you SO much! (I am going to check out the Picture Book Scribblers)
January 28, 2021 at 2:42 pm
janetfrencksheets
Most of my Storystorm “ideas” are too slight to fill out a story, so I love finding ways to combine them.
January 28, 2021 at 2:42 pm
janetfrencksheets
Most of my Storystorm “ideas” are too slight to fill out a story, so I love finding ways to combine them.
January 28, 2021 at 2:44 pm
kiwijenny
Hmmm my brain is churning ..thanks and we wanna be authors are birds of a feather too. We need to stick together.
January 28, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Heather Stigall
I look forward to combining two or more of my ideas today. Thanks for the tip!
January 28, 2021 at 2:48 pm
libbydemmon
I love seeing the many different background stories put so succinctly. Thank you for gathering those and sharing them with us. (And thanks to your colleagues as well!)
January 28, 2021 at 2:50 pm
Marla Yablon
Now I need to go back through my notebook and see what I can put together! Thanks!
January 28, 2021 at 2:51 pm
marshaelyn
Thank you, Sita, for your method to spark fresh story ideas. Connecting the unexpected is a way to keep the joy in our process. Sending you energy and inspiration for your continued success…
January 28, 2021 at 2:53 pm
Cheryl Johnson
Sita ~ Thanks for sharing your story’s journey as well as the amalgamation of other authors. Can’t wait to read your book!
January 28, 2021 at 2:53 pm
rozanark
I love peacocks and your book looks lovely! Now off to amalgamate! Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 2:54 pm
Amy Houts
What great examples! Thanks for sharing your process. Congratulations!
January 28, 2021 at 2:55 pm
Mitchell Linda
WOW! Look at all those beautiful titles coming out. Many congratulations for giving us the inside scoop on how they came to be and now we get to celebrate as they come out!
January 28, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Maria Marshall
Sita, I love discovering the roots of a story. Thank you for showing where yours came from and including the rest of PBScribblers’ books. That was fascinating and inspiring.
January 28, 2021 at 2:56 pm
Aneta Cruz
Thank you for this inspiring post, Sita! I’m eager to go off and ponder ideas for amalgamation 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 2:58 pm
Louann Brown
Thanks Sita! Adding those extra examples were great. I could see so many possibilities brainstorming this way!
January 28, 2021 at 2:59 pm
mariearden
Wow! What a lot of great stories that use an amalgamation of ideas to write a story.
January 28, 2021 at 3:02 pm
Karen Conley Chun
I love the encouragement and examples you gave of combining two or more seemingly unrelated ideas to come up with a great story idea. Thank you for the motivation.
January 28, 2021 at 3:03 pm
Leah Moser
Thank you for this post!
January 28, 2021 at 3:03 pm
rgstones
Thanks for your post, and congratulations on your debut! I can’t wait to read all those new books.
January 28, 2021 at 3:06 pm
katiefischerwrites
Thanks for the post, I love smashing two ideas together to see what happens but I never thought of using more than that.
January 28, 2021 at 3:07 pm
Aimee Satterlee
Wow! So many wonderful examples! Congratulations to you and all the PB Scribblers! Thank you, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Babs Ostapina
Appreciate the insightful post, Sita.Congrat’s on Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Joni Nemeth
These all sound so wonderful! How jealous I am of your amazing group! (no disrespect to my CPs 😉 )
January 28, 2021 at 3:12 pm
Joanne Roberts
I can’t wait to see how you’ve spun this tale. Looks gorgeous. Congrats
January 28, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Daryl Gottier
So many great examples of combining ideas! Thanks for sharing, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 3:15 pm
authordebradaugherty
Thanks, Sita, for your post on amalgamation. I loved how you invited other authors to share how they made amalgamation work with their books. Great examples!
January 28, 2021 at 3:16 pm
Lisa Billa
Great post, thank you! Interesting to see how frequently subject + theme connect to spark a story. Congrats on Birds of a Feather!
January 28, 2021 at 3:18 pm
Brooke Hartman
This was a great blog post showcasing how ideas can come together and… WHAMMO! Magic.
January 28, 2021 at 3:26 pm
Amy Harding
Love all the examples of these ideas coming together to form brilliant story ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 3:27 pm
Judith Snyder
Lots of ideas for sparking the imagination. Thanks for sharing your insights.
January 28, 2021 at 3:30 pm
Deborah Foster
Thank you for the fantastic idea!
January 28, 2021 at 3:34 pm
chcaro
Thanks for all the examples you’ve given us! Congrats on Birds of a Feather – can’t wait to read it to see how you’ve combined your ideas together.
January 28, 2021 at 3:37 pm
Annie Lynn, AnnieBirdd Music, LLC
Thanks for this helpful post Sita! I had never given much thought to combining ideas (I’m a songwriter, not an author) to make a song. Mostly that’s because I write straight ahead, single topic songs based on Best Practices in Ed, or about a specific book. I would like to write more “fun” songs, and I see so clearly now how to allow myself the freedom to combine very different storylines/ideas, but still leave the reader/listener with the take away message. I am encouraged to see how many other writers do this, much like you were, Sita. I love how you support your fellow writers. Very excited for the books you listed! It was helpful to read a bullet point list (numbered?) of simple ingredients. Please enter me in the drawing for Birds of A Feather, and congratulations to you, Stephanie Fizer Coleman & all involved. ✌🏼💙🎶🎨📚
January 28, 2021 at 3:40 pm
Anne C. Bromley
Thank you, Sita, for this great post! Most helpful. And congratulations on Birds of a Feather! I look forward to seeing it.
January 28, 2021 at 3:50 pm
Dawn Prochovnic
This was a really helpful post. I particularly appreciated the summary of forthcoming books and the ideas that were amalgamated to formulate the stories.
January 28, 2021 at 3:54 pm
David McMullin
Thank you, Sita! I cant wait for these.
January 28, 2021 at 3:55 pm
Judy Bryan
Loved all the wonderful examples of how stories came to be. Your post has me combining and brainstorming. Thank you, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 3:56 pm
bevbaird
Thanks for this inspiring post, filled with mentor texts. Love the idea of amalgamating ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Cassie Bentley
I love the explanations of the coming soon books stating intentions about a new story. I have vague ideas and snippets of potential stories. Maybe like people coming together to accomplish a goal, ideas can come together and make a stronger story. The cover for Birds of a Feather is beautiful and I cannot wait to read the story inside.
Thank you for the inspiration.
January 28, 2021 at 4:00 pm
lisakhan9
Lovely post, thank you for sharing. Look forward to hearing more from you. Very best wishes 🤗
January 28, 2021 at 4:01 pm
Sarah Meade
Great ideas and examples here. Thanks for the inspiration, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 4:10 pm
Megan Whitaker
Love combining ideas! It was fun to read all these different books that did the same thing and how they did it.
January 28, 2021 at 4:12 pm
Christine Pinto
Thank you Sita for all these great examples. Looks like a lot of great books coming out soon. Congratulations to all!
January 28, 2021 at 4:12 pm
Susan Drew
Thanks Sita. I like this idea of putting two things together. And I like hearing about how other authors come up with their stories. Good post!
January 28, 2021 at 4:18 pm
Nicole Loos Miller
Love reading about examples of this in soon-to-be-published picture books! Thank you for sharing, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 4:20 pm
Vicki Wilke
I like Sita’s comment about two ideas just clicking together. Others’ inspirations were also helpful! Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 4:24 pm
Paisley Schade
Lovely and your book sounds amazing.
January 28, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Alicia Shawn Gagnon
Amalgamation? Not going to lie. Learned a new word today.
Thank you!!!! Peace, Alicia
January 28, 2021 at 4:37 pm
jbbower
Thanks for a great post Sita; and for a great list of how several small ideas became one great story!
January 28, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Lori Gibson
Great post. Excellent examples of putting different ideas together!
January 28, 2021 at 4:42 pm
Lori Gibson
Great post. Excellent examples of combining two ideas together.
January 28, 2021 at 4:43 pm
Emily Chibwana
This post definitely got my brain turning, thank you!!
January 28, 2021 at 4:43 pm
Susan Eyerman
Lots of content to chew on today. Thank you!!
January 28, 2021 at 4:44 pm
Alice Fulgione
So glad to read about your success! Great post!
January 28, 2021 at 4:45 pm
Kimberly Marcus
Such a great post and now I have so many books on my TBR list! Thanks 🤩
January 28, 2021 at 4:51 pm
Meredith Fraser
Being able to weave multiple themes into one story without becoming too “preachy” is a valuable trait. Thanks for the tips.
January 28, 2021 at 4:54 pm
Prairie Garden Girl
Thank you, Sita, for sharing a great writing idea for amalgamation!
Suzy Leopold
January 28, 2021 at 4:57 pm
Sara Habte
Thank you for your tips and all of the examples provided. Loved this!
January 28, 2021 at 5:01 pm
Lori Sheroan
These ideas are so inspirational! I’ve been combing by idea lists to try to find a good connection.
January 28, 2021 at 5:02 pm
Amy
What a great collection of books! Thanks for the amalgamation idea!
January 28, 2021 at 5:06 pm
marty
Birds of a Feather sounds like a terrific book with a great message. Congrats!
January 28, 2021 at 5:07 pm
Sheri Graubert
Thank you so much for this reminder! An idea sometimes need to find a friend. Thank you, Sita Singh!
January 28, 2021 at 5:07 pm
Michelle S. Kennedy (@MichelleSKenned)
I love the mash-up idea. I have several stories brewing in my head from combining different thoughts together. Thank you for the example stories you listed too!
January 28, 2021 at 5:08 pm
Penny Merritt
A winning concept for when an otherwise great idea has trouble flourishing on its own! Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 5:09 pm
Pat Trattles
What a great idea. And thanks for all the examples. Can’t wait to dive into my idea journal and see what ideas I can mash together.
January 28, 2021 at 5:21 pm
Lori Dubbin
Sita, I love your story behind your story and how you mingled two wonderful stories into one. I can’t wait for your book to come out. Thanks for all the examples of melded picture book ideas! ❤
January 28, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Susan Wroble
Love all these ways to amalgamate stories! Thanks for this post.
January 28, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Carol Gordon Ekster
Thanks for your inspiration, and I have to tell you how much I love the cover of BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Congrats!
January 28, 2021 at 5:25 pm
Joan Longstaff
I loved all the examples showing us how different ideas can come together harmoniously! Thank you for sharing.
January 28, 2021 at 5:28 pm
lois1952
Great examples of what I call ‘waiting for the second shoe…’. Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 5:38 pm
Lisa
I am inspired to see what I can come up with when combining ideas, thank you! Looking forward to reading ‘Birds of a Feather!’
January 28, 2021 at 5:40 pm
Sandy McGraw
I love the word amalgamation and think it’s a great way to put a story together. Thanks for the thoughts!
January 28, 2021 at 5:43 pm
Aimee Larke
I love the idea of combining ideas! Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 5:44 pm
Jill Lambert (@LJillLambert)
Thanks for the nudge to combine my ideas, Sita! I’m ready to give it a go!
January 28, 2021 at 5:45 pm
Laurie Bouck
Putting two or three ideas together is a great way to come up with a story idea, thank you for sharing!
January 28, 2021 at 5:55 pm
Marilyn Wolpin
There are so few PBs about peacocks. I have one in progress. Can’t wait to see yours. Thanks for the inspiration.
January 28, 2021 at 5:56 pm
Carole Calladine
Love your title, Birds of a Feather. Thank you for sharing how you and others combined ideas to tell a riveting story.
January 28, 2021 at 6:02 pm
Mary Ann Blair
Love the idea of combining two different threads into one story. Thanks! And congrats on your book!
January 28, 2021 at 6:04 pm
Shannon Fossett
Thank you for sharing! Two ideas is better than one! I’ll definitely look at combining some!
January 28, 2021 at 6:13 pm
sacharya78
What a neat story. Love how thoughts come together
January 28, 2021 at 6:15 pm
asiqueira1307
I have many ideas, sentences, titles, themes, but so far I did not come up with a story that I want to write. I will follow your idea and see if something click.
January 28, 2021 at 6:17 pm
Poupette
Definitely worth a try, and how thoughtful of you to let others explain the amalgamation process through their upcoming books. Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 6:17 pm
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Leafing back through my pages to see what magical amalgamations I can make!
January 28, 2021 at 6:22 pm
Dannielle Viera
Idea amalgamations are a great idea! Thanks, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 6:24 pm
Jilanne Hoffmann
Love this post and all of the examples of how stories are not just a single idea set in stone, but a conglomerate rock!
January 28, 2021 at 6:26 pm
amckelle
Wonderful post and your book looks so lovely! Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 6:28 pm
Caren
Thanks for taking the time and doing the research to find lots of examples of how story ideas can be combined.
January 28, 2021 at 6:31 pm
chardixon47
Thank you, Sita, for the examples of wonderful books made from doing an amalgamation of ideas. Congratulations on BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 28, 2021 at 6:41 pm
Laurie Knowlton
Thanks for the idea of taking several ideas and blending them. Looking through my lists and having fun!!!
January 28, 2021 at 6:42 pm
Trine Grillo
I loved hearing about how all of these writers developed their ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 6:43 pm
NC Karuzis
I love hearing how so many stories came to be. A couple seeds, a little soil…
January 28, 2021 at 6:48 pm
Karin Larson
Thanks for the great post. It was fun to see the combinations others have used. Congrats on BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Love the cover!
January 28, 2021 at 6:50 pm
Linda Schueler
These are all great amalgamations of ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 6:51 pm
Michele Rietz
Thanks for sharing your journey to “Birds of a Feather” and for sharing such a great list of amalgamation stories! I can’t wait to get a look at them. Congrats on your story’s upcoming release.
January 28, 2021 at 6:53 pm
Bethanny Parker
Combining two ideas into one is a great idea. Thanks!
January 28, 2021 at 6:55 pm
Katie Williams
Love the idea of amalgamations in picture books, it just makes so much sense! And what wonderful examples you used–i can’t wait to check out ALL those books!
January 28, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Mary Warth
Wow! Amazing examples. Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 7:00 pm
tinefg
Thank you so much Sita! I am sitting here with a pile (list actually..some of it highlighted) of words and phrases, title ideas and images, and quite frankly, beginning to wonder if I am doing this wrong. Thank you for the affirmation that this is going somewhere and my niggling instincts about the treasures hidden in this pile er.. list are on target. Looking forward to sorting and seeing how things look side by side.
January 28, 2021 at 7:08 pm
Tara Cerven
This is such an interesting read. Thank you for this great post!
January 28, 2021 at 7:09 pm
Julie Maria Harris
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas with us!
January 28, 2021 at 7:10 pm
Kay
Thanks for sharing
January 28, 2021 at 7:12 pm
Stephen S. Martin
I went to the Amalgamated Story Factory to see what they had for sale.
January 28, 2021 at 7:24 pm
Amy Leskowski
What an awesome post!! A gorgeous concept. I absolutely understand that rush of “I have to write this!” Can’t wait to read your book!
January 28, 2021 at 7:29 pm
EmmieRWerner
Great idea. Going to take a look ❤️Thank you!
January 28, 2021 at 7:33 pm
kirstenbockblog
Wonderful to learn about so many different book origins!
January 28, 2021 at 7:38 pm
yvonne pearson
So many wonderful ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 7:52 pm
Jeannette Suhr
Thank you for the reminder to combine different ideas into one story and for the wonderful examples from Picture Book Scribblers. I can’t wait to read all the books that you cited and work on combining my ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 7:56 pm
clairebobrow
It is so helpful to see real examples of how people combined ideas and came up with fresh and exciting concepts. Thank you, Sita, and congrats on Birds of a Feather – can’t wait to read it!
January 28, 2021 at 8:01 pm
Sara Trofa
Thank you, Sita, I can’t wait to read all those books!
January 28, 2021 at 8:03 pm
Diane O'Neill
Your book sounds wonderful, and so does your suggestion to combine ideas! Thanks for the inspiration!
January 28, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Five10Forty-nine
Sita, congratulations on your book and thanks for the “mash-up” examples!
January 28, 2021 at 8:13 pm
Midge Ballou Smith
Wonderful ideas and so interesting to see how all those books were created! Thank you, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 8:13 pm
Christine M Irvin
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
January 28, 2021 at 8:19 pm
Michelle Losardo
Great ideas Sita! So many wonderful stories to read!
January 28, 2021 at 8:21 pm
Megan M.
I love the idea of mashing and mixing ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 8:24 pm
mbhmaine
Congratulations and thanks for sharing your process. Thanks also for sharing all those wonderful book backstories. I’ll be revisiting my ideas to see if any. might want to join forces. Thanks for the nudge!
January 28, 2021 at 8:24 pm
LaurenKerstein
What a great post! Thanks so much for the shout-out! Go Scribblers, Go!! Your post inspired me to look at a few new ideas with different eyes. Thank you! I love BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 28, 2021 at 8:37 pm
steveheron
I enjoyed reading your post. One idea on its own is never enough.
January 28, 2021 at 8:39 pm
Deborah W. Trotter
Looking forward to BIRDS OF A FEATHER. Thanks for the insights from authors into the ideas that came together to become their picture books. I will definitely keep in mind the potential for combining ideas as I look over my new ones for StoryStorm.
January 28, 2021 at 8:54 pm
🇵🇪Sara Fajardo🇺🇸 (@safajarwrites)
Thank you, so fun to see the inspiration behind all these upcoming books.
January 28, 2021 at 8:56 pm
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Thanks for the inspirational post! So cool to see all the ways everyone mashes up ideas!
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
January 28, 2021 at 9:01 pm
Beatrice Brown
I loved reading the various amalgamations that led to stories. I’m looking forward to perusing my journals for ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 9:03 pm
Stephanie Lau
Adding a bunch of these books to my TBR!
January 28, 2021 at 9:11 pm
cmochowski
Love the blurbs of the other authors’s ideas and yours. Thank you.
January 28, 2021 at 9:12 pm
Carrie Tillotson
I loved hearing the mashed up inspiration for all these books! Thanks for doing the research for us.
January 28, 2021 at 9:13 pm
Jennifer Phillips
We were just talking about the value of this approach on the FB group recently. Love hearing your example and those of all of the other authors. Congratulations on your book. It looks wonderful.
January 28, 2021 at 9:18 pm
John McGranaghan
Nice post. Love how the two ideas came together and you captured that idea. Thanks
January 28, 2021 at 9:20 pm
rosihollinbeck
Thanks for the terrific ideas and the great examples.
January 28, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Corey
Loved reading all these examples of idea mash-ups!
January 28, 2021 at 9:20 pm
chaunceyelephant
Reading all those idea combinations was great. I’m going to look back at my idea journal and see what might click
January 28, 2021 at 9:27 pm
Jennifer Blanck
How wonderful to hear about the origin of your story and so many others! Thank you for sharing and showing how ideas can come together.
January 28, 2021 at 9:30 pm
Janet Halfmann
Will definitely have to consider combining two or more ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 9:31 pm
Debbi G
Thanks for your great examples of combining ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 9:35 pm
maureenegan
Birds of a Feather looks and sound gorgeous. Also, Jocelyn rocks!
January 28, 2021 at 9:41 pm
Jan Milusich
Great amalgamation ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 9:47 pm
Patti Ranson
This has lead my brain to the amalgamation of peanut butter and jam into a sandwich. Thank you Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 9:48 pm
Brandy Dixon
Thanks for adding in others’ ideas–always fun to hear others’ amalgamations!
January 28, 2021 at 9:49 pm
tinamcho
I loved reading about all these amalgamations of ideas! Thank you for sharing your group’s ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 9:57 pm
roberta abussi
I love the idea of amalgamating ideas!!! Thank you for this post. And thank you so much for all the book suggestions, I can’t wait to read them all.
January 28, 2021 at 10:04 pm
nicolesalterbraun
I can’t wait to read these. Some great ideas
January 28, 2021 at 10:05 pm
seschipper
Thanks for sharing your ideas as well as those of other authors! Congratulations on your PB! “Amalgamation” !!! 🙂
January 28, 2021 at 10:09 pm
Sharon Coffey
Sita, mash-ups are so much fun. Can make for some unique stories. Thank you for sharing some of the unique stories being published using the mash-up method.
January 28, 2021 at 10:11 pm
kswemba
I love this! I love the idea of taking are joining numerous things together to create on solid story! Thank you for taking the time to be a guest blogger!
January 28, 2021 at 10:14 pm
Laurel Goodluck
Love the examples as they are a great list of mentor texts. Congrats on your book and thanks for sharing your journey.
January 28, 2021 at 10:16 pm
ruthwilson48
Fun ideas! I’m ready to try mixing things up. Thanks, Sita!
January 28, 2021 at 10:19 pm
58chilihed13
Growing up, we would go out to one of the county parks to hike and pick wild raspberries and mulberries. The folks who farmed across the road from the park had peacocks…it was SO WEIRD to be slogging through the 100 degree heat, slapping mosquitos and hearing sudden calls for “heeellllppp!” Which once we finally discovered were coming from the peacocks across the road was pretty wild! Thanks, Sita, for stirring that memory!
January 28, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Manju Beth Howard (@ManjuBeth)
Hi Sita, Congratulations on your picture book. And thanks for sharing so many upcoming books.
January 28, 2021 at 10:38 pm
Joyce Uglow
It’s cool how mixing it up makes for such interesting ideas.
January 28, 2021 at 10:40 pm
Kris H
Thank you for your great ideas!
January 28, 2021 at 10:43 pm
JEN Garrett
I have an idea I’m working on that needed to be something more. When I mixed it with another idea, the story popped! (Hmm, popped – another idea… Onward StoryStormers!)
January 28, 2021 at 10:44 pm
Karen Ledbetter
Great ideas
January 28, 2021 at 10:50 pm
Kathiann Weatherbee (@WeatherbeeBooks)
Your book looks great! Can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for the tips in your post! I’ll have to try this.
January 28, 2021 at 10:53 pm
Jenny Boyd
Congrats on your book!…I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the amalgamation of ideas from you and other writers.
January 28, 2021 at 11:04 pm
Andrea Mack
Wow! All these examples are inspiring! Looking forward to reading your book.
January 28, 2021 at 11:16 pm
Emily R. Keener
Thank you for the amalgamation inspiration!
January 28, 2021 at 11:16 pm
DaNeil Olson
Thank you for your excellent and inspiring post.
January 28, 2021 at 11:36 pm
writersideup
Sita, I LOVE hearing about how you came up with BIRDS OF A FEATHER and all these other “amalgam” stories to come. GREAT post! Thank you 😀
January 28, 2021 at 11:45 pm
Natalie Lynn Tanner
SITA: THANK YOU for providing SO MANY examples of how authors {including you} have taken seemingly different ideas to create their stories. To read about the steps of all of these journeys was TRULY INSPIRING! You’re right: our ideas can be puzzle pieces just waiting to find the right fit to make our stories come to light (and HOPEFULLY match the picture on the outside of the box! HE!). You have helped me realize that I get caught up in thinking of each idea as individual stories; when in fact, they can become partners. I CAN’T WAIT to go back through my lists of stories and try to find story buddies!!! I am TRULY INSPIRED!!! THANK YOU!!! I CAN’T WAIT to read “Birds of a Feather”!!!
January 28, 2021 at 11:46 pm
Ashley Sierra (@AshleySierra06)
Thanks for sharing all the responses and how combining ideas work together.
January 28, 2021 at 11:50 pm
8catpaws
Learning to read…eating a banana,,,trouble with the letter R…where could these disparate ideas converge?
January 29, 2021 at 12:11 am
JillDanaBooks
So happy to read this blog post by Sita Singh! Congratulations Sita and the Picture Book Scribblers on all your 2021 releases!
January 29, 2021 at 12:21 am
kimpfenn
Great information and thanks for sharing so many wonderful books!
January 29, 2021 at 12:45 am
marynadoughty
I love all of the amalgamation examples you provided for us! So inspiring! I can’t wait to read all of these books! Thanks, Sita!
-Maryna Doughty
January 29, 2021 at 1:14 am
rindabeach
Here’s to adding ideas together to come up with a story that equals more than the original pieces!
January 29, 2021 at 1:29 am
Mary Beth Rice
I appreciate this idea to combine some of my stories into one! I have 33 ideas so far. This has been a great month!
January 29, 2021 at 1:42 am
Cindy Jeklin
Thank you so much for sharing such great examples with us and for such an encouraging post!
January 29, 2021 at 1:53 am
Peggy Dobbs
What a great feeling when ideas click! I look forward to reading Birds of a Feather. The cover is beautiful!
January 29, 2021 at 1:55 am
claireannette1
I am so excited about all of the books you have shared. Looking at your list, I wonder if most, if not all, books come from an amalgamation of ideas Great post, thank you.
January 29, 2021 at 2:06 am
Artelle Lenthall
So many wonderful amalgamations, thanks Sita🙂
January 29, 2021 at 2:17 am
Maria Oka
Wonderful post! And your debut book looks fabulous. I can’t wait to read it!
January 29, 2021 at 2:54 am
Aly Kenna
Thank you Sita for the inspiration and the insight. Good luck with your picture book launch, Birds of a Feather sounds great 🙂
January 29, 2021 at 2:57 am
savannahpalma
Thank you for sharing!
January 29, 2021 at 3:11 am
Sharon E. Langley
I like the novel idea. I’m going to be brainstorming ideas that go together in unexpected ways. Thanks,
January 29, 2021 at 4:57 am
Terri Sabol
You cover is gorgeous. I can’t wait to read your story. Thanks for sharing, Sita!
January 29, 2021 at 5:50 am
Krissy
Great story, so many examples! Thank you for the inspiration!
January 29, 2021 at 7:34 am
Debi Boccanfuso
Life is strange…I have been drafting a story about a Peacock feeling out of place…Thanks for sharing your thoughts
January 29, 2021 at 7:35 am
Nadine Poper
Combining ideas is an excellent way of creating more story ideas and also solidifying focus. Thank you for this reminder and all of these examples.
January 29, 2021 at 7:45 am
Jeanne Cherney
I can’t wait to check out these books
January 29, 2021 at 8:01 am
Pamela Brunskill
Love the amalgamation of ideas. Thanks for sharing the backstory to BIRDS OF A FEATHER and also introducing us to other great books on the horizon!
January 29, 2021 at 8:26 am
saintamovin
Thank you Sita 😊
January 29, 2021 at 8:51 am
Val McC
How true that we have an idea, then need a story, a problem, tension … Excellent ideas about connecting the ideas. Thanks for the other authors’ examples, Sita!
January 29, 2021 at 8:58 am
annette schottenfeld
Sita, What a beautiful story behind your story. Congratulations! 🙂
January 29, 2021 at 9:03 am
nataliecohn0258
Wow this was great! I loved all the examples!
January 29, 2021 at 9:18 am
Catherine
I love all the contributions that the Picture Book Scribblers have made to this post. It’s fascinating to read about the different combinations of ideas 🙂
January 29, 2021 at 9:19 am
Mary Zychowicz
Interesting post. Thanks.
January 29, 2021 at 9:26 am
Lauri Meyers
I’m inspired to flip through idea books from past years and try to glue some together:)
January 29, 2021 at 9:31 am
pbbeckyk
Thank you for sharing such excellent examples of idea amalgamation! I can’t wait to read these wonderful books.
January 29, 2021 at 9:38 am
Krista Maxwell
Thanks for sharing.
January 29, 2021 at 10:11 am
Bhandi
Thank you for sharing!
January 29, 2021 at 10:21 am
karynellis
I like your idea of amalgamating ideas to see if a story emerges. Because… hey! a story emerges. And also because it gives permission to pay attention to and capture those fragments of ideas, those unfinished bits, those seeming dead-ends. Because, as you mentioned, somewhere down the line they might just turn out to be the missing puzzle piece. Thanks for the post!
January 29, 2021 at 10:37 am
Debra Katz
Great collection of examples of amalgamated stories to inspire us aspiring writers to try the same.
January 29, 2021 at 10:53 am
susaninez0905
Thank you for the inspiration and for sharing how folks work to create their manuscripts. So much information and so much talent.
January 29, 2021 at 10:54 am
kmajor2013
I enjoyed you post, Sita. I like the word, amalgam. It can lead to some awesome stories when you combine things. Thanks for all those great examples.
January 29, 2021 at 11:03 am
naturewalkwithgod
Fun to see how other writers combined ideas. Thanks for sharing with us! –Kim
January 29, 2021 at 11:04 am
Lucy Staugler
Sita, what a fabulous post about amalgamation! My creative juices are flowing!
Thank you!
January 29, 2021 at 11:15 am
streetlynn
This is very helpful! Thanks for compiling the many book examples! Lynn Street
January 29, 2021 at 11:42 am
Cortney Benvenuto
Thank you for the post and for sharing how you got to your first book! Congrats.
January 29, 2021 at 11:45 am
kathydoherty1
I love the idea of mixing ideas together to get the one BIG one for a book. Thank you!
January 29, 2021 at 11:56 am
Cedar Pruitt
Such a fun collection of ideas about collecting ideas for people collecting ideas. Thank you!!
January 29, 2021 at 11:57 am
FrannyG
Thanks for your post, Sita. Lovely to read of other writers work.
January 29, 2021 at 12:06 pm
Beth Charles
I love this simple/complex idea. Thanks for all the examples. This was so inspiring!
January 29, 2021 at 12:11 pm
CindyC
Great post, Sita! And thanks for connecting us to Picture Book Scribblers.
January 29, 2021 at 12:23 pm
Diane Kress Hower
Congratulations on your upcoming book birthday! I love the amalgamation idea.
January 29, 2021 at 12:29 pm
Earl @ The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer
I wonder if my story that I think is good just needs to mashed up with another idea to make it better? Thanks for the suggestion.
January 29, 2021 at 12:38 pm
rhumba20
Thank you for this post Sita!
Anna Levin
January 29, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Kate Carroll
Great inspiration and examples of amalgamation! It’s such a big word with BIG results!
Love how your story came together for you! Looks wonderful!
January 29, 2021 at 12:44 pm
melissamiles1
Thanks for the insightful post!
January 29, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Becky Ross Michael
Interesting to read about how ideas come together in books!
January 29, 2021 at 1:27 pm
Natasha Garnett
Thanks, Sita. For sure there are Storystorm ideas that can be combined! Could be fun… And congratulations on Birds of a Feather. I look forward to its hitting the shelves.
January 29, 2021 at 1:30 pm
Linda Hofke
Great post. And I like all the examples you’ve listed. Who knew amalgamation would lead to so many great books?
And congrats on Birds of a Feather.
January 29, 2021 at 1:33 pm
claudia sloan
Congratulations on your debut book! How exciting!!! …and thank you for taking the time to collect information from your peers about their own amalgamation of ideas, that was superb!!! 🙂
January 29, 2021 at 1:40 pm
Rona Shirdan
Awesome post! Thank you for giving examples to reinforce the process.
January 29, 2021 at 1:44 pm
Patricia Alcaro
Thank you for the reminder to combine ideas and emotions.
January 29, 2021 at 1:52 pm
andreesantini
I’m going to try this with some of my ideas that aren’t coming together as a story. Thank you!
January 29, 2021 at 1:53 pm
Melissa Stoller
Thanks for a wonderful post, Sita! I can’t wait to read BIRDS OF A FEATHER and loved hearing about how you combined ideas to form your story. Plus – I really enjoyed reading about all the other authors who shared the inspiration for their upcoming books!
January 29, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Elizabeth Muster
Love your suggestion of mashing up Storystorm ideas. Your book is beautiful.
January 29, 2021 at 2:00 pm
syorkeviney
Love your sharing and the way of collecting and amalgamating your ideas into a story… great ideas here! Thank you!
January 29, 2021 at 2:03 pm
curryelizabeth
It was fun to read all the examples. Thank you for the helpful post and I look forward to reading Birds of a Feather. (Great title!!)
January 29, 2021 at 2:10 pm
Cristina Raymer
I loved this! Thank you so much for showing how multiple ideas can be combined to create a story.
January 29, 2021 at 2:30 pm
nrompella
This was very helpful and inspiring to hear different authors share their amalgamations. Thanks!
January 29, 2021 at 2:41 pm
Vera Lisa Smetzer
I love birds and glad to see this PB of yours! A must read! Love reading about the process of how ideas flow for others. Such a magical thing!!
January 29, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Christina Dendy (@cdendy76)
Loved reading about how different ideas came together. I have had similar experiences, and it’s a wonderful feeling when two or more ideas suddenly click like that. Also, I can’t wait to get my hands on some of these books!
January 29, 2021 at 2:45 pm
Tanja Bauerle
Inspiration and the drive to share something meaningful. I loved your post. Thank you for sharing. T
January 29, 2021 at 2:54 pm
Karen Greenwald
Fantastic cover for your book–loved your suggestions, too! Thanks, Sita!
January 29, 2021 at 3:00 pm
Carolyn Bennett Fraiser
I love the idea of joining two ideas together. I’m reworking the premise of a PB right now off of that idea — but it hasn’t clicked yet. Can’t wait to read BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 29, 2021 at 3:29 pm
JC
Thank you for your helpful post!
January 29, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Kimberly Wilson
I love reading about how all of these book ideas came to be! Thanks so much for sharing all of these wonderful examples––I look forward to reading them all once they hit the shelves!
January 29, 2021 at 3:33 pm
Susannah Crispe
Thanks for this, Birds of a Feather sounds like a great book.
January 29, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Chelle Martin
Thanks. Good luck with your book.
January 29, 2021 at 3:44 pm
Thelia Hutchinson
Thank you. I actually have an idea brewing from different aspects coming together. You up coming book sounds fantastic.
January 29, 2021 at 3:56 pm
Susie Sawyer
Thank you, Sita. It’s fun to hear how your ideas combined to create BIRDS OF A FEATHER. It looks and sounds beautiful. Congratulations, and thanks again!
January 29, 2021 at 4:00 pm
bookthreader
Thanks for including all the back stories on these books. It’s so interesting to read how they all came together.
Moni.
January 29, 2021 at 4:02 pm
Stephanie Wildman
So excited for Birds of a Feather! A peacock is important to my PB debut, too. And I loved hearing about the new books to look forward to (though I had heard of some – your group is such a positive force on social media). Thanks for the reminder about combining ideas.
January 29, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Christine @ Goodjelly
Thank you, Sita. Love all the examples.
January 29, 2021 at 4:13 pm
Virginia Rinkel
Thank you for all these choices. It is really interesting how these came to be.
January 29, 2021 at 4:31 pm
Ellen Leventhal
Sita, this is a wonderful post! I always learn a lot from you. Thank you for highlighting A FLOOD OF KINDNESS and all those other PBScribbler’s books. I am honored to be included in that group!
January 29, 2021 at 4:53 pm
Stephanie Fitzpatrick
Ooh thank you! I’ve just started combining ideas and find it such a fun process!
January 29, 2021 at 5:05 pm
Tania
FABULOUS!
January 29, 2021 at 5:15 pm
Freda Lewkowicz
Thank you for the ideas.
January 29, 2021 at 5:25 pm
Sara Matson
I loved reading about all the different books that came out of an amalgamation of ideas. Thanks for sharing!
January 29, 2021 at 5:48 pm
paulabpuckett
Compiling several ideas into the same book manuscript sounds like a recipe for a great read. Thanks for the suggestion!
January 29, 2021 at 6:24 pm
Tonnye W. Fletcher
Lots of interesting back stories here! I love hearing how these stories came about. I live on Peacock Rd and have my living room decorated with peacocks, so I’m pretty sure I would love this book 😉 Congratulations, and thanks for the inspiration!
January 29, 2021 at 6:29 pm
Laura De La Cruz
Thank you, Sita. Great post.
January 29, 2021 at 6:45 pm
Laurel Ranveig Abell
Fantastic info here! Thank you! Discovering the multiple ideas/themes in a story make sit more marketable too
January 29, 2021 at 7:08 pm
annettepimentel
An impressive array of amalgamations!
January 29, 2021 at 7:10 pm
storiesbythesea
Such a rich post and how lovely to share the spotlight with your fellow authors. Look forward to all the new books! I have a soft spot for peacocks, so can’t wait to see yours!
January 29, 2021 at 7:21 pm
Patricia Tiffany Morris
fun collaboration of authors. How lovely to see others upcoming books, too. Thanks
January 29, 2021 at 8:01 pm
Prairie Garden Girl
Thank you for sharing this amazing challenge, Amanda! Time to create a Haiku poem.
Suzy Leopold
January 29, 2021 at 8:04 pm
Prairie Garden Girl
Apologies! The above post is in error.
January 29, 2021 at 8:09 pm
Kaye Baillie
So many great examples! Thanks Sita!
January 29, 2021 at 9:29 pm
Buffy Silverman
I loved reading about the multiple inspirations for all these stories–great post!
January 29, 2021 at 9:49 pm
iefaber
Oh this could be fun mashing up my story ideas! love it! Thank you for putting all those examples together.
January 29, 2021 at 10:20 pm
authorlauralavoie
This was fun, Sita! Looking forward to your book!
January 29, 2021 at 10:21 pm
writeremmcbride
Congratulations on your coming publication, Sita! Thank you for the great post, as well as the fine examples you have provided. You are right, that having a story is not the same as having a story AND a genuine reason for writing it and a need to write it. Thank you for suggesting we combine our ideas and inspiration for them. It will make a much stronger manuscript.
January 29, 2021 at 11:15 pm
Shannon McPherson
So many ideas were sparked by this post! Thank you…love the idea of amalgamating ideas.
January 30, 2021 at 12:06 am
Dina Ticas
Thank you for the encouragement Sita!
January 30, 2021 at 12:47 am
Janet Smart
Thanks for the helpful ideas!
January 30, 2021 at 12:47 am
cravevsworld
So many helpful examples. Thank you!
January 30, 2021 at 12:50 am
Sarah Lane
This was really helpful, thanks Sita 😊
January 30, 2021 at 12:50 am
Anna Brooks
Thank you for sharing so many wonderful examples of this approach!
January 30, 2021 at 1:30 am
Jose Cruz
Thank you for this lovely peek into the creative process of you and your colleagues, Sita. It’s interesting how we always see picture books and other artistic endeavors as the finished product on the shelf, assuming that the story before us was born in the way we see it now. Peeling back the curtain as you have with this post reveals that story-making is a sometimes long and cumulative process. One idea building upon another over a stretch of time until the rich, fully layered story is finally realized. Happy debuts to you and your group mates!
January 30, 2021 at 3:25 am
rjtraxel
Great idea. Thanks for all the samples.
January 30, 2021 at 3:39 am
Meli Glickman
What a great post and a helpful way you’ve shown to “stand out” with positive and productive tips. Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2021 at 6:32 am
junegraham
Love the peacock picture on the cover. Congratulations on your book and thanks for sharing tips. I will jot down these ideas, however sketchy, in the hope that some combinations might work.
January 30, 2021 at 6:52 am
Dee Knabb
That’s a great process, Sita. Thank you for sharing and reminding us we can recycle those ideas that aren’t working yet.
January 30, 2021 at 9:49 am
suzannepoulterharris
Love this idea of amalgamating ideas to create a layered story.
January 30, 2021 at 9:58 am
Michele Helsel
Now I have a lot of great PBs to check out!
January 30, 2021 at 10:04 am
Joannie Duris
Congratulations on your debut picture book, Sita! And thank you for sharing how some of your fellow Picture Book Scribblers combined their own ideas, which I’m sure sparked many new idea combos here in Storystorm. Layers of ideas can help a story reach a broader audience, and is something agents and editors often look for in a book.
January 30, 2021 at 10:26 am
Kari Gonzalez
Sita, such a great approach! I have a few stories on the back burner waiting for inspirational fixes, this sounds like a great approach to giving these stories a new chance at life! Thanks for the great idea!
January 30, 2021 at 10:50 am
Brinton Culp
Thank you for sharing these wonderful examples! 2021 looks to be a great year!
January 30, 2021 at 11:16 am
Jane Heitman Healy
Thanks, Sita! I am going to go through past years’ Storystrom notebooks to see what ideas I can mash up. Much continued success to you!
January 30, 2021 at 11:28 am
Kristy Nuttall
Thank you Sita! When my family lived in India, we used to have peacocks that would wander around on our roof and make the most interesting sounds! I can’t wait to read your book. Thanks for this inpiring post about how different ideas can come together to make a story.
January 30, 2021 at 12:05 pm
Elizabeth Metz
Okay, first? BiRDS OF A FEATHER looks absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to read it soon.
And secondly, thank you for sharing so many examples of mash-up storybuilding! What a treasure trove!
January 30, 2021 at 12:12 pm
Teresa Daffern
I love this, Sita! Thank you for showing how different ideas can fit together to become something wonderful.
January 30, 2021 at 12:18 pm
Beth Stilborn
BIRDS OF A FEATHER sounds like a fantastic way to combine ideas. Thank you for this post!
January 30, 2021 at 12:18 pm
John McGranaghan
Your story and the notion of connecting ideas are the basis for great picture books. Thanks so much for sharing.
January 30, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Christine Fleming McIsaac
Thanks for this insightful post!
January 30, 2021 at 1:01 pm
Julie Augensen-Rand
Thank you for sharing your ideas. Congrats on your new book.
January 30, 2021 at 1:09 pm
BONNIE AUSLANDER
It was so fun to see your post followed by the amalgamation of responses from your pals–thank you!
January 30, 2021 at 1:22 pm
colleenrkosinski
Great ideas!
January 30, 2021 at 1:24 pm
theresacocci
Thank you for sharing. This inspired me to keep creating and looking at ideas differently now.
January 30, 2021 at 1:39 pm
Jennifer Weisse
Great ideas. Thank you for all the wonderful examples!
January 30, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Shirley Ng-Benitez
Thank you for all of these examples and congratulations on your picture book!
January 30, 2021 at 2:01 pm
beckylevine
Thanks for all the great examples!
January 30, 2021 at 2:17 pm
topangamaria
Amalgamate i shall.
January 30, 2021 at 2:30 pm
donnacangelosi
This is such a helpful post. Thank you for sharing this wonderful list of stories created from combining ideas. Looking forward to reading Birds of a Feather!
January 30, 2021 at 2:32 pm
Laura Clement
Amalgamation, such a great word. Great post! Thank you.
January 30, 2021 at 2:34 pm
Laura N. Clement
Amalgamation, such a great word. Thank you for your post. Fun!
January 30, 2021 at 3:40 pm
Kelly Vavala
I just have to share with you…On my second page of thoughts/ideas I wrote the word Peacocks, scribbled after it, orange, purple etc different? I just wanted to write about a peacock because I love them! Then I read your post and here it is! Beautiful! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
January 30, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Nancy Riley
Thanks so much for sharing! I love how when the ideas mesh that the story just flows.
January 30, 2021 at 4:07 pm
Julie Reich
This is a great technique for adding depth to a story. Congrats on your upcoming book!
January 30, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Zoraida Rivera
I love how you united nature and meaningful life experiences in Birds of Feathers. Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing, Sita.
January 30, 2021 at 4:56 pm
Heather Kelso
Congratulations on your debut picture book, how exciting!
Thank you for sharing your fellow author’s ideas that became stories. It is always inspiring to know where story ideas came from.
January 30, 2021 at 5:31 pm
Sylvia Mary Grech
I loved your post…thank you!
January 30, 2021 at 5:40 pm
Susan Cabael
I’m having fun mixing and matching my characters + theme to find unique ideas.
January 30, 2021 at 5:48 pm
Sheri Dillard
Thanks for this helpful and inspiring post, Sita! And congratulations on your debut! I’m looking forward to reading it!
January 30, 2021 at 6:14 pm
Lisa L Furness
So much inspiration from the author samples in this post! I love combining ideas and jotted down 3 just from this post! Thank you, Sita.
January 30, 2021 at 6:18 pm
AlisonMarcotte
Thanks for the inspiring post! Excited to read all these books!
January 30, 2021 at 6:51 pm
manuscriptmechanic
I loved reading all the amalgamation examples from picture book authors. Thank you for sharing them!
January 30, 2021 at 7:06 pm
Amy M. Miller
Sita, your post in making my mind race with ideas! Thanks for all of the examples from recent books. Can’t wait to read your book. They’re aren’t many peacock books so I’m glad you wrote yours.
January 30, 2021 at 9:42 pm
Amy Bradshaw
Congratulations on your picture book! I was fascinated with peacocks as a young child and loved to collect the feathers. I am looking forward to reading it!
January 30, 2021 at 10:03 pm
Michelle H.Losardo
Sita, thank you for sharing your thoughts about combining ideas to inspire new stories as for sharing your list of stories by which were born in this manner! Looking forward to reading BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 30, 2021 at 10:08 pm
jennyb_writes
I am walking away with a sizable list of ideas from storystorm, but some feel incomplete. Thank you for the suggestion to pair them together, to see what they might become. Congrats on your upcoming book!
January 30, 2021 at 10:52 pm
Ave Maria Cross
Mixing and matching ideas is a great idea! Can’t wait to read BIRDS of a FEATHER, Sita Singh! Keep shining!
January 30, 2021 at 10:57 pm
Sallye O'Rourke
amalgamation–great idea and fun to say!
January 30, 2021 at 11:54 pm
Melissa Warren
Great advice on using multiple ideas and blending them together.
January 31, 2021 at 12:07 am
Gaby
Sita, you are so generous sharing with examples and how combined ideas could works to create a story. I learn a lot, thanks!!! Birds of a Feather is an excellent example. Congrats on your book!!!
January 31, 2021 at 2:58 am
ingridboydston
My daughter loves peacocks AND she has had trouble finding birds of a feather. I hope to get to read your book soon.
January 31, 2021 at 8:24 am
Cheryl Kula
I liked how you showed other authors combining ideas. Time to come through my stack.
January 31, 2021 at 9:09 am
littleredstoryshed
Birds of a Feather sounds wonderful! Interesting post on combining ideas. Thank you.
January 31, 2021 at 9:28 am
Laura Purdie Salas
Thanks for the long list of examples–and your book looks beautiful!
January 31, 2021 at 9:31 am
acottykid
Thank you for sharing.
January 31, 2021 at 9:34 am
doreenrobinson
I love the idea of combining ideas and the book examples you gave. Thanks fir this post and congrats on your book!
January 31, 2021 at 9:59 am
yangmommy
No one idea stands alone; it’s stronger with other ideas around it:) I loved reading about all the different amalgamation stories above! Each & every book sounds fascinating & I can’t wait to read.
January 31, 2021 at 11:23 am
Melanie Ellsworth
So much fun to see how all these writers combine ideas and create stories! Thanks for sharing, Sita.
January 31, 2021 at 11:49 am
writeknit
When ideas click it is a wonderful thing, thank you for sharing all of these fabulous stories that “clicked”. 🙂
January 31, 2021 at 11:54 am
Megan Litwin
This was very inspiring to me, as I stare at a month’s worth of ideas that are quite often just titles, words, phrases, and shreds of random things that just seem to grab me. Love seeing that kind of thing come together in Birds of a Feather, and other stories too!
January 31, 2021 at 12:00 pm
jimchaize1
Loved reading about all the upcoming books that included an amalgamation of ideas. Thanks, Sita.
January 31, 2021 at 12:14 pm
heatherbell37
Love the idea of combining ideas to make a story and ALL of these upcoming books sound incredible!
January 31, 2021 at 12:26 pm
Susan Schade
Thank you for the inspiration! I love hearing the story behind your stories. Can’t wait to read BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 31, 2021 at 12:58 pm
kristindudish
Thank you for sharing the inspiration that got your heart pounding and imagination soaring! I’m looking forward to reading BIRDS OF A FEATHER!
January 31, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Wendy Greenley
This really illustrates the idea that stories are everywhere. Looking forward to studying these upcoming books.
January 31, 2021 at 3:36 pm
Michelle Kashinsky
Great ideas, thank you!
January 31, 2021 at 4:14 pm
Melissa McDaniel
Thank you, Sita!
January 31, 2021 at 4:19 pm
Anne LeBlanc Gr 4/5 teacher 🇨🇦📚❤️✍️🖖😃 (@AnneLeBlanc2)
Combining ideas is amazing – I used to think I needed to keep it simple for picture books – but the more complex the better. The kids can handle it!
January 31, 2021 at 4:40 pm
Sondra Z
I’m no math expert, but I’m pretty sure applying this combo technique will increase my story ideas by a zillion!
January 31, 2021 at 5:00 pm
dlapmandi
Combining ideas to complete a picture book sounds like an interesting concept. Thanks for the post.
January 31, 2021 at 5:12 pm
Renata Wurster
Well, I’m going to look at my list right now and play with combos!
January 31, 2021 at 5:24 pm
Naria Gaarder
Looking forward to reading your stories! It’s always interesting to hear where a story idea comes from.
January 31, 2021 at 6:24 pm
Kristin Sawyer
Helpful examples, thank you. 🙂
I look forward to trying this strategy.
January 31, 2021 at 7:01 pm
Laura Renauld
I love the cover of your book! Can’t wait to read it.
January 31, 2021 at 7:41 pm
teacherwriteracker
So many great stories to look forward to!
January 31, 2021 at 7:46 pm
Bettie Boswell
What a great way to develop the theme and purpose with a fun story. Thank you for sharing.
January 31, 2021 at 7:50 pm
Debbie Meyer
You’ve got my brain percolating, Sita! Thank you. Fabulous post.
January 31, 2021 at 9:57 pm
Jen Walsh Hawks
The examples were great! Thank you!
January 31, 2021 at 10:49 pm
Mary Worley
Thanks for including all the examples. It really helped me think through the layers for stories.
January 31, 2021 at 11:30 pm
Jolene Ballard Gutiérrez
Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Sita! And yay! So many exciting books coming soon!
January 31, 2021 at 11:39 pm
Rebekah Lowell
Love this idea of combining ideas! Looking forward to reading BIRDS. Congrats!
February 1, 2021 at 1:20 am
Jennifer Broedel (@JBroedelAuthor)
BIRDS OF A FEATHER looks stunning! Congratulations! After reflecting on several posts that encourage the combining of ideas to create new ideas, it seems to be a really effective method. Thanks for your thoughts on it!
February 1, 2021 at 1:27 am
KRISTI BARTHOLOMEW
Wow, Sita- this post was awesome… and SPOOKY: I have been writing a picture book MS inspired by my Grandma, who LOVED birds! She had a bird room and fed the outdoor birds, too. My grandparents even had PEACOCKS… and until recently the working title for my book was BIRDS OF A FEATHER! I could not believe it when I read this! The story has evolved- I omitted the peacocks, even though they are a real memory… and I have a new title and heart of my story- based on personal memories and an amalgamation of all kinds of things from my mom’s childhood and mine! Thank you!! Loved this post!
February 1, 2021 at 1:32 am
Sensitive and Extraordinary Kids
Looking forward to reading your gorgeous book!
February 1, 2021 at 2:44 am
Lisa Kingsford
It is so exciting when ideas suddenly click and imagination flows like that. Thank you for sharing the path to your story.
February 1, 2021 at 3:21 am
Rachel S. Hobbs Gunn
That was interesting, thanks!
February 1, 2021 at 3:35 am
Jennifer
Thanks for sharing so many stories about stories! Good inspiration. 😊
February 1, 2021 at 7:06 am
Melissa Trempe is writing (@melissa_trempe)
So fun to read! Thank you for the inspiration! Congrats on all your success!
February 1, 2021 at 8:22 am
srkckass
Thanks for the suggestion of combining ideas!
February 1, 2021 at 11:10 am
Kathy Berman
So interesting to read the inspiration for many stories. It definitely has me in the planning stages for a new idea. Thanks.
February 1, 2021 at 11:52 am
Jennifer Skene
Very interesting and inspiring post. Thank you!
February 1, 2021 at 12:34 pm
Elizabeth Duncan
This was an inspiring post. Thanks.
February 1, 2021 at 1:36 pm
Sarah Noble
Inspiring post! I love the idea of pushing two ideas together. It’s also a great reminder that no work is wasted!
February 1, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Jen (aka RandomlyGenerated)
Thanks for the prompt!
February 1, 2021 at 1:58 pm
Jen (aka RandomlyGenerated)
Story combinations are a great way to start thinking
February 1, 2021 at 2:36 pm
esharifzadeh
❤❤❤❤ fun ideas!!
February 1, 2021 at 2:38 pm
laurazarrin
This book looks so beautiful!
February 1, 2021 at 3:54 pm
allyenz
“All my ideas come from real life experiences.” I love that, and it is true for me as well. A lot of my ideas come from questions I have, and I love to try to write my way to an answer, or at least a resolution. Congratulations on your debut book! Look forward to reading it.
February 1, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Nina Nolan
Thank you for your great post. And for all the examples you gave of combined ideas. 🙂
February 1, 2021 at 7:16 pm
Alicia Z. Klepeis
Great ideas for combining different elements and ideas into PBs. Loved all the examples you gave!
February 1, 2021 at 8:51 pm
jeanjames926
I really appreciated this post on amalgamations. It has generated a lot of ideas for me. Thank you Sita. Looking forward to reading Birds of a Feather.
February 1, 2021 at 9:17 pm
thedandelionzoo
Great ideas! Thank you!
February 1, 2021 at 10:36 pm
kmshelley
Thanks for this helpful post with great ideas!
February 1, 2021 at 11:32 pm
Beth Elliott
Peacocks! Birds of a Feather looks beautiful and I can’t wait to read it. Thank you for your very generous post!
February 1, 2021 at 11:37 pm
Meghan Burch
Thank you for the reminder to try putting multiple ideas together!
February 2, 2021 at 8:18 am
Audrey
Love all of the examples, Sita. And I LOVE peacocks!
February 2, 2021 at 11:56 am
Judy Sobanski
Thank you for the suggestion of combining ideas. The examples were very helpful as well.
February 2, 2021 at 1:42 pm
Lynne Marie
What an amazing post and amazing book! We have such talent here in South Florida 🙂 (((HUGS)))
February 2, 2021 at 1:45 pm
Naomi Gruer
Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing books that combine different ideas!
February 2, 2021 at 11:44 pm
mandyyokim
Thanks for the inspiration, Sita!
February 3, 2021 at 11:47 am
jessica shaw
Congratulations on your upcoming debut picture book, Sita! Thanks for the inspiration!
February 3, 2021 at 4:33 pm
Yehudit Sarah
Thanks for suggesting combining two or three ideas. It’s fun and intriguing.
February 3, 2021 at 4:54 pm
Tasha Hilderman
I have an old draft featuring a peacock–perhaps I will morph him into something else and meld with another ms? Thanks for the inspiration.
February 3, 2021 at 5:38 pm
Helen Lysicatos
Thank you for the wonderful post!
February 5, 2021 at 6:18 am
sylviaichen
So cool how inspiration can strike and combine in so many different ways. Thank you for sharing so many great examples!
February 5, 2021 at 7:51 pm
Dea Brayden
Thanks for including the real-life examples from Picture Book Scribblers! Nice post.
February 5, 2021 at 9:51 pm
KASteed
Thanks for sharing books that combine
February 6, 2021 at 12:10 am
Lindsay Brayden Ellis
Love this. My wheels are turning. Thanks.
February 8, 2021 at 3:18 pm
Kelly Conroy
Great idea! Maybe I’ll put all my ideas on index cards and shuffle them up. Thanks!
February 9, 2021 at 10:29 pm
Stephanie D Jones
Amalgamate, amalgamate – a great way to end Storystorm, by thinking of how things combine!