KidLit in Color is a group of traditionally published BIPOC creatives who write picture books, early readers, chapter books, and middle grade novels. We nurture, amplify diverse voices, and advocate for equitable representation in the publishing industry. Some of our members have decided to share the ideas and inspiration that sparked their stories, featuring BIPOC characters. Whether you’re writing about BIPOC characters or not, you’ll gain new story ideas to add to your Storystorm list.
Valerie Bolling: Focus on Family
RAINBOW DAYS: THE GRAY DAY, illustrated by Kai Robinson (Scholastic, May 2, 2023), was inspired by my nieces. The main character’s name is Zoya, which is a combination of my nieces’ names, Zorah and Anyah. Zorah loves to read and write, and Anyah loves art. Zoya is a character who loves to create art with her dog, Coco. I channel Anyah when I think about the art projects that Zoya would enjoy delving into with Coco by her side. Anyah paints beautifully, so in THE GRAY DAY, the first book in this early reader series, readers will get to see Zoya exhibit her painting skills. And similar to Anyah, Zoya loves sparkles, so glitter is a complement to much of her art!
- Storystorm Idea:
Who in your family might provide inspiration for a story? Is it a nephew who always makes you laugh? Is it a quirky aunt who gives gifts that no one really wants? Is it a grandfather who’s so warm and loving that all of the kids want to sit next to him on the couch? Is it a cousin who has a unique hobby that you’d like to know more about? Is there another family you know that has some interesting characters you could write about? Exaggerating is welcome and encouraged!
Alyssa Reynoso-Morris: Family, Food and Love
PLATANOS ARE LOVE, illustrated by Mariyah Rahman (Atheneum Books under S&S, April 11, 2023), was inspired by my childhood experiences cooking with my grandmother. It is a delicious picture book about the ways plantains shape Latinx culture, community, and family, told through a young girl’s experiences in the kitchen with her abuela. The main character, Esme, was named after one of my grandmother’s Esmeralda. I also chose this name for her because Esme means love and LOVE is the main theme of this book. Esme learns about her ancestors and how platanos (plantains) are more than just food.
- Storystorm Idea:
Think of the storytellers in your life. Think of fun things you do together. Think about the stories they shared with you. Think of the stories you made up together. For me—my Abuela—is my inspiration. Everyone knew her for her stories and the animated way in which she retold them. As I got older I would often join her in retelling her tales. When she passed away, writing down our stories was my way of keeping her memory alive. When I need inspiration I often think of her and the stories we used to share together.
My grandmother grew up in an impoverished town in the Dominican Republic. She had a second grade education because in her generation girls were meant to be married off and not invested in. She taught herself to read and write by memorizing the Bible. She was not a “writer” in the traditional sense but she was the best storyteller because she could make you laugh and cry and feel so many emotions all at once. She was captivating and to know that two generations later I get to publish my version of our stories brings me immeasurable joy.
Kaitlyn Wells: Mine Your Emotions
I wrote my first picture book as an exploration of my painful childhood experiences growing up Black biracial in Texas—but from the perspective of my dog. A FAMILY LOOKS LIKE LOVE, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud (Penguin Random House/Flamingo Books, May 2022) also highlights the joy of knowing you’re loved no matter what you look like. To make that connection more accessible to young readers, I remembered that my own dog Sutton looks completely different from her own family, too. She’s also a dog who sees the best in everyone. Telling a difficult story with my pup as the conduit fit perfectly with the premise, and also made the story a bit easier to write.
- Storystorm Idea:
Mine your childhood emotions for the rawest experience you can remember. To help bring those difficult feelings to the forefront, grab a token to root yourself in yesteryear. It can be craft dough, a Ring Pop, a favorite song from the second grade, or anything that’ll help those memories reappear. Sit in the emotions as you draw a mental memory map of what situations, people and places sparked them. Then you can start to build out scenes around them until you have the framework of a story. I like using this “heart mapping method” because it gives my writing a certain level of authenticity that I couldn’t achieve otherwise. It’s not easy to do because our emotions can physically and mentally drain us. But with some practice you’ll learn to welcome the experience rather than run from it.
Natasha Khan Kazi: A Needed Character
When my children entered preschool, I asked their teachers if we could share Ramadan in the classroom. My then four-year-old wanted to share old and new traditions, and I couldn’t find a book that encompassed everything we were looking for. That’s how MOON’S RAMADAN (Versify / HarperCollins 2023) was first drafted. It began as a first-person POV poem, essentially a love letter to Ramadan. I let the draft sit for weeks as I contemplated what was missing. The answer was holiday magic, what I needed as a Muslim child and what my kids need now. Ramadan doesn’t have the imaginative characters of Christmas or Easter. The story needed to be told from the POV of Moon, my magical main character, as she visited diverse families all over the world.
- Storystorm Idea:
Brainstorm the characters and stories you needed as a child or the children in your life might need now. Don’t forget to mine your memories for the magic you needed, too. Let those real world events plus imaginative elements simmer and see what you cook up!
Aya Khalil: Favorite Family Traditions
My inspiration for my characters are my grandmothers and mom. In this intergenerational story, Zain, a young boy and his grandma bake Eid cookies, ka’ak. I have memories baking with my grandmother when she used to visit us from Egypt. It wasn’t perfect and it was messy, but there was always love and fun involved. Zain reminds me a lot of my own seven year old son because of his love for his grandma and lack of patience!
- Storystorm Idea:
What are some of your favorite traditions with your families? Especially holiday traditions, are there special treats you baked together with your family and shared with others? How did those traditions make you feel? Try to remember all of the senses involved: smell, texture, sounds around you in the kitchen and home during those moments.
Alliah L. Agostini: Mix Memories with Wonder
The protagonist of BIG TUNE: Rise of the Dancehall Prince, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice (FSG, March 2023) was partially inspired by my Jamaican-American husband. I was working on another dance/music-focused manuscript that just wasn’t gelling when a friend/critique partner asked “What if one of the kids was too shy to dance?”. That made me think of my husband, the best dancer I know. But he’d always recollect being too shy to dance at family parties in 80’s/90’s Brooklyn, so his goal-oriented, math-loving side redirected him to lay low and collect cans and bottles to return and earn his own money, instead. This gave birth to BIG TUNE, a story that celebrates quiet yet tenacious kids, while also reflecting our Caribbean heritage.
- Storystorm Idea:
Ask What If?. If you’re working on a fiction manuscript with an essence that you love, but something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to take a variable of the story and start considering other options. Perhaps it’s the setting or the time period, the central conflict, or even an attribute about the main character. Inevitably other parts of the story will have to evolve in order to support this shift, but have fun! Note: if it’s non-fiction, you can do the same. Although facts are facts, there are a number of different approaches to the same story. Asking those ‘what-if’ questions might uncover fascinating, unexpected under shared truths!
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow: Write the Story That Heals You
I write for kids but I write for me too.
Whether it’s reclaiming names, undoing harmful single stories about Muslims, or working through Black pain to assert Black joy, I write to heal and that has often produced my most resonant stories.
Two weeks after my father’s death, I sat down to write SALAT IN SECRET (illustrated by Hatem Aly, Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster, June 2023). It also happened to be two weeks before my youngest child’s seventh birthday, a religiously significant year when Muslim children are encouraged to commit to salat or praying five times a day. I thought of my deeply religious Muslim father who performed salat everywhere even on the street as a chauffeur, cab driver, and ice cream man and how excited he would have been for his grandson. My balm was writing Muhammad who is determined to pray all five prayers when his unapologetic Muslim father gifts him a salat rug on his seventh birthday. However, too shy to ask for a place at school, Muhammad tries to find a secret place as many Muslim kids and adults like me do–another wound I needed to heal.
- Storystorm Idea:
What are your wounds? Don’t be afraid to list out your pain. Children experience painful moments and need stories that speak to those too. Lay it out on paper, then write the story your inner child needs to heal.
Visit the entire KidLit in Color group online at KidLitinColor.com and follow along on Twitter @KidLitinColor.
KidLit in Color is offering the following prizes (one winner for each):
- Valerie Bolling will offer a 15-minute AMA.
- Kaitlyn Wells will offer a 15-minute AMA or picture book manuscript critique.
- Alyssa Reynoso-Morris will offer a 30-minute AMA or a picture book manuscript critique.
- Natasha Khan Kazi will offer a 15-minute AMA or a PB non-rhyming fiction manuscript critique.
- Aya Khalil will offer a 15-minute AMA or a PB non-rhyming fiction manuscript critique.
- Alliah L. Agostini will offer a 15-minute AMA or a copy of Big Tune or The Juneteenth Story.
- Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow will offer a 15-minute AMA.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2023 participant and you have commented only once on today’s blog post. ↓
Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.
592 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 19, 2023 at 8:06 am
kiwijenny
Thank you everyone. Im going to mine my emotions and dig deeper.
January 19, 2023 at 8:07 am
Colleen Owen Murphy
Congratulations to all of you for finding the inspiration to write these wonderful picture books! And thank you for sharing that inspiration with us.
January 19, 2023 at 8:07 am
Ida George
Thank you all for sharing your idea generation and method!
January 19, 2023 at 8:10 am
Amanda
Lovely picture books. More are needed about the world around us. Thank you
January 19, 2023 at 8:11 am
readmybook2002
These are all great and informative books. Food, like music, is the cultural glue to bind everyone together. People like to eat, at least I do, and people like to sing, minus my screechy high notes. Food and song belong together. Thank you for making learning about diversity/cultures easier for all.
January 19, 2023 at 8:12 am
Deborah Agranat Sullivan
Such fabulous ideas to get the juices flowing – thanks for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 8:12 am
Jany Campana
So many wonderful, inspirational ideas! I’m going to try them all!!!
January 24, 2023 at 8:26 am
Rebecca Grant
Such a variety of ideas! Thank you all for this post and for sharing your beautiful and inspirational books.
January 19, 2023 at 8:12 am
Gail Hartman
Dear KidLitinColor authors,
There’s a lot here to spark ideas. Reading the descriptions of your books makes me think how much all people have in common. Thank you.
Gail Hartman
January 19, 2023 at 8:19 am
lsheroan
So many inspiring ideas! Thank you all!
January 19, 2023 at 9:29 am
bgonsar
What lovely stories. Thanks for sharing how you got there with them.
January 19, 2023 at 8:19 am
Andrea Mack
I love all the tips for digging deeper to generate ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 8:20 am
Candace Spizzirri
What great idea mining suggestions! Thank you, Kidlit in Color!
January 19, 2023 at 8:21 am
lynjekowsky
So many wonderful books and inspiring ideas. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 8:23 am
Laura Wippell
Where to begin?! This post provided so many great ideas for ideas! Thank you and it was lovely to read about the inspiration behind each picture book.
January 19, 2023 at 8:23 am
Writer on the run
I made a list with each suggestion because they are all so good! Thank you for the inspiration
January 19, 2023 at 8:24 am
margaretsmn
So many wonderful ideas for mining stories! Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 8:26 am
Susan Jobsky
Thank you for sharing what inspires you, and for reminding us we each have stories inside us waiting to be told.
January 19, 2023 at 8:27 am
mona861
Thanks everyone for all your great ideas. You’ve inspired me to keep working on the close to me idea that hasn’t worked yet!…but it will now I think!
January 19, 2023 at 8:27 am
Laurie Fishero
This is a very inspiring post. Each of these authors dug deep inside and created beauty. Thank you ❤
January 19, 2023 at 8:29 am
Martha Hollenhorst
Thank you for reminding us that childhood memories can be powerful stories.
January 19, 2023 at 8:30 am
thecrowsmap
Thanks for a wealth of inspiration!
Gail Hartman
January 19, 2023 at 8:36 am
marshaelyn
Thank you, Tara, for asking these passionate authors to provide us with so many diverse inspirations. Jamilah’s question–What are your wounds–connected with me. I’m in my fourth year of writing and working hard toward writing a story that’s “good enough” to be acquired. I constantly question whether “I’m good enough.” This is a wound that needs healing and perhaps there’s a gem of a story surrounding that emotion. Sending all of you, including Tara, energy and encouragement for your continued success…
January 19, 2023 at 8:36 am
Sallye O'Rourke
lots to think about here! thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 8:37 am
michelemeleen
Deep inspiration surely begets deeply loved stories, great advice!
January 19, 2023 at 8:37 am
Heather Skinner
This is such amazing idea inspiration! Thank you all so much!
January 19, 2023 at 8:37 am
erinquill8
Congratulations to all of you on your stories!
January 19, 2023 at 8:38 am
Jennifer
Thank you, all, for sharing the stories behind your stories! Families, traditions, emotions, and wounds–so much there to mine. Good topics to sit with for a while.
January 19, 2023 at 8:42 am
Lynn McCracken
Each one of you presented treasure chests full of ideas. Thank you for the inspiration and motivation!
January 19, 2023 at 8:43 am
Melissa Rafson Friedman
Wow this looks like my next library haul!!
January 19, 2023 at 8:45 am
elisederstine
A wealth of ideas here. Thank you, and congrats to all!
January 19, 2023 at 8:45 am
pathaap
Thank you all for this fantastic and helpful post. I love how you followed each of your stories with your Storystorm idea! Congratulations on all of your wonderful stories!
January 19, 2023 at 8:46 am
mdk45
Thank you for these tips from the heart, personal recollections of culture and emotions.
January 19, 2023 at 8:47 am
rosecappelli
Thank you for all the great suggestions everyone!
January 19, 2023 at 8:48 am
Melissa Miles
It would have been great to have books like this written by those who can give authentic representation to their experiences when my own kids were young. As a mom and a classroom teacher, there weren’t books written on a kid-friendly level to introduce other religions and cultures and not nearly enough non-white kids featured as the main characters. This is so encouraging! Thanks for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 8:51 am
Mark Bentz
Thank you, kidlit in Color, for this wonderful post!! So much valuable information here. Wow! Congratulations to all.
Mark
January 19, 2023 at 8:51 am
Eileen Saunders
Solid ideas, thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 8:53 am
Robyn Hallowell
I’m so happy to see more diverse voices in kids literature.
January 19, 2023 at 8:56 am
Midge Smith
Wonderful books and ideas! Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 8:57 am
amyhouts
I loved hearing about your books! You have inspired me to write about my grandmother. Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 8:57 am
Andrea Denish
What a talented group! Enjoyed reading the inspiration for your books.
January 19, 2023 at 9:00 am
Toni Miller
Thanks to all the KidLit in Color authors. This is a weeks worth of inspiration in just one post!
January 19, 2023 at 9:01 am
maureenegan
Thank you all for putting your stories in the world!
January 19, 2023 at 9:02 am
Linda KulpTrout
Lots of inspiration here! Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 9:03 am
millerritam
“I write for kids but I write for me too.” How beautifully said. Thank you, everyone, for sharing your thoughts.
January 19, 2023 at 9:03 am
Erica Jensen Shiflet
Thank you for sharing such personal, meaningful advice and how you came up with your beautiful stories!
January 19, 2023 at 9:04 am
ramonapersaudwrites
I’ll have to dig deep for my “own truths”. I’m a bit of a chameleon, donning the local culture with ease, after multiple immigrations and temporary relocations. Maybe that’s my store 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 9:06 am
crbwriter
These stories are such awesome sparks. I would have snapped these up so quick when I was PB age. Oh, wait—I still am! Looking forward to reading every one.
January 19, 2023 at 9:06 am
Margaret Lea
Thanks for sharing! I get inspiration from family and my own life too. 😀
January 19, 2023 at 9:06 am
Sara Ackerman
Thank you for sharing, KidLit in Color! Many new books to add to library holds list 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 9:07 am
Rebecca Colby
This will keep me busy! Can’t wait to read these and thank you all for the inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 9:08 am
Karen Gardner
Thank you for the wonderful stories and suggestions for inspirations. As I look at my list thus far, I see that I’ve done some of what you’ve noted but that there are many other wells to tap into. (Your collective blog reminds us that the well is bottomless and that we can access it in a multitude of rewarding –and sometimes challenging –ways.) Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 9:12 am
Krista Maxwell
Thanks for the inspiration! I already have 2 ideas for today!
January 19, 2023 at 9:13 am
asiqueira1307
Very inspirational. I realized I also write to heal myself. I’ve never thought of that before. Thanks.
January 19, 2023 at 9:13 am
Kathryn LeRoy
These are all wonderful ideas and examples to spawn and nurture stories that begin from within. Each example reminded me of a parallel experience although the cultures were different. Weaker not so different after all.
January 19, 2023 at 9:14 am
Selime Okuyan
Thank you for your inspiring and courageous stories. Your tips and advice give me encouragement to not be afraid to bring mine out.
January 19, 2023 at 9:17 am
jnorland
So much gold here-writing for today’s kids and also for ourselves, and about the pain-wrapped-in-joy is ever the worthy challenge. Thank you!!
January 19, 2023 at 9:20 am
Robin Brett Wechsler
These books all sound amazing! Thanks for sharing them with the world, and your ideas with us.
January 19, 2023 at 9:21 am
rosiesartventures
Thanks to all these authors for sharing their tips and personal inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 9:23 am
robincurrie1
Thank you all! I am really loving the group “guests.”
January 19, 2023 at 9:27 am
James Adams
Love this! I get so much inspiration from my daughters. My 3 yo twins have already started telling each other stories because its such a common thing in our home.
January 19, 2023 at 9:31 am
Lucretia Schafroth
Thank you to all for sharing the wonderful ideas and inspirational sparks for your stories. Congratulations and continued success!
January 19, 2023 at 9:32 am
Azmh
There is a lot of wisdom packed into this post! I love the idea of getting some sensory props from childhood to call up the emotions and experiences before writing them. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 9:32 am
mlyablonaolcom
So inspiring! A reminder that our own lives are the well from which we can draw up beautiful stories 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 9:38 am
ralucasirbu
What a plethora of heartfelt inspiration. Thank you all
January 19, 2023 at 9:39 am
Sarah Blotevogel
Thank you to all who shared as part of this post! I got some wonderful ideas from each!
January 19, 2023 at 9:44 am
Steena Hernandez
How wonderful to learn about what inspired these amazing stories! Thank you, Kidlit in Color, for sharing the helpful examples to get our ideas flowing!
January 19, 2023 at 9:46 am
Beth Pollock
Great advice, great prizes! Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 9:46 am
Sandra Wilson
All great ideas. My twin grandchildren have inspired the Dinosaur Twins series and I have brought up a few childhood experiences in some of the emotion books for sure!
January 19, 2023 at 9:50 am
catchandi
Wow, these ideas are all so wonderful. And so many fantastic looking books! Thank you for sharing, everyone!
January 19, 2023 at 9:51 am
martyfindley
Thank you for the wonderful ideas! You inspired me to pull out an old ms and give it another look!
January 19, 2023 at 9:51 am
Andria Rosenbaum
What a great basket of ideas and advice.
I especially love what Valerie said. “Exaggeration is welcomed & encouraged!”
Congratulations to you all!
January 19, 2023 at 9:57 am
marty
AMAs, AMA or PB Critique, A brand new PB or AMA!!! What a prize bucket of support! Thank you to Valerie for name combos and craft with Zoya’s energy, to Kaitlyn for sharing her Esmerelda’s essence and storytelling, to Alyssa for inviting us to feel all the feels, to Natasha’s moon solution brilliance that mines the magic, to Aya for sensational holiday remembrances, to Alliah for pushing our capacity for seeing tenacity in the quietest kids, and to Jamilah for reassurance that wounds can heal in the pages of our picture book. You are a stellar writing consort we are so fortunate to meet in the middle of a Storystorm! Thank you, too, to Tara the inviter, the igniter, the idea inciter. (Madly searches computer for non-rhyming PBs to set aside, just in case!)
January 19, 2023 at 9:59 am
Thelia Hutchinson
Excellent post. Excellent ideas. A motivating piece to generate a wealth of ideas. I’m so excited. Thank you everyone for your input.
January 19, 2023 at 10:00 am
kathalsey
Love all your tips and books! Plus your goals to nurture, amplify diverse voices, and advocate for equitable representation in the publishing industry is wonderful. The best to yo all!
January 19, 2023 at 10:08 am
Megan Whitaker
We don’t have many students in these faiths but it is so nice to have resources so I can introduce them to other traditions. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 10:09 am
rozanark
These are all such wonderful books full of emotions! Thank you for sharing your story inspirations.
January 19, 2023 at 10:09 am
Angie B.
What a rich and wonderful collections of inspired works. Thank you for sharing your stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:10 am
wordnerd153
Great advice from everyone! Thanks, Kaitlyn, for sparking an idea for a PB based on a painful childhood experience while I was reading your section!
January 19, 2023 at 10:13 am
Jessica Coupé
Thanks for the suggestions for story ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 10:13 am
Patricia J. Franz: Published poet & kidlit author (@patriciajfranz1)
So much to pull from in these stories about your stories! Thank you, all!
January 19, 2023 at 10:13 am
Carol Gordon Ekster
Wow! What a fabulous collection of beautiful books! I can’t wait to read them all. Thanks for your inspiration.
January 19, 2023 at 10:14 am
brendad101
Thanks for today’s many suggestions; I decided to go with the one that said to ‘write a story you needed as a child and add some magic.’
January 19, 2023 at 10:16 am
Susan Cabael
Such important work to create books that provide mirrors and windows for all.
January 19, 2023 at 10:20 am
hannahannkrueger
Love all this!
January 19, 2023 at 10:21 am
Joy Wieder
Thank you for sharing your stories, inspirations, and ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 10:21 am
Pamela S Swanson
So many ideas and lovely stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:26 am
LRHeffner
This is wonderful, kidlit in color! Thank you for sharing your inspiring ideas that turned into beautiful stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:27 am
gpbellbooks
Wonderful post! Congratulations, everyone!
January 19, 2023 at 10:29 am
Christine Ottaviano Shestak
What a wonderful way of teaching children about the similarities and diversities in our world!
January 19, 2023 at 10:29 am
Gabriella Aldeman
I love all your stories! Thank you for sharing and inspiring us.
January 19, 2023 at 10:34 am
Abby Wooldridge
Thank you so much for this wealth of inspiration, and congratulations to all of you on your books! 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 10:38 am
Rachelle Burk
Such gorgeous books! Congratulations on all of them. And thank you so much for this helpful post.
January 19, 2023 at 10:39 am
Lauea
I continue to be inspired at the wealth of story ideas everywhere!
January 19, 2023 at 10:40 am
Cathy Ballou Mealey
Very excited to see all these amazing books! Congrats and thank you for the tips!
January 19, 2023 at 10:40 am
Danielle Hammelef
Thank you to all the authors that shared the stories behind their books and for the ideas/questions to ask myself to generate ideas of my own or to perhaps improve one I already have.
January 19, 2023 at 10:40 am
David Miles
Thankyou for this post! Loved about your stories and how you life experience inspired them. I’m already mining a few experiences to cook up new stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:42 am
Angela Martinelli
Thank you Kidlit in Color writers for sharing so much about family and love, but also pain and hurt too. Congratulations on new books coming out this year! Alyssa, I’ve also been finding inspiration in my writing from my grandmother who has recently passed and it feels good to remember her in this way. And thank you to all for the new ideas and ways to mine inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 10:43 am
Joan Swanson
I love the stories behind the books. I learned a few new things myself just reading about them. Thank you so much for all these wonderful stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:45 am
Karin Larson
Wow! Thank you all for this wonderful post and advice. You’ve given me much to think about.
January 19, 2023 at 10:49 am
Loretta Schrader
Wow, this post was very emotional. Thank you for all the advice and jumping off points!
January 19, 2023 at 10:49 am
Angel Gantnier
Thank you for the inspiration =)
January 19, 2023 at 10:51 am
Lynn Baldwin
So many great ideas! Thank you all!
January 19, 2023 at 10:52 am
cbloomy
Thank you so much for the quantity and quality of advice, Kidlit in Color! Congratulations on all of your gorgeous books.
January 19, 2023 at 10:53 am
Safa Suleiman
An incredibly talented group of creatives that I admire so much! Inspiring!
January 19, 2023 at 10:54 am
Armineh Manookian
Love the phrase, mining (our) memories. Thank you KidLit in Color, and congratulations on your beautiful books!
January 19, 2023 at 10:55 am
Evelyn Day
So many great ideas! Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 10:56 am
smithowords
Thank you all for sharing such wonderful prompts and ideas-and thank you for bringing such important stories to life in your books! I am excited to read them and try writing my own….
January 19, 2023 at 10:56 am
hansenjc13
Thank you all for contributing these tips! I love the heart mapping idea
January 19, 2023 at 10:58 am
Ruthie Nicklaus
So beautiful.
January 19, 2023 at 11:01 am
Deborah Ishii
Thank you, KidLit in Color, for all the inspiring ideas for generating stories from our personal childhood memories. As a mom of biracial children and a teacher in a multicultural urban area, I have witnessed the need for proudly sharing diverse stories that explore individuality, self-identity and belonging. I have many ideas and works in progress and your specific suggestions related to your own books will be super helpful in refining my stories.
January 19, 2023 at 11:03 am
clairebobrow
I especially love the advice to find inspiration in family members and to mine our memories for story ideas. Thank you all, and congrats on your books!
January 19, 2023 at 11:03 am
Becki Kidd
What gems you all have shared. Best of luck with your books.
January 19, 2023 at 11:03 am
Debbie Austin
This post is like seven posts in one. Thank you all for such great advice. Congratulations on your books!
January 19, 2023 at 11:05 am
gayleckrause
Congratulations ladies in all your wonderful books. This is a great way to share the joy of many cultures. 😉
January 19, 2023 at 11:07 am
Mara K Lanksy
Inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 11:09 am
sburdorf
Those are awesome prizes and even more awesome books. Thank you. Have a nice day!
January 19, 2023 at 11:09 am
Nancy Ferguson
This is a post I must keep! Each one of you got me started on an idea. Thank you for sharing your joy, pain and processes. Fantastic brain movers!!
January 19, 2023 at 11:11 am
Diane McBee
Thank you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 11:13 am
Barbara Senenman
Wonderful post. I have a few ideas already! Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 11:14 am
jumpbaby
Loved reading the ideas, sparks, and reasons for writing these books.
~ Cheryl Johnson
January 19, 2023 at 11:17 am
jmoudahi
Thank you everyone for sharing your stories 🙂 what a lovely reminder to dive into memories and to fiddle/tweak/play with what’s already there
January 19, 2023 at 11:17 am
Anne-Margreet
Great ideas! Thank you
January 19, 2023 at 11:20 am
Melissa L Lettis
Such great ways to light up the idea-scape. So many meaningful stories!
January 19, 2023 at 11:21 am
Barbara Farland
This post inspires me to look at my family’s unique history and life together, and mine them for story ideas. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 11:22 am
Teresa 何 Robeson
Terrific advice from the group; many of those tips are what I use for my #OwnCulture stories, too. Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 11:24 am
Annie Guerra
These are wonderful recommendations. I really connected with using a token from your childhood to mine and help authenticate your words as well as paying attention to your childhood wounds. Sounds challenging but also potentially therapeutic.
January 19, 2023 at 11:26 am
christinashawnbooks
Thank you so much for these personal and Inspiring stories!
January 19, 2023 at 11:26 am
calliebdean
WOW! What an incredible line-up of books…and ideas! Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 11:27 am
jpeters6248
I’m currently stuck on a few manuscripts and I know a few of these might help. Thank you for all you suggestions.
January 19, 2023 at 11:30 am
Sharon A Putnam
Great post, Valerie, Kaitlyn, Alyssa, Natasha, Aya, Alilah, and Jamilah!! Thank you for sharing all your tips and what inspired you to write your story. I learn so much from reading the backstories of how authors came up with the ideas for their books.
I liked Kaitlyn’s idea of sitting in your emotions as you draw a mental memory map of what situations, people and places sparked them and then build scenes around them until you have the framework of a story… and like Jamilah, I write for kids, but I write for myself first.
January 19, 2023 at 11:30 am
Sarah Meade
Thanks for these excellent tips. Looking forward to reading these beautiful books!
January 19, 2023 at 11:33 am
geigerlin
Ideas are already brewing for me. I find I bury so many of those early memories that caused pain or embarrassment. Realizing children today are also experiencing those feelings gives merit to addressing them through stories. Revisiting those memories will not only help young children with theirs but act to heal old wounds in ourselves. Thank you all!
January 19, 2023 at 11:33 am
janpeck2015
I love the way you turned your childhood experiences into books. I believe the best stories are around our tables with our families! Thank YOU all!
January 19, 2023 at 11:35 am
Colleen
So many go.od suggestions! No wonder you are all in print. Thank you for sharing
January 19, 2023 at 11:35 am
badwolf1625
Great ideas! Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 11:42 am
bevbaird
So much inspiration. So many incredible stories to enjoy and learn from. Thanks to all of you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 11:44 am
Adriana Bergstrom
Congratulations, everyone!
January 19, 2023 at 11:48 am
Heidi Chupp
Thank you all so much for sharing; there is a wealth of wisdom here. I especially resonated with the theme of writing words that provide healing for our inner child.
January 19, 2023 at 11:48 am
MikAdventures
Love this.
January 19, 2023 at 11:50 am
Lauri Fortino
Congratulations to all of you on your fabulous books! And thanks for sharing your stories and tips!
January 19, 2023 at 11:52 am
Jill Purtee (P. J.)
Thank you for the inspiration. This stirred up some old ideas and helped create new ones, too.
January 19, 2023 at 11:52 am
Heidi Yates
Thank you for sharing this post full of inspiration! I look forward to reading all of your amazing books.
January 19, 2023 at 11:54 am
littleseedsread
What beautiful insights you’ve each shared! I especially love the idea of “mining memories” in writing the stories we needed as children.
January 19, 2023 at 11:55 am
seahorsecoffeeelektra79018
Sometimes I think all little kids are color blind. Children love to play and make new friends. I really believe young children don’t particularly notice differences as easily as they see our similarities. Great story ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 11:56 am
Ann Driscoll
I loved hearing how you each imbue your books with your personal experiences and I love books that open the doors for me to cultural experiences that are different from my own. Thank you one and all!
January 19, 2023 at 12:01 pm
carmelamccainsimmons
Mining my memories for magic to write the story I needed to hear as a child could help me find the layer my story is missing. Thank you for inspiring me!
January 19, 2023 at 12:02 pm
andreesantini
What a great post, I thank all of you for so many wonderful ways to mine stories and to tap into our inner child, both the magical and the wounded.
January 19, 2023 at 12:02 pm
Carol Gwin Nelson
Congratulations on your books! By mining your childhood experiences, you have given a lot children the gift of being seen. Memories as a great place to start.
January 19, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Michele Helsel
So many great stories to read and so many great ideas! Can’t wait to get to reading!
January 19, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Arlene Schenker
What a collection of beautiful books and wonderful ideas. I love the “what if” idea, Alliah, but i always forget to use it. Thank you for the reminder.
January 19, 2023 at 12:18 pm
mariamarianayagam
Congratulations on all these beautiful books and than you for the wonderful ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 12:18 pm
blairmoorebooks
What a treasure trove of ideas. Thank you all for contributing to this wonderful post!
January 19, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Kim A Larson
Your books look wonderful! Thanks for sharing your helpful tips.
January 19, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Sadaf
Thank you for the inspiration, all. As a Muslim creative myself, I loved reading about Jamilah, Aya, and Natasha’s stories in particular. ❤️
January 19, 2023 at 12:21 pm
Cedar Pruitt
I love how everyone went deep on this blog post – mine your childhood, your family, what you need to heal. Thanks for being so honest and brave and sharing your experiences with us!
January 19, 2023 at 12:24 pm
Christy Matthes
Thank you all for sharing wonderful ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Catherine Friess
It’s so fascinating to read how family members inspired all of these stories 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 12:26 pm
effiekoliopoulos
What an inspiring list of authors and books! Writing about my own culture and family experiences is something I’m working towards in my picture books. I’m first born generation in the USA and my parents both came here in their teens. I have fond memories with my grandparents, and currently working on a PB manuscript about my family restaurant that my dad had for over 40 years. This will be in memory to him. ❤
January 19, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Kathy Doherty
I wish I’d had these books in my classroom when I taught so my students could see themselves in books. I’m off to read your post again! Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 12:29 pm
grandness
I was recommended this bloɡ by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is wrіtten by
him as nobodʏ else know such detaiⅼed about my trouble.
You’re amazing! Tһanks!
January 19, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Katie Marie
This is such a great Storystorm post. I want to read all of these picture books!
January 19, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Janel Caverly
What great ways to use family and childhood experiences to mine stories and heal wounds. Thank you
January 19, 2023 at 12:34 pm
judyrubin13
What an incredible selection of books your group has written. Thank you for sharing your traditions, motivations, and story ideas. You all have given us so many motivations to work with today.
January 19, 2023 at 12:37 pm
Penny Taub
Thank you ladies for your sharing inspiring stories about your families. Congratulations on getting your books published. Each suggestion was excellent!!
January 19, 2023 at 12:38 pm
midfreeman
Natasha’s advice immediately gave me an idea. Adding one more to the Storystorm list!
January 19, 2023 at 12:40 pm
jenfierjasinski
Fabulous post and some fabulous stories!
January 19, 2023 at 12:46 pm
8catpaws
I like the suggestion: “Grab a token to root yourself in yesteryear.” I immediately thought of something I made out of papier-mâché when I was a child. Brings back memories…
January 19, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Meredith Epstein
Thank you all! This post helped spark a new story idea.
January 19, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Alison McGauley
Oh wow, there is so much here! Thank you to all of the creators for sharing about your gorgeous books and for the tips and inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Susan Luchetta
I need to read and re-read this post. So many great ideas and suggestions. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 12:51 pm
Gabi Snyder
Thank you for this fantastic collection of inspiring ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 12:56 pm
abby mumford
So many amazing authors sharing fabulous ways to generate ideas. What a post!
January 19, 2023 at 12:59 pm
JF Hall Writes
Such wonderful stories and inspiration from so many amazing, creative authors — thank you all!
January 19, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Doreen Tango Hampton
Every book made me smile.
January 19, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Deena
There are so many great ideas (and books!) here! Thank you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 1:03 pm
Melissa Koosmann
These sound like some amazing books! Thanks so much for sharing the stories behind your stories, and for the brainstorming tips as well.
January 19, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Katie
Thank you for bringing all these incredible stories into the world, and thank you for the inspiration that with birth many more incredible stories.
January 19, 2023 at 1:05 pm
Diane Mittler
Love the connection to family history–> so powerful! Thanks for sharing these great areas to explore.
January 19, 2023 at 1:06 pm
brennajeanneret
Wow, you have all incorporated your family experiences so beautifully into your books. This is something I need to get better at. Thank you for the inspiration 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 1:06 pm
Christine Van Zandt, author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNDERPANTS
So many great ideas. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Sheri Radovich
The ideas and the authors writing these posts encouraged me to find and write about past events that made me sad or unsure of myself and writing about these events. This opened up new ideas. Thanks
January 19, 2023 at 1:10 pm
catlady45
Wow! You’ve really spoilt us with ideas! Thank you, ladies!
January 19, 2023 at 1:16 pm
Jeanne Pettenati
There are many ways to turn childhood memories into heartfelt, poignant books. The universal themes of family relationships and traditions are great for young readers to absorb and share. What wonderful. suggestions for inspiration! I feel inspired! Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 1:19 pm
Dawn M.
Inspiring! Thanks for sharing, ladies. Alliah L. Agostini, that book cover makes me smile.
January 19, 2023 at 1:22 pm
tobiasvoge@gmail.com
Hello, My name is Tobias, I am a disabled writer.
January 19, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Yolimari Garcia
Thank you all for the wonderful post! I base a lot of my stories on my family members. 😃
January 19, 2023 at 1:25 pm
Cindy S.
Lots to think about here. Thanks for the inspiration.
January 19, 2023 at 1:28 pm
Tess weaver
I feel inspired by all of you and especially appreciate your unearthing some of your rawest moments and creating stories for children so that they can be uplifted. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 1:39 pm
Shirley
What a wonderful post full of such great advice and tips. Congratulations to all on their wonderful books!
January 19, 2023 at 1:40 pm
kathleenannajacobs
So much inspiration here. Though it’s difficult to revisit the painful moments of childhood I appreciate the advice.
January 19, 2023 at 1:42 pm
jscratchley
Thank you so much, Tara and Kidlit in Color! I love how we can learn about someone’s different experiences and still relate to them. 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 1:45 pm
Danette
Kaitlyn, I’m sorry for your painful childhood, but I will be buying your book for my grandchildren who also look different from other family members. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 1:47 pm
Kamalani Hurley
This post really speaks to me. As a Native Hawaiian writer, Iʻm always looking for ways to talk about my community. Thanks so much to these wonderful authors!
January 19, 2023 at 1:49 pm
KIM NOLAN
These are all great ideas! Thank you for sharing your inspiring stories.
January 19, 2023 at 1:50 pm
Danya Vasquez David
Alyssa I so relate to your relationship with your dear grandmother- the sense of empowerment and your desire to honor her legacy. Kaitlyn I connected to everything about your story- and that cover!! So gorgeous! Excellent tips, thank you all- and congratulations on your beautiful books.
January 19, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Amanda Perry
Thank you for this post that has sparked a lot of childhood memories around food & tradition. Congrats on all of your books!
January 19, 2023 at 1:54 pm
Daryl Gottier
So many lovely books and some many good suggestions. Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 1:55 pm
claudia sloan
Thank you EVERYONE! You’ve already sparked an idea for me but I think I’ll be returning to your tips again when I have more time. Congrats on all your books! 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Rochelle Y Melander
What great prompts!
January 19, 2023 at 1:57 pm
Bethanny Parker
What an awesome collection of stories! Thanks for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 2:05 pm
nowthattherestime281137688
Thank you all for the inspirational post!
January 19, 2023 at 2:09 pm
Terry Talley
I must admit to a few tears as I read how these books not only help children feel “seen” but how they helped the author heal by sharing. Thank you all for sharing your stories and experiences.
January 19, 2023 at 2:10 pm
amandaeschcormier
I think I wrote down 12 ideas from this post alone. Y’all are amazing!
January 19, 2023 at 2:11 pm
Michelle S Kennedy
Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with each story inspired by something or someone in your life. Truly inspirational!
January 19, 2023 at 2:15 pm
michellesteinberg
So many great ideas. Thank you for sharing the inspiration for your books.
January 19, 2023 at 2:16 pm
authordebradaugherty
I find inspiration for my stories from my family. I love how everyone shared their inspirations and places where they found story ideas. Thank you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 2:19 pm
angiecal76
What an incredible process for all of you—creating, healing, and helping children experience familiar situations that they can relate to. Inspirational!
January 19, 2023 at 2:22 pm
Laurie Seaford
I have lots of new additions to my “to read” PB list–thank you! I enjoyed reading the kernels that sparked each of your books. Mining my memories, emotions, and family is great advice.
January 19, 2023 at 2:25 pm
kurtzmom548513
What a great collection of ideas! I especially like exploring family members that inspire you as well as family traditions and childhood emotions. I can easily think of story ideas for each of these topics. I also greatly appreciated each of the authors sharing how their books were inspired. ThAnks so much for a fantastic post.
January 19, 2023 at 2:25 pm
murrelld
Thank you for these wonderful ideas! Wow! Can’t wait to see these beautiful books on bookstore shelves!
January 19, 2023 at 2:29 pm
jennaejo
I love mining my childhood memories for inspiration. Thanks for sharing your stories!
January 19, 2023 at 2:30 pm
Marci Whitehurst
Thank you for these ideas to brainstorm ideas!! Congrats to you all!!
January 19, 2023 at 2:31 pm
Michelle
So many ideas came up while reading everyone’s inspiration and prompts. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 2:37 pm
jasminefang
“Write the story that heals you.” That is powerful.
January 19, 2023 at 2:44 pm
Hélène Sabourin
A great reminder that we can all find inspiration in our own culture, traditions and family members. With our personal experiences, we can turn that into ideas but it’s the direction we take with it that will make it a good story.
January 19, 2023 at 2:47 pm
donnamorkreed
Wonderful ideas. Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Leah Moser
This was such a great post. I can’t wait to check out each one of these books!
January 19, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Rona Shirdan
Wonderful personal experiences and excellent tips. Thanks for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 2:55 pm
Caitlin
I love the diversity of ideas and the specificity of the prompts or advice. So many fruitful and exciting avenues to explore. Thanks for sharing your stories, your expertise, and your inner power.
January 19, 2023 at 3:01 pm
Leslie Santamaria
These posts have such heart, and I’m sure the picture books you all have created do as well. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 3:03 pm
Emmeline Forrestal
I love hearing how each story was developed and who inspired your stories. Lots of heart and emotion here! Thank you for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 3:14 pm
Linda B
Such wonderful ideas. Thanks everyone for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 3:24 pm
Debra Katz
All the picture books sound wonderful and needed. Great story ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 3:33 pm
Sarah Hetu-Radny
Nice post thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 3:39 pm
Sara Weingartner
Thank you for this wealth of inspiration and CONGRATS on these beautiful books! I want to read every one!!
January 19, 2023 at 3:42 pm
Julie Reich
Thank you for the multiple perspectives!
January 19, 2023 at 3:49 pm
Alice Fulgione
I loved hearing the suggestions offered by ll the group members. All families, including my family, are filled with interesting characters. Loved the suggestion to think about thinking about using those characters in our stories!
January 19, 2023 at 3:51 pm
kerisagreene
Love how different all these different stories and inspirations are. Thanks so much for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Maria Johnson
Wow! What an inspirational and emotional post. Thank you for all of your advice and ideas. Thank you for putting yourselves out there so wholeheartedly and honestly. I have a “heart map” of my Greek grandfather’s death now, some seeds for a few other stories, and two comps for a book I’m querying. I can’t thank you enough!
January 19, 2023 at 3:56 pm
Ellie Langford
Each of these stories touched my heart. I’m going to try to draw on my childhood if I can – it’s pretty sad, but I made it through because my mother loved me. Thanks to each of you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Sally Hoch
I love this post! Thanks for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Maria Marshall
Great post! I love all the different perspectives and how you all channelled love and family into your books. Congrats on your beautiful books!
January 19, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Jeannette Suhr
Thank you all for sharing your lives, your experiences and methods that have helped you create an idea and then a story. All of your suggestions will help me with some future books.
I wish you all continued success with your writing and I look forward to reading your books.
January 19, 2023 at 4:15 pm
Peggy Dobbs
Thanks to each of you for sharing your idea and inspiration! I look forward to reading your books.
January 19, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Kaela Parkhouse
These are lovely suggestions. Thanks.
January 19, 2023 at 4:22 pm
Sara Matson
Thank you for sharing. Many good tips here, but I especially enjoyed hearing your own experiences and how they led to your stories!
January 19, 2023 at 4:23 pm
Leah Marks
Your personal stories are very moving. Thanks for the great ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 4:24 pm
kellyclasenwriter
I never really thought about writing a story that I could have benefited from as a child. What a fantastic angle. Thank you.
January 19, 2023 at 4:33 pm
staceygustafson
So many new ideas rattling around. Thanks for the inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 4:39 pm
Kaye Baillie
A mini-webinar! Thankyou everyone for your ideas and inspirations! And congratulations on the wonderful books.
January 19, 2023 at 4:45 pm
elizabethdaghfal
Brought out some great reminders of my family history that could be great springboards for stories.
January 19, 2023 at 4:46 pm
Stephanie D Jones
Loved these ideas for uncovering our emotional truths that can/should lie at the core of great stories
January 19, 2023 at 4:49 pm
valerieschultz023gmailcom
Each story touched my heart. I couldn’t write the ideas that came today fast enough. Thank you to you all!
January 19, 2023 at 4:51 pm
Tara Cerven
WOW, so many great ideas here. I really love the idea of looking at your family- even the extended version- for inspiration. Thank you all!
January 19, 2023 at 5:05 pm
Reed Hilton-Eddy
Thank you for sharing your vulnerabilities and showing how to turn them into creative pieces of writing
January 19, 2023 at 5:07 pm
nancykkkkk
I love that all of the authors’ ideas are about diversity that is universal. We are all differently similar and similarly different and there are many stories in that. Lots to learn about other cultures and ourselves. Thanks for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 5:14 pm
anchance
Thank you for all of the beautiful wisdom shared here. Your books look amazing!
January 19, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Amanda
These multi-author posts always help me come up with a bunch of ideas in one sitting. I was really able to mind my own childhood experiences and those as a mother observing my kids and their friends to get some great ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 5:26 pm
cbcole
I absolutely love – Let those real world events plus imaginative elements simmer and see what you cook up!
January 19, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Janet Frenck Sheets
Kaitlin, I love your suggestion about using a childhood object to spark memories!
January 19, 2023 at 5:30 pm
Sharlin Craig
Love all these ideas, especially mining for memories of the magic I needed as a child!
January 19, 2023 at 5:31 pm
mhberg
So many great reminders to mine our childhoods and those difficult experiences. Thank you!
January 19, 2023 at 5:33 pm
Claire A. B. Freeland
What a heart-felt post from a group of authors who dug deep to give kids mirrors and windows. Thank you for all the terrific ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Gayle Veitenheimer
I am overwhelmed by your tips, your stories, and your pain. Thank you for sharing and for your willingness to be vulnerable.
January 19, 2023 at 6:02 pm
horsewriterlady
Thank you for posting all these wonderful, inspiring stories and tips. I can’t wait to apply them to my writing! Congrats on all your books. I would love to win a critique!
January 19, 2023 at 6:04 pm
Christina Dankert
This may be one of my favorite Storystorm posts yet! Thank you ladies for sharing your beautiful books and for your thoughtful, idea generating inspiration/exercises.
January 19, 2023 at 6:06 pm
CatherineBrewer
I’m in AWE reading about these books! Thank you all for sharing these “diversity inspirations” and Congratulations on these wonderful picture books!
January 19, 2023 at 6:07 pm
Jan Milusich
All greatn inspirations for story ideas! Thanks for sharing
January 19, 2023 at 6:08 pm
Elizabeth Muster
These are all so good! Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow’s line gave me goosebumps — “I write for kids, but I write for me too.”
January 19, 2023 at 6:20 pm
marianariosr
Thank you fall all these amazing ideas, I love how each of you provided different options. I liked how we got so much from one post. Congratulations to everyone on their books, they look wonderful.
January 19, 2023 at 6:23 pm
Peggy Archer
Thank you all for your inspiration & insight!
January 19, 2023 at 6:26 pm
Allison Green
Super excited about “Salat in Secret!”
January 19, 2023 at 6:31 pm
Teresa Rodrigues
Thanks for the tips and inspiration, everyone, and congrats on all of your books! It’s wonderful seeing so many of my friends all in one post!
January 19, 2023 at 6:33 pm
Jeanne Cherney
great ideas! thanks
January 19, 2023 at 6:37 pm
Jeanne Cherney
liked the books too!
January 19, 2023 at 6:39 pm
Kristie J Drake
Ladies, thank you for all of your ideas. I started a little something on all of them!
January 19, 2023 at 6:44 pm
smallforbig
These are all such beautiful stories of inspiration, and the prompts that go with them. Thank you for sharing with all of us!
January 19, 2023 at 6:48 pm
Lisa Atkinson
This was fabulous. Thank you for sharing so many varied, wonderful ideas to try out!
January 19, 2023 at 6:52 pm
Aly Kenna
Thank you for a great post. l enjoy reading about the story behind the book. Thank you for sharing 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 6:53 pm
rgstones
Thank you for the brainstorming inspiration and for these great additions to my reading list!
January 19, 2023 at 6:59 pm
Dannielle Viera
Thanks for all of the ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 7:03 pm
Diane M.
Can’t wait to check out all your books and thanks for the many brainstorming ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Lauren Barbieri
Thank you for all of these ideas, and congratulations on all of these great books!
January 19, 2023 at 7:05 pm
DrZatHome
Love all of these ideas! What an amazing group of authors, thanks for this post!
January 19, 2023 at 7:08 pm
Elizabeth Wilcox Saba
Thank you for your stories.
January 19, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Erica
This was one of my absolute favorite Storystorm posts. What an incredibly inspiring group!
January 19, 2023 at 7:20 pm
bookfish1
Wow great backstories and thanks for all you do.
January 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Marcia D. Williams
Thanks to all of you from KidLit in Color. Childhood and family stories are the best whether challenging or in sharing traditions. My French Canadian Grandmother made the very best donuts fried in lard on her wood cook stove every morning before we’d visit her farm. Today I treasure and use my 1910 cook stove but not for donuts! Maybe there’s a story in that?
January 19, 2023 at 7:33 pm
Linda Hofke
Great post today.
Thanks for the tips. I now have 3 new ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 7:33 pm
ungracefulwanderer
You all brought to mind one of the most important things in writing: to make the reader feel! Thank you for this important reminder and nuggets of gold for where to look to find our own feelings!
January 19, 2023 at 7:37 pm
Trine Grillo
Thank you for your ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 7:43 pm
paulaobering
So many great ideas in this one post. Thank you all for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 7:58 pm
sharonkdal
What a beautiful post. Full of emotion. Thank you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 8:05 pm
Christine M Irvin
Love all the different perspectives and inspiring stories. Thanks for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 8:20 pm
gayleckrause
Thanks for the inspiration. The writing prompts are great. 😉
January 19, 2023 at 8:22 pm
Allison Fleischman
Thank you all for sharing your approaches. I will be creating a heart map and thinking about ways I’d like to heal and help others through my writing.
January 19, 2023 at 8:32 pm
Elizabeth McBride
My goodness – I have lots of notes on these wonderful suggestions! Thank you all for your insights and ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 8:34 pm
Mary Warth
Wow! Thank you all for a fantastic post. You have posed wonderful questions to spark ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 8:39 pm
jbbower
Thank you everyone for such inspiring posts! I love how you found inspiration within your own families. Emotions really can create some amazing ideas! Thanks again and congratulations on your books!
January 19, 2023 at 8:40 pm
beckylevine
Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!
January 19, 2023 at 8:53 pm
Ali V. (they/them)
Such rich ideas! I love “Ask: What If?”
January 19, 2023 at 9:01 pm
kirstenbockblog
These stories look so amazing and beautiful! I can’t wait to read them all.
January 19, 2023 at 9:02 pm
Earl @ The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer
Good luck with all your books. Will try to use these tips.
January 19, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Chelle
Love all of your stories and the inspirations behind them. Kaitlyn—as a kid who was bullied, I also took comfort in my dog who was my best friend. Look forward to reading all of your books.
January 19, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Artelle Lenthall
Loving these group posts! At least 3 new ideas from today alone! Thanks KidLit in Colour and Tara 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 9:09 pm
Janie Reinart
Beautiful authors and beautiful stories ❤️ Thank you for the tips.
January 19, 2023 at 9:10 pm
Kay
Great ideas
January 19, 2023 at 9:25 pm
Alia K.
I was just thinking about some holiday traditions today! Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 9:35 pm
marty bellis
These books are all wonderful additions. Mining our own personal history is a great source for stories. Congrats to all of you and thanks for sharing your ideas.
January 19, 2023 at 9:40 pm
Rosi Hollinbeck
My goodness. There is so much to absorb in this very rich post. Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 9:41 pm
Linda Sakai
Thank you for reminding us that our families, personal experiences are a gold mine of story ideas. Holiday traditions come to mind.
January 19, 2023 at 9:44 pm
heatherstigall
Thank you for the abundance of helpful tips and suggestions today!
January 19, 2023 at 9:45 pm
Laura Bower
Wow! What wonderful inspiring stories and wonderful, inspiring authors! All of these books look beautiful, heartfelt and important. Congratulations!
January 19, 2023 at 9:50 pm
nicolesalterbraun
All of these sound wonderful. And I love the name Esme. I used it in one of my MS’s.
January 19, 2023 at 9:51 pm
Paul Brassard
Oh, the beautiful stories we have missed all these years, all these centuries. You seven authors (and the 700 x 7 other authors you will undoubtedly inspire) are living proof that this world is a magical wonderful place. Thanks for all the creative inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 10:08 pm
Pamela Harrison
I enjoyed learning about all of your beautiful books and the ways you recalled the past in order to get your story ideas. Thank you for sharing.
January 19, 2023 at 10:12 pm
Laurel Ranveig Abell
Beautiful books all! Thanks for your inspiration.
January 19, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Jennifer Phillips
This is such rich advice and all of your books look so wonderful. Congratulations and thank you for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 10:17 pm
Cait Darfler (@CaitDarfler)
These are amazing stories. I’m so glad they are going out in the world. Thank you for the advice.
January 19, 2023 at 10:19 pm
Cheryl Simon (@cmsimon18)
What an impressive group! Thanks for the inspiring ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 10:22 pm
Amy Mucci
So many great books and ideas! I definitely get a lot of ideas from my two daughters!
Amy
January 19, 2023 at 10:24 pm
Amy Mucci
So many great books and ideas! I definitely get a lot of ideas from my two daughters! They always are a great source of inspiration!
January 19, 2023 at 10:24 pm
Kimberly Laura
I love this thanks for sharing. I agree it’s so important to show wounds, kids experience big things so we can’t shy away.
January 19, 2023 at 10:26 pm
Jennifer Lu
Thank you all for sharing the inspiration and heart behind each of your stories.
January 19, 2023 at 10:35 pm
steveheron
Thank you for your diverse inspiration.
January 19, 2023 at 10:38 pm
Kristen Indahl
Love how these specific experiences became your inspiration. Thank you for the wonderful tips!
January 19, 2023 at 10:38 pm
Jennifer Mills Barnes
Thank you all for your collection of thoughtful ideas for writers. I love that so many of them are steeped in family. Inspiring!
January 19, 2023 at 10:47 pm
Natasha
Lots of good suggestions/starting points here. Thank you, all, and congratulations on your books!
January 19, 2023 at 10:59 pm
Jenny Boyd
I really appreciate all the writers’ thought-provoking Brainstorm Ideas. Thanks!
January 19, 2023 at 11:00 pm
Manju Beth Howard 🌻 (@ManjuBeth)
Thank you for sharing your backgrounds and stories. I relate to Jamilah’s backstory. I’m writing a story that I hope will help heal me following my mom’s death.
January 19, 2023 at 11:02 pm
jenwritespbs
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So much great advice packed into one day!
January 19, 2023 at 11:09 pm
tinefg
Thank You Valerie, Alyssa, Kaitlyn, Natasha, Aya, Alliah, and Jamilah Thank you for sharing your inspiration. Mining close to home is great advice. Congratulations on all of your successes.
January 19, 2023 at 11:12 pm
tinamcho
Wow, so many tips! Congrats on all your books & thank you for sharing as a group!
January 19, 2023 at 11:15 pm
sue macartney
So many great inspirations and idea generators to draw on – THANK YOU and congratulations on all your titles!!
January 19, 2023 at 11:23 pm
Diane O'Neill
Thanks so much for all the inspiration–you’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks so much.
January 19, 2023 at 11:24 pm
Charlotte Glaze
I love hearing where different stories come from. Thank you for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 11:24 pm
Charlotte Glaze
I love hearing where different stories come from. Thank you for sharing!
January 19, 2023 at 11:25 pm
seschipper
Thanks everyone for sharing such great tips! 🙂
January 19, 2023 at 11:34 pm
Amanda Backof
Thanks for sharing all of the amazing inspiring ideas!
January 19, 2023 at 11:34 pm
writersideup
Memories of childhood, family, traditions and—FOOD! You can’t go wrong 😀 Memory miners are we!!! Thanks, ladies, for such beautiful examples 😀 Congrats to you all!
January 19, 2023 at 11:42 pm
Jennifer Weisse
So inspiring. Thank you to all for sharing your beautiful stories.
January 19, 2023 at 11:54 pm
GOades-Sese
What wonderful inspirational stories you’ve shared. Such beautiful stories that needed to be told. Thank you for the wonderful writing tips! I can’t wait to read your books!
January 20, 2023 at 12:02 am
Kathleen Clark
Thank you for sharing your hearts and your stories. So many wonderful and helpful ideas to get started on.
January 20, 2023 at 12:15 am
Sandy
So many great ideas! Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 12:23 am
Jennifer Shipkowski
I love hearing how these stories were inspired and greatly appreciate the Storystorm tips! Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 12:28 am
Jess
Such great advice! Thank you for sharing your personal stories with the world.
January 20, 2023 at 1:01 am
SHARON LANGLEY
Thank you for sharing…such a wealth of ideas and a flood of inspiration!
January 20, 2023 at 1:02 am
Teresa Daffern
Wow! This is full of valuable idea generators! Thank you all, and I will be looking for your books.
January 20, 2023 at 1:16 am
Sophie Furman
Thanks so much everyone for these amazing ideas! Your own ideas and books look heartfelt, beautifully illustrated, and can’t-wait-to-readable! 🙂
January 20, 2023 at 1:25 am
sabrinashah84
This is so important to me, a reason why I even started writing in the first place. What an amazing opportunity and I’ll be making sure my kids read each one
January 20, 2023 at 1:36 am
Ashley Sierra (@AshleySierra06)
So many helpful idea generators and generous prizes. Thanks!
January 20, 2023 at 1:53 am
Katherine Pew
So many wonderful ideas here—I’m especially drawn to writing about family traditions, too! Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 1:53 am
EmilyKeifer
This was such an inspirational post, thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 2:01 am
Mindy Alyse Weiss
I loved seeing what sparked your much-needed stories! Thanks for giving us so many prompts to come up with new ideas.
January 20, 2023 at 2:01 am
Natalie Lynn Tanner
KIDLIT IN COLOR LADIES: Your gems of advice and suggestions are TRUE TREASURES! THANK YOU for the INSPIRATION that has my head–and heart!–already BURSTING with ideas!
January 20, 2023 at 2:14 am
cravevsworld
Heartfelt ideas that children need to feel in story form. Thank you so much!
January 20, 2023 at 2:17 am
debbiemoeller
Thank you all for sharing your life experiences and inspiration for writing. A wonderful post.
January 20, 2023 at 2:42 am
wyszguy
So many great ideas. Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 3:16 am
tracyschuldthelixon
Many of my story ideas stem from family memories. Thank you for these inspirational strategies and ideas!
January 20, 2023 at 3:35 am
Elle Carlin
These are all fantastic places to start. Thank you for the ideas! (And my daughters name is Aine- pronounced an-yah too!)
January 20, 2023 at 3:56 am
Vanessa
Ladies, this was wonderful. You provided lots of inspiration and I love that there are so many more titles to read! I would be interested in how the group was formed; how did you all connect? Again, thank you.
January 20, 2023 at 4:30 am
Colleen Dabney
This is such valuable information! It will take me awhile to practice all these gems of advice. Thank you all for your time.
January 20, 2023 at 6:00 am
Melissa-Jane Nguyen
So many wonderful insights shared here. I loved it all and wrote down lots of notes, but really resonated strongly with Jamilah as I’ve been writing for myself too. Recently I realised I’ve been trying to rewrite my childhood in a way, and those stories are my strongest so far.
January 20, 2023 at 6:40 am
Rita Jane
Wow, team! Thank you for such a mix of really interesting prompts. There is a story that keeps on coming back to me that I feel uncomfortable about delving into because it haunts me (even though it was nothing really bad!) and you’ve given me a variety of ways to approach it. Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 7:22 am
alambertallen
I just wrote a story about the loss of a parent at a young age and adapting to the changes that result. I’m not sure it’s healing (as I still miss my Mom) but it shows others that life can be full of unexpected changes and you do have the capacity to adapt.
January 20, 2023 at 8:09 am
Lucky Jo Boscarino
Wow, today’s post is intense! Childhood wounds, grandma’s baking, reclaiming names. Thanks everyone. Peace to you all.
January 20, 2023 at 8:10 am
Freda Lewkowicz
Thanks for all the great ideas from rainbows to wounds. It will be helpful.
January 20, 2023 at 8:30 am
Monica Acker
So many wonderful books to celebrate and ideas to start churning!
January 20, 2023 at 8:31 am
mbhmaine
There are so many rich ideas in this post. Thanks for sharing!
January 20, 2023 at 9:22 am
Kathleen Lowry (@lifeontamiami)
I love all these books and the author’s tips! Thanks for sharing.
January 20, 2023 at 10:02 am
Donna Rossman
Thank you everyone!!! So much food for thought! Congratulations on all your lovely works!
January 20, 2023 at 10:06 am
cindyjohnson2013
Thanks so much for sharing the origin stories of your wonderful books and sparking new ideas!
January 20, 2023 at 10:14 am
jimchaize1
So many inspiring stories of creation, along with concrete and helpful ideas. Thank you all.
January 20, 2023 at 10:50 am
Joyce
There is so much heart in all your approaches with obviously beautiful results. Congratulations! I’m looking forward to reading your books.
January 20, 2023 at 11:02 am
authorlaurablog
Great ideas, thank you. So much inspiration.
January 20, 2023 at 11:07 am
Peggy Robbins Janousky
Although it is way overdue, it is so nice to see that the literary world is catching up to the real world. Children need to be able to see themselves in the books that they read. I grew up never feeling secure in where I belonged. Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 11:16 am
Susanne Whitehouse
What a wealth of ideas! Thank you all and good luck with your books. They sound amazing!
January 20, 2023 at 11:19 am
kimpfenn
This is a keeper for the ideas and prompts and for a couple of book titles I haven’t read yet!
January 20, 2023 at 11:21 am
Darcee A Freier
Such a wealth of ideas! Thank you for sharing the hard stuff and the heart stuff.
January 20, 2023 at 11:52 am
Christine Letizia
Great suggestions – thank you so much!
January 20, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Poupette
Congratulations, and thanks for the mining tips.
January 20, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Eva Felder
Dear KidLit in Color Authors,
Thanks all of you for such a deep, personal, touch our souls post.
We all have inner stories that should emerge and inspire others. We need to be reminded of it from time to time, and you certainly did.
Love+ Family+ Culture+ Traditions+ Emotions+ Healing+ Dig Deep+ REMEMBER leads to the needed characters in your wonderful books and our INSPIRATION.
January 20, 2023 at 12:30 pm
Lorraine
There’s much to take in from today’s post… and serious topics that appear to take on a light-hearted flare for kids. Thanks for the inspiration!
January 20, 2023 at 12:34 pm
kyavorski
Wonderful suggestions! They’ve sparked 2 ideas already, even before diving into the exercises.
January 20, 2023 at 12:46 pm
Susan F Good
Wonderful information! Thanks so much! Inspiring
!
January 20, 2023 at 12:52 pm
susanzonca
Thank you all for sharing your ideas and your books. there are so many lovely, heart-centered ideas for finding our stories.
January 20, 2023 at 1:26 pm
dedradavis
I love “heart mapping method,” and I think I already do this for PB inspiration, but now I have a name for it! Congratulations to you all! Your books are all beautiful!
January 20, 2023 at 1:42 pm
nlcardenas
Thank you for gifting us tips and your books. Your tips resonated so much for me as a POC writer.
January 20, 2023 at 1:44 pm
Jessica Milo
So many amazing tips for brainstorming!! Loved reading this blog post and learning more about these authors and their personal stories. Thanks for sharing,Kidlit in Color!!
January 20, 2023 at 1:57 pm
mariearden
OMG, so many great ideas to storystorm! It could take weeks to unpack everything in this post!
January 20, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Royal Baysinger (@RoyalBaysinger)
Thank you for such wonderful insights into the aspects of our own experience that we can use to develop story ideas.
January 20, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Penelope McNally
Thank you all for sharing your personal stories of inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every one. Congratulations on your books!
January 20, 2023 at 2:27 pm
Rafael Macho
Great inspiration, thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Jennifer Rathe
Lots of great advice. Thank you. Gonna need to read Big Tune. I was one of those shy kids and my kids are too.
January 20, 2023 at 2:54 pm
vgraboski61gmailcom
Wow! Excellent inspiration in all of these! This gave me so many ideas. Thank you to all! Can’t wait to check out your books.
January 20, 2023 at 3:10 pm
Srividhya Venkat
Great ideas from this wonderful group. Congratulations on your books, and thank you for this post!
January 20, 2023 at 3:17 pm
msaraiva004
What a beautiful list! I especially resonated with the advice to write the story that heals you. I just finished listening to an interview on internal family systems and self and parts, so this stood out to me as my brain works through to build new understanding. Thanks for the work you all are doing!
January 20, 2023 at 3:34 pm
Jojo Kasala
Family inspiration at it’s best.
January 20, 2023 at 4:10 pm
susaninez0905
Thank you for your wonderful ideas. Each of these gave me an ‘a-ha’ moment!
January 20, 2023 at 4:37 pm
susan contreras
I loved the idea to write the story your inner child needs to heal. Powerful.
January 20, 2023 at 4:46 pm
allyenz
What an amazing group of women, and an exciting collection of diverse books. Each of these books has so much heart in them, and the vulnerability it takes to write so rawly is beyond brave. Thanking you for sharing such a wealth of inspiration.
January 20, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Joyce Uglow
Coming in after 386 other comments! 🥳 Your books and ideas made my Storystorm list grow. Thank you, all!
January 20, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Melissa Stoller
Thanks for all these helpful tips and for sharing the inspiration for your stories. I am excited to read ALL these books!
January 20, 2023 at 5:04 pm
Harriet Thomas
Thanks to each of you for your tips and ideas. I look forward to reading your books.
January 20, 2023 at 5:28 pm
Amy Newbold
Wonderful tips here for digging into family traditions, emotions, things that need to be healed. Thanks so much to all of you!
January 20, 2023 at 5:34 pm
michelerietz
Thank you all for your examples of tips and things to help us be more effective in our writing. Congrats to all of you on your picture book success.
January 20, 2023 at 5:38 pm
Robin Martin
As a mom of two grown biracial children I wish we’d had books like these when they were growing up. Ty, Robin
January 20, 2023 at 5:55 pm
shirley301
Thanks for all the inspiring tips.
January 20, 2023 at 6:13 pm
Michelle Cusolito
Confession #1: I read every post and enjoy them.
But they don’t usually spark ideas for me. (idk why… it’s how my brain works.
Confession #2: This one sparked an idea I never would have thought of otherwise.
Thank you!
January 20, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Su
I love to see all these new perspectives being published!
January 20, 2023 at 6:24 pm
Anne LeBlanc 🇨🇦😊❤️📚libraries✍️🎤🕺⛏️Go Leafs! (@AnneLeBlanc2)
So many great ideas! I love Kaitlyn Wells idea of taking a painful memory and using a token to mind-map a story. I appreciate authors who remind amateurs like me that ‘thinking time’ is necessary or even required!
January 20, 2023 at 6:53 pm
Jane Baskwill
These ideas are fantastic and have caused me to think about family, traditions, and wounds. The latter is the most difficult for me.
January 20, 2023 at 7:01 pm
amckelle
This was fabulous. I came away with three new ideas on my storystorm list. Thank you! And each of your stories look beautiful. I’m adding those to my reading list!
January 20, 2023 at 7:38 pm
TonyaAnn
Thank you for your honest vulnerability, I made some lists, those might be hard to write but needed
January 20, 2023 at 7:55 pm
Pencil First writing &. editing
Some beautiful inspiration. I grow more appreciative of the cultural diversity in children’s books because the storytellers are revealing something of themselves.
January 20, 2023 at 8:25 pm
Suhasini Gupta
Thank you all for sharing great ideas and inspiration.
January 20, 2023 at 9:54 pm
alicia shawn gagnon
WOW! An unbelievable gift of ideas. TU all!
January 20, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Helen Lysicatos
That was a lot of amazing ideas and so many opportunities to come up with new ideas! Thank you for sharing your expertise and experiences.
January 20, 2023 at 10:57 pm
donnacangelosi
Great ideas and such beautiful picture books! Congratulations to all of you!
January 20, 2023 at 11:15 pm
kdgwrites
Ladies, thank you so much for the encouraging words. I understand so much more about how ideas come about.
January 20, 2023 at 11:49 pm
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
What an amazing post from so many amazing creators! I already wrote down 2 ideas in about 5 minutes! Thank you for sharing your stories and inspiration with us! xoxo
January 21, 2023 at 12:04 am
Lindsey Aduskevich
These were incredible! Thank you so much for all these creative ideas for mining stories. And woo-hoo Valerie for another excellent Storystorm post! 👏❤️😄
January 21, 2023 at 12:29 am
sarahdakin
What powerful suggestions of pathways into stories.
January 21, 2023 at 12:39 am
Renata Wurster
So important to share those stories we needed as kids and stories that haven’t been shared as much as they should be. Thank you for your stories and for the inspiration.
January 21, 2023 at 12:49 am
Elizabeth Kalasinsky
So much great advice in one post! Thank you!
January 21, 2023 at 1:35 am
jamarisinclair
There are some useful and inspiring tips here. Thank you very much for sharing.
January 21, 2023 at 3:00 am
JL
“Write the story that heals you.”
So perfect. Thank you.
January 21, 2023 at 3:46 am
Lisa Billa
Thanks to all of you for sharing the inspirations behind these beautiful books!
January 21, 2023 at 5:30 am
Acamy Schleikorn
Wow—thank you so much!!
January 21, 2023 at 8:04 am
Sarah Kilfoil
Thank you for all of these ideas. I’m jotting down childhood memories in a notebook and using your suggestions to mine them.
January 21, 2023 at 9:08 am
Linda Kay Chavez
Wonderful inspiration packed into this post! Thank you!
January 21, 2023 at 10:00 am
Bridgitte Rodguez
These are all great ideas and much needed books in the world! I often write about family and family experiences/traditions!
January 21, 2023 at 10:19 am
Jeanette
Fabulous ideas, thank you xx
January 21, 2023 at 10:45 am
stephaniemstories
Great ideas. I’ll have to go back and ponder, but right away “”what are your wounds” stirred an idea.
January 21, 2023 at 10:50 am
Lisa L Furness
Thank you for the inspiration! I was able to flush out several new Storystorm ideas to build on this year!
January 21, 2023 at 10:54 am
Prairie Garden Girl
So many ideas and thoughts are swimming through my mind. Thank you for the inspiration.
Suzy Leopold
January 21, 2023 at 10:54 am
taracho4
This was beautiful and inspiring, thank you!
January 21, 2023 at 11:30 am
mona861
What an amazing post. Different ideas, exercises, thoughts…and the prizes. Wow! Thank you all so much.
January 21, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Jessica Fries-Gaither
Wonderful suggestions! I can’t wait to check out all of your books!
January 21, 2023 at 1:32 pm
danielledufayet
Love all these helpful suggestions -thank you so much for this post!
January 21, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Lynn Alpert
Lots of great ideas here! Thank you all for sharing.
January 21, 2023 at 1:39 pm
Tonnye Fletcher
This post sparked several ideas for me right off the bat, and I’m sure there will be more. Thanks for the inspiration and congratulations on all these beautiful books!
January 21, 2023 at 1:43 pm
Jen Subra
Thank you all for sharing your inspiring books and how you got your ideas going!
January 21, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Mary Jane Muir
Thank you for all these inspiring ideas and for posting your beautiful books.
January 21, 2023 at 1:59 pm
JoLynne Ricker Whalen
Thank you all for sharing your great ideas and suggestions.
January 21, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Sandy Belford
This post was so full of new ideas! I loved it. Thank you all for sharing your ideas.
January 21, 2023 at 2:38 pm
Mary Beth Rice
These Ideas are amazing!!
January 21, 2023 at 3:03 pm
Brian Burak
So many nuggets of wisdom and insight. Thank you all!
January 21, 2023 at 3:32 pm
Mark Ceilley
It was wonderful to read about all the diverse books and how they got written. All of the Storystorm ideas were very helpful! Thank you!
January 21, 2023 at 4:57 pm
bonnie fireUrchin ~ pb illustration & writing
It’s heartening to see the diverse books coming out! We need books that every child can see themself in, the challenges they face, and the triumphs and joyousness!
As a child, my mother was sick with cancer for many years, and I definitely craved both any problem story or show that was there to give me a chance to grieve safely, and also the triumphant and healing stories that helped me see how to go on with life.
I find it rare when my stories are funny and not healing ones, so this suggestion resonates with me. To revise trying different POV, setting place and time, etc. is a great prod to push story further. It’s easy to sometimes forget character traits – that we know more about the character than we may have shared – or maybe we need to lean more ourselves!
Thanks for these and other great reminders to note for those stuck times – and to create new ideas.
January 21, 2023 at 5:16 pm
Lynne Marie
Thank you for sharing so many inspiring tips and books!
January 21, 2023 at 5:20 pm
Lisa Galek
Thank you for all these amazing idea starters!
January 21, 2023 at 6:02 pm
Heather Riccio
Thank you for these amazing idea starters and tips! I have something personal I want to tap into as well soon, and I want it to be a picture book if possible. Lots to think about in how to approach it.
January 21, 2023 at 6:11 pm
Melissa Trempe
I love all these tips! I also can’t wait to read all of these wonderful books!
January 21, 2023 at 7:13 pm
Joannie Duris
Congratulations on all your diverse books–and thanks for all the diverse tips and idea generators!
January 21, 2023 at 7:41 pm
Bettie Boswell
What a great collection of ideas!
January 21, 2023 at 8:25 pm
🇵🇪 Sara Fajardo 🇺🇸 is wrestling with words (@safajarwrites)
Really resonates, such heartfelt advice. Thank you!
January 21, 2023 at 8:59 pm
Naja Lund Aparico
Thank you for all these wonderful ideas!
January 21, 2023 at 9:01 pm
yangmommy
I love these group blogs where everyone not only shares a great tip, but it also shares how everyone’s inspiration & journey is different. Thank you!!
January 21, 2023 at 9:07 pm
Jane Dippold
Thank you for these great tips!
January 21, 2023 at 9:20 pm
Melissa Hastings
I look forward to my childhood with fun mementos to relive my youth and spark ideas.
January 22, 2023 at 1:48 am
Bri Lawyer
So many wonderful stories that need to be shared with the world. Thank you all for sharing!
January 22, 2023 at 4:49 am
Jane Martin
I love the common thread of family runs through all of these suggestions. Thanks so much for taking the time to share.
January 22, 2023 at 10:13 am
Laura Purdie Salas
Congratulations on all these beautiful books–thank you for sharing!
January 22, 2023 at 11:19 am
Heather Dawn Torres
What great ideas for brainstorming story ideas! Thank you all!
January 22, 2023 at 12:26 pm
Maria Bostian
Ladies, thank you so much for all of the ideas that surround family, tradition, childhood, etc. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
January 22, 2023 at 12:42 pm
Patti Ranson
Such inspirational ways to wiggle in and view story writing – thank you!
January 22, 2023 at 12:47 pm
ryanrobertsauthor
Some wonderful prompts in here. Thank you all for some sure-fire, idea-generating exercises!
January 22, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Shanie Cooper
Really excellent prompts. Thank you!
January 22, 2023 at 1:23 pm
iartbygina
Coming from a large and diverse family, this is so inspirational! My wheels are already turning! Thank you 😊
January 22, 2023 at 1:47 pm
Christine Fleming McIsaac
Love all these stories and ideas for finding a story. Thanks so much!
January 22, 2023 at 2:37 pm
LaurenKerstein
Thank you all for this unbelievably REAL, heartfelt, and inspiring post! There were so many gems to mine, and I had a huge spark of an idea and couldn’t stop taking notes!
Kaitlyn- this is beautiful: “Sit in the emotions as you draw a mental memory map of what situations, people and places sparked them.”
Alyssa-I wish could’ve met your grandmother. She sounds wonderful. “She was not a “writer” in the traditional sense but she was the best storyteller because she could make you laugh and cry and feel so many emotions all at once.” I can’t wait to read one of her stories in PLÁTANOS ARE LOVE.
Yes, Jamilah, we write for children AND we write for ourselves!
You are all such talented, insightful, and inspiring creators. Thank you!
January 22, 2023 at 2:52 pm
Jessica Frere
What a wealth of information! Thank you all for sharing!
January 22, 2023 at 3:33 pm
Russell Wolff
I loved the approach you took as a group to this post. Thank you for your stories and suggestions.
January 22, 2023 at 3:35 pm
Linda Staszak
Great post–thank you!
January 22, 2023 at 3:51 pm
Ann Page
Wow! Thanks for all the ideas: quirky relatives; cooking with grandma; dog’s POV; emotional memories; tokens from childhood; the stories you needed; the stories that heal you; holiday traditions-old and new…so many sources of inspiration here! I can’t wait to dig in!
January 22, 2023 at 4:32 pm
Stephen S. Martin
such a cornucopia of ideas.
January 22, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Franny G
Thanks, so much to think about!
January 22, 2023 at 5:43 pm
Shawna Tenney
Thank you for sharing your wonderful stories, and ideas for us to think about as well!
January 22, 2023 at 7:53 pm
Elayne
Wow, what an amazing group of picture books (and picture book writers)! I’ll definitely be thinking about ways I can mine my own experiences (good and tough) to connect with what readers need and deserve.
January 22, 2023 at 9:00 pm
ljtouche
I absolutely love this post. It’s overflowing with so much inspiration. I especially love “heart mapping.” I also think the idea of the moon as a main character is incredible. I look forward to checking out all of these meaningful picture books. Thank you. -Lori Laniewski
January 22, 2023 at 9:04 pm
Shannon LaPuma
Thank you for all of the posts that inspire us to “dig deep!”
January 22, 2023 at 9:39 pm
M. Fuller-Morris
Thank you for the reminder that kids need to talk about painful moments too! Picture books can be such a good tool in exploring/discussing those situations.
January 22, 2023 at 9:57 pm
Kellie
There is so much gold packed into these little vignettes – I think I got half of my 30 ideas just today.
January 22, 2023 at 10:16 pm
sketched out
Thank you KidLit in Color for the invaluable post! 5 ideas poured out of me after reading all of your inspirational thoughts and tips. Thank you also for sharing the cultural richness of your stories.
January 22, 2023 at 10:22 pm
srkckass
Wow this a great post! Thanks so much to all of you for your insight.
January 22, 2023 at 10:29 pm
Pradeep Velugubantla
Great tips! Thank you all.
January 22, 2023 at 11:31 pm
Katie Berner
Thank you, KidLit in Color! I appreciate all the wonderful ideas. The “heart mapping method” and “writing to heal” especially resonate with me. I look forward to reading your books!
January 23, 2023 at 12:12 am
Echo Roben
Wow, big love to you all for your incredibly deep (love the term heart mapping) powerful, and heartfelt suggestions. (Heart emoji.)
January 23, 2023 at 12:15 am
syorkeviney
I don’t know where to start, except to say the world is a better place because each of your books touch our hearts. It is through our children that we heal and our work for children and with children helps the world heal. Thank you for sharing your hearts with us!
January 23, 2023 at 8:57 am
Lauri Meyers
There is a consistent thread here that is writing from the heart. Thank you for sharing your personal stories with us.
January 23, 2023 at 9:47 am
Nancy Kotkin
Cultural exposure is critically important for children, but also for the adults reading these books to them. Congratulations to all of you on your publications, and thank you for sharing these interesting, relevant experiences.
January 23, 2023 at 9:56 am
Lisa Chow
These were all beautiful suggestions and encourage me to dig deeper. Thank you.
January 23, 2023 at 11:44 am
Jacqueline Adams
This is a post that I’ll keep coming back to, because there are so many great suggestions. Thank you all so much!
January 23, 2023 at 11:49 am
Ana Kelly
Beautiful inspiration ❤️. Thank you, all.
January 23, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Claudine Pullen
Wow these are awesome suggestions. Thank you everyone.
January 23, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Rebecca Guzinski
This was an extremely touching post. I also love all of the mentor texts!
January 23, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Judith Snyder
Thank you all for sharing your writing ideas. Your books are really needed in our libraries.
January 23, 2023 at 1:53 pm
Judy Sobanski
Your books all look amazing! Thanks for sharing your journey and your tips!
January 23, 2023 at 2:55 pm
Scott Wolf
Such a rich sharing of experiences and emotions from all of you. Thank you so much!
January 23, 2023 at 3:02 pm
claireannette1
Thank you for these thoughtful suggestions and for sharing your stories with us and our children. You all inspire me.
January 23, 2023 at 3:53 pm
Hank Dallago
So much wisdom from seven terrific women writers. My takeaways: Use exaggeration with family characters and have fun; turning loved one’s memories who have passed into stories, to keep their memory alive; use the heart mapping method to map out authentic memories; brainstorm stories and characters I needed as a child and what the children in my life need now; remembering and writing about family traditions, especially holidays; asking “what if’s” to uncover under shared truths; and, write out the story my inner child needs to heal myself. Thank you, ladies. I am with you in heart and spirit.
January 23, 2023 at 4:06 pm
Sandy Lowe
What a gold mine of idea starters! Thank you!
January 23, 2023 at 4:07 pm
Parvati Patil
Wow! Treasure trove of ideas. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
January 23, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Kristi Mahoney
So many great ideas! Thanks so much to all of you for the post!
January 23, 2023 at 7:36 pm
Meaghan Mountford
I adore today’s post! It will sit with me awhile. Thank you!
January 23, 2023 at 8:45 pm
cris at travelosopher
This post is like a whole library of extraordinary. I really enjoyed your stories. Thank you!
January 23, 2023 at 8:46 pm
Wendy
Lots to chew on here for sure! Thanks to all.
January 23, 2023 at 11:55 pm
Kristin
Wow so many good ideas from these books!! Thank you. Congratulations on all of your books!
January 23, 2023 at 11:56 pm
Dani Duck
There are so many amazing ideas in one post. Thank you all. I need to go over this again several times (when my kid isn’t whining in the background) to get some fantastic story ideas.
January 24, 2023 at 12:00 am
Jan Zauzmer
Thank you so much for these many important and inspiring ideas.
January 24, 2023 at 12:30 am
Tanya Svec
These are great reminders to delve into feelings and use all of our senses to find rich stories. Thank you all for sharing and I look forward to finding copies of your books!
January 24, 2023 at 1:46 am
marybeningo
I loved the Storystorm Idea section you each added – they inspired three ideas just like that! Wise words, for sure!
January 24, 2023 at 8:15 am
Cynthia Ning
Hello everyone!
These wonderful books written by BIPOC creatives is so important for several reasons, such as representation, awareness and understanding of other people’s culture, background, and upbringing. Thank you for these honest posts about the inspiration behind your books and that they can come from both sides of coin between happiness and sadness.
There is so much joy and nostalgia when looking back on my childhood, traditions and the fond memories made with family. I see and feel this love with the books presented on this blog post and I believe that they have given so much happiness to BIPOC families who have wanted and waited for such books to exist for their little ones to read and enjoy.
Well done everyone for such a momentous achievement and help making the world a little brighter with your gifts and stories.
Day 19 ideas down.
Cynthia x
January 24, 2023 at 9:04 am
Susan Eyerman
Thank you for your sharing your stories and finding a way to share them.
January 24, 2023 at 10:11 am
shyrelle
You had me at plantanos:) Love the traditions, memories, and seeing BIPOC voices succeeding. Thank you for this inspo:)
January 24, 2023 at 10:15 am
marias62
Wow, these inspirations are so powerful, mining family traditions, childhood experiences and even, our pain. This is so powerful.
January 24, 2023 at 12:05 pm
Marilyn Wolpin
Great advice. I think I may need hypnosis, because I can barely remember anything about my childhood. I’ll be looking for your books.
January 24, 2023 at 12:14 pm
Donna Marx
Such great ideas to tap into your family, memories and culture for inspiration. Thank you!
January 24, 2023 at 3:26 pm
libbydemmon
Great ideas and reminders of how to share our own hearts with our readers!
January 24, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Zoraida Rivera
Wow! Amazing group of writers and such diverse stories. Thanks for sharing.
January 24, 2023 at 5:38 pm
Suzanne Alexander
So many great ideas! Thank you – and congratulations on your books!
January 24, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Kassy Keppol
Thank you for sharing.
January 24, 2023 at 6:43 pm
Shannon Fossett
Wow! This post has lots of bang for the buck! So many great tips and ideas! Thank you!
January 24, 2023 at 8:06 pm
R.G. Spaulding
Wow! So much heart in this group post by kidlit-in-color authors. This post has already sparked a few ideas in my mind. Thank you.
January 24, 2023 at 8:38 pm
JEN Garrett
Beautiful stories and beautiful idea-generating prompts
January 24, 2023 at 11:10 pm
Yehudit Sarah
Thanks for sharing this wealth of heartfelt ideas.
January 25, 2023 at 11:02 am
Meredith Fraser
Wow, what an explosion of wonderful information.
Being Native American, I can certainly relate.
Thank you all
January 25, 2023 at 11:33 am
Annette Martin
So many ideas and great information!!!
January 25, 2023 at 3:57 pm
madhu
Love knowing where others find their inspiration! Thank you
January 25, 2023 at 4:12 pm
Amita Snyder
A wealth of knowledge and inspiration here. Thank you so much!
January 25, 2023 at 4:41 pm
Jane Heitman Healy
Congratulations to all of you! Thanks for sharing your stories’ beginnings and giving us some great idea-generators.
January 25, 2023 at 10:53 pm
Sylvia Mary Grech
Thanks for the inspiration!
January 26, 2023 at 2:25 am
Toni Weeks
Astute advice from each one of you! Thanks!
January 26, 2023 at 3:36 am
Sharon Giltrow
Such powerful and important stories. Great work everyone.
January 26, 2023 at 9:48 am
Anne Young
These books do such a service for children.
Thanks for the suggestions too.
January 26, 2023 at 1:24 pm
Shirley fadden
Love seeing so many rich picture books that celebrate and navigate our world as well as the many great tips!
January 26, 2023 at 3:44 pm
Ali Oxtoby
‘Find a quirky family member for inspiration.’ Got one in mind already!
January 26, 2023 at 5:39 pm
Susan J Klaren
I am 8 years old all over again and reliving my father’s death…..and out of that came a story idea. Thank you ladies.
January 26, 2023 at 10:38 pm
Kamilla Sjodin
These picture books and tips for generating ideas are fantastic! The more voices that are heard and represented the better!
January 26, 2023 at 11:30 pm
Eileen Mayo
Such great suggestions! Thanks for sharing your ideas.
January 26, 2023 at 11:40 pm
cozysnoozeshelf
Amazing! I read these ideas in tears. Thank you for opening the doors of possibility.
Sent from my iPad
>
January 27, 2023 at 7:44 am
Beth Elliott
This was a beautiful post. I got a bit teary. Thank you all for your honesty. I appreciated Natasha’s advice to not only put our stories in a drawer for awhile, but to then ask ourselves what is missing.
January 27, 2023 at 12:35 pm
Lynn M. Mondello
Wow! So many ideas shared in this post–thank you! I think I will be referring back to these often for inspiration!
January 27, 2023 at 2:49 pm
naturewalkwithgod
Wonderful ideas abound in this post. Thank you all for sharing from your hearts. –Kim Peterson
January 27, 2023 at 3:05 pm
Angela De Groot
Thanks for sharing the inspiration for your books, and the StoryStorm idea generation tips.
January 27, 2023 at 3:21 pm
ptnozell
Thank you for sharing idea-generating strategies and the inspirations for your own work.
January 27, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Brinton Culp
Thank you all for the great insights and ideas!
January 27, 2023 at 6:22 pm
Hollie Wolverton
What a great round-up of authors, books, and advice on how to generate ideas. Thank you all!
January 27, 2023 at 9:05 pm
topangamaria
Such great heart felt advice from such a variety of perspectives.
January 27, 2023 at 9:13 pm
Melissa McDaniel
Thanks so much!
January 28, 2023 at 7:34 am
Jamie Bills
Thank you! We are spoiled hearing from multiple authors! I can’t wait to start working on some of these ideas.
January 28, 2023 at 11:56 am
jessaroux
I had to stop reading to write down ideas multiple times while reading this post! They got my idea-maker flipped to the on position!
January 28, 2023 at 11:59 am
J. Brianne Jahn
This was an emotional one. Thank you.
January 28, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Erik Ammon
Thank you all for putting your heartfelt StoryStorm ideas out there for us, to help us. At the end, I especially loved: “What are your wounds? Don’t be afraid to list out your pain.” That’s an important message that we need to delve in to, either in therapy, or in journaling, or even (ack!) in a MS.
January 28, 2023 at 2:17 pm
Karen Gebbia
Thank you all for these thoughtful and heart filled stories, both your books and the stories of your processes, just so lovely, thank you
January 28, 2023 at 3:28 pm
Cassie Bentley
Great ideas for writing stories that heal and are needed for children to see themselves in the world. Thank you.
January 28, 2023 at 5:08 pm
Stephanie Wildman
Congratulations to you all on these wonderful books. So many of the storystorm hits resonate with me (I’m working on one, now, inspired by my co-authors daughter).
January 28, 2023 at 6:37 pm
Aimee Hiura
Thanks to your inspiring posting, I came up with 20 fresh ideas! Thanks so much!
January 28, 2023 at 6:49 pm
Jennie H
Thank you for the story storm ideas! As I read through I came up with multiple potential stories!
January 28, 2023 at 7:07 pm
Viviane Elbee
Looking forward to reading these books! Thank you for sharing your processes
January 28, 2023 at 9:11 pm
Ana Kelly
Great ideas. Really appreciated the reminder to think about the stories I needed as a kid…
January 29, 2023 at 4:09 am
Angela Turner
A smorgasbord of ideas! love it!
January 29, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Sylvia Mary Grech
Wonderful!
January 29, 2023 at 3:31 pm
hodgeh77
Thank you for sharing these great tips! It’s already given me some great ideas.
January 29, 2023 at 3:58 pm
Susie Sawyer
So many great ideas here – thank you all for your posts! Tapping into our inner child (good memories and not so good) is so important!
January 29, 2023 at 5:11 pm
Aimee Larke
Congratulations and thank you for this lovely post!
January 29, 2023 at 5:15 pm
sylviaichen
Wow, love what you all shared. Thank you!
January 29, 2023 at 6:41 pm
Dawn Prochovnic
What a great collection of inspiring posts. Thanks so much for sharing!
January 29, 2023 at 8:13 pm
Kris Hamblin
Thank you for the great ideas!
January 29, 2023 at 8:57 pm
Elizabeth Metz
A gold mine of inspiration. Thank you, all!
January 29, 2023 at 9:17 pm
René Bartos
Thank you all for sharing these great ideas, and congrats!
January 30, 2023 at 12:55 pm
pjaegly
Thank you for sharing. I am overwhelmed (in a positive way) for all the great ideas shared.
January 30, 2023 at 1:15 pm
Lucy Staugler
WOW!!! What a treasure trove of authors and wisdom!
Thank you!
Lucy
January 30, 2023 at 3:14 pm
colleenrkosinski
Thank you for sharing!
January 30, 2023 at 4:03 pm
juliannahelt
Very helpful post! Thanks!
January 30, 2023 at 7:41 pm
goodreadswithronna
There was so much here to reflect upon. It even prompted two new story ideas, one sparked by the suggestion of thinking back to a favorite song from the second grade. I love the idea of writing to heal others as well as myself. I’m pretty sure that is what fuels my writing. Than you!
January 31, 2023 at 12:29 am
Joanne Roberts
I’m looking forward to mining memories of the storytellers in my life. thanks
January 31, 2023 at 10:46 am
Johanna Peyton
This post if full of incredibly inspiring stories. Thank you each for sharing and making our world a more fair and representative place for children.
January 31, 2023 at 10:53 am
Jay
Thank you all for passing on your great tips.
January 31, 2023 at 11:20 am
Ellen Leventhal
Thank you so much for all your wonderful ideas! Great post!
January 31, 2023 at 2:08 pm
Maritza Ruiz-Kim
I got a new idea to work with from these prompts, about an Uncle! 🙂 🙂
January 31, 2023 at 2:27 pm
Clement, Laura
What a great group post! I had two new ideas reading through all of your fabulous posts. Thank you so much!
January 31, 2023 at 3:12 pm
Karan Greene
Thanks for sharing!
January 31, 2023 at 5:03 pm
Amanda
Such great ideas for ensuring your stories are meaningful and relatable.
January 31, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Megan McNamara
So excited for you, Natasha! Can’t wait to get my copy of MOON’S RAMADAN!
January 31, 2023 at 9:36 pm
Sasha
Thank you, All, for inspiration. And for reminding to look into our families for inspiration!
January 31, 2023 at 10:06 pm
Alexis_Bookdragon
All of these books sound wonderful and I love each idea!
January 31, 2023 at 10:06 pm
Ben Jeder
Lots of amazing and comprehensive tips/insights here. Wonderful post.
January 31, 2023 at 10:50 pm
KamillaM
Every book here is incredible! Kamilla Milligan, Writer (she/her) kamillamilligan.com
January 31, 2023 at 10:54 pm
cinzialverde
Thank you for this wonderful post. So many good ideas to try, and I loved hearing of your inspiration. l am especially glad to have a reason to eat pop rocks and a ring pop in the name of writing : )
January 31, 2023 at 11:05 pm
Karen Lawler
My ideas are flowing already.. Thank You ALL!!! 🙂
January 31, 2023 at 11:28 pm
Jennifer Hunt
What a talented bunch! Thank you for sharing.
January 31, 2023 at 11:45 pm
Kristin Sawyer
Thank you for the stories you are sharing with the world.
February 1, 2023 at 12:32 am
calepage
Seek a great storyteller, in the mirror.
February 1, 2023 at 12:35 am
Jocelyn Rish
So many great ideas for getting inspired by the people closest to us – our families and ourselves!
February 1, 2023 at 8:47 pm
kaleegwarjanski
Thank you for a great post!
February 2, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Jes Trudel
Not sure if I’m too late to comment. Every year I forget to comment on all the posts. I’ll post late this year and hope for the best. 🙂 Thanks for a great month Tara and guests!
February 2, 2023 at 3:38 pm
Bhandi
Family is so inspirational when it comes to story ideas. I get my inspiration from my family a lot of the time
February 3, 2023 at 9:21 pm
Judy Abelove Shemtob
So enjoyed your great ideas, Valerie Bolling, about finding the family relatives who were unique and quirky in their own right, the grandfather who everyone wanted to sit next to on the couch and the aunt who gives gifts that no one really wants. Truly inspiring! Thank you.
February 6, 2023 at 1:38 pm
Bethany Brown
I gleaned so many wonderful and healing ideas from this post. thank you!