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Storystorm 2023 Day 28: Kirsten Pendreigh Cooks Up Ideagrients™

January 28, 2023 8:00 am

by Kirsten Pendreigh

It’s Day 27, Storystormers! Phew! Feeling over-ideated? Need a breather?

Today, let’s forget about trying to cook up one big, delicious IDEA and instead  focus on the tasty tidbits that, when mixed into idea bowls, make ideas deliciously irresistible to write.

I’m talking about Ideagrients™, a totally real, and not-made-up term for the specific details that move our ideas from Maybes to compelling concepts we can’t wait to begin writing!

Ideagrients™: distinctive fragments and descriptive sparks that elevate ideas. May include—but not limited to—gorgeous words, evocative images, sensory details, original names, and clever language devices. According to experts at PBIU (Picture Book Idea University), good ideas require a minimum of five Ideagrients before story writing can begin.

Look at your 27 ideas. Which ones have promise but are still kind of obscure? Maybe they feel predictable? Too similar to books that already exist? Could these ideas use a pinch of sensory salt, a sprinkle of funny sugar, or a splash of surprise food coloring to make them more intriguing?

Great ideas, just like great writing, are full of specificity. Readers struggle to connect to vague concepts; they love clear, evocative descriptions that surprise and delight. Writers do, too! Trust me, it’s a struggle to create a compelling picture book if you start with a half-baked, surface-level idea. I’ve learned the hard way, meandering from a generic concept, wasting my time, and ending up with unmarketable, unwieldy, and unoriginal stories.

More and more, especially now that I run ideas past my agent, I seek specificity and detail before I commit writing time. Setting, weather, foods I love, names I love, phrases I love, metaphors I love, etc. Assembling these Ideagrients™ beforehand—even as a mental checklist—ensures a more compelling pitch, a smoother writing process and a better end product. Ideally, a story that delights readers AND reflects my unique voice and style.

Let’s use my debut picture book, LUNA’S GREEN PET, as an example.

My initial idea was sparked by a photo of a girl “walking” a plant. I wrote: “A child wants a plant for a pet.” Hmmm, an okay concept, different from a dog or cat story, (and walking your plant is SO cute!) but it still felt flat.

It was time to raid my Ideagrient™ pantry. I looked for words and expressions to make this story idea unique and uniquely mine. I scanned my Brain Rolodex (every professional picture book writer has one!) and my notes app for details and images I’ve stashed away, hoping to find tidbits to take my idea from “Cute, but do I want to spend years with this concept?” to “Oh! I absolutely must write this!”

Here are 5 Ideagrients™ I brainstormed BEFORE writing.

• Humor:
  My kids and I love deadpan humor. What if I went all in and talked about the plant pet using animal terms? Animalpomorphizing . That way we are quickly on board with Luna’s perspective. A plant pot could be a cage or crate. Soil could be bedding. And of course, Luna’s plant should have a name! I love nicknames and clever abbreviations.

• Vocabulary:
  Words set the tone for stories, especially for picture books which are read aloud. I looked at a list of my favorite funny words. First up, rambunctious! To me, rambunctious sets a playful tone. It’s fun and it’s funny to read aloud. A key part of pet ownership is behavioral training. While a plant can’t bark or misbehave, it can grow! It can be rambunctious! This Ideagrient led to Stephanie getting a trim. That later led to Carmen’s brilliant idea—shaping Stephanie into a recognizable pet. Win, win!

• Heart:
  I already had Luna walking her plant, but what other sweet ways could Luna nurture her pet? What about reading a bedtime story? Jack and the Beanstalk? Haha. Perfect tie-in with rambunctious! (And, sorry, not sorry about the dog pee, Stephanie, it was an Ideagrient™ I had to keep!)

• A Top Ten List:
  I LOVE fun backmatter and I LOVE top ten lists. Could I use one to convince people houseplants really are great pets? “Plants are good listeners” was a key Ideagrient™!

• A parade!
  What’s a pet story without a parade? And of course, Stephanie must win something! Parade was mixed into my idea bowl. “Best in Scent” came later. Chef’s kiss!

Of course, other details were later mixed into LUNA’S GREEN PET. But having at least five Ideagrients™ assembled beforehand reassured me this idea was absolutely worth pursuing. I was now excited to commit time and energy to writing it, knowing I could bring fresh, unique, fun elements to layer around a central theme of marching to the beat of your own drum. LUNA helped secure my agent and sold in our first round of submissions! Now, I look back and realize that initial photo was only an Ideagrient . You might realize that with some of your ideas. But that’s fine! Mix them with other tasty Ideagrients to make a compelling, layered idea!

What five Ideagrients™ can you come up with today?

Some suggestions:

• A word. Consult Tara’s amazing book, ABSURD WORDS if you need inspiration!
• A phrase or metaphor. Maybe a family saying, something funny your kid says, a line from a song, a regional expression.
• A sensory description only you could write. How does snow feel on your skin? What does dinner smell like to you?
• A striking image. A photo of yours or something you see online or in a book.
• An example of a writing device you admire. A rhyme scheme, a clever alliteration, a type of humor.

Jot them down, organize your pantry in your own inimitable way, and soon, you’ll have plenty of Ideagrients on hand for a signature idea bake! Share one with us in the comments!

Thanks for reading! Please support all the guest bloggers (and Tara!) by buying, preordering, reviewing, and asking your library to order our books!

Now, after all those baking references, enjoy an imaginary slice of this beautiful and delicious cake, made by my funny, talented CP, Lisa Tolin (Author of HOW TO BE A ROCK STAR).

Kirsten Pendreigh’s debut picture book LUNA’S GREEN PET, illustrated by Carmen Mok, is available wherever books are sold. MAYBE A WHALE, a lyrical story of healing in nature, illustrated by Crystal Smith, publishes in August with Groundwood Books and is available for preorders. WHEN A TREE FALLS, a nonfiction book about nurse logs in the forest, illustrated by Matthew Cruikshank, publishes with Chronicle Books in 2025. (Kirsten wrote about this story in a previous Storystorm post ). Kirsten is represented by Natalie Lakosil at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Visit Kirsten online KirstenPendreigh.com and follow her on Twitter @kpiependreigh and Instagram @kirsten.pendreigh.

Kirsten is offering one picture book critique, or a virtual classroom visit to read LUNA’S GREEN PET.

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.

Posted by Tara Lazar

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: Carmen Mok, Kirsten Pendreigh, LUNA'S GREEN PET, MAYBE A WHALE, WHEN A TREE FALLS

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779 Responses to “Storystorm 2023 Day 28: Kirsten Pendreigh Cooks Up Ideagrients™”

1. Yay for Ideagrients!!!

   By Jany Campana on January 28, 2023 at 8:08 am

   1. Thank you Kirsten! What you’re saying resonates with me and I’m looking forward to going about it consciously.

      By Nadia Forrest on January 29, 2023 at 5:00 pm

2. All great delicious ideas for us to devour. Thank you.

   By readmybook2002 on January 28, 2023 at 8:10 am

3. This is a great little project to sit on and stir up on a frigid Saturday. Whatever I come up with, I think hot cocoa will be part of the ideagrients! Thanks for your suggestions!

   By srkckass on January 28, 2023 at 8:12 am

4. Kirsten, I love this! It’s a recipe I’m going to try. LUNA’S GREEN PET looks adorable. Thanks for a great post.
   Gail Hartman

   By thecrowsmap on January 28, 2023 at 8:12 am

   1. Thank you!!

      By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:46 pm

5. Great post, Kirsten. I like how your ideagrients work. Putting it together bit by bit.
   Mark

   By Mark Bentz on January 28, 2023 at 8:12 am

6. Great post—thank you! Congratulations on Luna’s Green Pet and your upcoming work.

   By Lauren Barbieri on January 28, 2023 at 8:17 am

   1. Thanks so much, Lauren!

      By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:46 pm

7. I loved hearing how you added in ideas and layers for Luna’s Green Pet! Can’t wait to check it out and start cooking up my own Ideagrients!

   By Melissa Trempe on January 28, 2023 at 8:17 am

   1. Thanks Melissa! Hope you enjoy reading LUNA!

      By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 1:09 pm

8. Ideagrients!! LOVE!! Kirsten, this is a great post! Thanks so much and all the best. Thanks, Tara!

   By Rosanna Montanaro on January 28, 2023 at 8:19 am

9. I loved hearing how you added layers to Luna’s Green Pet! Can’t wait to read it and get started on my own Ideagrients!

   By Melissa Trempe on January 28, 2023 at 8:20 am

   1. Thanks, Melissa!

      By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:47 pm

      1. I want cake! Besides making me hungry for sweets, this post got me thinking about ideas and how I can better organize all my little tidbits. Looking forward to reading your book. Thanks for a great post. – Lori Laniewski

         By ljtouche on January 30, 2023 at 9:26 pm

10. I love your imaginative plant pet idea/book! The ingredient format is fun and practical, too. Thanks!

    By amyhouts on January 28, 2023 at 8:23 am

11. What a fun way to expand on an idea; love ideagrients! And I agree with Luna—we should all have pet plants 🌱

    By hansenjc13 on January 28, 2023 at 8:26 am

    1. Thanks! Yay for green pets!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 1:56 pm

12. I collect lots of these kinds of snippets in my writing notebook. I’m going to set aside more time to play with them and come up with some new stories. Thanks for the idea-spiration!

    By Andrea Mack on January 28, 2023 at 8:26 am

13. Such a fun way to find and bank ideas. I love how most of the pets on the cover found their way into the parade!

    By M.R. on January 28, 2023 at 8:29 am

    1. Thanks! And wow I never noticed that before!! Great eye!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:00 pm

14. Great ideas. Thanks for the cooking lesson. 😉

    By Eileen Saunders on January 28, 2023 at 8:29 am

15. Kirsten, your idea-smithing recipe works! Thanks for sharing!

    By Joyce Uglow on January 28, 2023 at 8:29 am

16. So much information here!! I can use this!!

    By migratingmoosegmailcom on January 28, 2023 at 8:31 am

17. Thank you for great advice. I’m going to brainstorm ideagrients before I begin writing today.

    By CBE on January 28, 2023 at 8:33 am

    1. Awesome!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:47 pm

18. Thank for the wonderful post! It’s a great idea to save writing time.

    By Yolimari Garcia on January 28, 2023 at 8:36 am

19. I’ve got ideas swirling! Thanks for sharing this fun perspective along with steps to use.

    By Linda Kay Chavez on January 28, 2023 at 8:37 am

20. Ideagredients-I think I finally pronounced it right by the end of the post!

    By Melissa Rafson Friedman on January 28, 2023 at 8:46 am

    1. haha it’s a bit of a tongue twister for sure!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 1:56 pm

21. This was such a fun post to read! Thanks for pulling all of this information together in such a creative and memorable way!

    By Melissa Miles on January 28, 2023 at 8:49 am

    1. thanks for reading 🙂

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:48 pm

22. This is the best food for thought. Gotta stock my pantry! Thank you!

    By mona861 on January 28, 2023 at 8:49 am

23. Yes, great insights here! LOVE Luna’s Green Pet!

    By brennajeanneret on January 28, 2023 at 8:50 am

    1. thanks Brenna!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:00 pm

24. Oh this is great! I started fleshing out one of my ideas yesterday but it was falling a bit flat. I’m going to take try to apply ideagrients to it today to see if I can add some texture! Thank you!

    By Amanda on January 28, 2023 at 8:54 am

    1. yay!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 1:57 pm

25. Great advice!

    By michelemeleen on January 28, 2023 at 8:56 am

26. These ideagredients can surely whip up some delicious stories!

    By Rachelle Burk on January 28, 2023 at 8:57 am

27. This is brilliant! Thanks for your tips and your book looks so fun!

    By Kathleen Lowry on January 28, 2023 at 8:58 am

28. Oh my, that cake! Kirsten, I love the originality of a house plant as a beloved pet. So clever. Ok now to think about ingredients. Thank you!!

    By ramonapersaudwrites on January 28, 2023 at 9:00 am

29. Such a creative post, Kirsten. Today’s ideagrient: luscious. Thanks for inspiring!

    By Deborah Agranat Sullivan on January 28, 2023 at 9:02 am

30. Such great Ideagredients!! Off to get started! Thank you!

    By Patricia Franz on January 28, 2023 at 9:03 am

31. Thank you for this! Such great elements for brainstorming, and lots of fun!

    By Jennifer on January 28, 2023 at 9:06 am

32. Very practical! I’ll be trying this for sure. Big fan of Luna 😊

    By Hannah Roy LaGrone on January 28, 2023 at 9:07 am

    1. thank you so much Hannah!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:01 pm

33. Love the concept of ideagrients and can’t wait to add some to some half-baked ideas simmering away in my brain. Thank you, Kirsten, for sharing your recipe for success!

    By ptnozell on January 28, 2023 at 9:08 am

34. I LOVE your five ideagredients list. I’ll be using this, for sure. Thank you!

    By Tara Cerven on January 28, 2023 at 9:08 am

35. Very helpful. Thank you. Have a great day!

    By sburdorf on January 28, 2023 at 9:08 am

36. Thank you, Kristen. Luna’s Green Pet sounds like fun, not only the finished product but the journey to get there.

    By Lynn McCracken on January 28, 2023 at 9:09 am

37. I didn’t get the daily Storystorm email today for some reason, so I’m appreciative that your blog is easy to get to through your website, Tara Lazar! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about creating my own author website soon and today gave me a great example to think about the ease of navigation needed for a site, so this worked out as a bonus mini lesson for me to take in about website creation! Thank you! And thank you Kirsten Pendreigh! It’s so cool the way you showed us how your Ideagrients can fully personalize and develop a story idea! Thanks for this writing journey you took us along for the ride with you on in this post and for this helpful advice!

    By Heather Skinner on January 28, 2023 at 9:09 am

38. What a great post! I really appreciate how you walked us through your process with your clever book to show how it’s done. I’m definitely going to keep your list of “ideagrients” in mind!

    By mbhmaine on January 28, 2023 at 9:09 am

39. Love the enthusiasm! And though I can’t say the fun gredients word, I am totally baking these tasty ideas into my next batch of PB concoctions.

    By Cathy Lentes on January 28, 2023 at 9:10 am

    1. Ha yes it’s very unwieldy and ridiculous!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:01 pm

40. Some great ideas here. Love finding photos to spark ideas!

    By Maria Antonia on January 28, 2023 at 9:10 am

41. Thank you for this clever post! Great list of ideagredients to bake a new story with.

    By cbloomy on January 28, 2023 at 9:16 am

42. Many of my ideas need more details…workin’ on it. Thanks for the inspiration!

    By lsheroan on January 28, 2023 at 9:16 am

43. Kirsten, thanks for stepping us through your book and showing us how the Ingrediants process worked for you.

    By Jane Baskwill on January 28, 2023 at 9:18 am

    1. Kirsten’s post was so creative! I love her ideagrients. I too keep track of words and sayings that would work in a picture book. Two of my favorites are persnickety and willy nilly. I am trying to use them right now in a story. Thanks so much for the ideas! Her debut book sounds adorable! Can’t wait for her upcoming ones too!

       By Julie Kurtz on January 28, 2023 at 2:09 pm

       1. Thanks Julie! Love “willy nilly”. Hope you enjoy reading LUNA 🙂

          By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:02 pm

44. Awesome post! Thank you for sharing!

    By CJ Penko on January 28, 2023 at 9:19 am

45. Kirsten, thanks for sharing your process. i can relate to the half-baked idea thing, and I appreciate the suggestions!

    By Writer on the run on January 28, 2023 at 9:20 am

    1. haha we’ve all had our share of half-baked ideas!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:49 pm

46. Kirsten thank you. Great greeds..gredients I’m a kiwi we shorten everything. Hmmmmm

    By kiwijenny on January 28, 2023 at 9:20 am

    1. haha!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:49 pm

47. Great post. Thank you!

    By Gregory E Bray on January 28, 2023 at 9:21 am

48. Love this post!
    I love making lists of ideas for my mss.
    Congratulations on Luna!

    By Megan Whitaker on January 28, 2023 at 9:28 am

49. Fantastic post, Kristen! I can hardly wait to put Ideagrients to work on my ideas!

    By pathaap on January 28, 2023 at 9:29 am

50. I love learning about your process!

    By Kimberly Laura on January 28, 2023 at 9:31 am

51. This is amazing, Kristen. I’m gonna cook up some Ideagrients .

    By kathalsey on January 28, 2023 at 9:31 am

52. You are so clever, Kristen. I really love this and also, I’ll be checking out Luna’s Green Pet. Thank you!

    By karenrafeedie on January 28, 2023 at 9:37 am

    1. Thanks so much Karen for checking out LUNA 🙂

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 3:03 pm

53. Thank you for the great ideas! I often go searching through previous years’ Storystorm documents to grab ideagrients.

    By jasmithwriter on January 28, 2023 at 9:40 am

54. Thank you, Kirsten! I got so much out of this!

    By Midge Smith on January 28, 2023 at 9:41 am

    1. oh that’s wonderful to hear!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:50 pm

55. I love your book! And hearing about the process of writing inspires me. I’ve started a Word journal and rambunctious is the first word. Thanks for your ideagridients to top off my lethargic list.

    By margaretsmn on January 28, 2023 at 9:42 am

56. Great ideagridient check list! I need to go back through my lists 🙂

    By mlyablonaolcom on January 28, 2023 at 9:44 am

57. I love nature books. Congratulations on your books! Thank you for these great idea generating tips!

    By anchance on January 28, 2023 at 9:45 am

58. Thank you for sharing!

    By https://katiewalsh.blog/ on January 28, 2023 at 9:46 am

59. Love the ingredients

    By Reed Hilton-Eddy on January 28, 2023 at 9:49 am

60. Wow! This post is amazing. Thank you. Best wishes in 2023.

    By Leslie Eva Tayloe on January 28, 2023 at 9:50 am

    1. You too Leslie!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:50 pm

61. I think you changed my writing life! Yes! Pay attention to the details of our days as they run by in the background. These spice up our writing and spice up our minds.. Thanks for sharing.

    By Suzy Grossman on January 28, 2023 at 9:53 am

62. Very fun! I had a StoryStorm ideagrient come in a similar way to your girl walking the plant photo – our neighborhood NextDoor page. Someone asked if anyone had caught the coyote with the glass jar on its head. It’s not a story yet but I’m adding ideagrients to it! Thanks for the metaphor/template It’s helping!!

    By Brian Burak on January 28, 2023 at 9:54 am

    1. Ha! Can’t wait to see where that goes! An urban Winnie-the-Pooh!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:43 pm

63. Love the idea of your Ideagredients Kirsten. You have my brain in gear early this morning, already trying to think of those specific details. Thank you. And congratulations on your publications!

    By Colleen Owen Murphy on January 28, 2023 at 9:56 am

64. Great coaching! Thanks so much for talking about your layering process. I’m looking forward to reading the whole book.

    By crbwriter on January 28, 2023 at 10:00 am

    1. Thank you!!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:50 pm

65. What a “yummy” post! Love the idea of brainstorming 5 Ideagrients before writing. I’m going to try this with the PB idea floating around in my head. Thank you!

    By Susanne Whitehouse on January 28, 2023 at 10:01 am

66. This is such a clever story idea! I love the idea of a plant as a pet. I don’t have any real pets, but I do have lots of plants!

    By Bridgitte Rodguez on January 28, 2023 at 10:01 am

67. Love the concept of ideagredients!

    By kerisagreene on January 28, 2023 at 10:04 am

68. Great tips for taking blah to bonanza! I’m going to look up nurse trees – I have a manuscript on pioneer trees.

    By robincurrie1 on January 28, 2023 at 10:04 am

    1. oh! very cool! we have lots of nurse logs here in BC and alders are typically our pioneer trees!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:51 pm

69. Love this idea, Kirsten! Thanks for sharing and showing how it worked with Luna’s Green Pet. And congratulations on all your success!

    By rosecappelli on January 28, 2023 at 10:08 am

70. Thanks for sharing such a fun post. Love this idea!

    By Linda B on January 28, 2023 at 10:14 am

71. Oooh lots of good elements to think about in this post! Thanks Kristen!

    By calliebdean on January 28, 2023 at 10:15 am

72. Plant-tastic post Kirsten! Thanks for the inspiration.

    By Cathy Ballou Mealey on January 28, 2023 at 10:18 am

73. This one’s going in my Save Folder to reference again throughout the year. Gotta check out Luna’s Green Pet, too. Thanks!

    By Monty Harper on January 28, 2023 at 10:22 am

    1. Oh, lovely to hear! Thank you!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:52 pm

74. Love Luna’s Green Pet! A great inspiration, to assemble 5 ideagredients before you put pen to paper.

    By lynjekowsky on January 28, 2023 at 10:22 am

75. What a yummy concoction of delicious ideas! Thank you for sharing this! Love the word “rambunctious,” which my parents always used about my brother, sister, and me.

    By Jan Peck on January 28, 2023 at 10:23 am

76. Such a fun post full of great Ideagrediants! Thank you!

    By Linda KulpTrout on January 28, 2023 at 10:23 am

77. so many good thoughts here. I like alliteration and the word ‘snollygoster’ is fabulous.

    By brendad101 on January 28, 2023 at 10:27 am

78. As a Volunteer Naturalist, I love sharing Luna’s Green Pet! Thanks for sharing it with us and the world!

    By millerritam on January 28, 2023 at 10:30 am

    1. oh that is wonderful to hear! If you ever do a group event I have some little polka dot plant seeds etc I can share 🙂

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:53 pm

79. Omg I love this!!! Seriously a genius idea. I adore my moms house plants and garden- this made me think of her. Can’t wait to get a copy of this book. 🙂

    By effiekoliopoulos on January 28, 2023 at 10:31 am

80. What a great post and how to go about getting your ideagrients going!! Love it. Thanks.

    By Pamela S Swanson on January 28, 2023 at 10:36 am

81. Oh, so that’s why my ideas this month seems so…framgment-y. They’re Ideagrients! Thanks for the great post.

    By Jessica Coupé on January 28, 2023 at 10:39 am

82. Fun post that has a couple of ideagredients percolating! Thanks Kirsten!

    By kimpfenn on January 28, 2023 at 10:41 am

83. Great post on how to amp up our ideas. Thank you! Congrats on all your books.

    By tinamcho on January 28, 2023 at 10:46 am

    1. Thanks, Tina!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:03 pm

84. Great ideas!

    By MikAdventures on January 28, 2023 at 10:48 am

85. This is full of such great ideas, and honestly, I think your post was perfectly timed after the last post about using scrolling for inspiration. Scroll for the little whisp of an idea, then apply your advice for fleshing it out. Love it!

    By msaraiva004 on January 28, 2023 at 10:50 am

    1. True! I love how the Storystorm posts work together 🙂

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:53 pm

86. Great ideas. Congratulations on Luna!

    By curryelizabeth on January 28, 2023 at 10:51 am

87. Thank you, Kirsten! This is some post and so perfectly timed. Ideas put to the litmus test before writing! It just makes perfect sense. Loved the Luna’s Green Pet walk-through, too. Thanks for the wisdom in your words. I felt compelled to take notes so I would keep these ideaingredients in mind moving forward. Thank you, Tara, for inviting Kirsten to join Storystorm 2023.

    By marty on January 28, 2023 at 10:51 am

    1. thank you, Marty!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:03 pm

88. Ah, those ideagredients that come to us in the shower. Why not catalog them? A much drier way to write. Very practical. Thanks for this, Kristen, and for your list of ideagredient prompts. Your system clearly works: Luna is a charming book.

    By Joyce on January 28, 2023 at 10:52 am

    1. Oh thank you Joyce! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed LUNA!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:54 pm

89. What a cute story idea! I also love the “ideagrients.” I love words, so I think I’ll use this as my key ideagrient to get my next story started.

    By Jenny Boyd on January 28, 2023 at 10:55 am

90. Kirsten, this is great advice that I will definitely apply!

    By Jane Heitman Healy on January 28, 2023 at 10:55 am

    1. yay!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:32 pm

91. Fun and helpful post, thank you!

    By Anne-Margreet on January 28, 2023 at 10:57 am

92. Congratulations on your upcoming books and to your successful recipes!

    By Elizabeth Meyer zu Heringdorf on January 28, 2023 at 11:08 am

93. I am inspired. What a wonderful way to find your way into a story that you’ll want to spend lots of time developing.

    By Lisa L Furness on January 28, 2023 at 11:09 am

94. My go-to Ideagrient: alliteration!

    By Barbara Farland on January 28, 2023 at 11:10 am

    1. oh, same! Sometimes I go overboard 😉

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:04 pm

95. Love it! And Ideagrients will absolutely catch on.

    By kirstenbockblog on January 28, 2023 at 11:11 am

96. My ideas were growing too similar until I came upon today’s post. I love to cook and make new concoctions. Thanks for the recipe to spark me out of my doldrums.

    By Jud Ward on January 28, 2023 at 11:13 am

    1. Yay!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:31 pm

97. Cute and clever story idea for a pet. I’m baking chocolate chips cookies today, so ideagredients are already on my mind. Thank you for the post today.

    By Danielle Hammelef on January 28, 2023 at 11:16 am

    1. mmmmm!

       By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:31 pm

98. Kirsten, what fun—Ideagrients! Definitely food for thought and spice for our manuscripts!

    By Donna Rossman on January 28, 2023 at 11:18 am

99. Love this approach, and your PB sounds adorable!

    By wordnerd153 on January 28, 2023 at 11:18 am

100. Storystorm has given me so many fantastic “ideagrients ” this year! Thanks for your post.

     By rgstones on January 28, 2023 at 11:22 am

101. Very inspiring! Thanks!

     By Margaret Lea on January 28, 2023 at 11:22 am

102. Kirsten, this is brilliant! So many luscious ideas. Thank you.

     By Colleen on January 28, 2023 at 11:23 am

103. Congratulations on your new book! Thank you for the suggestions on funky-fying the story and bringing up Tara’s absurd words – that can be a fabulous source of inspiration.

     By ralucasirbu on January 28, 2023 at 11:24 am

     1. Thanks! Absurd Words is amazing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:05 pm

104. Luna’s green pet sounds like a great read! I’ll work on ideagrediants today!

     By Kristie J Drake on January 28, 2023 at 11:24 am

105. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the metaphor of ideagredients! I think I will add a “Pantry” page to my notebook to collect and organize these snippets. Also, I think the challenge of incorporating heft to an idea by adding 5 ideagredients! Though 5 seems like a lot, the sale of Luna’s Green Pet shows that blending these smaller, seemingly insignificant, ideas together can help a story rise above the competition! Thank you for sharing Luna’s story and your insight.

     By Lynn M. Mondello on January 28, 2023 at 11:26 am

     1. Thanks for reading!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:30 pm

106. I love this idea! And I love your book! Thank you for participating!

     By Ryann Jones on January 28, 2023 at 11:26 am

     1. oh yay! thanks Ryann!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:55 pm

107. Thank you for the inspiration =)

     By Angel Gantnier on January 28, 2023 at 11:26 am

108. Tucking this away to apply like frosting on the cake of Storystorm! Eh, tried to keep the baking analogy going! Thank you for the amazing tips for taking the next step.

     By Angie B. on January 28, 2023 at 11:27 am

     1. Well done! lol

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:06 pm

109. Thank you Kirsten! A pet plant! What a fun — and sweet — story. Thank you also for sharing your ideagrient activity. I know that will be very helpful! Thanks again!

     By jbbower on January 28, 2023 at 11:29 am

110. I love fun backmatter! Thanks for this great post!

     By Mary Ann Blair on January 28, 2023 at 11:29 am

111. Fantastic, timely tips! Thanks for your funny and helpful post. Congrats on your book, too!

     By Kim A Larson on January 28, 2023 at 11:30 am

     1. Thanks Kim!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:29 pm

112. I love these ideas! Thank you so much for introducing me to “ideagrients!”

     By heatherstigall on January 28, 2023 at 11:32 am

113. I will have to read this, sounds so cute! And thank you for sharing your ideas and process, I am going to start keeping lists, etc, not fun to wrack my brain with no real direction.

     By Katie Schwartz on January 28, 2023 at 11:35 am

     1. Yay! Happy reading!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:29 pm

114. Luna’s Green Pet looks amazing! What a clever idea for a picture book 🙂

     By Catherine Friess on January 28, 2023 at 11:37 am

     1. Thank you! I hope you enjoy reading it!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:55 pm

115. Love your Ideagrients! Sounds like encouragement to create another google doc for random thoughts, ideas, things I love to be used to enhance, extend or expand story ideas…thanks so much!

     By Diane Mittler on January 28, 2023 at 11:37 am

116. Thanks, Kirsten! You reminded me to not discard an idea so quickly, but to mull it over a bit…come at it from different angles.

     By Kathy Doherty on January 28, 2023 at 11:42 am

117. Haha I love the term ideagrients!

     By erinquill8 on January 28, 2023 at 11:43 am

118. Ideagrients! sprinkled here and there give stories a unique taste. So I think I need a 2-dimensional cupboard to store these bits and pieces, a new IdeaBook with clean pages. I’m sure there’s something in my house stashed next to books on a shelf that needs reorganizing. Something to be titled Story Recipes. Thanks for this idea! And for not using animated GIFs. I really like your slow-moving one. (Anyone else have problems looking at things that flash in a loop?)

     By mariearden on January 28, 2023 at 11:43 am

119. Stellar advice. This one’s a keeper. Thank you! And I can’t wait to read your books.

     By Lenora Biemans (@BiemansLenora) on January 28, 2023 at 11:43 am

     1. Thank you, Lenora! Hope you enjoy them!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:26 pm

120. My bridal bouquet was Stephanie-so I get how special she is! Thank you, Kirsten, for this fun and layered way of adding flavor to our stories.

     By Armineh Manookian on January 28, 2023 at 11:43 am

     1. Oh how wonderful! The perfume is SO gorgeous. I have my own “Stephanie” who fills my house with fragrance. Just love her!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:28 pm

121. Thank you for this awesome post! I’m saving it – I love your suggestions and how you walked through how you applied it yourself. Can’t wait to see your book.
     And I loved the shout out to Lisa – she’s so great and I had no idea she was a fancy baker!

     By cinzialverde on January 28, 2023 at 11:47 am

     1. she is a fancy lady all around 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:26 pm

122. This is AMAZING advice and info!! Thank you!

     By iartbygina on January 28, 2023 at 11:54 am

     1. Yay! Thanks for reading!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:27 pm

123. This was so useful, Kirsten! A great tutorial on what pre-writing involves!! Thank you!!! I also love the idea of kids learning to care for others by starting with plants. The popular hamster YouTuber Victoria Rachael (my daughter’s idol) urges kids who aren’t sure if they are ready for pets to start with a house plant, as she hates the idea of hamsters, who are sentient creatures being used as ‘training pets’. Your story is funny, but the moral message and heart is serious!

     By jnorland on January 28, 2023 at 11:56 am

     1. Oh I’ll have to check that out! Thanks:)

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:56 pm

124. Thanks for a great post, Kirsten. I can see where this would help in knowing why something in progress isn’t working–yet!

     By cnparch on January 28, 2023 at 11:56 am

125. How fun! Now off to make some tasty creations.

     By mommamoocow on January 28, 2023 at 11:59 am

126. Thanks for sharing your list of ingredients, Kirsten! Great ideas!

     By Heidi Yates on January 28, 2023 at 12:00 pm

127. What a fun post. I love Luna’s pet plant. Stephanie is awesome. Thank you for sharing.

     By Thelia Hutchinson on January 28, 2023 at 12:00 pm

     1. Thank you!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:46 pm

128. Thank you Kirsten. Helpful post!

     By Elizabeth Wilcox Saba on January 28, 2023 at 12:04 pm

129. Thank you, Kirsten, for sharing your treasure trove of ideas and idea starters. What a wonderful selection of ideagrients to work with today.

     By judyrubin13 on January 28, 2023 at 12:06 pm

130. I can’t wait to find ingredients for my last 27 ideas! It’s so true, someone’s you just need a few of those perfect pieces, and then BAM, you fingers do the rest on the keyboard.

     By Becca McMurdie on January 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

131. Fabulous post Kirsten! Love the idea of “idea bowls” filled with “tasty ideagrients”! Can’t wait to get mixing.

     By bevbaird on January 28, 2023 at 12:09 pm

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:46 pm

132. I love the suggestion of having five ideagredients before starting to work up a book concept. So helpful. Just what I needed at this stage.

     By sarahdakin on January 28, 2023 at 12:17 pm

     1. oh that’s awesome to hear! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:56 pm

133. Oh wow! LUNA’S GREEN PET seems like such a fun book! And the parade spread evokes so much joy!

     By kathleenannajacobs on January 28, 2023 at 12:18 pm

     1. It’s one of my faves in the book! Yes, so full of joy 🙂 There’s also a gorgeous spread of Luna being woken up in the night by Stephanie’s perfume 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:26 pm

134. I love the suggestion of having five ideagredients before working up a concept. It was just what I needed at this stage.

     By sarahdakin on January 28, 2023 at 12:19 pm

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:25 pm

135. This is such a good way to think about the idea-generating process!

     By Emily Gilliam on January 28, 2023 at 12:19 pm

136. This is a post I’m going to bookmark and come back to again and again! Thanks for sharing!

     By Jessica Fries-Gaither on January 28, 2023 at 12:21 pm

     1. oh, wow, that’s great to hear!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:25 pm

137. I am in love with “Luna’s Green Pet.” And I haven’t even read it yet. Off to buy my copy now! Thx for the Ideagrediants Lesson. It is SO happening!

     By Toni Miller on January 28, 2023 at 12:22 pm

     1. awww! I’m biased but I’m in love with her too! Carmen’s art is so adorable! YES glad it is happening!!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:25 pm

138. Pulling from the pantry is a delightful approach. Thank you!

     By Robin Perkins on January 28, 2023 at 12:24 pm

139. What a delicious post! Thank you for sharing!

     By Julie Reich on January 28, 2023 at 12:26 pm

140. VISIT!!! ME!!! Great post, my friend!!

     By carlislemalone on January 28, 2023 at 12:27 pm

     1. Thanks friend!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:47 pm

141. I love everything about this super fun article! Plus, those ideagrients are quality stuff.

     By rosiesartventures on January 28, 2023 at 12:29 pm

142. Thank you for a great post! I must refresh my word/idea pantry!

     By Christy Matthes on January 28, 2023 at 12:36 pm

143. KIERSTEN: I LOVE the idea of gathering (as well as storing in a “pantry”) “tasty tidbits” of Ideagrients, in order to SPICE-UP and sprinkle (OF COURSE!) ideas that need a little more flavor to make the recipe for the PERFECT story! THANK YOU for the INSPIRATION! This post is DEFINITELY one I will keep going back to!

     By Natalie Lynn Tanner on January 28, 2023 at 12:41 pm

     1. That is so lovely to hear! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:24 pm

144. Perfect post for the last days of Storystorm! Thanks for sharing your ideagrients process.

     By Carol Gwin Nelson on January 28, 2023 at 12:43 pm

145. Such a clever, inspiring post – thanks Kirsten!

     By sue macartney on January 28, 2023 at 12:44 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Sue!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:47 pm

146. Such good suggestions! Thank you.

     By martyfindley on January 28, 2023 at 12:49 pm

147. I love Ideagrients! How fun, and I can’t wait to organize my pantry of ideas! Thank you so much, Kirsten, for this great post!

     By Steena Hernandez on January 28, 2023 at 12:53 pm

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:23 pm

148. I love the concept of an idea pantry.

     By cbcole on January 28, 2023 at 12:54 pm

149. Such a fun post! Touched a lot of feeling here! Made me hungry, laugh out loud, but mostly gave me food for thought! I’ll have to order this book for my granddaughter as she loves to plant things and watch them grow! Fabulous writing thank you for sharing! I wish you much success!

     By Kelly Vavala on January 28, 2023 at 12:54 pm

     1. Oh thanks so much Kelly! I hope she loves the book!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:57 pm

150. Interesting recipe – worth a try for sure!

     By Sandra Wilson on January 28, 2023 at 12:56 pm

151. Great post Kirsten! It reminds me of something I’ve been working on. Thanks for the Ideagredient.

     By Nadia Salomon on January 28, 2023 at 12:57 pm

152. Thanks for sharing your process. Very helpful.

     By Chelle on January 28, 2023 at 12:58 pm

153. Such great advice to take an ideagrient that you are drawn to and then explore and find at least 5 other ideagrients to add more compelling layers BEFORE starting to write to make sure the idea isn’t flat!

     By Sharlin Craig on January 28, 2023 at 1:17 pm

154. I love the idea of mixing story ingredients together before baking the story.

     By Maria Altizer on January 28, 2023 at 1:17 pm

155. I love the idea of Ideagrients!

     By Joy Wieder on January 28, 2023 at 1:18 pm

156. Love, love, love this post! Thank you so much for all the wonderful ideas and inspiration.

     By Karin Larson on January 28, 2023 at 1:20 pm

     1. Ah! Thanks so much! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:47 pm

157. I love your ideagrients. I also can’t wait to read Lena’s Green Pet. Thank you.

     By Dayne Sislen, Children's Book Illustrator on January 28, 2023 at 1:22 pm

     1. ah, thanks so much, Dayne!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:58 pm

158. What a special debut book. I really love how you transferred the universal desire of having a pet into something original, yet relatable. Thanks for sharing your process.

     By Fern Glazer on January 28, 2023 at 1:22 pm

     1. Thank you so much, Fern. I am so happy this one is my debut. 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:48 pm

159. Woah my goodness! Ideagrients is so happening! I love this post so much. Thank you for giving such actionable, simple, effective advice. You described how I feel about so many of my ideas from this month in that first paragraph, but now I have some sense of what to do next. Yay! This is my first Storystorm, so I’m very much still learning. Thank you for all the help! You mentioned that we should share an ideagrients the comments. Here goes! When we were sad or discouraged growing up, my mom always said, “Don’t let the turkeys get you down!” I don’t know what it is about that phrase, but it still brings me such comfort and encouragement, and it always makes me giggle just enough to keep plugging away at my goals. =)

     By Maria Johnson on January 28, 2023 at 1:27 pm

     1. Oh I love that! People who get you down really are turkeys! We’re all still learning and you are definitely in the right place!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:59 pm

160. Lena’s green pet looks like the cutest book ever! And I love the ideagrients so much!

     By catlady45 on January 28, 2023 at 1:30 pm

     1. Thank you! Hope you get a chance to read it! What a pretty cat in your photo!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:49 pm

161. Thank you for the idea sprincles!

     By Ida George on January 28, 2023 at 1:35 pm

162. I love how your book just sprouted! It’s sure to be a winner. Thanks for sharing your very helpful tips and wishing you continued success!

     By danielledufayet on January 28, 2023 at 1:37 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Danielle!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 9:59 pm

163. I loved reading about your process. Wishing you continued success and I cannot wait to read your book.
     I’ll follow your recipe for gathering ideagrients before mixing into a story. I tend to write then search for more ideas, or have to search for more and it distracts or derails the flow of the story.

     By Cassie Bentley on January 28, 2023 at 1:44 pm

164. Great idea-generating tips! Congratulations on your new and upcoming books!

     By Lauri Fortino on January 28, 2023 at 1:52 pm

165. Thank you for these clever ideas! Congratulations on your books!

     By kristinscollins on January 28, 2023 at 1:56 pm

166. Ideagrients! Now I think I have a word for what I’ve been trying to write.

     By Alia K. on January 28, 2023 at 1:59 pm

167. I like the concept of “ideagrients” and will make a note to always have 5 for a story before I start writing. Thanks.

     And thanks for sharing your thought process for Lina’s Green Pot. It looks great.

     By Linda Hofke on January 28, 2023 at 2:03 pm

168. Recipes for writing is what this is all about, right? 😀 I love your handy list of “Ideagrients” (sorry, but keep wanting to say/think Idea-gredients!). Great post! And OH, that cake is so clever lol 😀 ❤

     By writersideup on January 28, 2023 at 2:05 pm

169. What a great idea. I have your debut book and love it! Here’s to all the ideas that will grow!

     By Lynne Marie on January 28, 2023 at 2:13 pm

     1. Oh! Thank you so much, Lynne!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:01 pm

170. LOVE your story. Makes me think of Sophie’s Squash! I got a list and ideas from this post!! Thanks!

     By Laurel Ranveig Abell on January 28, 2023 at 2:14 pm

     1. Thanks, Laurel. Sophie’s Squash was one of my comps! I pitched Luna as an city-kid spin on Sophie’s Squash 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:29 pm

        1. That’s fantastic!! Such a great spin!!

           By Laurel Ranveig Abell on January 31, 2023 at 6:05 pm

171. Love “Ideagrients”!

     By Meredith Epstein on January 28, 2023 at 2:20 pm

172. I LOVE the idea of “ideagredients,” Kirsten! Great post!!

     By Genevieve Gorback on January 28, 2023 at 2:21 pm

173. Ideagrients! I love it!

     By Sara Ackerman on January 28, 2023 at 2:21 pm

174. I definitely have a couple of ideas I want to gather some additional ideagrients for before first draft Friday next week! Thanks for the inspiration! And congrats on Luna! What a charming book! I can’t wait to read it in its entirety!

     By Tonnye Fletcher on January 28, 2023 at 2:24 pm

175. I LOVE this!

     By Alana DeVito on January 28, 2023 at 2:27 pm

176. Love your process, and, as a plant lover, cant wait to read your book. Going to start my lists for ideas right now.

     By chaunceyelephant on January 28, 2023 at 2:29 pm

177. Stupendous advice!!!

     By Holly Vagley on January 28, 2023 at 2:34 pm

178. A pinch of this and a dollop of that! I better cooking some ideas.

     By Melissa Hastings on January 28, 2023 at 2:34 pm

179. Great tips! I’ve never looked upon my plants as pets but now I can see it. Plants thrive with nourishment and nurturing, with lots of TLC. I now realize my PB ideas need the same. Thanks!

     By seahorsecoffeeelektra79018 on January 28, 2023 at 2:38 pm

     1. Wonderful! thanks for reading 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:30 pm

180. I love your ideas for taking a story concept to the next level!! Thank you!!!

     By ConstanceL on January 28, 2023 at 2:39 pm

181. I love these ideas!

     By awritersdream41 on January 28, 2023 at 2:46 pm

182. Fabulous post Kristen. I loved Luna’s Green Pet! Can’t wait to see what you have cooking up for us in the future!

     By Jane Martin on January 28, 2023 at 2:48 pm

     1. thanks so much, Jane!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:02 pm

183. Hats off to a talented Idea Chef, Kirsten! Your Idea Bowl is a delicious way to gather “ideagrients” for stories. Humor, Heart, and Language all add magic into storytelling. Thank you for reminding of the makings of a great book for kids. I’ll be looking for LUNA’s GREEN PET on our library shelves, and if missing, I’ll be requesting it. Sending you energy and inspiration for your continued success…

     By marshaelyn on January 28, 2023 at 2:48 pm

     1. Thanks! And thanks for supporting LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:30 pm

184. Love having this structure as another tool in the tool kit. Thank you

     By JL on January 28, 2023 at 2:52 pm

185. Thanks for the wonderful post, Kristen. I’ll be bakin’ the rest of the day!

     By Paul Brassard on January 28, 2023 at 2:54 pm

186. Such a helpful post!

     By Kara Plett on January 28, 2023 at 2:56 pm

187. I LOVED Luna’s Green Pet and shared it with my writing class this past fall! Thank you for all your Ideagrients.

     By ungracefulwanderer on January 28, 2023 at 2:59 pm

     1. Oh wow! That’s so wonderful to hear!! Thank you!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:02 pm

188. Fantastic tips for perking up ideas and making them flourish. Thanks, Kirsten!

     By clairebobrow on January 28, 2023 at 3:05 pm

189. What a neat concept, a pet plant! Congratulations on your book! And thank you for the Ideagrients 🙂

     By claudia sloan on January 28, 2023 at 3:11 pm

     1. Thanks, Claudia!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:22 pm

190. Thank you for sharing your process and your Ideagrients.

     By Lynn Alpert on January 28, 2023 at 3:14 pm

191. Exactly what I needed today as I strive to turn an idea into something more. Thank you!

     By beckylevine on January 28, 2023 at 3:18 pm

192. Thank You Kirsten, Looks like it’s time to search the “braintry” for some rich ideagrients to bake the best of Storystorm harvest. Congratulations on your upcoming releases!

     By tinefg on January 28, 2023 at 3:18 pm

     1. Ooooh good one!! Thank you!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:49 pm

193. Unique post. Thanks for the ideareients!

     By Janet Smart on January 28, 2023 at 3:20 pm

194. Ah! This is brilliant, Kirsten! It’s loaded with tips that will stick with me long after storystorm. Thank you!

     By blairmoorebooks on January 28, 2023 at 3:22 pm

     1. Oh, wonderful! Thanks for reading!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:23 pm

195. I loved this post and I think it’s very helpful to use the five ideagredients to be sure you have enough in your writing recipe!

     By jodelle55 on January 28, 2023 at 3:24 pm

196. Thanks for all the ways to generate ideagrients! I’ll be saving many of your tips at the top of my book ideas doc. Thank you!!

     By mindfulmiro on January 28, 2023 at 3:25 pm

197. Kirsten,
     Thank you for an awesome sauce post!❤️ Congratulations on your book babies.
     Printing your post to keep nearby. Love it❤️

     By Janie Reinart on January 28, 2023 at 3:26 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Janie!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:03 pm

198. Excellent inspiration! Now, I’m going to find your book!

     By debbiearnn on January 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm

     1. Oh yay!! I hope you enjoy getting to know Luna and her pals:)

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:50 pm

199. I love what I have seen so far of your book. I’m sure that kids will love it, too. Thanks for sharing it and some great ideas. The characters that I have been trying to write about are usually animals, so I have been writing down words that are associated with those animals. I’m also trying to look up facts and phrases or sayings about these animals. I’m only in the beginning stages, but I think that I may be able to draw from this information later. The more I know about my subject, the more informative my book can be, even though I plan to write fiction.

     By Martha Hollenhorst on January 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm

     1. Absolutely. All that research & knowledge comes through and makes a better story, even if it’s not in the final text. I did a lot of research about stephanotis floribunda and it added so much to the story. Hope you enjoy reading LUNA 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:52 pm

200. All fun and playful ideas. I create word walls after searching for phrases, alliteration, rhyme, or silly words. Mixed up on the page, these wordgrients help my brain stir it up into a story or poem.

     By Kathryn LeRoy on January 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm

     1. oh, that’s a great idea!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:52 pm

201. A fabulous post on how to take a fledgling idea and turn it into a full-bodied story. Thank you!

     By abby mumford on January 28, 2023 at 3:32 pm

202. What fabulous ideas! I love the concept of ideagrients. Thank you!

     By Adriana Gutierrez on January 28, 2023 at 3:34 pm

203. LUNA’S GREEN PET looks so fun. Thanks for demonstrating how to add layers – ideagrients! Super helpful.

     By Claire A. B. Freeland on January 28, 2023 at 3:53 pm

     1. Thanks Claire! Hope you get a chance to read the whole book 🙂 Happy creating!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:31 pm

204. Thanks so much, Kristen! I found your Ideagrients so helpful, inspiring, and specific, I am sharing this post with my critique partners today. I can’t wait to read Luna’s Green Pet! Best wishes for continued success!

     By carmelamccainsimmons on January 28, 2023 at 3:54 pm

     1. Oh wow! Thanks, Carmela! You can challenge them to say Ideagrients tm out loud 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:53 pm

205. Thanks for the ideas, Kirsten! Congrats on your book!

     By streetlynn on January 28, 2023 at 3:59 pm

206. Oh my goodness, I love this so much!! What a fun, delightful, and helpful way of thinking about fleshing out an idea into a full book. I can’t wait to try adding more ideagrients to my nuggets and watch them grow into wonderful stories. Thanks for sharing this great tip!

     By Caitlin on January 28, 2023 at 4:04 pm

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:03 pm

     2. Thanks so much! Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:53 pm

207. SO. MUCH. FUN.!!!! Love your book, and your inspirational advice. Works really well for at least several of my Storystorm fragments!

     By juliehamptonc228d7b913 on January 28, 2023 at 4:05 pm

208. So many fabulous ideas in this fun post, Kirsten! I love LUNA and can’t wait for MAYBE A WHALE.

     By Gabi Snyder on January 28, 2023 at 4:06 pm

     1. xoxo

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:53 pm

209. Thanks, Kirsten. I love the idea of layering ideas, and will try applying this to the stories I’m working on.

     By andreesantini on January 28, 2023 at 4:06 pm

210. Great insight, Kristen! Now I gotta go get me some Ideagrients for today’s Story Storm!

     By Olivia Fisher on January 28, 2023 at 4:07 pm

211. What a fun and useful post! Thanks for such great ideas.

     By Rosi Hollinbeck on January 28, 2023 at 4:08 pm

212. Thanks for the concept of Ideagrients—very helpful! And congratulations on your books!

     By Paula VE on January 28, 2023 at 4:12 pm

213. Thanks so much for this fantastic post, Kristen! Your list of ideagredients has already inspired a few ideas for my WIP. Looking forward to reading Luna!

     By donnacangelosi on January 28, 2023 at 4:12 pm

     1. Oh that’s awesome to hear! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:04 pm

214. So many ideas to play with, and this is a great way to discover what to do with them! Thanks for sharing the details of your process!

     By Lisa Billa on January 28, 2023 at 4:14 pm

215. “Ideagridents” love that! Thank you for sharing your thought and writing process. I love learning about specifics by other writers. Very helpful!

     By Kamalani Hurley on January 28, 2023 at 4:16 pm

     1. oh, glad to hear it! Happy creating!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:54 pm

216. Great tips, Kirsten! I do think that so many “perfectly fine” stories need this kind of elevation to compete in today’s market.

     By Jilanne Hoffmann on January 28, 2023 at 4:20 pm

     1. Very true. It’s tough out there! I find I have too many ideas, and this helps me triage!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:22 pm

217. I love this! Such a clever way to develop an idea. Thank you for your wonderful suggestions. I look forward to reading all your books.

     By Mary Zychowicz on January 28, 2023 at 4:22 pm

     1. Oh, that’s wonderful to hear. Thanks for reading them!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:22 pm

218. Fun book!

     By Rochelle Y Melander on January 28, 2023 at 4:23 pm

219. Thanks for sharing your “recipe” for writing success, Kristin. While I have practiced several aspects of this technique, your organized list of how to begin with 5+ Ideagrients™ and combine them for specific hooks, particular details, etc prior to committing significant writing time sounds like a highly efficient approach! Congratulations on LUNA’S GREEN PET and your upcoming PB success.

     By Lucretia Schafroth on January 28, 2023 at 4:34 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Lucretia! I do find it’s a good “test” of whether you should commit time!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:20 pm

220. Beautiful book and super helpful idea to come up with these fun elements before digging in! Thank you!

     By Sarah Lynne John on January 28, 2023 at 4:40 pm

221. I love this word! I’m adding it to my list of fun words. Thank you for this Fantastic post.

     By jpeters6248 on January 28, 2023 at 4:40 pm

222. Love this: “Readers struggle to connect to vague concepts; they love clear, evocative descriptions that surprise and delight.”

     By carolynleillustrations on January 28, 2023 at 4:52 pm

223. That’s such an interesting way to approach building a story; thanks, Kirsten!

     By Teresa 何 Robeson on January 28, 2023 at 4:56 pm

224. Great way to put this! Ideagredients (TM) can totally happen!

     By Melissa L Lettis on January 28, 2023 at 4:59 pm

     1. LOL I’m determined to make it happen 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:05 pm

225. Wow, that was so helpful to see how you used your own Ideagrients to write Luna’s Green Plant. This post is one I will refer back to frequently. Thank you!

     By Jess Burbank (@jburbank) on January 28, 2023 at 4:59 pm

     1. Oh, fantastic! Thanks!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:19 pm

226. Kirsten, Congratulations on your debut PB!! It is such a cute story and I love the illustrations. A must-get book!
     What a wonderful way to think about putting together the makings of a great picture book. These “Ideagredients” are super helpful. Thanks!

     By Mary on January 28, 2023 at 4:59 pm

     1. Yay! Thanks so much; hope you enjoy reading LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:19 pm

227. What a gem of a read today! I love your story idea about a pet plant!!! I cannot wait to read it. Thank you for sharing your recipe for success with us!

     By Michelle S Kennedy on January 28, 2023 at 5:08 pm

     1. Ah thanks so much, Michelle! I hope you enjoy the book!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:18 pm

228. So excited to read your book, what a fantastic concept! This post was packed with excellent advice and inspired me to play around with a few of my ideas and make them more interesting. Thank you!

     By taracho4 on January 28, 2023 at 5:15 pm

     1. Oh that’s so great to hear!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:18 pm

229. Love this advice: Great ideas, just like great writing, are full of specificity. Thanks for the wonderful list of ideagrients!

     By Buffy Silverman on January 28, 2023 at 5:16 pm

230. Love the concept of Ideagrients™. So clever! Great inspiration, Kirsten. And wishing you continued success with your picture books.

     By Carol Gordon Ekster on January 28, 2023 at 5:18 pm

     1. Thank you Carol!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:05 pm

231. Thank you for sharing your process behind LUNA’S GREEN PET. Congratulations on your upcoming picture books!

     By Katie Marie on January 28, 2023 at 5:20 pm

232. I’m enamored with Luna’s Green Pet and love this post about your “ideagredients.” Thanks for the inspiration.

     By claireannette1 on January 28, 2023 at 5:35 pm

233. Great post! thanks for the inspiration!

     By ryanrobertsauthor on January 28, 2023 at 5:37 pm

234. Thanks for sharing your “recipe” for writing, and congrats on your new and upcoming books, Kirsten!

     By Teresa Rodrigues on January 28, 2023 at 5:44 pm

     1. thank you, Teresa!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:17 pm

235. Thanks, Kirsten, for sharing your writing process. Congrats on your picture books!

     By authordebradaugherty on January 28, 2023 at 5:48 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Debra!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:17 pm

236. Thank you! This was what I needed as I look back at my ideas so far. Time to dig a little deeper and add more flavor!

     By Lindsay Zielinski on January 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

237. Such a fun concept! And thank you for giving us some categories to think about to help hone our ideagredients!

     By Christine Letizia on January 28, 2023 at 5:55 pm

238. After baking yesterday, it is time to gather my ideagrients today and get writing! Thanks for the amazing inspiration!

     By sheilagart on January 28, 2023 at 6:07 pm

239. Such fun ideas!

     By jennaejo on January 28, 2023 at 6:08 pm

240. Kirsten I really love this post. I am so impressed by the preplanning, because I totally know that feeling of a spark that goes nowhere because of the lack of ideagredients. The layers and planning you created to make your gorgeous book are fabulous. Thankyou!

     By Kaye Baillie on January 28, 2023 at 6:31 pm

     1. Aww thanks Kaye. I have had so many ideas that have lacked enough layers, I’m trying to follow my own advice 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:06 pm

241. You really made me think with this Ideagrients concept (although I can’t wrap my tongue around how to say it! LOL). Thank you for a very helpful post!

     By Sara Matson on January 28, 2023 at 6:45 pm

     1. It’s a tongue twister for sure. Sorry. Not sorry;)

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:16 pm

242. 100% know exactly how I would use your book in a classroom lesson! Love PB like these that kids can use to expand their interests! Thank you thank you for the amazing tips and tricks. I’ll be looking to add ideagredients to my writing.

     By Amanda Backof on January 28, 2023 at 6:47 pm

     1. Oh that’s so wonderful to hear! Happy writing and teaching!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:16 pm

243. I have a lot of half-baked ideas and a decent supply of sprinkles. Time to get to work! Thank you!

     By Shelley Isaacson on January 28, 2023 at 6:49 pm

     1. LOL, Sprinkles can fix a lot of things 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:15 pm

244. Oh, the picture of the crazy cake gave me all sorts of ideas!

     By staceygustafson on January 28, 2023 at 6:58 pm

245. Lots of wonderful tips to use today! Thank you.

     By Susan Eyerman on January 28, 2023 at 7:11 pm

246. Great ideas regarding what to consider making “key ingredients” of a story 🙂

     By Robin Larin on January 28, 2023 at 7:11 pm

247. I like the concept of ideagredients. It is the way that I come up, well at least blend, my best stories. A little of this. A pinch of that. Let rise. Kneed. Rise. Bake.

     By matthewlasley on January 28, 2023 at 7:12 pm

248. Thank you, Kirsten! What a terrific twist on pet ownership. Taking us back to the story’s roots (ugh pun) and sharing your “ideagredients” was so helpful. Looking forward to checking out your other books as well!

     By Karen Elise Finch (@nestofbooks) on January 28, 2023 at 7:33 pm

     1. haha glad you dug it! Thanks!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:07 pm

249. Wonderful, practical, hilarious advice. Thank you!

     By Ali V. (they/them) on January 28, 2023 at 7:33 pm

     1. Thanks, Ali!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:14 pm

250. Congratulations on your debut PB. It is an amazing idea.

     By Penny Taub on January 28, 2023 at 7:45 pm

251. Thank you for all these new suggestions. I love following Storystorm every year for these ideas.

     By Sheri Radovich on January 28, 2023 at 7:47 pm

252. Thank you for your ideas, I love following storystorm every year.

     By Sheri Radovich on January 28, 2023 at 7:49 pm

253. Congrats on all of your story successes! Ideagredients seem to be really working for you 🙂

     By ellen seal on January 28, 2023 at 7:55 pm

254. Loved the ideas shared on cooking up ideas with ingredients. Thanks for opening new ideas with Luna’s pets

     By Sheri Radovich on January 28, 2023 at 8:05 pm

255. What a great way to add layers, and very fun! Thank you!

     By David McMullin on January 28, 2023 at 8:06 pm

256. Great suggestions! Very helpful. Congratulations on publishing your book!

     By littleseedsread on January 28, 2023 at 8:11 pm

257. Loved your post Kirsten. Can’t wait to read Luna’s Green Pet! I am not surprised you sold it on the first round of submissions, you’ve incorporated so many great ideagrents.
     Loved the concept of ideagrents as well. Definitely need at least five to really get things rolling.
     Good luck, keep writing, and keep shopping for ideagrents 🙂

     By Aly Kenna on January 28, 2023 at 8:18 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Aly!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:07 pm

258. Such a helpful, actionable post. Thank you, Kirsten, and congratulations!

     By Leslie Santamaria on January 28, 2023 at 8:32 pm

259. Wow! Your process is FABULOUS Kirsten! Thank you for sharing it. And congratulations on Luna’s Green Pet! It’s just adorable. And so glad you kept the dog pee!

     By sharonkdal on January 28, 2023 at 8:32 pm

     1. Thank you! Poor Stephanie! lol.

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:10 pm

260. Such great tips!

     By Ashley Sierra (@AshleySierra06) on January 28, 2023 at 8:38 pm

261. Thanks Kirsten. I love this. Plants can certainly be taught. Back matter is loads of fun for kids. Great ideas throughout.

     By Marcia D. Williams on January 28, 2023 at 8:40 pm

262. Very interesting and helpful! Thank you, Kirsten!

     Best wishes with your debut! 🙂

     By Mia Geiger on January 28, 2023 at 8:40 pm

263. Wow! Great idea for PB ingredients! Love your Luna book! Congrats! I’ll be looking for it. Thanks for sharing!

     By suzanbh on January 28, 2023 at 8:42 pm

     1. thank you!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:14 pm

264. Your book is great–read it, reviewed it! And, thank you, for the helpful Day 28 advice.

     By Christine Van Zandt, author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF UNDERPANTS on January 28, 2023 at 8:52 pm

265. Love the concept of your Ideagredients and layering! Thank you. Great Post!

     By Aimee Larke on January 28, 2023 at 8:57 pm

266. I always enjoy hearing how other writers approach their work. Like you, I find it helpful to think about my story for quite a while before actually starting to write it. But I’ve met people who have success just sitting down and writing the story as it occurs to them.

     By Janet Frenck Sheets on January 28, 2023 at 8:59 pm

267. I love this approach to layering! Thank you!

     By mhberg on January 28, 2023 at 9:13 pm

268. Thank you for sharing your ideas Kirsten!

     By Parvati Patil on January 28, 2023 at 9:22 pm

269. This was SO cute! I loved reading about your ideagrients for Luna’s Green Pet. Thanks for laying this out so clearly! One of my ideagrients is the word “quibbling.”

     By Lisa Atkinson on January 28, 2023 at 9:24 pm

     1. ooh I like that word!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:08 pm

270. I look forward to reading your book. It looks delightful!

     By kellyclasenwriter on January 28, 2023 at 9:26 pm

271. Yummy ‘ideagrients’! I sometimes get those pieces but not a story to go with them. I’ll have to get out my virtual recipe box to record them in! My kids called round meat for subs and sandwiches ‘circle meat’. I could fit that into a story! Thank you so much for this post! This post reminds me that picture book content has to be as layered and complex as novels!

     By Anne LeBlanc 🇨🇦😊❤️📚libraries✍️🎤🕺⛏️Go Leafs! (@AnneLeBlanc2) on January 28, 2023 at 9:29 pm

     1. ha circle meat! yep, picture books are way more complicated than they first appear!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:09 pm

272. He buckled his boots, Opened 3 bumbershoots, Trudged out in the rain, To catch his train…

     By 8catpaws on January 28, 2023 at 9:55 pm

273. Love the idea of “Ideagrients”! Super, fun, idea filled post! (I randomly opened Tara’s book, ABSURD WORDS! So much fun and a treasure trove of ideagrients!) 🙂

     By seschipper on January 28, 2023 at 9:56 pm

     1. It’s an amazing resource!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 28, 2023 at 10:08 pm

274. Kirsten, your idea is fabulous. We always need as many ways as possible to hook editors/readers. Thanks!

     By Becki Kidd on January 28, 2023 at 9:59 pm

275. I love that you incorporated your love of lists in the story. It’s great when writers infuse their stories with these kinds of things.

     By Earl @ The Chronicles Of A Children's Book Writer on January 28, 2023 at 10:06 pm

276. It was fun to learn about your writing process. Thank you for sharing!

     By tracyschuldthelixon on January 28, 2023 at 10:24 pm

277. Lovely post – thanks for sharing!

     By Brian Gonsar on January 28, 2023 at 10:26 pm

278. This has been one of my favorite posts during Storystorm. Thanks for sharing your ideas about ideas 🙂

     By Stephanie Jackson on January 28, 2023 at 10:32 pm

279. Thanks, Kristen, for sharing your idea of “Ideagredients”.

     By Suhasini Gupta on January 28, 2023 at 10:39 pm

280. Kirsten, this is exactly what I needed today. So many great ways to take that idea from ‘meh’ to fabulous! Thank you. And congrats on Luna’s Green Pet. I’m requesting it at my library today.

     By marty bellis on January 28, 2023 at 10:42 pm

281. Congratulations on Luna’s Green Pet and your upcoming books! I can’t wait to read them! And thanks for the reminder to use a ‘pinch of sensory salt’ – I always seem to forget that while cooking…

     By Katie Berner on January 28, 2023 at 10:47 pm

282. Thanks so much for the inspiration and ideas!

     By Diane O'Neill on January 28, 2023 at 10:52 pm

283. Great ideas! Thank you for sharing!

     By Janice Woods on January 28, 2023 at 10:55 pm

284. Thanks, Kirsten, for planting so my ideagrients in my creative garden.

     By Ellie Langford on January 28, 2023 at 11:00 pm

285. Thank you Kirsten! Such great ways to bring an idea to life. I will definitely mentally wear my chef’s hat as I cook up my story! 🙂

     By Farida Zaman on January 28, 2023 at 11:02 pm

286. Congrats on Luna’s Green Pet! And thank you for sharing your ideagredients. Food for thought…

     By Linda Sakai on January 28, 2023 at 11:11 pm

287. The theme & timing of your post is so ironic, for today, my Dutch oven slipped onto the open oven door, resulting in glass shards EVERYWHERE! What a mess! But so is storytelling until the ingredients gel just so. Perhaps my next story will explode with ideas (& not glass!)

     By yangmommy on January 28, 2023 at 11:26 pm

288. Ideagrients, what a great concept! I’ll have to try capturing those loose ideas running around and formulating them into a cohesive story. Thanks for this organizational tool.

     By lphunt on January 28, 2023 at 11:30 pm

289. I love this ! Thanks for sharing your process. I’m feeling proud bc I can check off these 5 main Ideagrients™ for my recent PB that’s out on query! BUT, I feel stuck with some of my top storystorm ideas. I’ll definitely use these Ideagrients™ before I fully dive in.

     These are the ingredients I’ve been waiting for!! Would love to win a critique ! ☺️

     By Lrheffner on January 28, 2023 at 11:31 pm

290. Kirsten, this is a fabulous post! Thank you so much! Congratulations on your THREE books! Thank you for the encouragement and inspiration!

     By Elizabeth McBride on January 28, 2023 at 11:35 pm

291. Hi Kristen,

     Thank you for giving the word ‘Ideagrients’ to the speckles of words and tidbits that come to me. It is, indeed, so much easier to find a simple concept rather than sit and try to think of one big idea all at once.

     Making a book is like baking a cake! You gather the ingredients (inspiration) you follow your secret recipe (structure) and mix it all together (combining your vision and a bit of magic) then you put it in to bake (story left simmering with feedback/editing/revising) then it’s ready to eat! Your finished story that is all your own.

     Your picture book Luna’s Green Pet looks lovely and your Ideagrients guide is wonderful – Thank you again for helping me navigate through my ideas, concepts to creating the best book cake ever!

     Day 28 ideas down.

     Cynthia x

     By Cynthia Ning on January 28, 2023 at 11:37 pm

     1. My apologies I got the letters in the wrong place – Hi Kirsten! Thank you for your post, it was so much fun to read!

        By Cynthia Ning on January 28, 2023 at 11:39 pm

        1. No worries! You’ve described the writing process better than I did!

           By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:34 am

     2. My apologies, I got the letters in your name mixed up! Hi Kirsten! Thank you for your post, it was a fun and insightful read 🙂

        By Cynthia Ning on January 28, 2023 at 11:42 pm

292. I love this! I’m a fan of adding to the vernacular, so ideagrients and animalmorphizing spoke to me both because they are clever (and necessary additions to our shared language!) and because they are inspirational. While I am NOT a good cook in the kitchen, I do like the idea of ensuring that I have the proper ingredients for a really good story and looking at ideas in that framework. So clever! I’m looking forward to sprinkling some sensory salt on my upcoming ideagrients. (Also, I saw that my library doesn’t have Luna’s Green Pet, so I’ll be requesting that post haste.) Thank you!

     By JF Hall Writes on January 28, 2023 at 11:37 pm

     1. Oh! Thanks so much for requesting LUNA! 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:24 am

293. Great idea to include 5 key ideagrients!

     By Ana Archi on January 28, 2023 at 11:44 pm

294. I have so many drafts of one or two ideagrient stories. This post is really helping me see the why these felt so flat. This post really hit me at the right spot.

     By Laurel Santini on January 28, 2023 at 11:46 pm

     1. oh my goodness, this is so great to hear! happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:25 am

295. So many seed starters here! Thanks for sharing.

     By laureannawrites on January 28, 2023 at 11:47 pm

     1. haha I see what you did there 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:32 am

296. A manuscript and a recipe are definitely similar in many ways. A wonderful reminder.

     By authorlaurablog on January 28, 2023 at 11:51 pm

297. Love it, Kirsten. This is a really inspireful (TM) blog.

     By steveheron on January 29, 2023 at 12:10 am

     1. haha I might steal that for my pantry !

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:25 am

298. I love the suggestions for how to take an idea and make it a story I need to write. Thank you! 🙂

     By jscratchley on January 29, 2023 at 12:15 am

299. I love the concept of Ideagrients–these are exactly the things I try to capture in my commonplace book. Thank you for sharing your take on them!

     By Elayne on January 29, 2023 at 12:20 am

300. What great advice! Can’t wait to look at my idea list and add some ideagrients!

     By Amy Mucci on January 29, 2023 at 12:36 am

301. Thank you, Kirsten, for a great way to add panache to our stories.
     Malarkey has been rolling around in my head all day. 🙂 A perfect ideagrient.
     Congratulations on your picture book success.

     By michelerietz on January 29, 2023 at 12:36 am

     1. Thanks! Oh I LOVE Malarkey! There’s a lot of it in our family, lol.

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:31 am

302. Loved how starting with great Ideagrients makes for a wonderful outcome. Thank you so much for sharing. I always loved the fabulous vocabulary in Beatrix Potter’s stories- so quotable. I need to get cooking up some fun words- and names like Hunca Munca!

     By Kathleen Clark on January 29, 2023 at 12:48 am

     1. Oh my childhood reading was full of Beatrix Potter! I adore Hunca Munca; talk about rambunctious!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:11 pm

303. Love this post and love that cake! I made an Encanto one like that for my daughter 🙂

     By DrZatHome on January 29, 2023 at 12:51 am

304. Kirsten, wow, love the ideagrients you’ve cooked up – so good!

     By Echo Roben on January 29, 2023 at 1:04 am

305. IDEAgrients…sorta like IKEA, only for writers. Clever! Thanks!

     By SHARON LANGLEY on January 29, 2023 at 1:08 am

     1. haha and just as difficult to say aloud as an ikea product 😉 I came very close to having the Muppet’s Swedish chef make an appearance!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:19 pm

306. I love this idea! I think it’s a great way to take a small idea and expand on it. Thanks for the rule of 5!

     By smallforbig on January 29, 2023 at 1:38 am

307. Great post!

     By Elizabeth Kalasinsky on January 29, 2023 at 2:24 am

308. I am currently working on a story that needs a little help and I think this might just do the trick. Thanks!

     By brittanypomales on January 29, 2023 at 2:48 am

309. Great suggestions. Thanks for sharing.

     By Diane McBee on January 29, 2023 at 3:08 am

310. What a pile of great ideas! I love how you showcased pages from your book, especially your incredible backmatter! You clearly knew your topic and gave humorous, insightful, and engaging ideas that supported your main thought. I cannot wait to read it to my grandson.

     By Jennifer Mills Barnes on January 29, 2023 at 3:23 am

     1. Oh yay! I hope he enjoys it! Tell him Luna says hello and hopes he is only a little bit rambunctious!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:06 pm

311. I think I need to go add some ingredients to some of my stories!

     By Angela Turner on January 29, 2023 at 3:24 am

312. Love ideagrients! That cake picture might an ideagrient! Looks scrumptious!

     By Allison Fleischman on January 29, 2023 at 3:34 am

     1. Lisa Tolin made the cake–she’s an amazing storyteller and baker!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:12 pm

313. Luna’s Green Pet sounds sooo funny, clever, and cute.

     By Annie Guerra on January 29, 2023 at 3:40 am

314. Love this, and Ideagrients should definitely be a thing (the meme made me Lol!)! Thank you so much for all the ideas and formulas, and your book sounds amazing (now I want to read it)!!!

     By Sophie Furman on January 29, 2023 at 3:54 am

     1. Phew. Haha I thought people might think I had lost the plot. Happy writing – and thanks in advance for reading Luna!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:07 pm

315. I love Mary & and baking. This was such a fun way to envision and talk about adding these elements to our fledgling ideas. Thanks! Looking foward to your upcoming books! Congrats.

     By Maria Marshall on January 29, 2023 at 5:08 am

     1. Thanks so much, Maria! Thanks for all you do to support kidlit!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:05 pm

316. What great ideas! And your book sounds soooo cute. Love it!

     By Elle Carlin on January 29, 2023 at 6:08 am

     1. Thanks, Elle!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:20 pm

317. Wow, Kirsten. What a smorgasbord of idea tips. Thank you. Congrats on your success.

     By mdk45 on January 29, 2023 at 7:22 am

     1. Thanks so much!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:19 pm

318. Love it! Ideagrients. Great ideas. Thanks.

     By jbdedwardscomcastnet on January 29, 2023 at 7:28 am

319. Great post. It is hard to decide which idea to cook up. Thanks for giving us a way to do it 🙂

     By Sharon Giltrow on January 29, 2023 at 7:52 am

320. Thank you for all the ideas….

     By Freda Lewkowicz on January 29, 2023 at 8:02 am

321. Great advice, Kristen. I will do this. Thanks.

     By jimchaize1 on January 29, 2023 at 8:23 am

322. What a great way of coming up with something new rather than following a recipe to the letter. Who knows if you’ll end up with a masterpiece or a total flop. But mixing things together is half the fun. Thanks Kirsten.

     By Kelly Hibbert on January 29, 2023 at 8:40 am

     1. yes, SO important to keep it fun! That was my last Storystorm topic 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:13 pm

323. That cake looks delicious! I like your idea about ideagrients. Thank you for sharing!

     By Sarah Hetu-Radny on January 29, 2023 at 8:40 am

324. I love the idea of ideagredients!

     By Jan Milusich on January 29, 2023 at 8:55 am

325. Layer those ideas just like a yummy cake. Such a great read!

     By Monica Acker on January 29, 2023 at 9:04 am

326. LUNA’S GREEN PET is perfectly imagined and executed. Thank you for the recipes!

     By cravevsworld on January 29, 2023 at 9:23 am

     1. thanks so much!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:13 pm

327. Thanks Kirsten, this is also great motivation to organise my real-life pantry haha.

     By Laura Wippell on January 29, 2023 at 9:26 am

     1. Haha. Me too! My Ideagrient pantry is in better shape than my real-life one!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:19 pm

328. Great post! Thank you!

     By Leah Moser on January 29, 2023 at 9:53 am

329. I recently learned how to prevent a soggy bottom: use a wire rack instead of kitchen paper to drain the oil from fried food. I can’t make this info into a metaphor! Love your analogies to cooking. Thanks!

     By jamarisinclair on January 29, 2023 at 10:46 am

     1. haha! full disclosure I’m a better cook than a baker! would prefer fried food over cake any day:)

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:02 pm

330. Hmm, I have some sticky magnet words on my fridge. Maybe I’ll wander over there and pick one.

     By lisarowefraustino on January 29, 2023 at 10:49 am

     1. oh! great idea! I used to have one of those! I miss them!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:01 pm

331. Collecting my ideagredients. Yum, I think I just landed on a sweet one! Thanks!

     By geigerlin on January 29, 2023 at 11:00 am

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:17 pm

332. I love this list of key ingredients for story ideas. Thanks, Kristen!

     By Terry Talley on January 29, 2023 at 11:09 am

333. Mix and match, or mash up my story ingredients! A great idea! This can be a fun exercise even if I don’t have an ahha moment right away.

     By Susan Jobsky on January 29, 2023 at 11:14 am

334. What a fun and delicious post! Thank you for sharing your great ideas and I can’t wait to read “Luna’s Green Pet.”

     By Christina Dankert on January 29, 2023 at 11:18 am

     1. Thanks, Christina! I hope you enjoy Luna!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:15 pm

335. I tend to be impatient and want to get to the writing too quickly. Taking time to assemble some Ideagrients should be a great help.

     By Sarah Skolfield on January 29, 2023 at 11:30 am

     1. Same! I have had to train myself!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:14 pm

336. Luna’s Green Pet looks fantastic. And I share my name with her plant!

     By stephaniemstories on January 29, 2023 at 11:42 am

337. Good to know that I need a minimum of 5 ideagrients ™ in my story.

     By Darcee A Freier on January 29, 2023 at 11:59 am

338. Kirsten, Thank you. I like the idea of the five ingredients. So often there’s ONE idea and fleshing it out is tricky. This will help!

     By Nancy Ferguson on January 29, 2023 at 12:39 pm

339. Great post, Kirsten! Thank you for giving us a peek at your writing journey!

     I love the concept of ideagrients and can’t wait to add some of them to my half-baked ideas simmering away on the backburner.

     By Sharon A Putnam on January 29, 2023 at 12:39 pm

340. Thank you, Kirsten! My library has your PB and I love how the back matter ties in so well, voice-wise, with the story. Definitely something I want to keep in mind! 🙂

     By Heidi Chupp on January 29, 2023 at 12:43 pm

     1. Oh thanks for reading, Heidi! I’m thrilled to hear it’s in your library! Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:00 pm

341. Thank you for introducing me to Ideagrients™ as inspiration, Kirsten. I look forward to reading LUNA’S GREEN PET.

     Suzy Leopold

     By Prairie Garden Girl on January 29, 2023 at 12:44 pm

     1. Thanks, Suzy!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 1:58 pm

342. Great post, Kirsten! Thank you for giving us a peek at your writing journey!

     I love the concept of ideagrients and can’t wait to add some of them to my half-baked ideas simmering away on the backburner.

     By Sharon A Putnam on January 29, 2023 at 12:44 pm

343. What an awesome post. Thank you so much for these great ideagrients and congratulations on your stories!

     By Shirley on January 29, 2023 at 1:13 pm

     1. Thank you!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:15 pm

344. Loved this helpful post! Feeling inspired and hungry 😛🍰

     By Beth Holladay on January 29, 2023 at 1:28 pm

345. Awesome. Thank you!!

     By Pradeep Velugubantla on January 29, 2023 at 1:34 pm

346. Thank you for sharing your inspiring approach to adding depth and details to story writing through the use of ideagrients. I have many story ideas, but I’m now excited to add ideagrients to them and hope that the results don’t flop!🥗🍪🍰🥧

     By Deborah Ishii on January 29, 2023 at 1:45 pm

347. I have Google Doc of idea fragments, but didn’t have a name for them. Now I do! Ideagrients! Excited to mix them together to bake up something delicious! Thank you, Kirsten!

     By Bri Lawyer on January 29, 2023 at 1:49 pm

     1. Oh fantastic! You’re ahead of the game! Good luck!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 1:58 pm

348. Mmm! That cake looks yummy.

     By Bethanny Parker on January 29, 2023 at 1:51 pm

     1. Right? Lisa Tolin made it for her son’s birthday!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:16 pm

349. Thank you for the post.

     By Sylvia Mary Grech on January 29, 2023 at 2:04 pm

350. I love the idea of mixing things up. Warming the oven now. Thanks!

     By Judith Snyder on January 29, 2023 at 2:11 pm

     1. haha! Clever!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 2:16 pm

351. Rambunctious ideas, Kirsten! I’m eager to try your suggestions as I revise my stories. I know I’m missing a few ingredients including PBIU. Thank you and congrats on Luna’s Green Pet.

     By madisu2021 on January 29, 2023 at 2:22 pm

352. Thanks so much for the ideagredients post, Kirsten! I already have some ideas brewing after reading this! Can’t wait to read Luna’s Green Pet. Sounds like so much fun.

     By vgraboski61gmailcom on January 29, 2023 at 2:43 pm

353. I enjoyed reading about your thought process for LUNA’S GREEN PET and about your suggestions for Ideagrients. Thanks!

     By Alison McGauley (@AlisonMcgauley) on January 29, 2023 at 2:56 pm

354. Love it! I’m still trying to say “Ideagredients”. LOL

     By nicolesalterbraun on January 29, 2023 at 3:09 pm

     1. LOL, me too;) I had Idealets, but then I went down the baking rabbit hole 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:44 pm

355. I’m a baker so the Ideagredients concept was particularly delicious. Thank you for this great post!

     By jilltatara on January 29, 2023 at 3:18 pm

     1. Yay! Thanks for reading!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:44 pm

356. Dear Kirsten
     Thanks for a great fun post to inspire us and direct us to Ideagrients. It is easier to write this word than to pronounce it!
     I love the idea of a plant as a pet. We can learn from this story that anything can turn into a pet, the important fact is our relationship with the pet.
     I just drew the multilayered cake in my notebook, ready to start writing down the 5 Ideagrients.
     Congratulations on all your books!

     By Eva Felder on January 29, 2023 at 3:31 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Eva!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:48 pm

357. I’ve never heard of Ideagrients before. These are fun! I’ve always kept a notebook of quotes and words and tidbits so I’ve been doing it all along, just never made the connection. Thank you.

     By Jess on January 29, 2023 at 3:32 pm

     1. You sound way more organized than me! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:48 pm

358. Thanks for your fun post!

     By Rona Shirdan on January 29, 2023 at 3:35 pm

359. Ideagredients is so relatable!
     ~ Cheryl Johnson

     By jumpbaby on January 29, 2023 at 3:40 pm

360. Thank you for the great ideas! This post was insightful and fun.

     By Jennie H on January 29, 2023 at 3:59 pm

361. Thank you for the giggles and idea generation to start my morning, Kirsten! Like many fellow writers, I absolutely get stuck with a flat idea that I’m not sure how to turn into a unique story. This was very helpful for several ideas I’ve had stored away on the shelf.

     By Sarah Blotevogel on January 29, 2023 at 4:11 pm

     1. Yay! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:47 pm

362. Love your concept of ideagrients. Totally make sense to help with not only creativity but flow of the story.
     Thank you!!

     By Meredith Fraser on January 29, 2023 at 4:32 pm

363. Your post was especially helpful to me. I generally have no problem coming up with story ideas–I’ve got scads of ideas! Where I run into obstacles is deciding which ideas to pursue and which to hold onto for (maybe) later (and also, what to do with the myriad of fun observations / sensory details I write down in my journals/idea files. Your suggestions to make sure a story idea has enough elements to work with to turn into an engaging story (and to mine my note files for story elements) are just the ingredients I needed in my process. Thank you so much!

     By Dawn Prochovnic on January 29, 2023 at 4:48 pm

     1. I am the same!! Triage is the key! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:45 pm

364. What an interesting idea. Thank you. I already have a title and concept, and now I’m thinking of Ideagrients to add to the mix. Luna’s Green Pet looks adorable…I will definitely look for that.

     By Jennifer Weisse on January 29, 2023 at 5:08 pm

     1. Oh thank you! I hope you enjoy LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:47 pm

365. I’ve heard advice similar to this before, but I think Kristen’s advice is really actionable. Thank you for sharing!

     By midfreeman on January 29, 2023 at 5:15 pm

366. It’s always a tension between complexity and simplicity for me and I think I censor some of my ideagrients too soon. Thanks for the post, Kirsten!

     By Wendy Greenley on January 29, 2023 at 5:20 pm

367. What a tasty post! Thanks for all the inspiration!

     By Andria Rosenbaum on January 29, 2023 at 5:39 pm

368. Well, Ideagrients doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, but love the idea of adding in all the sprinkles!

     By Lauri Meyers on January 29, 2023 at 5:41 pm

369. What a fun post! Now to look at past ideas to see what I can add a dash or pinch of to make a tasty story.

     By Barbara Senenman on January 29, 2023 at 5:54 pm

370. Great idea. A fun way to spice up a story. Congrats on your success!

     By Marlena Leach on January 29, 2023 at 6:00 pm

371. You made ideagrients happen, and I’m definitely here for it!

     By Laura on January 29, 2023 at 6:03 pm

372. What a cool post with awesome Ideagrient tips! Plus I loved how you brought up “Animalpomorphizing.” Thank you!!

     By sylviaichen on January 29, 2023 at 6:39 pm

     1. haha glad you noticed that one Sylvia. I’ll have to TM it too LOL

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 6:46 pm

373. What a delectable post! Thanks so much for the Ideagrients inspiration!

     By Srividhya Venkat on January 29, 2023 at 6:44 pm

374. This post was my flavourite! Mb because it seems most similar to my way of writing. Ty,Robin

     By Robin Martin on January 29, 2023 at 6:50 pm

     1. haha flavourite! love it! Thanks, Robin, I’m incredibly flattered!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 9:47 pm

375. Sometimes I mix up too many morsels in my story bakes, so 5 ideagrients is a good rule of thumb. And Luna’s Green Pet looks fab!

     By Franny G on January 29, 2023 at 6:51 pm

376. Thanks for the post. Your book looks adorable!

     By Melissa Koosmann on January 29, 2023 at 6:51 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Melissa!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:20 pm

377. Thanks for the fun idea! I love that it’s creative and also very practical to follow.
     Congrats your books!

     By Rebecca Grant on January 29, 2023 at 6:54 pm

     1. Thank you Rebecca!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 9:49 pm

378. I love the ideagrients idea.

     By Kris Hamblin on January 29, 2023 at 7:10 pm

379. Thank you for the encouraging, helpful post!

     By Haley Thomas on January 29, 2023 at 7:15 pm

380. Great post, Kirsten! I love the idea of ideagredients to mix into a story!

     By Judy Sobanski on January 29, 2023 at 7:23 pm

     1. thanks for reading, Judy! xo

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 9:48 pm

381. OMG I had so much fun reading your post today! You are so creative- thank you!

     By Krys Plate on January 29, 2023 at 7:42 pm

382. LOVE ideagrients!! Congratulations on your debut! Luna’s Green Pet looks adorable.

     By Laura Bower on January 29, 2023 at 7:54 pm

     1. Thanks, Laura!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 9:48 pm

383. What an excellent idea for a wonderful story! I was like LUNA when I was a kid because I never had a dog – now I know it was a smart decision because there was no one to take care of a dog during the day. I love how you developed your ideas to finally make them into a beautiful story! Thanks so much for sharing.

     By Aimee Hiura on January 29, 2023 at 7:54 pm

384. Love your process!

     By Gayle Veitenheimer on January 29, 2023 at 8:00 pm

385. Great read full of fun ideas and new words!

     By Hollie Wolverton on January 29, 2023 at 8:16 pm

386. Great advice for taking an idea to the next level and seeing if it has enough of that something extra to give it a go! Thanks for sharing more about your creative process!

     By Erica Jensen Shiflet on January 29, 2023 at 8:22 pm

387. What a fun approach to getting ideas. Thanks.

     By shirley301 on January 29, 2023 at 8:58 pm

388. Thank you for the helpful post! I definitely have a lot of ideas that are still flat from this month. Will look back with your suggestions in mind!

     By Jennifer Lu on January 29, 2023 at 9:06 pm

389. I just added LUNA’S GREEN PET to my library holds. It looks adorable! Thanks for all these fresh ideas!

     By Cheryl Simon (@cmsimon18) on January 29, 2023 at 9:30 pm

     1. Oh wonderful! Thanks Cheryl!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 11:30 pm

390. Fun ideas! Thanks for sharing!

     By Manju Beth Howard 🌻 (@ManjuBeth) on January 29, 2023 at 10:15 pm

391. Thank you, Kirsten, for sharing your journey and for the great tips about prepping prior to writing and the key ingredients required for a great story. These will all be very useful.
     I look forward to reading your books and I wish you continued success with your writing.

     By Jeannette Suhr on January 29, 2023 at 10:18 pm

     1. Thank you so much, Jeannette!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 11:29 pm

392. Thanks for giving us story stormers more tools.

     By Vanessa on January 29, 2023 at 10:20 pm

393. I love Luna’s plant pet! My daughter named one of our smaller spider plants Planty and decorates her. Thx for the post!

     By Deena on January 29, 2023 at 10:34 pm

     1. Planty! I love it! She probably loves getting decorated 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 11:30 pm

394. Great ideas! Luna’s Green Pet looks adorable!

     By Debbie Meyer on January 29, 2023 at 10:34 pm

     1. Thanks Debbie! Carmen’s art made it sing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 29, 2023 at 11:28 pm

395. Thank you for the content and organization that you lent to the process. Sooooooo helpful!

     By syorkeviney on January 29, 2023 at 10:37 pm

396. Thank you Kirsten. This post is brimming with great suggestions! I can’t wait to start gathering my ingredients.

     By Mary Warth on January 29, 2023 at 11:09 pm

397. I really love this approach and how clearly you articulated it. I recognize now that this is what I’ve done with stories I’ve written and loved — and need to do with the stories that are still falling flat. Thank you!!

     By amandashayne on January 29, 2023 at 11:12 pm

398. I love using cool words for kids to learn! Can’t wait to incorporate some words into ideagredients! Thanks for the inspiration!

     By Lisa M. Horn on January 29, 2023 at 11:16 pm

399. Love it, thanks 🙂

     By Artelle Lenthall on January 30, 2023 at 12:02 am

400. Oh, good grief. I love this.

     By Allison Green on January 30, 2023 at 12:28 am

     1. 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:38 pm

401. Oh, how adorable your book is! And your advice to choose the tasty tidbits ahead of time instead of muddling around with a ho-hum story sure struck a chord with me. (Been there, done that.) Thank you so much!

     By Toni Weeks on January 30, 2023 at 12:43 am

402. We have Green Pets! Cannot wait to read with my daughter.

     By Jodie Sadowsky on January 30, 2023 at 1:01 am

     1. Yay for Green Pets! Thanks in advance for reading LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:38 pm

403. Congratulations on LUNA’S GREEN PET and all your upcoming books, Kirsten! Creating a list of ideagrients is a perfect way to brainstorm elements we want to layer into a picture book to make it magically unique. And thank you for your concrete examples of how this concept worked for LUNA. Your post is a keeper.

     By Joannie Duris on January 30, 2023 at 1:44 am

     1. Thanks so much, Joannie!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:46 pm

404. Great ideas and i love the ideagriants 😁❤️ fab

     By Jeanette on January 30, 2023 at 2:48 am

405. While I always try to come up with unique elements, having at least five is a great idea to be sure my story is truly set apart and a great read as well!

     By Tanya Konerman on January 30, 2023 at 5:35 am

406. Congrats on Luna’s Green Pet! I love your idea generating concept and will give it a try today.

     By Juliana Jones on January 30, 2023 at 7:51 am

407. Love the thought of ideagrients! And that cake looks delicious.

     By Hilary Mankofsky on January 30, 2023 at 9:12 am

408. Love this idea, Kirsten — thank you! Congrats on Luna’s Green Pet.

     By elisederstine on January 30, 2023 at 9:28 am

409. I love this super practical way of writing memorable books. Thank you!

     By Beth Pollock on January 30, 2023 at 9:31 am

410. Five unique ideagrients is a great rule of thumb. Thank you! I just requested my library purchase your book.

     By Debbie Austin on January 30, 2023 at 9:33 am

     1. Oh wow, that’s so kind. Thank you, Debbie!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:37 pm

411. Your book is intriguing! Can’t wait to get it! Thanks for all of your ideas!

     By Cheryl Coate on January 30, 2023 at 9:39 am

     1. yay! thanks in advance for reading LUNA! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:37 pm

412. Love this! Great ways to get inspiration out of the “ideas” zone and into something tangible! Thank you!

     By Diana Murrell on January 30, 2023 at 10:02 am

413. I’m rarely a plan-and-outline-it-first kinda guy, but this feels like a good way into something like that. I love this suggestion of rounding up found observations, turns of phrase, etc. on the front end to help seed and pepper my stories. Thanks!

     By Russell Wolff on January 30, 2023 at 10:13 am

414. I love this advice on how to concretely structure all the rambunctious ideas competing in my notebooks and brain. Brilliant!

     By azmh on January 30, 2023 at 10:42 am

415. This really got me thinking about how to move from a basic idea to a much more exciting idea. Tufty is one of my favourite words and came to mind while reading your post … it’s definitely going to have to find it’s way into one of my stories! Thank you for sharing.

     By Joan Longstaff on January 30, 2023 at 10:50 am

416. I’m going to savor this one!

     Also, yes!
     Please support all the guest bloggers (and Tara!) by buying, preordering, reviewing, and asking your library to order our books!

     By Angela H. Dale on January 30, 2023 at 10:55 am

     1. Thanks, Angela!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:42 pm

417. I added some of your Ideagredients to a poem I’ve been struggling with and it really spiced it up a notch! Thank you.

     By Leslie Degnan on January 30, 2023 at 11:06 am

     1. Oh wonderful! Poetry loves specificity!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:35 pm

418. Thanks for the fresh perspective!

     By Krista Maxwell on January 30, 2023 at 11:08 am

419. Great Ideas! I’m going to have to develop more lists 🙂

     By Joan Swanson on January 30, 2023 at 11:13 am

420. Love this post which hit the spot with all the spice and seasoning I needed for my ideagredients. Especially love the 5 tips which can be the perfect go to for drumming up a new story.

     By Rebecca Guzinski on January 30, 2023 at 11:16 am

421. What a fun and cute idea. I love it! Ideagredients !!!

     By James Adams on January 30, 2023 at 11:43 am

422. Fabulous post! Thank you! I love the idea of find “distinctive fragments and descriptive sparks” – love this!

     By amberleawilliams on January 30, 2023 at 11:43 am

423. Love the specificity!

     By maureenegan on January 30, 2023 at 11:52 am

424. SO HELPFUL to remember the tantalizing tidbits!! Ok aging myself but as a little person I had these dolls called Kiddles (so tiny they fit into perfume bottles) and I would make teeny tiny clothes. For some reason, the filmstrip of playing with Kiddles and finding which teeny tiny accessory was perfect for each Kiddle played in my head as I read this. Lots of things to choose and trying it on to see if it worked. Thanks for evoking my Kiddle experience.

     By Kim Parfitt on January 30, 2023 at 12:08 pm

     1. oh wow those sound amazing! My daughter had Polly Pockets which were also teeny-tiny!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:34 pm

425. Such a yummy way to improve ideas! Thanks!

     By Sandy Lowe on January 30, 2023 at 12:24 pm

426. Brilliant recipe –thanks! Love the backmatter, too. May our concoctions taste as original as Luna….

     By Poupette on January 30, 2023 at 12:26 pm

427. These might just be the motivational ingredients to get my lagging January juices flowing–thanks!

     By Jen Subra on January 30, 2023 at 12:42 pm

428. This is wonderful…taking the maybes to things I cannot wait to write is really key for me, and you’ve given us lots of tools here. Thank you!

     By allyenz on January 30, 2023 at 12:42 pm

429. Thanks for sharing your Ideagrients! I’m usually a pantser, but I can appreciate your advice to have five Ideagrients before writing. I will try this new approach.

     By michellesteinberg on January 30, 2023 at 12:49 pm

430. Very helpful, thanks,

     By Jennifer Skene on January 30, 2023 at 12:55 pm

431. Fun idea!

     By Dawn M. on January 30, 2023 at 1:01 pm

432. Baking references- Love it!! Thanks for your ideas.

     By valerieschultz023gmailcom on January 30, 2023 at 1:10 pm

433. This is exactly what I need to do with an idea I’ve been nursing but can’t seem to make work…

     By Michelle Cusolito on January 30, 2023 at 1:16 pm

     1. Yay!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:33 pm

434. Love this concept! So fetch! 🙂 Thank you for sharing these excellent tips. I wrote down “seek specificity and detail” in my notebook. Thank you for this post, Kirsten!

     By Sarah Meade on January 30, 2023 at 1:18 pm

435. First of all, LUNA has been on my “to read” list forever and now that I know more about it and have seen glimpses of its sheer adorableness, it’s marked “urgent”! Second of all, the idea of compiling a list of key components with which to craft/cook up a story is super useful and just what I needed to consider. Thank you and congrats on your charming book(s)!!

     By Danya Vasquez David on January 30, 2023 at 1:19 pm

     1. Haha yay for urgent reads! Carmen’s art is over-the-top-adorable!. Thanks in advance for reading it! If you feel like leaving a review anywhere, we’d be grateful 🙂

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:33 pm

436. So helpful to see how you layered all your ingredients onto your pet plant story. Luna is adorable! Thanks!

     By Daryl Gottier on January 30, 2023 at 1:20 pm

437. Thank you for this post. I love the Back Matter ideas especially re: top ten lists!

     By Mary Beth Rice on January 30, 2023 at 1:25 pm

438. I really appreciated how you broke down your approach with Luna’s Green Pet. Thank you, Kirsten.

     By Ana Kelly on January 30, 2023 at 1:35 pm

     1. Thanks, Ana!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:32 pm

439. Ideagrients is such an amazing concept. I have some story ideas that I’m not sure if they have enough to make a good PB. Time to start gathering some Ideagrients!

     By Loretta Schrader on January 30, 2023 at 1:43 pm

440. Thank you for your very unique methods of creating memorable (and publishable) stories.

     By pjaegly on January 30, 2023 at 1:52 pm

441. I love the concept of using ideagrients to make stories more fun and compelling! Thanks for sharing, Kirsten!!

     By Jessica Milo on January 30, 2023 at 1:53 pm

442. I love the word ‘ideagrients’ and appreciated that you shared examples of what these were for your Luna story. Thank you for this!

     By Beth Elliott on January 30, 2023 at 1:57 pm

443. The word “Ideagrients” feels funny in my mouth, but your post has helped generate details to flesh out some other ideas, so thank you!

     By Amanda Perry on January 30, 2023 at 2:04 pm

444. A great time for this blog at the end of the Storystorm month. I really like how you set yourself up for success by making sure you have enough Ideagrients before committing too much time and energy to a project. I’ve had what I thought were great ideas just wither because they stood alone without the support of other Ideagrients. Thank you for this post! I love the word turbulent–it will be in one of my stories soon.

     By Scott Wolf on January 30, 2023 at 2:18 pm

445. Such great tips! Thank you for the step-by-step walk through your process with Luna. What a sweet story.

     By libbydemmon on January 30, 2023 at 2:24 pm

446. wow! what a cake!

     By colleenrkosinski on January 30, 2023 at 2:42 pm

     1. Right? Lisa’s book, How To Be A Rock Star is also masterful!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:31 pm

447. I love searching for new words and using writing devices. I’ll work on my humor.

     By Trine Grillo on January 30, 2023 at 2:44 pm

448. A tweak here or there can make all the difference when writing a story. Thanks for your suggestions

     By Leah Marks on January 30, 2023 at 2:47 pm

449. Wow—I tell you, wow! The story of a pet plant at first hit me just like you said. “Huh. That would be—interesting.” But each layer that you added made me laugh more and more. Sounds like a fabulous book. Completely in awe, now. Can’t wait to think up some of my own ideagrients (although I’m struggling to say the word. 😉 )

     By elizabethdaghfal on January 30, 2023 at 2:52 pm

     1. aww thank you so much! I can’t say it aloud either, LOL

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:30 pm

450. I can’t wait to read this! What a wonderful, brilliant, hearfelt idea. I talk to plants all the time, and I photograph them then write their poem, so your book will really delight me! Also wonderful ideas, and enouragement. Thank you!

     By Katharine Emlen on January 30, 2023 at 2:59 pm

     1. Yay! Thanks in advance for reading the book! Plants love a good conversation!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:30 pm

451. Organizing is the hard part for me.

     By Cindy S. on January 30, 2023 at 3:30 pm

452. Thanks for sharing your process for writing Luna’s Green Pet. I’ve learned SO much from your post!

     By JoLynne Ricker Whalen on January 30, 2023 at 3:44 pm

     1. oh that’s great to hear! Happy writing!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:24 pm

453. I can’t wait to use this on an idea! Thank you!

     By Susan Luchetta on January 30, 2023 at 3:51 pm

454. Now I want cake…

     By Keeping the Me in Mommy on January 30, 2023 at 3:51 pm

455. I love backmatter pages too! Great list of Ideagrients™!

     By Rafael Macho on January 30, 2023 at 3:58 pm

456. Adorable book! I, too, have a plant pet PB manuscript because I love my plants!

     By dedradavis on January 30, 2023 at 4:02 pm

457. So, fun! Love the visual ideagredients, too. That party hat on Stephanie, especially.

     By Christine Graham on January 30, 2023 at 4:21 pm

     1. Carmen’s art is amazing!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:29 pm

458. Great ideas, Kirsten! Thanks so much for sharing! Congrats on your debut and your forthcoming books!

     By Marci Whitehurst on January 30, 2023 at 4:35 pm

     1. Thank you Marci!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:28 pm

459. I love this post! Thank you so much for sharing Ideagrients with us! I believe that when I am stuck or a story is not developing the way I saw it in my mind, it is because it is missing these key components. This is a wonderful reminder along with great strategies to organize our pantries! Thank you so much!

     By nowthattherestime281137688 on January 30, 2023 at 4:44 pm

460. So helpful! Thank you, Kirsten. This process will keep me buy for a while. –Kim Peterson

     By naturewalkwithgod on January 30, 2023 at 4:47 pm

461. Great ideas! I know I often get these little fragments. Hopefully this will help me flesh them out and I think it will. Thanks. I struggle with being a pantser though, so all of a sudden lines come and next thing I know I’m writing. But I will try applying this.

     By Jennifer Rathe on January 30, 2023 at 4:59 pm

462. Love the concept of ideagrients! I’m going to start collecting them.

     By Suzanne Alexander on January 30, 2023 at 5:14 pm

463. Ideagrients…I love it! Thanks for the fun, idea developing post!

     By amckelle on January 30, 2023 at 5:19 pm

464. I’m L-OVEN this process you’ve cooked up! 👨‍🍳
     Ready to recheck my recipes and recombine elements to get just the write mix!✍️💛🤗
     Hopefully with patience and practice we’ll all wind up with the “ideal”-gredients for our stories!✨
     (What could be batter than that?!😉)
     Congrats on your debut & forthcoming books!📚🎉

     By MichaelAuthorHenriksen on January 30, 2023 at 5:46 pm

     1. haha thank you. Love the puns!! Ideal-gredients! Why didn’t I think of that? But you haven’t trademarked it … 😉

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 30, 2023 at 8:23 pm

465. Love all these ideagredients. I love being specific, even if it doesn’t all end up making it in my manuscript. I like to brainstorm all the question marks to really figure out who the characters are and where the story takes place. Ty for this info and I would love to be considered for your amazing critique:)

     By shyrelle on January 30, 2023 at 6:23 pm

466. Thank you for your post! Very relatable and helpful suggestions.

     By Andrea Yomtob on January 30, 2023 at 6:24 pm

467. Love the baking analogy! My ingredient is the special name my kids call me and alliteration. Thanks for a great post.

     By Christine Fleming McIsaac on January 30, 2023 at 6:30 pm

468. Thank you! This is a great post- I took lots of notes on this one. Congratulations on your books!

     By jenwritespbs on January 30, 2023 at 6:36 pm

469. Time to bake!!!

     By calepage on January 30, 2023 at 7:09 pm

470. Kirsten, thanks so much for sharing your process. I love the Ideagrients! I’m looking forward to applying this to my Storystorm list to see which ideas might be worth cooking up into something delicious.

     By Amy Newbold on January 30, 2023 at 7:34 pm

471. Loved seeing how your Ideagrients worked in your book LUNA’S NEW PET! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing your process.

     By Judy Abelove Shemtob on January 30, 2023 at 7:49 pm

472. What a great way to look at a story. I need to tweak some of my recipes to include the best ideagrients! Congrats as well, on your published and upcoming PBs.

     By Diane M. on January 30, 2023 at 7:49 pm

     1. Thanks, Diane!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:45 pm

473. Ah-ha!! So many of my picture books fall flat. I will go back and check the ideagredients! Love it!! Thanks.

     By Lorraine on January 30, 2023 at 8:09 pm

474. Now all I can think of is a brainstorm cake 😛

     By Katherine Rea on January 30, 2023 at 8:52 pm

475. I love this advice. Rarely do I add these kinds of details when I’m thinking about the initial ideas and like Kirsten said, the story falls flat. Thanks for the unique take.

     By Devin Stetson on January 30, 2023 at 9:04 pm

476. thanks for the tips!

     By Annemarie Riley Guertin on January 30, 2023 at 9:16 pm

477. I’m sitting here, looking at my succulents…

     By Christine Ottaviano Shestak on January 30, 2023 at 9:36 pm

     1. Time to name them and read them a book! 😉 I have a great one to suggest…LOL

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 1:00 pm

478. Thank you for sharing your process. I loved reading all about it! This is terrific advice, thank you.

     By Penelope McNally on January 30, 2023 at 9:49 pm

479. Put it all in a blender and see what happens.

     By Stephen S. Martin on January 30, 2023 at 10:06 pm

480. I’ve had 3 picture book ideas swirling around in my brain for quite some time, and this post is very helpful to me! Thank you, Kirsten!

     By Ashley Karges on January 30, 2023 at 10:18 pm

     1. oh, that’s great to hear!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:59 pm

481. Adding ideas to my notes section of my phone before I even finish reading your post. Thank of for the ideagredients inspiration!

     By betsylehan on January 30, 2023 at 11:30 pm

     1. Yay! Happy creating!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:59 pm

482. Thank you! So many ideas!

     By Sandy Belford on January 30, 2023 at 11:37 pm

483. Love Lina’s Green Pet! Grabbed it from the library and read it to my kids! Such a fun and lovely book!

     By marthaej on January 31, 2023 at 12:15 am

     1. Oh! Thank you! I love hearing that it is being read to kids!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 1:00 pm

484. Congratulations on Luna’s Green Pet, Kirsten, and thank you for helping us storm toward the finish!

     By Natasha on January 31, 2023 at 12:35 am

485. Thank you for sharing about Ideagrients! Some of my ideas are vague and breaking down a process of how to add specificity, personalization, and spice is really going to help me take these ideas to the next level!

     By Angela Martinelli on January 31, 2023 at 12:42 am

     1. yay! Happy creating!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:58 pm

486. Assembling my Ideagrients now… Thanks for the post!

     By JEN Garrett on January 31, 2023 at 1:44 am

487. Exactly what I was missing . . . “Ideagrients!” Thank you!

     By wyszguy on January 31, 2023 at 2:13 am

488. Great as a planning list and as a check list for WIP! What sings to my heart is that SPECIFICITY creating a UNIQUE story or character that tied to a great theme will make a book sing its own memorable tune!

     By bonnie fireUrchin ~ pb illustration & writing on January 31, 2023 at 3:19 am

     1. Yay! I remember reading somewhere The Plague Of Vague LOL

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:58 pm

489. Thanks for the tips. I’m sure I’ll refer back to this.

     By Colleen Dabney on January 31, 2023 at 5:51 am

490. What a fun approach!

     By Laura Purdie Salas on January 31, 2023 at 8:42 am

491. Great idea! I’m off to cook up a new book idea.

     By rebeccacolby on January 31, 2023 at 8:44 am

492. Oh the possibilities !!!

     By topangamaria on January 31, 2023 at 8:51 am

493. Thank you, Kirsten! Love Ideagrients and can’t wait to use this writing technique!! Congratulations of your new book!

     By GOades-Sese on January 31, 2023 at 9:59 am

494. This is great! I am going to start a book of ideagrients for when my stories need them. 🙂

     By Jamie Bills on January 31, 2023 at 10:05 am

495. Wow, Kirsten! You rock! I love how you took a great concept and made it irresistible. LUNA’S GREEN PET is beyond unique. Thank you so much for sharing your Ideagrients and process. I feel like sometimes I do this, but not always. This post is a great push to make sure this happens 100 percent of the time. 🙂

     By Lindsey Aduskevich on January 31, 2023 at 10:11 am

     1. Thanks so much, Lindsey!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:57 pm

496. Can’t wait to read about Luna and her green pet! Charming! Thanks for the great post about using all types of elements to
     make a story stronger.

     By Jane Dippold on January 31, 2023 at 10:12 am

     1. Yay! Hope you enjoy LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:56 pm

     2. Thanks, Jane. Hope you enjoy LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 6:00 pm

497. Love this insight into your process and creativity! Thank you so much for sharing!

     By Nicole Loos Miller on January 31, 2023 at 10:20 am

498. Kristen, your post really got me thinking about a story I’ve been working on for a while. I think I have the tools now to make it worth submitting! Thank you.

     By Arlene Schenker on January 31, 2023 at 10:21 am

     1. oh that is so wonderful to hear! good luck!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:56 pm

499. I took plenty of notes on this post. Thanks, Kirsten!

     By Jacqueline Adams on January 31, 2023 at 10:54 am

500. Brain Rolodex!

     By Ali Oxtoby on January 31, 2023 at 11:00 am

     1. haha! I first had Brain Rolex (?) then after coffee realized that made no sense LOL

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:55 pm

501. So much to think about. Thank you.

     By jms5880 on January 31, 2023 at 11:40 am

502. I love this! It’s always the weird ways into stories that make them unforgettable. I need to check out your sweet book!

     By Rachel S. on January 31, 2023 at 11:46 am

     1. Thanks so much, Rachel! Hope you enjoy LUNA!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:55 pm

503. I appreciated seeing how you applied this to your own book (to such great effect). Thank you.

     By Anne Young on January 31, 2023 at 12:01 pm

504. Sparked a childhood memory of a plant pet I had in the first grade!

     By Lucky Jo Boscarino on January 31, 2023 at 12:02 pm

     1. Oh wonderful!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 12:54 pm

505. I especially love the idea about literary devices as an Ideagrient – first thing I noticed about your title, Maybe a Whale, was the assonance. With these small details we satisfy ourselves as writers, and our readers, too! Thanks for the inspiration!

     By amomnextdoor on January 31, 2023 at 1:15 pm

506. Thanks for the ideas about ideating. Congrats on your book deals, I’ll be looking for them.

     By Marilyn Wolpin on January 31, 2023 at 1:22 pm

     1. Thanks Marilyn!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm

507. Great ideas! Thank you.

     By Clement, Laura on January 31, 2023 at 2:00 pm

508. Love ideagrient!

     By Sue (Susan Uhlig) (she/her) (@susanuhlig) on January 31, 2023 at 2:32 pm

509. Thank you for making an ideagrients shopping list! Some of my “to be developed” ideas need to be spiced up, so this really helps. Thanks!

     By Maritza Ruiz-Kim on January 31, 2023 at 2:32 pm

510. I love hearing a writer’s process!

     By Carrie Williford (@carrietimes) on January 31, 2023 at 2:32 pm

511. This is such a unique take on generating ideas. Thanks so much, Kirsten!

     By Kristi Mahoney on January 31, 2023 at 2:40 pm

512. This motivates me to organize all my ideas and tidbits better. That way I can utilize them more efficiently when building an idea. Thank you.

     By Helen Lysicatos on January 31, 2023 at 3:14 pm

513. Kirsten,
     Ideagrients! Love that word!!
     So many great tips.
     Thank you!
     Lucy

     By Lucy Staugler on January 31, 2023 at 3:23 pm

514. This book looks adorable! I can’t wait to read it!

     By Johanna Peyton on January 31, 2023 at 3:59 pm

     1. Yay! thankyou:)

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on January 31, 2023 at 4:32 pm

515. Luna and Stephanie are a perfect pair! Thank you, Kirsten, for sharing your story!

     By Sasha on January 31, 2023 at 4:36 pm

516. Thanks, Kirsten! Love deadpan humor, your concept of ideagrients (totally fabulous word, by the way), and keeping lists and stockpiles to plunder when writing. I also really appreciate your referencing specificity. I so agree with that. Congrats on Luna and her pet. Looks like this story will totally win my heart!

     By Tess weaver on January 31, 2023 at 4:57 pm

     1. Thanks so much, Tess. I’m a poet too, and in that genre specificity is such a powerful connector!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:07 am

517. This post was perfect and what you said about needing 5 ideagrients to make an idea work makes perfect sense. Great read. Thank you Kirsten.

     By Kellie on January 31, 2023 at 5:16 pm

518. Thanks for sharing how you developed your pet plant idea into Luna’s Green Pet. Can’t wait to read it.

     By Angela De Groot on January 31, 2023 at 6:19 pm

     1. yay! hope you enjoy it!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:06 am

519. Ideagrint is such a great concept. Thank you for sharing

     By madhu on January 31, 2023 at 6:43 pm

520. That’s pretty clever! I’m jotting ideas down as we speak!

     By Corey King on January 31, 2023 at 7:40 pm

521. Love this idea to layer in various ideagrients, one at a time, for a unique end-product. I will definitely put this practical suggestion to good use.

     By Nancy Kotkin on January 31, 2023 at 7:52 pm

522. Great post, Kirsten! You know I love Luna! Now to find some Ideagrients!

     By Ellen Leventhal on January 31, 2023 at 8:02 pm

     1. xoxox

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:05 am

523. So fun! Love this way of breaking about a book or an idea.

     By thelogonauts on January 31, 2023 at 8:25 pm

524. Love this idea of creating a pantry of ingredients before fleshing out a concept.

     By Janet Halfmann on January 31, 2023 at 9:05 pm

525. Luna is adorable. Congratulations and thanks for the post!

     By jenfierjasinski on January 31, 2023 at 9:42 pm

     1. Thanks Jen!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:05 am

526. What a wonderful post!

     By Susan klaren on January 31, 2023 at 9:47 pm

527. A fun and simple way of breaking ideas down so they are not so daunting, then looking at the pieces to mix together in new and exciting ways. I could really have alot of fun with this!

     By Amanda on January 31, 2023 at 9:58 pm

528. Ideagrients. Love it!

     By Alexis_Bookdragon on January 31, 2023 at 10:44 pm

529. What a fun way to organize you thoughts and test your ideas. Time to stock the pantry!!!

     By Ben Jeder on January 31, 2023 at 10:48 pm

530. Your gif made me laugh! I’d say you made “ideagrients” happen! Thanks so much for such a fun perspective, and congratulations on your books!

     By Abby Wooldridge on January 31, 2023 at 10:49 pm

531. THank you 🙂 Kamilla Milligan, Writer (she/her) kamillamilligan.com

     By KamillaM on January 31, 2023 at 10:53 pm

532. *wave at fellow PB Scribbler member*
     I love the concept of Ideagrients™!

     By Jocelyn Rish on January 31, 2023 at 10:58 pm

     1. Haha right up your alley! Maybe Battle of the Punsters should be your next book!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:05 am

533. Thanks for such specifics or should I say ideagrients! 🙂

     By Jennifer Hunt on February 1, 2023 at 12:02 am

534. Thanks, Kirsten! I love your description of Ideagrients and how you used them in your writing! I look forward to reading LUNA’S GREEN PET!

     By Melissa Stoller on February 1, 2023 at 12:15 am

     1. Thanks Melissa! Hope you enjoy it!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:04 am

535. Thanks for sharing behind-the-scenes details about LUNA’S GREEN PET!

     By Megan McNamara on February 1, 2023 at 1:27 am

536. Wow—thank you!! This is a great way to spice ideas up!

     By Acamy Schleikorn on February 1, 2023 at 1:55 am

537. LOVE this post, Kirsten! GREAT JOB! So fun!

     By Rebecca Gardyn Levington on February 1, 2023 at 1:11 pm

538. Such a great way to enhance ideas, Kirsten! Thank you for sharing!

     By Ana Paula Fagundes on February 1, 2023 at 1:22 pm

539. Such a great way to enhance ideas, Kirsten! Thank you for sharing

     By Ana Paula Fagundes on February 1, 2023 at 1:23 pm

540. I love this idea of ideagrients! Adding richness to our ideas. Thanks so much for the great post!

     By Shawna Tenney on February 1, 2023 at 1:49 pm

541. Okay, can we talk about the cake? It is…AMAZING! I love this idea, Kirsten, and as you know, I absolutely adore LUNA’S GREEN PET!

     By LaurenKerstein on February 1, 2023 at 2:00 pm

     1. RIGHT? All Lisa, I am not that skilled a baker, more of a chef! xo

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:04 am

542. I want to read LUNA’S GREEN PET now! So cute! Thanks for sharing your process of developing the ideagrients. Hmmm . . . I’m stirring the pot now.

     By Laurie Seaford on February 1, 2023 at 2:27 pm

     1. Yay! I hope you enjoy it! I read it to kids today during World Read Aloud Day!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:03 am

543. Such great advice; make it your own! With these ideagrients we can! 🙂

     By susaninez0905 on February 1, 2023 at 3:30 pm

544. Thanks for walking us through how you brought your pet (story) to life.

     By mightyoaks3 on February 1, 2023 at 3:59 pm

545. What a great post! I will definitely be brainstorming some Ideagrients.

     By debbiemoeller on February 1, 2023 at 6:09 pm

546. Sounds like a recipe for success. Thanks for sharing!

     By Christine M. Irvin on February 1, 2023 at 6:19 pm

547. Thank you for the Ideagrediants! Now, to make them into a story…

     By Erik Ammon on February 1, 2023 at 8:37 pm

548. Such a fun idea !

     By Alicia Meyers on February 1, 2023 at 9:15 pm

549. I love your book idea – it looks adorable! Thanks for the suggestions for the ideagrediants!

     By marybeningo on February 1, 2023 at 9:37 pm

550. Sit down, Regina George. You’ve already made Ideagrients happen. Love having the vocabulary for a concept I’ve made use of a few times in Storystorm. Thank you, Kirsten!

     By Elizabeth Metz on February 1, 2023 at 10:46 pm

     1. LOL! Thanks for reading, Elizabeth!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 2, 2023 at 12:02 am

551. Ideagrients! I love it, Kirsten!!!

     By Kari Lavelle on February 2, 2023 at 12:18 am

     1. xoxo!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:44 pm

552. Thank you or sharing the concept of Ideagrients and how to mix up a great story!

     By Kristin Sawyer on February 2, 2023 at 12:46 am

553. Ohhh I got an idea from this post

     By Bhandi on February 2, 2023 at 9:39 am

     1. yay!!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:42 pm

554. I love your tip of using specificity when coming up with ideagredients to avoid a half-baked story.

     By suzannepoulterharris on February 2, 2023 at 11:35 am

555. 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!

     By Jes Trudel on February 2, 2023 at 1:51 pm

556. haha! Thank you for this delightful post!

     By kaleegwarjanski on February 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm

557. Ideagrients – I love it!

     By jasminefang on February 2, 2023 at 4:52 pm

558. These are really great suggestions- I like the idea of focusing on smaller things that can improve or generate stories. Thank you!

     By Susie Sawyer on February 3, 2023 at 1:57 am

559. What a great recipe for adding layers! Love ideagrients, thank you!

     By Rozana Rajkumari on February 3, 2023 at 3:05 am

560. Lovely! Thank you!

     By Ruthie Nicklaus on February 3, 2023 at 11:59 am

561. I love the word Ideagrients ….and all your ideas. Thanks!

     By Yehudit Sarah on February 3, 2023 at 12:43 pm

562. Terrific tidbits! Thank you for the helpful advice of searching the cupboard for Ideagrients before writing.

     By Brinton Culp on February 3, 2023 at 1:20 pm

563. Thanks for a great post!!

     By juliannahelt on February 3, 2023 at 4:13 pm

564. So clever, the plant pet! Your ideas help me think in a different way! Thanks!

     By Jean Martin on February 3, 2023 at 4:25 pm

     1. Love to hear this!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:43 pm

565. this was great! thank you so much for the suggestions! it was really helpful!

     By Bethany Brown on February 3, 2023 at 5:54 pm

566. Luna’s Green Pet sounds absolutely precious. Love your idea of collecting those “ideagredients” before starting a story. Great post!

     By angiecal76 on February 4, 2023 at 12:32 am

567. Oh yes, I’ve gotten critiques to be more specific for my stories. And I can’t wait to read Luna’s Green Pet!

     By marias62 on February 4, 2023 at 9:38 am

     1. yay! Thank you for reading it!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 4, 2023 at 4:43 pm

568. I love your great new word! Perfectly fits the idea of specificity when writing. “Luna’s Green Pet” looks wonderful. Can’t wait to read it! Thanks for the great tips and the inspiration.

     By Linda Silvestri on February 4, 2023 at 8:41 pm

     1. Thanks, Linda! Hope you enjoy the book!

        By Kirsten Pendreigh on February 7, 2023 at 3:48 pm

569. I needed this to test those new ideas. Thanks, Kirsten, for a wonderful post.

     By Zoraida Rivera on February 5, 2023 at 5:39 pm

570. I cannot remember if I responded to this post already, but thank you for this amazing and helpful post. “Ideagredients” could totally become a “fetch” word!

     By horsewriterlady on February 5, 2023 at 6:20 pm

571. A wonderful recipe for success. Thank you!

     By Ruthie Nicklaus on February 6, 2023 at 2:09 pm

572. I love these “recipe” ideas and this story! Thanks for sharing

     By Stephanie D Jones on February 6, 2023 at 9:20 pm

573. 😀

     By Kaela Parkhouse on February 7, 2023 at 10:23 am

574. Thank you, Kirsten, for the fun idea of ideagredients! I’m going to try it. BTW: That cake looks outrageous!! 🤤

     By Ann Page on February 7, 2023 at 6:31 pm

575. Thank you for the wonderful ideas Kirsten!

     By jaimegpetru on February 9, 2023 at 6:09 pm

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