That’s right, it’s the last day of Storystorm! Bonus day to get to 30 ideas!
Tomorrow I’ll post the Storystorm Pledge where you can confirm you have at least 30 bright and beautiful new story ideas. Just comment on tomorrow’s thread and say “YES!”
Remember, don’t send your ideas to me. Don’t post them online. This is all on the honor system. If you say you have 30 ideas, I’ll believe you!
Here are some useful posts from previous Storystorms to guide you to the finish line!
Oh yeah, they’re all by Tammi Sauer, who was the first author to ever say “YES!” when I asked her to guest blog. Thanks, Tammi!

















54 comments
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January 31, 2026 at 8:34 am
Robin Currie
Super great month – thanks again!
January 31, 2026 at 8:36 am
Jany Campana
Thanks for all the fun ideas!
January 31, 2026 at 8:40 am
rosecappelli
Thanks for the bonus tips, Tara, and for another wonderful Storystorm experience. I have lots of notes to sift through!
January 31, 2026 at 8:47 am
Susan Burdorf
thank you!
Susan Burdorf
January 31, 2026 at 8:52 am
Jennifer
Thank you for the inspiration! I can’t believe it’s the end of January.
January 31, 2026 at 9:09 am
gregoryfulgione
Love, love, love Storystorm!!! Thanks, Tara, for annually providing us with the incredible posts & with the incentive to come up with story ideas. A special thanks for the bonus Tammi tips in today’s post!
January 31, 2026 at 9:21 am
pathaap
I always look forward to Tammi’s wonderful, helpful posts. I love that I can look back on them in one place. Thanks, Tara and Tammi! It’s been another great Storystorm!
January 31, 2026 at 9:24 am
ptnozell
I had a super-slow start to the month and ended up batch reading several posts at a time to catch up in the last few weeks. Very interesting to do that as I had multiple perspectives jiggling around in my brain at the same time. Thank you to the writers of all of the amazing posts!
January 31, 2026 at 9:24 am
kathalsey
Hurray for Tammi and her books! Look at that pile of goodness! Ty, Tammi, and ty, Tara! I didn’t get 30 ideas this year, but I did use this month to create and have some new ideas! A win for me! Some of these posts I’ve printed out or saved. Many came when I needed them for revision help!
January 31, 2026 at 9:29 am
bookclubhbhs
I’m not ready for Storystorm to end! This has been a great month of getting to look forward to these daily posts which have inspired me to brainstorm way more than 30 ideas that I’m excited to get drafting! Thank you so much for offering this, Tara, and to all the wonderful guest posters, and congrats to all the other Storytormers who are celebrating 30 ideas today! P.S. Every year my daughter looks over my shoulder at some point during Storystorm and picks another one of your books off to the side of your blog to add to our collection. This tradition started with Absurd Words, last year was Bloop, and this year she asked me to buy her Way Past Bedtime and we are looking forward to reading it!
January 31, 2026 at 9:36 am
Julia Wilder Banta
Tara, I love Storystorm!! It’s the first thing I look forward to reading every morning. I definitely get a nugget of an idea everyday because of it!!!
Thank you for featuring Tammi’s posts!!! It’s made my day!!!
January 31, 2026 at 9:45 am
kcollazo
Another great StoryStorm! Thank you, Tara and all the wonderful writers who helped me fill pages and pages of a notebook. Ending with Tammi’s fantastic posts was the cherry on the top!
January 31, 2026 at 9:51 am
amybeth349
These were such great strategies to learn. I like filling in the blanks like “Mad Libs style.” I always taught using three examples. I should use this in my writing. So helpful., Thank you.
January 31, 2026 at 9:51 am
Prairie Garden Girl
I wish Storystorm didn’t need to come to an end. Thank you, Tara, for supporting kidlit creatives.
January 31, 2026 at 9:56 am
Rachelle Burk
It wasn’t easy for me this month to come up with 30 because I’m having a “motivation” problem (too many distractions) but I pushed through with the help of the wonderful posts. Not all good ideas, but ideas nonetheless that could morph into something good! Thank you Tara, and all the guest authors!
January 31, 2026 at 10:01 am
Danielle Anderson
Thank you so much for putting all the posts together this month! I’ve learned some really fun techniques for sparking ideas that I’ll absolutely be using.
January 31, 2026 at 10:12 am
kathleengauer
Thanks for another inspiring and fun Storystorm, Tara!
January 31, 2026 at 10:18 am
kathleengauer
Thanks for another inspiring and fun Storystorm month, Tara!
January 31, 2026 at 10:26 am
Matt Forrest Esenwine
Thanks again for putting this all together, Tara! Enjoy your weekend!
January 31, 2026 at 10:38 am
Tracey Kiff-Judson
Thank you, Tara! This month has been fantastic!
January 31, 2026 at 10:40 am
seschipper
Thanks, Tara, for another great Storystorm adventure! Thanks to all of the authors for the inspiring posts! ❄️❄️❄️❄️
January 31, 2026 at 10:42 am
Linda KulpTrout
Thank you for a great month full of inspiration!
January 31, 2026 at 10:44 am
lodobocreates
Tammi is exceptionally talented. We love Wordy Birdy for we have a wordy birdy daughter. Fun and silly! Thanks Tara!! I’ve been PiBoIdMo-Storystorming with you for a long time and enjoy it each year. The ideas keep on coming. Best wishes for a productive and peaceful year!
January 31, 2026 at 10:50 am
rachelcritchleya061056d76
I’ve had a great time reading each days information. I’ve got plenty of ideas to keep me busy all year.Thanks!!
January 31, 2026 at 10:51 am
roundswrite
Wow! What an amazing group of ideas! These will keep me brainstorming well beyond the official Storystorm dates.
I’m so sorry for Storystorm to end. I’ve learned and worked so hard on ideas and brainstorming. But I guess the brainstorming has to now change gears to actual work. I see where Tammi was able to emphasize procrastination and distractions!
Thank you, Tara. You are an inspiration!
January 31, 2026 at 10:54 am
anchance
It has been a great month! Thanks!
January 31, 2026 at 10:58 am
bevbaird
Thanks so much Tara for hosting this amazing month of writing inspiration. What a way to get creativity flowing to start a new year. I’ve enjoyed all the posts and books mentioned. It has been such an inspiring month.
January 31, 2026 at 11:04 am
Catherine Friess
Thank you for the bonus day and so many more great tips. I’ve really enjoyed Storystorm this year 🙂
January 31, 2026 at 11:13 am
ralucasirbu
Love Tammi and her fun stories. Thank you Tara for hosting another resource filled month. Storystorm propels the beginning of the year and turns a meh type of month into a joyful and energizing one.
January 31, 2026 at 11:17 am
Pam Barton
Great ideas! Love your books, just retired as a school librarian and had some of your books on the shelves. Thank you!
January 31, 2026 at 11:18 am
dlapmandi
Thanks for the postings. Tammy is amazing at getting to the heart of a subject. Every post was concise and rich with information.
January 31, 2026 at 11:45 am
Carrie Logsdon McCullough
Another great StoryStorm in the books! Thanks so much Tara for continuing this amazing tradition. I look forward to it every year!
January 31, 2026 at 11:48 am
debnov
Oooooh, this is more good stuff to read! Thanks for sharing!
January 31, 2026 at 11:51 am
Jessica Iwanski
It’s been a fantastic month of inspiration and ideas! Thank you, Tara! And thank you to all participating authors! ❤ I am bursting at the seams to write.
January 31, 2026 at 11:56 am
syorkeviney
What a smorgasbord of ideas with practical approaches and reminders to be open to the serendipity around us. This was a wonderful finale to Storystorm! Thank you Tammi and thank you Tara!
January 31, 2026 at 12:03 pm
serendipityinstars
Thank you, Tara, and all the guest authors who have shared their time and knowledge. I’ve peeked at today’s links and will come back to those later today when I have more time. Looks like a treasure trove of information. Storystorm is my favorite time of year! I’ve had fun and can’t wait to explore all the ideas!
January 31, 2026 at 12:07 pm
heatherstigall
Thanks for another great hear of StoryStorm, Tara! I’m armed with more than 30 ideas to choose from to get started on a year of new stories!
January 31, 2026 at 12:12 pm
blanchebaxter
I’m super inspired! Thank you!!!
January 31, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Rebecca Colby
Tammi is such an inspiration! Thanks for a month of wonderful inspiration, Tara! I have a notebook full of ideas again.
January 31, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Stephanie Alter Jones
Cheers to inspiration, ideas, and great mentor authors!! I’m ready for February!!
January 31, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Danna Smith
Woot Woot! We made it! Love the Tammi posts. Such great advice and inspiration 🙂
January 31, 2026 at 12:38 pm
Donna Cangelosi
Thanks for another inspirational year of Storystorm, Tara!
January 31, 2026 at 12:40 pm
leslieevatayloe
Thank you! Good review.
January 31, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Noelle McBride
It’s the end of January already?? It was a glorious month of inspiration. Thanks to Tara, and all who contributed!
January 31, 2026 at 12:42 pm
Janice Woods
Thanks for the amazing inspiration! 😊
January 31, 2026 at 1:05 pm
aliciaminor
Can you all imagine if Story storm has not been conceived by Tara? It really made a great impact in the publishing industry. So many authors and publishers benefited from it so thank you from the bottom of my heart and their hearts. Books made the world go round. Congrats to all the winners this year!
January 31, 2026 at 1:51 pm
emmiewerner
YEAH! Thank you everyone for 31 gre
January 31, 2026 at 2:02 pm
TerriMichels
You are amazing to have pulled this off. Great ideas and a wonderful excuse to sit quietly in a world that can be a not such a happy or easy place to be living in Minnesota today. I have found peace, joy and hope in these posts. You are priceless. Thank you for the bottom of my heart. xo
January 31, 2026 at 2:08 pm
elise304
I’m sending you hope and strength from Brooklyn NY. I hope you use your peace, joy and hope to inspire your writing. Finding hope amidst struggle is a base for so many stories. Sernding care your way!
January 31, 2026 at 2:04 pm
Cynthia Leavitt
Thanks, this was great. I stuck to it and now I have some great ideas. LOVE Tammi’s books – can’t wait to check out her tips!
January 31, 2026 at 2:09 pm
elise304
Thank you for 31 days of inspiration and for this final entry from a prolific and veteran author.
January 31, 2026 at 2:09 pm
tinamcho
I love Tammi’s past posts, and it was just the thing I needed to help me out of a manuscript rut. Thanks!
January 31, 2026 at 2:10 pm
bookfish1
Thanks for sharing this extra post. The links are great.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into StoryStorm. I really appreciate it. This year I didn’t rush through just to get in my comment. This year I took my time read each entry and if 30 ideas come they come, if not it will still be a tremendously worthwhile month.
January 31, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Mary Zychowicz
Thank you for the extra post. Storystorm was great this year, as always. Thanks for all you do!