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by Diana Murray
My 13-year-old daughter must be an imposter. That’s the only explanation for her neatness and love of cleaning. How could she possibly be my offspring?
I sure wish I had some of her tidying tendencies. But even though I’m very messy (GRIMELDA THE VERY MESSY WITCH is basically my autobiography), I do like to keep things in categories. Categories are important. Categories keep the chaos contained. My messy piles of papers are sorted by categories.
And my bookshelf is organized in categories like this:
- Humorous picture books
- Lyrical picture books
- Non-fiction picture books
- Early readers
- Chapter books
- Board books
- Novelty, game and joke books
- Signed books (can’t mix these treasures in with everything else!)
So you might imagine my horror, when my well-meaning, impressively talented and patient daughter began to rearrange my bookshelf…by color! *gasp*
Yes, it looked beautiful and Instagram-worthy. But I could not find anything! After all, I would never think to myself, Hmmm, I could really go for a “blue” book right about now.
Anyway, the point is, I like categories. One reason I like writing in rhyming metrical verse is that there is a lot of built-in structure. I find it comforting when compared to the cavernous open spaces of free verse and prose.
I sometimes feel the same way about inspiration. Although inspiration can come from many places, starting with something as simple as a title, at least for me, is a little less overwhelming than “sky’s the limit”. When I wrote SOMEDAY, MAYBE (illustrated by Jessica Gibson, Holt/Macmillan, March 2023), I began with the title. While stirring up ideas one day, I gave myself the task of coming up with a phrase that would begin a sentence. I imagined it would be a phrase that would repeat throughout the book. I mucked around with a list of different options and didn’t really love anything. But I kept coming back to that file anytime I was looking for inspiration for a new project. About a year or two later, something struck me about “Someday, maybe…”. I guess I just had to be in the right mood to be “feeling” it. I began to write “Someday, maybe cars will fly.” Finally, I liked the direction it was going in! I’ve always been a sci-fi fan so the rest of the manuscript sort of rolled out after that.
Back to categories. Have you ever noticed that there are different kinds of titles? I recently saw a fun post on Twitter called “Title Tryouts” (by Nancy Sanders, via @BrittanyPomales, via @jencowanwriter). I started thinking more about titles and decided to try to nail some down. You will notice that some of the categories overlap. Also, it’s important to remember that even though the title can be a starting point for inspiration, that doesn’t mean that you’re forcing it up. You just write down the title and then you see if it sparks something. The passion will come from a memory or an association. The title is just the jumping off point.
Remember how I mentioned the “novelty, jokes and games” section on my bookshelf? Well, sitting on that shelf is a small collection of Mad Libs. I used to love doing those as a kid and I continue to enjoy them. All you have to do is fill in the blanks, and voila! You can surprise yourself with your own unique story. The following exercise is a bit like a titles-only Mad Libs. For added inspiration, I’m also including examples of published books from me, Tara, and others.
Types of Titles
[fill in the blanks to make your own]
The Meta title:
a. The [_______] Book
b. This Book is [______]
Published Examples: I Thought This Was a Bear Book (by Tara); The Book of Rules; The Quiet Book; The Monster at the End of This Book; Don’t Push the Button; This Book Just Ate My Dog!; What Would You Do in a Book About You?; Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book)
The Negation Title:
a. Don’t [_____]!
b. Never [verb] a [noun]!
c. No More [plural noun]!
Published Examples: Nope!; No, David!; You Don’t Want a Unicorn; It’s Not Hansel and Gretel; If You Ever Want To Bring a Piano to the Beach, DON’T!; I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato; I Don’t Want to Be a Frog!; I Dare You Not to Yawn; Hey, You’re Not Santa!; I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!; No Nibbling!; Not a Box
The Celebratory Title:
a. “Hooray for [_____]!”
b. “[______] Party!”
c. “Let’s go [____]!”
Published Examples: Unicorn Day and Mermaid Day (by me); Rah, Rah, Radishes!; Hooray for Hat!; The Great Big Poop Party; Where’s the Party?; Go, Girls, Go!
The One Word Title (often with an exclamation point):
a. [plural noun]!
b. [action verb]!
c. [adjective]!
d. [quiet word]
Published Examples: Bloop (by Tara); Nope!; Ducks!; Dude!; Square; Brave! Found; Stuck; Kaleidoscope
The Lyrical Musing Title (which often repeats throughout the book):
a. When You [verb]
b. Tomorrow is [____]
c. Once Upon a [____]
d. On a [adjective] Day
e. If I Had a [noun]
Published Examples: Someday, Maybe (by me); I Wish You More; This Could Be You!; Wherever You Go; The Wonderful Things You Will Be; On The Night You Were Born; Once Upon Another Time; My Love For You; Whatever Comes Tomorrow
The Question or Instruction Title
a. How to [verb] a [noun]
b. Where’s My [noun]?
c. Can You [verb] a [noun]?
d. Who Do You [verb]?
Published Examples: Help Mom Work From Home! (by me); What Do You Do With an Idea?; Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus; How to Catch a Unicorn; How to Meet a Mermaid; Where’s the Party? Where’s My Butt?; Where is My Balloon?; How to Babysit a Grandma
The Popular Song or Fairytale with a Twist Title
a. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little [noun]
b. Hush Little [noun]
c. Rock-a-bye [noun]
d. Old MacDonald had a [noun]
e. The Three Little [plural noun]
Published Examples: Little Red Gliding Hood (by Tara); Mary Had a Little Glam; Cock-a-doodle-OOPS!; There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car; Moldylocks and the Three Scares; It’s Not the Three Little Pigs; The Three Ninja Pigs; Hush, Little Monster; It’s Raining Bats and Frogs
The Unexpected or Opposite Word Pairing Title
a. [adjective], [opposite adjective]!
b. I Love [unpleasant plural noun]!
Published Examples: Love Stinks! (by me); Yummy Yucky; Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!; Duck, Duck, Moose; Z Is for Moose; P is for Pterodactyl; Digestion the Musical; Good Night Baddies; Creepy Carrots; Mushroom Rain; Bad Apple’s Perfect Day; The Obstinate Pen; The Crab Ballet; I Got a Chicken for my Birthday; Animals in Pants; Vegetables in Underwear; Goodnight, Veggies (by me)
The Rhyming Title
a. [noun] in a [noun]!
b. [adjective] [noun that rhymes]
Published Examples: Doris the Bookasaurus (by me); Don’t Be Silly Miss Millie!; Sheep in a Jeep; The Cat in the Hat; Fancy Nancy; Here’s What you Do When You Can’t Find Your Shoe; How To Train Your Pet Brain; Wordy Birdy; Green as a Bean
The Alliterative Title
a. [adjective] [noun beginning with same letter]
b. [any holiday][noun beginning with same letter]
Published Examples: Sleepy Snuggles (by me); Creepy Carrots; Horton Hears a Who; Bee-Bim Bop!; Penguin and Pinecone; Battle of the Butts; The Bold, Brave Bunny; Sam’s Super Seats; Jabari Jumps; Larry’s Latkes; Normal Norman (by Tara)
The Onomatopoeia Title
a. [sound], [sound], [sound]!
b. [sound]!
c. [sound]?
d. The [sound adjective] [noun]
Published Examples: Boo! Hiss!; Bump in the Night!; Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type; Eek, You Reek!; Splish, Splash, Splat!
The Silly, Nonsense or Made-up Word Title
a. [made up word]
b. [silly/unique proper name]
Published Examples: The Thingity-Jig; Hogwash!; Nerp!; Du Iz Tak? Best Frints in the Whole Universe; My Name is Wakawakaloch; The Red Ear Blows Its Nose
The Character Title
a. [character name] the [adjective] [noun]
b. [adjective][rhyming name]
Published Examples: Bloop (by Tara); Ned the Knitting Pirate (by me); Grimelda the Very Messy Witch (by me); Doris the Bookasaurus (by me); Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast; Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug; Henny; Fancy Nancy; Crankenstein; Stellaluna; The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend; Oona; Warren and Dragon; A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken; Groggle’s Monster Valentine (by me)
The Counting or Quantifying Title
a. One [adjective] [noun]
b. Too Many [plural noun]!
c. Ten Little [plural noun]
d. Too [adjective]!
Published Examples: Double the Dinosaurs (by me); One Snowy Day (by me); Five Fuzzy Chicks (by me); Dozens of Doughnuts; Millions of Cats; Counting Kisses; One Hundred Shoes; One Big Pair of Underwear
The Clever Wordplay or Pun Title
a. [literally any pun]
Published Examples: 7 Ate 9 (by Tara); The Monstore (by Tara), Happy Llamakkah!: A Hanukkah Story; Wondering Around; Pirasaurs; Hey, Hey, Hay!; The Friend Ship; Nerdycorn; Not Yeti; Kung Pow Chicken; Un-BEE-lievables; Shampoodle; Mice Skating; Brainstorm!
This is far from an exhaustive list. And as I mentioned, there is A LOT of crossover between the groups. Why not a #6 (question) #8 (unexpected) and #9 (rhyming) combo, for example: “How Do You Hug a Bug?” Or perhaps you’re tempted to get in touch with your inner 8-year-old and fill in “butt” or “burp” for all the blanks. Well guess what? I didn’t add it here, but there could honestly be a whole category just for titles that feature butts, burps, poop, underwear and farts! So go right ahead.
Are there any other categories you would add? Have I missed any of your favorite books? I’m sure I’ve left out some of my own and I’ll be kicking myself later. But hopefully, filling in these blanks and perusing the other existing titles will give your inspiration a jolt! Have fun! And feel free to use this as an excuse to procrastinate on your cleaning chores. I know I will!
Diana Murray is the author of over twenty books for children, including the bestselling UNICORN DAY series, an ILA/CBC Children’s Choice Book, a 2019 Goodreads Choice Finalist, and 2022 Amazon Best Book of the Year (UNICORN NIGHT board book edition). Some of her recent and forthcoming titles include LOVE STINKS! (Step-into-Reading/Random House), SOMEDAY, MAYBE (Holt/Macmillan), FIREHOUSE RAINBOW (Little Golden Books), and MERMAID DAY (Sourcebooks). She grew up in New York City and still lives nearby with her husband, two children, and a dancing dog. Visit her at DianaMurray.com and follow her on Twitter @DianaMWrites.
Diana is giving away a picture book critique.
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.
Woo-hoo! The fab #JewishBoardBooks group is here to brainstorm some small but mighty ideas on Day 12 of Tara Lazar’s Storystorm Challenge!
PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE by Vivian Kirkfield
Small but mighty—that’s a great way to describe board books. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a board book is a book for young children with pages made of heavy laminated paper or cardboard. But honestly, a board book is so much more than that. Studies show that the greatest amount of human learning takes place between ages 0-3 and that exposing children to books well before they are ready to read could have a huge impact on literacy.
Are you thinking of writing a board book? Most board books have very low word-counts and only a few images on each page—sometimes, just one.
Why then does PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE work as a board book even though it has over 300 words, plus multiple characters and many images on each page?
- The rollicking rhyme and repeating refrain create a fun read-aloud.
- The animals, like cat, mouse, fish and owl are familiar to very young children.
- The illustrations created by Jill Weber are joyful and vibrant.
- Each page provides opportunities to seek and find Pippa and her friends.
Most board books can be divided into three main categories:
- Concept Book: introduce ideas such as counting or ABCs.
- Picture Book: usually about one subject such as animals or trucks.
- Story Book: has a plot and several characters and often teaches a lesson.
PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE falls into the “story book” category, with a simple plot and a holiday layer woven throughout.
So, here’s your challenge, dear friends: Make a list of the holidays or other occasions you celebrated when you were a kid – and then create a board book manuscript! And if you keep it to 50 words or less, you can enter it my #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest in March. Who knows…it might become a real board book one day.
COUNTING ON SHABBAT by Nancy Churnin
Why did I write a board book? Because I wanted to thank and encourage little ones everywhere to realize the joy they bring with the simple gift of their presence.
COUNTING ON SHABBAT is inspired by seeing joy in my mother, a retired teacher, when little ones visit with kisses and chaos. Board books benefit from a simple structure. I built 10 spreads around counting from one to ten as we get ready for Shabbat, a weekly celebration where we light candles and prepare a feast to welcome a day of rest. My hope is that children who start by counting objects will sense that we are also counting on kindness as the arrival of a diverse family brings joy to an elderly man who might otherwise be alone.
In board books, it’s important to keep things simple. COUNTING ON SHABBAT clocks in at 48 words and features a gentle rhyme that helps kids anticipate what the ending word on each page might be. I included more illustration notes in this manuscript than I ever had because I knew that the book must be visually driven. Even so, it was a delight to see illustrator Petronela Dostalova take the concept and run with it in her own unique way.
I hope this book will give Jewish children pride in our weekly celebration of love and light, open a window to this happy holiday for non-Jewish children, and spark fresh ideas of how we can all build bridges of love among all ages, faiths, and communities.
SHEEP SAYS SHALOM by Ann D. Koffsky
Board Books are deceptively simple. As an author, they appear oh-so-achievable. 50 words? I can write 50 words, no problem!
But be wary, oh ye aspiring board book authors. Board books are, as I said, DECEPTIVELY simple. Every word has to be just so, and the concept has to be made of such sturdy stuff, that you can tell it with the fewest of words, and it will still connect to readers. For my book, Sheep Says Shalom, that concept was based on the three meanings of the word SHALOM: Hello, goodbye, and peace. So, I actually got extra meaning out of that one, singular word. ( It almost felt like cheating!)
For me, coming up with that idea, that concept, is the most challenging part of writing any book, but especially for board books. And it’s at this part of the writing process that I most often can feel stuck.
I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Jewish legendary storyteller, Peninah Schram, along with my friend Chana Stiefel, and Chana asked Peninah: “How do you get past those moments, when you are stuck?” Peninah’s answer was also deceptively simple. She described how she has a practice of finding the time to daydream each day. She lies down in a comfortable space, puts on relaxing music, and lets her mind wander freely.
And you know what? I tried it and it works! So this is my challenge to Storystormers out there: try out Peninah’s Practice. Take 10 minutes and let you mind wander. And see what comes your way.
MAZAL BUENO by Sarah Aroeste
Board books have immense value besides simply being a baby’s first entry into the world of books. For many children—and their adults—board books can also serve as the first entry into unfamiliar cultures. It can be their very first glance into new worlds, customs, and languages.
As an activist promoting a minority culture, Sephardic Judaism, I believe board books are critical to creating understanding and empathy in families. I purposely chose this medium to convey simple, universal themes for wider audiences to learn about my culture.
MAZAL BUENO! celebrates the milestones in a child’s life—from first giggles, to first foods, first words and more. Every family can relate to these awe-filled moments! While it looks like Spanish, the refrain of mazal bueno (congratulations) is a combination of Hebrew and Spanish, also known as Ladino, which is the language of Sephardic Jews. Cheering with a mazal bueno to acknowledge wonderful occasions is a part of everyday life for Sephardic Jews, which is the point of the book. Mazal Bueno is about normalizing the Sephardic experience and exposing more families to the many ways Jews look, speak, and live!
I knew that I was writing a niche book, but I didn’t let it stop me. Providing windows into new cultures—at the earliest possible age—is vital to fostering caring kids and families. So my advice to all of you: don’t let fear get in your way. Write what you feel families need to read, keeping in mind the possibilities that a board book format offers. Even the most basic of concepts (a mazal bueno!) can open up minds and worlds.
CHALLAH! by Varda Livney
For me, writing a board book is trying to get a smile from (or get a simple idea across to) a little human who has no interest in complicated plot twists, wordy descriptions, or character development. Then it’s trying to relax as it dawns on me that that little human is probably at this moment chewing on the masterpiece that I sweated so much to create.
My board book, Challah! is coming out in October. I decided to make a book introducing Shabbat (Sabbath). I started by doodling wine, candles, a festive dinner table, challah, and a family of bunnies (of course). I drew a word bubble coming out of the baby bunny’s mouth, saying “Challah!” Turns out it was his first word, and, in the tradition of baby bunnies everywhere, this bunny did not stop saying “Challah!” all week long. Would he ever learn a second word? (Spoiler alert: yes.) Eventually all that doodling morphed into a book!
There are many ways to come up with ideas, but here’s what worked for me with CHALLAH!:
Big cup of coffee, quiet room, butt in chair, doodle, daydream, free-associate, write, trashcan, repeat.
BTW, this little blurb is longer than my book.
Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words, but she’s already checked off skydiving, walking along the ocean floor, and visiting critique buddies all around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing stories in the picturesque village of Bedford, NH. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, Picture Books Help Kids Soar, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge. She is the author of many picture books that have garnered accolades such as Junior Library Guild Selection, Eureka Honor Award, Best Science STEM Book, and Social Studies Notable Trade Book. You can connect with her on her website VivianKirkfield.com, social media, or just about any place people with picture books are found.
Nancy Churnin is an award-winning children’s book author who writes about people that inspire children to be kind and make the world a better place. Her Dear Mr. Dickens won the 2021 National Jewish Book Award and 2022 Sydney Taylor Honor and is a Junior Library Guild Selection, a National Federation of Press Women 1stPlace winner and on the Bank Street College Best Children’s Books list. Nancy is that author of 10 picture book biographies and will welcome six more books, including her board book debut, Counting on Shabbat, in 2023. Additional honors include: Two Sydney Taylor Notables, Social Studies Notable Trade Books for Young People; the South Asia Book Award, Children and Teen’s Choice Book Awards finalists; starred reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly; and multiple state book lists. Nancy lives in North Texas. Her books come with free teacher guides, resources and projects on her website, NancyChurnin.com. Follow her on Twitter @nchurnin.
Determined to help preserve Sephardic culture, Sarah Aroeste draws upon her ancestral roots from N. Macedonia and Greece to present traditional and original Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) songs with her unique blend of Balkan sounds, pop, and jazz. Since 2001, Aroeste has performed and given musical talks across the globe and has recorded eight albums. She also pens Sephardic-themed books for children, including Buen Shabat, Shabbat Shalom (Kar-Ben 2020), the first PAL board book with Ladino words, and the upcoming Mazal Bueno (Kar-Ben 2023). Bringing Ladino books and music to young and old, Aroeste has garnered wide critical acclaim for her efforts to introduce Sephardic culture to new audiences. Visit her at SarahAroeste.com or on social media as @saraharoeste.
Ann D. Koffsky is the author and illustrator of more than forty books, including Under the Sea Seder, Visual Thinking (for Young Adults) with Temple Grandin, What’s In Tuli’s Box, and the Kayla & Kugel series. Several of her books have been PJ Library selections, and her book Noah’s Swimathon received a Sydney Taylor notable mention from the Association of Jewish Libraries. Sheep Says Shalom will be out August 1, 2023 from Green Bean Books. Find free coloring pages and see more about her work on her website Annkoffsky.com. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram as @JewishArtbyAnn.
Varda Livney lives (and doodles) on a kibbutz with her family and 1,000 other assorted people, dogs, cats, cows, and olive trees. Visit her at VardaArt.com and follow her on Instagram @vardaart.
**Most of these board books won’t be out until the fall, but if winners are patient, they will be sent as soon as they become available.***
- Vivian Kirkfield: PB Critique OR Copy of PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE
- Nancy Churnin: copy of COUNTING ON SHABBAT
- Sarah Aroeste: copy of MAZAL BUENO!
- Ann Koffsky: 15-minute Zoom Critique
- Varda Livney: Copy of CHALLAH!
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.
by Lydia Lukidis
Greetings and salutations, fellow Storystormers! I’ve been following Tara’s blog for many years now so it’s an honor to be here today. Woot, woot!
No doubt, you’ve already been jotting down brilliant ideas and the Storystorm posts have been helping you unlock new brainstorming techniques. Today, my post will focus on nonfiction (though these strategies can also be applied to fiction) and HOW to develop your ideas.
We all have our strengths and weaknesses. For example, I’m an idea machine. I literally find everything fascinating and pretty much any topic can get my creative juices flowing. I’ve been keeping a document where I jot down all my ideas throughout the years.
So, what then? What do you do with all these ideas? I confess that my document is now over 100 pages long. Yikes.
Too. Many. Ideas.
My mind feels overwhelmed. Although I find a spark in every single one of these ideas, I also struggle with how to develop them. To ease this process and stop my over-active mind from going mad, I practice the art of discernment.
- Does the idea stand out?
- Does it have what it takes to form a narrative?
- Can an engaging hook be developed?
- Is there enough kid appeal?
Kid appeal is essential, especially with nonfiction. It’s possible to take complex scientific processes and break them down in a way that children can understand, but you have to find the right “in.” Take a look at these nonfiction mentor texts that do a great job at making STEM interesting and fun for young readers:
I admit that my stubborn mind sometimes chooses topics that I feel a deep passion for, but that don’t necessarily engage children. I forget to focus on what matters to a child. Or, I can’t seem to find the right way into the material. And yes, some ideas may ultimately not make the cut, and that’s okay.
Another critical element is the hook. When I started writing my new book DEEP, DEEP DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench, I had no hook. I just knew I wanted to write about the Mariana Trench so I metaphorically dove into the research. I wrote the first few drafts as a starting point, but they weren’t strong enough because there was no hook driving the narrative forward.
And then I had some enlightening conversations with two of my nonfiction mentors; Melissa Stewart and Kirsten W. Larson. They both passed on this GEM that I will share with you:
Interesting facts are not enough to sustain a nonfiction book!
Sure, children love fun facts but there has to be more. Especially when it comes to expository nonfiction, the text can’t read like a research paper or an encyclopedia just spewing out facts.
So…how does one craft a stellar hook? This is the only equation that worked for me so far:
HOOK = TIME + RESEARCH
I’ve never been able to find the hook right away. For some ideas, it took several months, and for others, several years. Don’t rush or force it, and respect the process. One day, it will reveal itself to you. And if it doesn’t, put it aside or let it go. Only a small portion of your ideas will blossom into published books. Let it be.
To help all you Storystormers out, I created this handy checklist you can download and use. Once you’ve jotted down all your ideas, you need to put them to the test. My checklist has six essential ingredients, and if your idea passes all of them, it has great potential!
This is what it looks like:
Click here to download the PDF.
I used this checklist for DEEP, DEEP, DOWN and it passed all 6 steps. A year later, Capstone acquired the manuscript. While there are no guarantees in this business, we can all agree that a stellar book begins with a stellar idea. I wish you all luck as you sift through your own ideas and mine the true gems!
Lydia Lukidis is the author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023), THE BROKEN BEES’ NEST (Kane Press, 2019) which was nominated for a Cybils Award, and NO BEARS ALLOWED (Clear Fork Media, 2019). A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.
Lydia is an active member of SCBWI, CANSCAIP, 12 x 12, and The Authors Guild. She’s very involved in the kidlit community and also volunteers as a judge on Rate your Story. Another passion of hers is fostering love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools. Lydia is represented by literary agent Miranda Paul from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Visit Lydia online at LydiaLukidis.com and follow her on Twitter @LydiaLukidis.
Lydia is happy to give away a free signed copy of her new book DEEP, DEEP DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench, illustrated by Juan Calle (prize available to US & Canada).
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.
by Justin Colón
Many of us look upon cartoons with a sense of childhood nostalgia, reminiscing upon the good ol’ days when we sat mesmerized in front of our television sets for hours while watching Sunday morning cartoons. I myself loved watching Nickelodeon’s “Hey Arnold!,” “The Wild Thornberrys”, “The Fairly Odd Parents” and “The Rugrats”; Disney’s “Gargoyles”; PBS’s “The Magic School Bus”; Cartoon Network’s “Dexter’s Laboratory”, and so many, many more that it hurts to leave them out. Yet, until recently, I had left cartoons behind. So why did I return to them?
Before Covid arrived, my acting career was gaining traction after nearly a decade of rigorous training, booking co-starring roles on television. But then the pandemic sidelined me. The idea of sitting at home watching television shows that I could no longer audition for stung. So, I leaned into something that didn’t sting . . . beekeeping. Seriously, I did. But the other thing I leaned into was cartoons.
In many ways, cartoons are like picture books. They’re often dismissed as being solely for children, and thus abandoned in adulthood, when in reality they can be enjoyed by all ages. They’re a highly-visual storytelling medium packed into a condensed format.
While the stakes may be high for the characters within them, cartoon shows are generally low stakes for viewers. These low stakes can help us unplug from reality and tap into our imagination, thus inspiring new ideas. In fact, sometimes I’ll watch an episode of a cartoon show and find that the tiniest moment or element within that show could be expanded into an entire picture book concept. The low stakes and high entertainment value combined with the color and music helps me slip into a childlike state that benefits my own storytelling as a writer. And it might do the same for you!
Watch a modern-day cartoon and you’ll likely find a substantial amount of heart, emotionally compelling stories and character arcs, and fresh takes on familiar concepts and layered themes with wonderful language (filled with fun repetition and sounds) that can inform your own craft. Interestingly, many cartoons often have a takeaway lesson, and yet it’s delivered in an entertaining, non-didactic way, very similar to effective picture books.
And for those of you interested in developing your humor skills, cartoons are excellent for this! Afterall, they’re exaggerated, eccentric, and over the top in comparison to reality, often making them ripe with humor. Keep a close eye on the pacing, structure, situations, and character relationships and interactions with each other and the world around them. You can take this exercise to the next level by observing cartoons intended for different age levels to see how the humor differs in approach and execution. How might you translate this into your own ideas, writing, and stories?
Go check out some picture books by Tara Lazar, Tammi Sauer, Josh Funk, Ryan T. Higgins, Adam Rex, and Julie Falatko, and others, and I bet you’ll find that they all share a cartoon-like quality (and I say that as high praise).
When Tara Lazar mentored me, one of the first things she noted was that my stories had an ACME-like quality to them. This is evident in my books THE QUACKEN (Simon & Schuster) and IMPOSSIBLE POSSUMS (Disney-Hyperion), both written during my cartoon-filled pandemic lockdown and debuting fall of 2024. Here’s the pitch for the latter:
When a lonely possum with a flair for villainy attempts to create his very own henchman but ditches the instructions to his new possum-making machine, it leads to a series of mishaps as it pops out all the wrong creatures, each with a chaotic agenda of their own.
While writing it, I wasn’t yet watching cartoons, but I was thinking of this book playing out in a manner similar to the over-the-top mischief, mishaps, misunderstandings, and mayhem often found in cartoons. I knew I wanted to combine the over-the top voice of Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants with the loveable villainy of MINIONS. Thinking back to those “mentor texts” provided lots of new ideas to explore while drafting and revising. Something as simple as a character’s voice (the style of it, not necessarily the sound) or an image might inspire ideas for your own work.
Shortly after selling the manuscript, a fellow writer who wrote for the cartoon series Pinky and the Brain excitedly reached out to share that my story reminded him of the series (though it wasn’t a mentor text). Well, once the illustrator and humor extraordinaire James Rey Sanchez signed on, he mentioned that this book gave him Pinky and the Brain vibes, a show he watched as a kid. And, because it’s a sparse text manuscript with LOTS of action, our editor sent him all the art notes . . . all 16 of them! And the story is being brought to life with a style that matches the cartoon-like quality of it.
In short, cartoons are safe and comforting and can help us release tension while easing anxiety and depression and improving mental health. But they can also inspire new ideas and take our craft to new levels. Now go watch some cartoons!
But first, let me know in the comments below . . . What were/are some of your favorite cartoons?
Justin Colón is a Latino author with several forthcoming picture books, including IMPOSSIBLE POSSUMS (Disney-Hyperion, 2024) and THE QUACKEN (Simon & Schuster, 2024). He is also the owner/director of The Kidlit Hive (kidlithive.com), a new program offering webinars, workshops, multi-week classes, and mentorships for picture book creators. In his other life, Justin is a professional, formally trained voice and on-camera actor and has co-starred in shows such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Gotham, The First Wives Club, Sneaky Pete and Limitless. He is represented by Jennifer March Soloway of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. To learn more about Justin, you can visit JustinColonBooks.com and follow him on Twitter at @justinrcolon.
Justin is offering one lucky winner a webinar package consisting of passes to attend three webinars, free of charge, via The Kidlit Hive, as well as a 30-minute AMA session to discuss querying, submission, ideas, etc.
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.
by Natalie Rompella
I adore Storystorm month. I have participated for seven years and have over 550 ideas written down. I’m always surprised which Storystorm posts end up sparking the best ideas for me. I am excited to share my own suggestion with you.
Consider brainstorming ideas for stories that deal with social, mental, or physical issues (often referred to as issue or tough-topic books). For examples of tough topics, here is a list from the Association for Library Service to Children.
My first issue picture book, MALIK’S NUMBER THOUGHTS: A STORY ABOUT OCD, came out with Albert Whitman & Co. in September 2022 (illustrated by Alessia Girasole).
The topic of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is close to my heart as I have personally dealt with it since seventh grade. In 2009, I wrote a nonfiction book for teens on OCD. I then used my personal experience and the extensive research I had already done to write a novel with a main character who had OCD titled COOKIE CUTTERS & SLED RUNNERS (Sky Pony Press). I was able to really dig into the emotions the character felt, the treatment, and the protagonist’s path to improving her OCD episodes. As well, I got to add in high-interest topics: baking and sled-dog racing.
But recently I wanted to write a book on OCD for younger children. Writing a picture book on this subject matter was a different ball game:
- My storyline needed to be tighter.
- The wording/medical jargon had to be age-appropriate.
- The scope of what was discussed about the disorder had to be smaller.
- I wanted it to have a fun element that appealed to four- to seven-year olds.
- The story had to show different things happening on each page for engaging illustrations.
I knew from writing my novel that it is difficult to show a character with an undiagnosed problem see a professional, receive a diagnosis, begin treatment, and get to a point that they are temporarily symptom-free/improving. I hadn’t even attempted all of these stages in my novel, and I didn’t feel it would be possible in a picture book. (Note: I was not writing a nonfiction book about OCD where the scope of the disorder was the focus). Instead, I needed to begin the picture book with the character already receiving treatment.
My next thought was how might this disorder interfere with an early-elementary-aged child’s life? Although their schooling may be affected, what other aspects of their life would offer engaging illustrations and be something kids like to do?
I referred to Tara Lazar’s wonderful list of “500 Things That Kids Like.” My thoughts went right to something I loved as a child as do my own children: mini golf.
This topic worked well for my story because the character, Malik, feels the compulsion to do things in sets of four. In mini golf, you want as many hole-in-one scores as you can get. But would his “Number Thoughts” get in the way? And to amp up the tension, I created a friend who is having a party at a mini-golf course, which Malik really wants to attend.
Here are a few tips I learned from writing my issue picture book:
- Brainstorm issue topics that you have encountered in your life: maybe you have personally experienced it, one of your family member or close friend has, or you have dealt with it as a teacher.
- Consider the timeline. Will you focus on a character discovering the issue? Going through treatment? Living with a change? Living with a disorder? Don’t try to do too much. Check out other issue books and study their timeline (it doesn’t have to be the same issue as the book you’re writing about).
- Think about the tone of the book. Play with it. What is your objective for the book? Is your goal to help a child feel less alone? To make the topic less scary? Is there a way to lighten the tone?
- Can you add an engaging setting or activity as part of the storyline? See Tara’s list above.
- Think about ways the issue impacts a child’s life. What are some different aspects that are affected? You may want to address only one. (For instance, I focus on how Malik’s OCD would affect playing mini golf.)
- Avoid overloading the story with facts and information. You can add them in the backmatter.
- Research publishers of issue books. Note the tone of these books and whether it matches the tone you’re using. (When I find a book with a style or topic similar to what I’m writing, I flip to the title or copyright page to find the publisher. The year is also important as approaches change with the times.)
I hope this gives you some ideas for writing a book that shows a character dealing with an issue or tough topic. I have had the pleasure of presenting to a camp for children with OCD. It was very rewarding to hear their reactions to a book that addressed an issue they faced. Hopefully, you can find a topic that you have a strong connection to and create an engaging and helpful picture book for children.
Natalie Rompella is the author of more than sixty books and other resources for children, including MALIK’S NUMBER THOUGHTS: A STORY ABOUT OCD, a picture book addressing obsessive number thoughts and COOKIE CUTTERS & SLED RUNNERS, a middle grade novel about OCD. She is a former elementary school and middle school teacher. Natalie lives with her two kids, husband, and dog in the Chicago suburbs, where she enjoys playing pickleball, baking, and hanging out with her family. Find out more at NatalieRompella.com or follow her on Twitter @NatalieRompella.
Natalie is giving away a copy of MALIK’S NUMBER THOUGHTS: A STORY ABOUT OCD.
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.
by Kathleen Doherty
Happy Eighth Day of Storystorm!
One of my favorite topics is INTERTEXTUALITY—a literary theory that whatever you create, is influenced by something you’ve heard, seen, or read before.
In other words, intertextuality is borrowing ideas from another piece of literature and using them to shape a new text. It’s not lifting another person’s work word-for-word. As you know, that’s called plagiarism.
Mark Twain said, “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”
Some examples of intertextuality:
- The main plotline of Disney’s The Lion King is borrowed from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
- Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” borrows from Romeo and Juliet.
- Tara Lazar borrows from Mother Goose and other fairy tales in her picture book, LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD.
So how can you apply intertextuality to your writing? Well, I’m suggesting you look at your favorite pieces of children’s literature and think of the plots, themes, concepts, and ideas that resonate with you. How many of those can you rework to make them your own?
CHANGE THE SETTING AND SEASON
In 2012, I was impressed by George Cooper’s use of personification in his poem “October Party.” Cooper used characters like Miss Weather, Professor Wind, and Misses Maple. I borrowed the idea of personifying a month. I kept the idea of a party, but changed the season and activities. I kept the same rhythm and beat and wrote the following poem which was published in “Spider Magazine”:
REWORK A TV SHOW OR MOVIE
I used intertextuality in my three picture books. DON’T FEED THE BEAR is based on Yogi Bear always getting into trouble with Ranger Smith. (Yeah, I’m that old. I watched Yogi Bear.)
REWORK A PROBLEM, SOLUTION, AND ENDING
In my picture book, THE THINGITY-JIG, I reworked the story line from THE LITTLE RED HEN. In my book, none of Bear’s friends want to help him bring a couch back to the forest that he finds in people town. Bear figures out a way all by himself. But Bear lets his friends jump on the couch when he finally gets it home. My ending is a bit kinder than the one in THE LITTLE RED HEN.
In THE THINGITY-JIG, I also borrowed the idea of making up words. I used to read THE BFG by Roahl Dahl to my fourth grade students. In his book, Dahl made up words like trogglehumper, snozzcumber and bellypopper. In my book, I made up rolly-rumpity, lifty-uppity, and pushy-poppity.
My forthcoming picture book, THE TWIST-A-ROO borrows from THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT. In Aesop’s story, the grasshopper is so busy playing a fiddle, he doesn’t store up food for winter and goes hungry. In my book, Badger is so mesmerized by a kaleidoscope, he doesn’t prepare for winter. But my ending is not as harsh as Aesop’s.
FLIP-FLOP A STORY
In THE WOLF WHO CRIED BOY by Bob Hartman, Little Wolf is tired of his mom’s cooking. It’s the same old thing night after night, Lamburgers and Sloppy Does. How he wishes his mother would serve up a nice platter of his favorite dish—Boy! He dreams of boys-n-berry pie and a steaming plate of boy chops.
But Boy is hard to come by. As Little Wolf trudges home from school one day, he decides to postpone his boring dinner by shouting “Boy! Boy!” But when a real boy finally comes along, do his parents believe him? Of course not. Little Wolf learns the same lesson the boy who cried “Wolf!” did so many years ago.
Kathleen Doherty is a former Educational Specialist/Reading Specialist. Her first picture book—DON’T FEED THE BEAR—is featured on Kirkus Reviews’ recommended list and is in its sixth printing. Her second picture book—THE THINGITY-JIG—received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and is being published in nine languages. Her third picture book—THE TWIST-A-ROO—is forthcoming in November 2023. Her work has appeared in TIME Magazine, The Mailbox, Highlights for Children, Highlights High Five, Highlights HELLO, and Spider Magazine. She’s won the Highlights Pewter Plate Award, the Highlights Celebrate National Poetry Contest, and a Letter of Merit in poetry from the SCBWI Magazine Merit Awards.
You can learn more about Kathleen and her work at KathleenDohertyAuthor.com and follow her on Twitter @Doherty60 and Instagram @kathleendohertyauthor.
Kathleen is giving away a picture book critique, fiction, up to 650 words.
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.
by Laura Zarrin
When I started participating in Storystorm in 2012, I was completely convinced that I was not a writer. I was an illustrator and storytelling was not in my wheelhouse. Color me surprised when I managed to come up with 30 ideas that year and every year since. Where had they come from?
Deciding that maybe I was a writer after all, I started writing. Just a bit here and there. I went on to write a few stories that went out on submission. One that made it to an acquisition meeting, but no sales so far. That’s OK. (It’s not really OK, it’s annoying, TBH, but I digress.) I wish I could say that I look forward to sitting down with a pad and pencil and some tea to happily write, but that would be a bald-faced lie! I have to be dragged kicking and screaming into it. Just ask my critique group. Currently looking for a better ritual, ahem.
When I started writing, I noticed that my art began telling more of a story than it had previously! What a wonderful surprise! A critique partner recently told me that my illustration ideas should come with a Powerpoint presentation to get through all the story I’m packing into my descriptions.
I have found that the only way I can get a story out of my head is to take a blank piece of very non-precious copy paper, start playing the story out in my mind like I’m watching a movie, and draw it out in scribbles. It’s been surprisingly helpful to do it this way. Words almost always come last for me. My drawings are doing all the heavy lifting. I seem to draw everything out like it’s a graphic novel without any boxes or lines. Any type of formatting or layout stops me in my tracks. I completely freeze up. Even though I don’t really read graphic novels (except for the early reader ones), and that I swore I would never make one, it turns out that that format is very conducive to my way of working. Even my picture book dummies have a bit of comic formatting. (Sadly, I still can’t binge while doing this.)
Next I cut up the scribbles and arrange them in order, adding or subtracting where needed. As I work on the story, I refine the sketches and start to add words and formatting. After a lot of trial and error, I have a completed dummy.
I’m becoming more and more of a storyteller every year and I owe it all to Storystorm and a very patient critique group who listens to my whining. I am currently working on three early reader graphic novels that started as Storystorm ideas!
Laura Zarrin is the illustrator of the WALLACE AND GRACE series by Heather Alexander and the KATIE WOO’S NEIGHBORHOOD series by Fran Manushkin.She’s now writing her own sweetly subversive stories. Laura has illustrated over 30 books for children including board books, picture books, and chapter books. She’s happiest illustrating characters with subtle and not-so-subtle humor.
Visiit her at LauraZarrin.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram @LauraZarrin. You can find her art in her Etsy shop here.
Laura is giving away a hardcover copy of WALLACE AND GRACE TAKE THE CASE by Heather Alexander, Bloomsbury.
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.
Today we have a steam train packed with Storystorm advice rolling your way, from the authors of the Picture Book Junction group!
Ana Siqueira:
I list all important memories of my life as a child or as a parent or grandparent. For each one, I list all the problems and write all the feelings. Then I decide on one to be the inspiration for my new story—and remember, your story will be based on this memory and feeling, but it doesn’t need to repeat all that happened. To make it more kid-friendly and fun, I read at least twenty books with topics related to it. Then, I go for walks, while recording ideas on my phone. Finally, I mix some fun, humor, and fantasy to create a book with heart but also kid friendly. My book Abuela’s Super Capa is based on my mom’s and son’s relationship and my mom’s death. Still, I added a little intruder (sister) and cupcake criminales (pets) to make it less heavy, more illustratable, and relatable. And in this story, my mom didn’t die. I wish we could rewrite our real-life stories, right?
Check my bio at our website and my books and more at AnaFiction.com and follow me on Twitter @SraSiqueira1307.
Marie Boyd:
When my son was little, I frequently told him “It’s just a worm” when he saw worms on the sidewalk. I imagined how a worm might respond if it could understand my words. This led to my debut book, JUST A WORM, which I illustrated with quilling, a cut-paper technique. I’d never seen a quilled picture book, but when I imagined Worm’s Garden it was quilled. The plants in my and my parents’ gardens inspired many plants in Worm’s world.
For craft ideas and more, follow Marie at MarieBoyd.com and on Instagram @artistscholar.
Vicky Fang:
My book ideas are often two ideas mashed together. THE BOO CREW NEEDS YOU! started as a little phrase that snuck into my brain without a story to go with it: “There’s a hitch! There’s a glitch! Something’s screwy with this switch!” It sat there for two years. Then one day, I was writing a story about Halloween monsters working together and I remembered that line. Mashing these two ideas together, my rhyming, interactive picture book was born!
Visit Vicky at VickyFang.com.
David McMullin:
I often take a more mechanical approach to finding ideas than most. Yes, some ideas appear to me like little sparkling balls of light from time to time, but usually, I simply sit down and brainstorm. I go for volume and then the special ideas rise to the top. My book, Free to be Fabulous, combines a million different experiences from my growing up as a dance-loving LGBTQ+ kid.
Visit David online at DavidMcMullinBooks.com and follow him on Twitter @davidmcmullinpb.
Suzy Levinson:
One of my favorite ways to spark ideas is to take two things that don’t belong together, smoosh them together anyway, and then make it all make sense. I once did this and wound up writing a poem about a cat wearing pants, which was so fun that I wrote another poem about a spider wearing pants, and so on and so on until voilà, Animals in Pants (Cameron Kids) was a book!
To find out more about Suzy, check out her website at SuzyLevinson.com and follow her on Twitter and IG @SuzyLevinson.
Sarah Hovorka:
The inspiration for Same Love, Different Hug was like a wildfire spark. I was reflecting on how carefully my young, enthusiastic kids had to show me physical affection after three months in the hospital and an ostomy bag on my torso… a lyrical phrase popped into my head and a couple of hours later I had a sweet book about conscientiously sharing affection with others in all kinds of situations. Inspiration doesn’t usually strike so easily as with this book, but when it does, run with it!
You can read more about Sarah’s works and connect with her at SarahHovorka.com and follow at Twitter @HovorkaSarah & @authorsarahhovorka and on Instagram @authorsarahhovorka.
Aimee Isaac:
Some story ideas spill onto the page. Others simmer in my head for years. The idea for my debut began as a cumulative story about litter but it lacked heart. Over time, I stirred in childhood memories, inspiration from a letter my father wrote, tree-planting with my kids, and a theme that drives my writing: interconnectedness. These ingredients plus time were just right for creating THE PLANET WE CALL HOME.
Connect with Aimee at AimeeIsaac.com and @IsaacAimee on Twitter.
A.J. Irving:
I will always remember the day I started writing THE WISHING FLOWER. I’d just had a call with my agent and was inspired to go on a hike. The first lines came to me in the Wyoming wilderness. I rushed home and wrote a draft about my first crush in my notebook. Sometimes you get this electrifying feeling when you know you’ve written something special. This was one of those moments.
Connect with A.J. at AJIrving.com or @aj_irving on Twitter and Instagram.
Carrie Kruck:
I’m always looking for magic and possibility in everyday objects. My upcoming book WHAT FRANCINE FOUND was inspired by an ordinary fishing rod and the question: “What magic might it hold?” (Spoiler: it’s attached to the drain plug of a lake that holds the town’s secrets!) Try it yourself! Look around you now and choose an ordinary object. Pay extra attention to it. What magic might it hold? Could it be used in an unexpected way? Does it have a little-known history? Surprise yourself!
Find Carrie on Twitter @KruckCarrie, Instagram @Carrie.Kruck or CLKruck.com.
Helen Taylor:
I find that I’m drawn to unusual combinations. They have inherent tension, and you never know where they’ll lead you. The spark of inspiration for my debut picture book was an article I read about growing lettuce on the International Space Station. I started by researching that super-specific topic, then broadened my search and found tons of great info so I decided to expand the scope and that’s what became HOW TO EAT IN SPACE.
Connect with Helen at HelenSTaylor.com or @heyhelentaylor on Twitter and Instagram.
Lisa Varchol Perron:
I feel most creative when I step away from the computer and spend time outside. Patterns Everywhere was inspired by a family hike. My husband (who studies the formation of landscapes) was teaching our daughters about the even spacing of ridges and valleys, and I had so many questions! If I find something intriguing and want to learn more, I know I’ll enjoy writing about it and can do my best to share that sense of wonder and joy with readers.
Connect with Lisa at LisaPerronBooks.com or @LisaVPerron on Twitter and Instagram.
Jack Wong:
Each person’s strategies for inspiration will be different—from rummaging through memory to spending time in nature to reflecting on life events at the moment (hint: mine includes a bit of all the above). Once you have your go-to strategies, though, a second challenge arises: deciding which ideas are worth your time to pursue. I try not to think about this too much at the beginning, when the birth of ideas should be acts of free play, but as I get further along the process, I try to only invest in a story if I really, really, really care about it. It’s hard to stay inspired if I don’t!
You can find Jack at JackWong.ca and connect with him on Twitter and Instagram @jacquillo_.
Dominique Furukawa:
I have probably five different book ideas swirling around all the time! What tends to happen is that one idea will start to write itself in my head. Whole sentences will come together and then I’ll know that’s the book I need to sit and focus on! Sometimes those initial sentences don’t even make the final cut, but it gets me excited and gets me started.
You can connect with Dominique at DominiqueFurukawa.com and on Twitter @domfurukawa and Instagram @dom.furukawa.
Gabriela Orozco Belt:
My greatest inspiration comes from the experiences that I’ve had growing up. I love the feeling of reading a story and being able to connect to it on a personal level, it’s extremely validating to my experiences and feelings. I think if stories can make me, an adult, feel that way how awesome it is for kids to feel the same thing.
You can learn more about Gabriela at GabrielaBelt.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @thegreatgabsie.
Astrid Kamalyan:
My happy childhood spent in Armenia is a constant source of inspiration for me. It’s a part of me that never grew up and stayed eyes wide open, heart full. I tune into my emotions. They don’t always have to be happy, but when they are strong, I know a story is to be born. It might turn into a book or an essay, but regardless of form, it must get written down or it will keep my head noisy, writing itself. My debut BABO: A TALE OF ARMENIAN RUG-WASHING DAY is based on one of those happy memories of washing rugs with my siblings and grandmother. There’s a sense of joy, community, and childhood whimsy woven into so many of these memories, and all revolve around our traditions. And with this book, I wanted to share just that, the little beam of light, shining straight from childhood.
Learn more about Astrid at AstridKamalyan.com, get in touch through Twitter @astridkamalyan and IG @astridkamalyan.
There are also many prizes Picture Book Junction is giving away! A dozen, in fact!
You’re eligible to win one of these 12 prizes 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.
- David McMullin – PB critique
- Lisa Varchol Perron – Poetry bundle (3 children’s poetry anthologies: Things We Eat, Things We Feel, Imperfect II: Poems About Perspective)
- Ana Siqueira – PB critique (fiction and non-rhyming) or Zoom “Ask Me Anything”
- Suzy Levinson – Children’s Poem critique (rhyming)
- Aimee Isaac – picture book critique
- Marie Boyd – PB critique
- A.J. Irving – Fiction PB critique in prose
- Carrie Kruck – “Ask Me Anything” Storystorm edition! 30-minute Zoom/phone call to review your favorite StoryStorm ideas, discuss marketability, brainstorm hooks & pitches, prioritize & plan manuscript development…anything and everything Storystorm related!
- Gabriela Orozco Belt- PB critique
- Astrid Kamalyan – 30-minute Zoom “Ask Me Anything” focusing on the process of creating PBs, from idea generation to getting published
- Sarah Hovorka – “Anything Goes!” 30-minute Zoom talk and/or critique of PB, query, first five pages of CB or MG, or outlines/prep work.
- Jack Wong – Publisher/agent query critique (claimable March 5th onwards)
by Megan Litwin
Whenever I think about writing, or how to teach writing, or how to give advice to people looking to start writing, I think of some favorite lines from Mary Oliver. In her poem Sometimes, Mary Oliver gives the very best instructions—meant for living, but equally inspiring for writing.
Pretty good advice, isn’t it?
Direct. Succinct. True.
If you’re looking for something to write about…pay attention. In your own tiny corner of the universe, what beautiful, curious, astonishing things are happening? No doubt there are many. Another thing about reading Mary Oliver is that she reminds you of the countless fascinating things happening right under your nose.
So, pay attention!
Be astonished!
And tell your idea notebook all about it.
I try to live these words. Like Mary Oliver, I pay attention to this wonderful world we live in—finding inspiration on trails and beaches and in magical moments of outdoor solitude. But I also pay attention during the everyday moments of life, too. In the car. Listening to music. Watching my kids play. Cleaning out closets. What surprises me? What delights me? What sticks with me?
I love starting off January with Storystorm because it is a concrete reminder to pay attention, or as Tara so aptly puts it, a time to “heighten your idea-generating senses.” I create little thought bubbles in my notebook at the start of each Storystorm year, filling them in with all kinds of things I notice. Words, phrases, sights, sounds. And when those bubbles are all filled, I make some more.
I don’t worry about what I’m going to do with these thoughts right away. It is the habit of noticing that is important. And sometimes, the act of noticing even weaves itself into a story.
My first picture book, TWINKLE, TWINKLE, WINTER NIGHT (illustrated by Nneka Myers), was inspired by a car ride where my young son was captivated by the many kinds of bright light filling the December darkness. As I worked and reworked drafts, trying to capture the magic and wonder we both were feeling at that moment, I wanted to also capture the importance of his noticing to begin with. Here we were, on a simple car ride, but to him it was as if we had front row seats to a magic show. He was mesmerized by the world. “Look up, look down, look all around” is a line in the final text that was there pretty much from the start. Yes, this is a book that celebrates winter as a bright and beautiful time of year, but it is also a book celebrating the idea that there are astonishing and amazing things all around…if you take the time to look for them.
This February and June, I have two early readers coming out that feature a pair of best buds who love to catch bugs. DIRT & BUGSY: BUG CATCHERS and DIRT & BUGSY: BEETLE MANIA (both illustrated by Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn) are directly inspired by happenings in my own corner of the universe—my two boys and their friends and endless hours spent investigating insects. Children, as it turns out, are inherently good at noticing things. The adventures Dirt and Bugsy have in each book are both simple and complex. They don’t go very far. They don’t use high-tech tools or toys. They just dig into what is right in front of them. And that is enough! If you pay attention, a backyard is a fascinating place to be.
And so, fellow Storystormers, let’s take inspiration from Mary Oliver and Tara Lazar and children everywhere…
As we begin a fresh new year and open fresh new notebooks, let’s all get in the habit of paying attention. Let’s aim to slow down, to look up and down and all around, to check our own backyards, and to dig into the here and now and wonderful. You just might be astonished at how many things you want to tell that notebook.
Megan Litwin is the author of the picture book TWINKLE, TWINKLE, WINTER NIGHT (Clarion/HarperCollins, 2022) and the forthcoming early reader series DIRT & BUGSY (Penguin Workshop, 2023). Megan holds a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from Simmons University, and is a former classroom teacher who loves visiting schools to work with young readers and writers. She lives in Massachusetts with her family. Visit her at MeganLitwinBooks.com or connect with her on Twitter at @Meg_Litwin or Instagram at @meganlitwinbooks.
Megan is giving away a signed copy of TWINKLE, TWINKLE, WINTER NIGHT or a half-hour virtual visit for a K-3 classroom—whichever the winner prefers!
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.
by Abi Cushman
Are you stuck? Don’t have a single good idea today for Storystorm? Well, worry no longer. All you have to do is ask yourself, “What am I obsessed with right now?” And that’s your answer.
Think about that thing that’s been on your mind lately. You know… that thing you can’t stop thinking about. The one where your spouse/friends/cat just nod along absent-mindedly and/or scratch the furniture when you start talking about it again.
“Oh, but Abi, I’ve been thinking about 13th-century button fashion a LOT lately. Is that a good story idea?” you are most likely wondering. And the answer is, YES! Probably! Maybe!
See, this is where it gets fun. What do you do with the topic you’re obsessed with? If you’re writing for kids, then the first thing you need to figure out is if the topic is kid-relatable or if you can find a way to make it relatable to kids. Can you make medieval buttonry (yes, I’m going to make that a word) fascinating for kids? Maybe! You just have to think of a creative way to tell that story. And if you really do find the subject so compelling, chances are other people/your cat will too.
Is it a Book Idea?
My upcoming book, WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD, due out on May 23, 2023 from Greenwillow Books, came about because I’ve been obsessed with wombats ever since I studied abroad in Australia in 2001.
When I first arrived in Australia, I went on a guided hike where we happened upon a pile of cube-shaped poop. The guide told us that they were left there by a wombat, and that wombats were the only animals in the world that had cube-shaped poop. That was just the weirdest thing I’d ever heard. How do they even make it that shape? Do they have square-shaped butts?
I ended up thinking about this cube poop fact a lot, and in 2018, I made this graphic and posted in on social media:
I wasn’t sure if there was enough there for a book. Or if a book was really the right format. I considered making a website devoted to wombat facts or strange animal facts in general.
But I thought I’d try it as a picture book just to see. I researched and organized more weird wombat facts and put them together in a book dummy where the wombats talked and made jokes about each factoid. I added in a snake character as a stand-in for the audience also learning these bizarre facts for the first time. I thought it was great! It was funny! It was wombatty! There were poop jokes!
I decided it was time to get feedback, even though I was pretty sure I’d nailed it. The reaction I got was…
“Hmm… well it is funny, BUT…”
“Are wombats a strong enough hook? People don’t really know what they are.”
“I don’t know where this would go in a bookstore. Is this fiction or nonfiction?”
“What age group is this for? Is the audience too old for picture books?”
“Can you make this just a story with a wombat in it?”
Is it a DIFFERENT Kind of Book?
After that feedback, I tried rethinking how it might work as a book. I tried it out as a fictional picture book with some facts loosely peppered throughout. I tried it as a young fictional graphic novel as well. There was a lot that I liked about these versions, but I couldn’t quite make them work.
My agent ended up submitting the original informational picture book version to Greenwillow. And I had a phone call with an editor there who asked if I’d mind turning it into a young graphic novel. I asked if it was okay if it was still informational and if I still kept the same voice of the narrator, and she said yes! So I went to work and provided a 20-page sample that had the information and jokes paneled out. It meant adding more jokes and reformatting how I set some of the jokes up visually, but I liked it!
Thumbnailing before making a new dummy.
She ended up taking the sample to Acquisitions, aaaand… I got an offer! For the original picture book version! Yes, in the end, after trying it out as a fiction picture book, a fiction graphic novel, and an informational graphic novel, it was the original informational picture book that won out.
So the moral of the story is that if you’re obsessed with something, and you can make kids love it too, then this IS a good book idea. And, in fact, this idea may actually turn into several different possibilities. Play with the age group. Play with the format and the voice of the book. Perhaps you write it as a funny, informational picture book. Perhaps you write it as a heartfelt graphic novel story. Perhaps it’s a whole chapter book series! You don’t have to give up on an idea just because it might not work in one way or in one format.
So go ahead and brood about that thing you’re obsessed with. You just might end up with more than one Storystorm idea with potential.
Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of SOAKED!, ANIMALS GO VROOM! and WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD. She has also worked as a web designer for over 15 years, and runs two popular websites of her own: MyHouseRabbit.com, a pet rabbit care resource, and AnimalFactGuide.com, which was named a Great Website for Kids by the American Library Association. In her spare time, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.) She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her family.
To learn more about Abi and her books, visit her website at AbiCushman.com. If you like secrets, exclusive sneak peeks, wombats, and special giveaways, subscribe to her newsletter.
Abi is giving away a signed copy of her book, WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD, upon its release (pub date scheduled for May 23, 2023).
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2023 participant and you have commented only once below.
Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 