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by Jackie Azúa Kramer
I’m inspired and emotionally moved by what’s happening in the world today. Children are living through challenging and difficult times in many ways. I have the utmost respect for young readers, and I strive not to talk down to them.
In THE BOY AND THE GORILLA, I had known this lovely family from úmy neighborhood with two adorable, little sisters. I had them over once for a very messy tea party. It was their father who was killed by a falling tree while attempting to drive his family to a safer location during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
My inspiration for the story was imagining the metaphorical idiom “the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room” come to life. I leave it to the reader to decide—the gorilla might represent the pain and feelings that the Boy is experiencing from the death of his mother. I envisioned a conversation between the Boy and the Gorilla, a series of questions and answers on death and grief.
I come from, like all of us, a diverse tapestry of experiences in my faith, race, culture, society and politics, all of which influences and inspires my work. As a Latina, it’s not lost on me that twenty-five percent of kids in schools today are Latinx.
In I WISH YOU KNEW (May 2021) a little girl’s father is deported. She wishes people knew how much she misses him and how it affects her at home and school. But with the help of her teacher, they start a sharing circle where her and her classmates share their challenges and by listening with compassion and kindness, together they all help each other.
We’ve all heard many times that inspiration is everywhere; one just has to be open to it. More than that, seek it. Be aware, available and surround yourself by it. Trust the muse, work with it and fearlessly, fall in love with it.
I WISH YOU KNEW was influenced not only by my culture but also inspired by a TED talk. An educator shared, how after feeling she was making little progress with her students, she asked them to complete the statement on a piece of paper, I wish my teacher knew…
The students’ responses changed everything for her.
She discovered she could not teach to kids who feel sad, hungry, scared and angry. The need to create a community of meaningful classroom relationships based on compassion, respect and kindness would have to established before the students were open to learn.
More and more, I feel responsible as a creator to turn these real-life observations into stories that tell a fuller and truer history yet leave room for the reader to ask questions and interact with the story. Never forgetting that a child’s need to be understood, accepted and loved is a universal feeling. We need to meet children where they are with hope and love.
Jackie is an award-winning and internationally translated children’s author. She earned her MA in Counseling in Education, Queens College. She is a member of the Bank Street Writers Lab. Her picture books include, THE GREEN UMBRELLA, “2017 Bank Street College Best Children’s Books of the Year,” IF YOU WANT TO FALL ASLEEP and her newest THE BOY AND THE GORILLA which received three starred reviews described by Kirkus as “Luminous.”
Her upcoming picture books releasing between 2021-2022 are: I WISH YOU KNEW/OJALÁ SUPIERAS; DOROTHY AND HERBERT: An Ordinary Couple and their Extraordinary Collection of Art; WE ARE ONE; MANOLO AND THE UNICORN and MILES WON’T SMILE.
She lives with her family in Long Island, NY. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, watching old movies and traveling to her family’s roots in Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Spain. Visit her online at Jackieazuakramer.com, on Twitter @jackiekramer422 and Instagram @jackie_azua_kramer.
Jackie is giving away one copy of THE BOY AND THE GORILLA and one copy of I WISH YOU KNEW.
Two separate winners will be randomly selected.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
by Amanda Davis
Hello fellow Storystormers! It’s Day 29, and we’re nearing the end of the challenge-a sad but wondrous thing. Give yourself a pat on the back for making it this far. Hurrah! I hope your well is brimming with at least 28 new ideas from the fabulous posts we’ve read and that you’re raring to go with your writing. So much inspiration! I’m excited to be here as a guest blogger and to help us close out the final days of the challenge. Storystorm holds a special place in my heart as it helped me focus in on developing the manuscript that later became my debut picture book, 30,000 STITCHES. Thanks, Tara!
Now, onto my post!
I’m a very action-oriented person and love when I find new writing or drawing challenges that I can apply to my practice to help me churn out new ideas or work. This is one of the many reasons I love participating in Storystorm each year! For this post, I wanted to share one of my own challenges that I created called, Haiku From Two. I crafted this challenge last year to help me get through the pandemic and needed something to keep me feeling inspired to create, read, and connect. I hope that you find it useful in your own creative practice as well!
WHAT IS HAIKU FROM TWO?
Haiku from Two started out as a 30-Day Challenge on social media.
The premise is:
- Randomly select two words from the current book you’re reading.
- Write a haiku* using those two words.
- Post your haiku on social media with the #HaikuFromTwo.
* a haiku is a three-line poem- five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third (5-7-5).
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY HAIKU FROM TWO EXPERIENCE:
READING: I don’t know about you, but I tend to have a large stack of ‘to be read’ books hanging around the house. I stare at them, feeling guilty that I haven’t made the time to dive in. When the pandemic hit, I figured that was a great time to whittle down the pile. I hoped the challenge of completing a haiku from each book would push me to keep reading, and it did just that!
WRITING: If you’re looking for a simple activity that can keep you writing, I found this was the trick for me! Some days were challenging, but it forced me to keep those creative juices flowing, which in turn helped me when I shifted gears to my picture book manuscripts, too!
CONNECTION: From authors, to editors, to cover artists, down to the book designers, whenever I would finish my Haiku From Two, I would photograph it and post on Instagram and Twitter, tagging all those involved in making the book. It was a great way to connect with others in the industry. Through the challenge, I’ve made some new online friends, and even e-chatted with authors such as, Ruth Behar. As I would search for the right people to tag in each post, it reminded me that it takes a village to bring our book babies into the world!
INSPIRATION: The reason we are all here, inspiration! These small haikus have the potential to turn into BIG ideas! I now have the option to develop these haikus further and use them as inspiration for new characters, settings, and themes. More on that below.
ALTERNATIVES: Let’s face it, writing/art challenges can be hard to commit to, so here are some ways you can alter the Haiku From Two activity to best suit your mood and needs.
In-between books? Don’t fret! Instead, use an old book from the shelf or maybe an article you read online. You can even use two words from your favorite song. A magazine or even a dictionary will do. Basically, anything that has words can work!
If you’re not into poetry, no worries! Scratch the syllables and make up a random sentence instead. Perhaps that sentence then becomes the first line of your new picture book manuscript or gives you an idea for some new characters in your story. For example, I’ve been playing around with developing the idea of “Flashlight Ghosts”.
These two words came from the haiku I developed from ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia. I’m not sure what or where yet but Flashlight Ghosts sure sound like interesting characters 🙂 Not to mention I had Rita herself playing along for this one, too!
If you consider yourself an artist as well, after you develop your haiku, you can illustrate it, too! I enjoyed this approach with the haiku I created for COME ON, RAIN, a picture book by Karen Hesse and John J. Muth. My two words were Hot and Air, which made me think of flying high in a hot air balloon.
Now, a new story about a hot air balloon adventure is waiting to be explored!
SIDE NOTE: Don’t put pressure on yourself to create every day! I initially began this challenge in March of 2020 with Lynda Mullaley Hunt’s FISH IN A TREE and intended to do a Haiku From Two each day for 30 consecutive days, but then…life happened…amidst a pandemic nonetheless.
Six months later, I finally reached my Day 30 in September with ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE.
It took longer than I’d expected, but in the end, I read twelve new amazing books and now have a jar full of potential new story ideas and inspiration!
Even though I reached my 30 days, I’m continuing to partake in the Haiku From Two challenge. I hope you will join me! If you decide to take on the challenge in 2021, see below for the official rules. And remember, no pressure to complete the 30 days. Instead, think of this as another tool in your creative arsenal ready and waiting for the next time you’re in need of a muse.
So, as I close us out of Day 29, I challenge you to a Haiku From Two! Grab a book, randomly choose two words, and form a haiku! Voilá! Your next story idea awaits! Be sure to tag me on Instagram @amandadavis_art or Twitter @amandadavisart, and use #haikufromtwo to play along!
In case you’re interested, here is my Haiku From Two reading list:
FISH IN A TREE by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia
THE BFG by Roald Dahl (I was in a throwback mood)
THE STORIED LIFE OF A.J. FIKRY by Gabrielle Zevin
A DOG’S WAY HOME by W. Bruce Cameron
LUCKY BROKEN GIRL by Ruth Behar
THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicola Yoon
AMAL UNBOUND by Aisha Saeed
THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo
THERE, THERE by Tommy Orange
ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE by George M. Johnson
BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson
One last note: today is also Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Follow along at #ReadYourWorld to help celebrate and raise awareness around kid’s books that celebrate diversity and help these books get into more classroom and libraries!
Happy haikuing y’all!
Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. After losing her father at the age of twelve, Amanda turned to art and writing as an outlet. It became her voice. A way to cope. A way to escape. And a way to tell her story. She was thus inspired to teach art and pursue her passion for writing and illustrating children’s books. Through her work, Amanda empowers younger generations to tell their own stories and offers children and adults an entryway into a world of discovery. A world that can help them make sense of themselves, others, and the community around them. A world where they can navigate, imagine, and feel inspired—over and over again. When she’s not busy creating, you can find her sipping tea, petting dogs, and exploring the natural wonders of The Bay State with her partner and rescue pup, Cora.
Her debut creative nonfiction picture book, 30,000 STITCHES, hits stores May 4, 2021 with WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group, and her poetry and illustrations can be found in the Writers’ Loft new anthology, FRIENDS & ANEMONES: OCEAN POEMS FOR CHILDREN (November, 2020). Amanda is represented by Jennifer Unter of The Unter Agency.
To connect with Amanda and learn more about her work, visit her online at amandadavisart.com, Twitter @amandadavisart Instagram @amandadavis_art and Facebook.
Amanda is offering a 30-minute Zoom meeting to chat about a specific story or anything else kid-lit related OR for our educator and librarian friends, Amanda would like to offer a FREE 20-minute virtual classroom visit.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
by Sita Singh
Hello, Storystormers! It’s my honor to be your guest blogger today.
I first participated in PiBoIdMo (now known as Storystorm) soon after I started to write, and quickly realized that all my ideas come from real life experiences. I was born and raised in India and moved to the United States in 1999. My ideas are inspired either from my own childhood or from my experience of mothering three, first-generation Indian-American children.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER, my debut picture book began with an idea listed in my notebook as “peacocks.” It was inspired from my childhood memories of watching peacocks. But it isn’t enough to say, okay, I’m going to write about peacocks. I needed a story. I needed to craft a character readers would care about. I needed a problem. I needed tension. I needed a lot. I tried several ways to tell my story, but none felt good enough or satisfying. At that same time, I was working on another story idea inspired from my daughter’s experiences; listed in my notebook as “standing out and feeling different.” This too wasn’t coming together to my satisfaction.
Then one day, it clicked. Like pieces of a puzzle. The thought of combining the two ideas (peacocks + standing out and feeling different) got my heart pounding and my imagination soaring. Right away, I knew what I wanted my story to be about.
For me, it took an amalgamation of ideas to spark a story!
Sometimes, connecting unexpected ideas, people, places, and objects, can result in stories that are fresh and unique. January is almost over, and if you’re anything like me, at least twenty-eight ideas must have come to you in form of words, phrases, titles, sketches, and some random thoughts, as well. If you ever get inspired to amalgamate any of these ideas, recognizing the ones that could come together to write a story only you can tell is exciting and rewarding. Here’s to recognizing those ideas!
When Tara asked me to write a guest post, I was curious to see who else has combined ideas to tell their story. Being a member of an incredible group of picture book writers and illustrators, Picture Book Scribblers, I didn’t have to go too far to find out. I was pleasantly surprised to see a generous number of stories come about from an amalgamation of ideas. Check out these ideas and look out for the fresh and unique stories coming to you in 2021!
HOME FOR A WHILE (February 2, 2021)
is an amalgamation of three ideas. 1) I wanted to write a story to honor the children with whom I’d worked when I ran a day treatment preschool. 2) I wanted to write about emotion regulation. 3) I wanted to write about seeing your strengths rather than just focusing on perceived challenges.
-Lauren Kerstein
THE BIG BEACH CLEANUP (March 1st, 2021)
is an amalgamation of three ideas 1) I passionately believe that if enough hands join together we can change the world. I wanted to write about little hands joining together to make big change. 2) I wanted to write a story that showed that you don’t have to be a superhero to make a difference. 3) I wanted to write a story that highlighted the growing plastic pollution problem and the steps that we can all take in our daily lives to make a difference.
-Charlotte Offsay
DON’T CALL ME FUZZYBUTT! (March 3rd, 2021)
I was inspired by both my son’s use of bad words and by our former president’s name calling. When my son was younger, he thought he was so grown up and cool when he used a word that he wasn’t supposed to say. I’d catch him saying it, and then he would come up with some variant of the word. “Mom, I said mitt. It’s not the word you think I said.” During this time, President Trump was also pretty much calling anyone a name who disagreed with him or his policies, and I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of impact are his actions having on our children.
-Robin Newman
A FLOOD OF KINDNESS (April 13, 2021)
1. I wanted to write about a child navigating through a disaster and 2) I wanted to write about how kindness can heal.
-Ellen Leventhal
PRINCESSES CAN FIX IT! (May 4, 2021)
I was specifically interested in writing a fractured fairy tale, and the Twelve Dancing Princesses is one of my favorites, 2.) I wanted to add an empowering, STEM twist and 3.) I was thinking about how rigid gender roles can be detrimental to both girls and boys.
-Tracy Marchini
FLY (Fall 2021)
is an amalgamation of Black Girl Magic and the childhood sport of double Dutch. As a kid I could jump rope, but double Dutch baffled me. I was always mesmerized by people who jump with two ropes. As a kid I didn’t tap into my potential as often as I could have, if only I had known my “magic”. My character, Africa, realizes her ability to double Dutch has and will always be part of her. Black girls are talented on their own.
-Brittany Thurman
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: The Art & Life of Amrita Sher-Gil (Fall 2021):
1) wanted to showcase a South Asian female artist/painter AND 2) wanted to explore emotions around living across two cultures inspired by my own life experiences
-Meera Sriram
EVERYBODY IN THE RED BRICK BUILDING (Fall 2021)
When I wrote this story, I was raising my children in an apartment. I noticed that there were plenty of books about families in houses, and not as many about families in apartments. So my first idea was to write a book set in an apartment building. My second idea was to write a cumulative story. I loved The House that Jack Built when I was a kid. The logic of the structure was very comforting for me. Those two ideas combined – an apartment story and a cumulative tale – gave me Everybody in the Red Brick Building.
-Anne Wynter
BATTLE OF THE BUTTS (September 28, 2021)
is an amalgamation of two ideas. 1) After I saw a meme on Twitter about manatees controlling their buoyancy through farting, I went down an internet rabbit hole learning about animals that do weird things with their butts. 2) I used to watch way too many competitive reality shows (American Idol, Survivor, Amazing Race), often the more ridiculous the better. As I learned about these talented tushies, I imagined them competing against each other in front of judges, and I knew I had to write about it. I tried to come up with a title that riffed off one of these reality show names (Butts Got Talent! American Butt! Butt Idol!), but they sounded a bit awkward. So as an alliteration junkie, I decided to go with a homage to the old school battle of the bands to end up with BATTLE OF THE BUTTS.
-Jocelyn Rish
MY BORDERTOWN (Fall 2021)
is an amalgamation of two different cultures that have a lot of similarities. The story is in English and in Spanish and says the exact same thing in both languages, but the illustrations show very different cultures. Ultimately I wanted kids to know that even though people on both sides of the border have differences, they are ultimately the same.
-Nicolas Solis
BENNY’S TRUE COLORS (November 17, 2020)
is an amalgamation of these two ideas: 1) I wanted to write about a small brown bat who every night roosted in our brick entryway instead of flying around eating bugs like all the other bats , and 2) I wanted to write about assumptions and judgements made about people based on their outward appearance.
-Norene Paulson
Sita Singh was born and raised in India, and moved to the United States in 1999. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, three children, and an immensely cute and curious dog. An architect in the past, Sita now enjoys writing heartwarming picture books with a South Asian backdrop. When Sita isn’t reading or writing, she can be found trying new recipes in the kitchen, experimenting with food photography, walking with the dog, or movie marathoning with the family. Her debut picture book, Birds Of A Feather, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, will be published on March 2nd, 2021 by Philomel Books. Find out more about Sita on singhsita.com and connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @sitawrites.
Sita is giving away a copy of BIRDS OF A FEATHER.
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You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
by Vicky Fang
Every single one of my books came from a mix-up of ideas. So here are some exercises to help you mix it up, mash it up, and make something new.
Exercise 1: The Content Mix-up
I keep a running list of ideas on my phone. Just little snippets of words to remind me of things I’ve thought about. Every once in a while, I’ll browse through the ideas and boom! Two ideas will mix together like peanut butter and chocolate and I’ll savor my delicious new story idea. I often find that mixing two different book ideas gives a story the depth it needed to make it stand up. My debut picture book INVENT-A-PET came from these two separate idea snippets smushed together: “Magnificent mixing machine” and “Mixed-up animals.”
So try it out!
- Find your list of ideas or spend a few minutes brainstorming a new one (these could be character ideas, story ideas, title ideas, etc.)
- Read through the list and let your brain spark at combination possibilities.
- For even more ideas, try picking two at random and sit with the combination for a moment to spark new ideas!
Exercise 2: The Format Mix-up
This is perhaps the more unusual mix-up approach, and yet one that has been very fruitful for me. I started out writing picture books, but as I learned more about other formats, those formats mixed with my existing picture book ideas and grew into new stories. After writing and selling Invent-a-Pet, I wrote a chapter book series, a board book series, and a graphic novel series—all based on ideas that were originally picture books!
Here’s how I recommend doing a format mix-up:
- Start with a new-to-you format that’s fairly close to your comfort zone. (You can always expand from there!) Research and read several books in this category.
- Notice the differences in story and theme from picture books. What are the advantages of the format? What types of stories work well in the format? What kind of voice works well?
- Mix it up with your list of picture book ideas! Think about how those format differences might make a lackluster picture book idea shine.
For example, when my agent suggested I try out an early chapter book format, I read a number of Scholastic Branches books to familiarize myself. This new-to-me fully illustrated format allowed for a slightly longer word count, allowing for a more complex plot and cast of characters—which was just what I needed to evolve an old picture book idea about collaborative robots. With a little format mixing, the idea became the LAYLA AND THE BOTS series!
I can share similar stories for my I CAN CODE board books (a picture book concept turned board book by an SCBWI workshop and a wonderful critique partner) and my upcoming early graphic novel FRIENDBOTS (a picture book concept turned comic book sparked by books like Ben Clanton’s NARWHAL AND JELLY.)
So I hope you’ll try some mixing and mashing of content and formats, and find yourself some new stories in the mix!
Vicky Fang is a product designer who spent 5 years designing kids’ technology experiences for both Google and Intel, often to inspire and empower kids in coding and technology. She started writing to support the growing need for early coding education, particularly for girls and kids of color. She is the author of nine new and upcoming STEAM books for kids, including INVENT-A-PET, I CAN CODE, LAYLA AND THE BOTS, and her author-illustrator debut, FRIENDBOTS.
Find out more about Vicky by following her on Twitter at @fangmous and if you’d like to stay up to date on Vicky’s book news, giveaways, and activities, sign up for her newsletter at vickyfang.com/newsletter.
Vicky is giving away a copy of INVENT-A-PET and a copy of LAYLA AND THE BOTS: HAPPY PAWS.
Two separate winners will be randomly selected.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
by Ellen Tarlow
Storystorm 2021 is coming to end. We have been prompted to look in all directions for story inspiration.
illustration by Lauren Stringer
Today I want to focus on looking inside (a little like Bear from my new book, LOOKING FOR SMILE, is doing in panel three) and also looking back in time. Specifically I wanted to look back at our own childhood selves. And more specifically at a moment when we needed a “story” to help us.
LOOKING FOR SMILE, illustrated by Lauren Stringer (Beach Lane Books, 2020), tells the story of Bear and Smile who are always together—they wake up together, they splash in waterfalls together, they eat honey together, they look at the stars together. Then one morning Smile doesn’t come. And without his Smile, Bear feels alone for the first time.
The roots of the story go back to a day when I was five years old and just like Bear, I woke up and found my smile gone. And while the particulars are (obviously) very different, the feeling of confusion about being in a world that looked and felt different than it ever did before is very much the same. Lauren Stringer, the illustrator of Looking for Smile, captured it perfectly. That day my relationship to the world went from this:
illustration by Lauren Stringer
To this:
illustration by Lauren Stringer
LOOKING FOR SMILE is a story I have been trying to write for many years. And while I had no idea that it was going to be about Bear and Smile (who would be personified) or any other details, I knew that in some way it would come into existence. The fact that it comes from such a deeply rooted experience, I think helped me to keep on trying. So today, I wanted to offer a prompt to help you reach this source of inspiration, which, like Smile, can be elusive.
Writing a Letter to Little You
Several years ago, I was a student at Vermont College. One of the most memorable experiences in my time there was a lecture by Marion Dane Bauer on how we as writers could mine and transform our deepest and most vulnerable childhood memories into books for children. At the beginning of the lecture, she gave us a writing prompt.
“Pick a time when you were young and felt like you needed help or guidance.
It could be any time in your childhood or even teenage years.
Write a letter to the child you were at that point.
Say what you wish someone had said to you
at the time to help you feel or understand better.”
Don’t worry about how old you are in this memory or think about making it into a picture book. Just capture yourself at this vulnerable point in your life and help yourself feel better using the perspective you have gained as an adult.
There were about 75 grown-ups in the room at Vermont College that day. Within minutes you could hear sniffs as each scribbled away. Soon almost everyone was crying. It was very memorable!
[Note: There is an interesting “party trick” aspect to this prompt so don’t read the following until you have written your letter.]
Spoiler Alert
Marion brought the sobbing group together. Rather than asking us to share our letters, she asked us what ages the younger selves in our letters were. She ran through the years, starting with 2 years old and ending at 18 and we all raised our hands when she said the age. I think almost to a person, each of us had written a letter to ourselves at the exact age that we as writers for children and young adults were “typically” writing for. (I wrote to my three-year old self which is definitely my sweet spot.]
End Spoiler Alert
There are of course many ways to access your earlier self. Another favorite is to get your hands on a book you loved as a child that you haven’t seen ideally for a (a very) long time. Sometimes even seeing a single picture will bring back that feeling of wonder or connection or point you to something you want to share in your own way with your future readers.
I hope you enjoy your trip inwards and backwards and that ideas will begin to percolate, knowing that someday you will find “the” way (much as Bear finds Smile) to transform it into a special story for a child like the one you were.
illustration by Lauren Stringer
Ellen Tarlow writes stories for very young children. Her published children’s books include PINWHEEL DAYS, MOLE CATCHES THE SKY, and most recently, LOOKING FOR SMILE, illustrated by Lauren Stringer and published by Beach Lane Books. It was recently named one of Kirkus’s Best Books of 2020. For many years, she worked as an editor of early childhood classroom materials. In that job, she got to write hundreds of stories for young children. Now that she is working less, she is excited to focus on her own stories. After spending her entire adult life in New York City, she just moved to the Hudson Valley with her husband David, a painter. She has three new picture books and an early reader series coming out with Beach Lane Books over the next few years. You can learn more about her at ellentarlow.com and follow her on Twitter @TarlowEllen.
Ellen is giving away a signed copy of LOOKING FOR SMILE.
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by Angela Burke Kunkel
In “Steal Like an Artist: Ten Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative,” Austin Kleon writes:
“The best way to get over a creative block is simply to place
some constraints on yourself.
It seems contradictory, but when it comes to creative work,
limitations mean freedom.”
Or, for those author-illustrators or art buffs out there, consider this quote from artist David Hockney:
“Limitations are really good for you.
They are a stimulant.
If you were told to make a drawing of a tulip
using five lines,
or one using a hundred,
you’d be more inventive with the five.”
(While you’re at it, do a Google image search of Hockney’s own tulip drawings. You’ll see everything from paintings from the 70s and 80s to recent iPad sketches. Notice how they’re all different. And notice that this man is in his 80s and still imposing creative challenges on himself.)
My second published picture book, PENGUIN JOURNEY (Abrams Appleseed, October 2021), started as just this type of exercise. I tend to write really long first drafts, over a thousand words, in order to figure out what I need to say. And, in the midst of cutting (so much cutting), I wondered one day: what if I could write a complete picture book draft, arc and all, in under a hundred words? I happened to be thinking about penguins, and a little phrase popped into my head: “waddle waddle.” It was fun to say. But was it a story?
Well, at my desk one day, I wrote a draft repeating the phrase “waddle waddle” as a lone Emperor penguin arrives at their breeding ground, meets a mate, cares for their egg, and copes with the harsh conditions of Antarctic winter. All in . . . 69 words.
My agent and I decided to go on submission with the story, and Meredith Mundy at Abrams Appleseed wrote back with a request: Could I drop the repeated “waddle waddle,” keep the the original spare language and rewrite the concept . . . in rhyme? Revising and resubmitting to Meredith presented yet another set of creative challenges! I had a hard time letting go of “waddle waddle,” and I had never written in rhyme before. But, with Meredith’s careful editorial eye, the story’s new opening lines unfolded:
Packed snow.
Moon glow.
Windblown.
All alone.
They also made room for illustrator Catherine Odell’s beautiful mixed media art. But neither would exist without just sitting down one morning and playing with self-imposed limitations.
For today’s Storystorm, I challenge you to let those ideas flow, but with constraints. What are your tendencies, and how could you do the opposite? In other words, what creative limitations can you impose on yourself? In the idea-generating phase, this may mean stretching your brain in another direction. Do you usually start with character? How about generating an idea that starts with setting instead? Or are you a rhymer whose drafts begin with a couplet? Can you write those few lines sticking with prose (or vice versa)? Or open to a page in the dictionary, or the nearest book, and place a finger on a word at random— where can you go from there? What ideas come up for you?
Sometimes, just sometimes, the habit of letting ideas come without judgement is just a little too open. Or the ideas begin to repeat. If you find this is the case, build a cage of your own making—then see how to break out of it. You just might like what you come up with as you plot your escape.
Angela Burke Kunkel is the author of PENGUIN JOURNEY (Abrams Appleseed, October 2021) as well as DIGGING FOR WORDS: JOSÉ ALBERTO GUTIÉRREZ AND THE LIBRARY HE BUILT (Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2020). After soaking up the sun in the Southwest for a number of years, she now lives in Vermont with her family, two dogs, a guinea pig and a rapidly-growing bearded dragon (really, it’s rather alarming). Angela works as a school librarian and is a former English Language Arts teacher. Visit her at angelakunkel.com, on Twitter @angkunkel and Instagram @angkunkel.
Angela is giving away a picture book critique to one Storystorm participant.
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by Cindy Derby
Today your Storystorm inspiration is in the form of a video!
Cindy Derby is the author and illustrator of How to Walk an Ant, Two Many Birds, and Blurp’s Book of Manners (Roaring Brook Press 2022). She is the illustrator of Outside In by Deborah Underwood, The Boy and the Gorilla by Jackie Azua Kramer, and How to Have a Birthday by Mary Lyn Ray. Cindy’s background is in puppetry and she has performed all over the world. She enjoys building apartments for insects and has a beagle named Banjo who she takes on road trips in her camper van. For more info visit: cindyderby.com and on Twitter @cindyderby and Instagram @cindyderby.
Cindy is giving away two signed copies of TWO MANY BIRDS.
Two separate winners will be randomly selected.
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by Rosie J. Pova
Every story has its own way of sneaking into my subconscious. I keep my mind open, and on the lookout, so that, in its tiny kernel form, the idea could find a crack and jump into my precious pool of ideas to draw from.
I’ve noticed that there isn’t just one process for me that works the same way each time and I love that! I can relax, knowing that the muse can tap on my shoulder, whisper in my ear, tug on my pajama pants or even pull my leg, occasionally, to get my attention. Or I can summon her up with some tricks up my sleeve, too. But one thing’s for sure―she will show up! I can trust that the well will never dry up and my next story may spring at any moment.
It’s a game, and it’s a playful challenge. And it’s always fun to discover the clues leading up to a new inspiration for writing my next piece!
Today, I’d like to share my top three tried-and-true techniques for collecting or retrieving story ideas.
1. A Theme
Sometimes, my starting point for generating ideas is a theme. I have a specific one in mind that I want my story to reflect. My picture book, SARAH’S SONG, is an example of that.
Reading other books with a similar theme, I wanted to write a story about something precious, cherished that is lost or transformed into something different in a way that the character would have to let go, and either find peace with it or adapt to the new and transformed “something precious.” Not in so many words in my mind, just very basic sense for the direction in which to focus.
The story I wrote was about a special tradition a girl and her grandma shared through dance and music, but then it altered when Grandma was no longer able to dance and sing like she used to.
2. A Phrase
Listen! A character might be talking to you. A narrator may be feeding you a phrase to draw your attention. That happens to me often. Usually when I’m driving, washing dishes, taking a shower or when I first wake up.
I’d hear a line of dialogue and my curiosity takes over, leading me on a path to discovery. Who is that character talking? What are they like? What do they want?
Other times, an interesting sentence pops into my mind as was the case recently with this one: “Mule mulled over the idea. . .” I thought it sounded cool and was funny to me. I also knew what he mulled over, but won’t give it away here ;). So, this turned into a new story I wrote.
Initially, I believed that would be my opening line for the story. Well, it turned out it wasn’t. I added a new opening and the mulling mule paragraph moved down. But that’s not all! Later, in revisions, that sentence changed, and Mule no longer mulled. That verb was replaced with another one. So, poof! There went my consonance, too! But I have no regrets! This little phrase worked to get me to write a brand-new story! And here’s what one of my critique partners had to say about it after I polished it and sent it back to her: “It’s spectacular! It’s glamorous and hysterical! Well done!”
I have no clue whether this story would ever become a book, but no doubt, I consider that a win!
Another instance of a story that sprang from a sentence was when this came to my mind: “The school of failure was located in the middle of nowhere, but it was the center of everything.”
Oh, how I admired this opening sentence! Genius! So clever! I was patting myself on the back… for a while. Then the story went through a gazillion revisions. I kept the sentence, even though it was no longer the opening sentence. Then more revisions followed. I still didn’t have the heart to kill my darling, so it stayed, stubbornly and selfishly saved by its author.
Fast-forward a couple of years (at least!) the story sold! Here came a gazillion more revisions after it was acquired. At some point, the editors asked me to get rid of that sentence―they thought it was vague and not kid-friendly and just did not serve the story at all. GASP! What? But that was the one that started this whole story creation! I was attached to it now!
Well, I had to cut it and I knew it. Eventually, I gave it my farewell and showed it the exit.
The journey of that book was long and hard, unlike some of my other books. But here’s the result and I am so happy and excited for it!
3. A Prompt
My upcoming book, SUNDAY RAIN, was born out of a prompt. There was a submission opportunity through 12 x12 to submit to an editor. I wanted to take advantage of this call for submissions, but I had no story that matched the taste of that editor. So, I decided to write a new one, just for them. I looked at their guidelines again and what piqued my interest was a “story that captures a moment.”
I thought about it and brainstormed. I wondered what childhood moment I could reflect in a story.
And then an image of kids playing in the rain popped into my head.
I have a vivid childhood memory of swirling and twirling in delight, soaking wet, in a heavy summer rain. But in my case, I was the only one — all my friends who were there ran for shelter when it started pouring. The rain was so warm, I stayed. I felt happy, adventurous, and carefree at that moment.
So that served as the spark for my story. The words started pouring out of me. I finished a first draft pretty quickly.
Well, long story short, that publisher did not pick the book, but another one loved it and did! So now it’s a book that will soon be out into the world and in the hands of many kids!
Another story I recently wrote was also born from a prompt. This time, it came from a dear critique partner. I wanted to write a story for a specific publisher and when I shared that with her, we tossed around some ideas of general themes that would be a good match for that house. Then my friend suggested I write a story about community coming together. Once I had that prompt, the idea quickly flooded in and I poured it out on paper the same day. Her feedback on it? “It’s AMAZING Love it!!!!”
So, these three methods have proven the most fruitful in sparking story ideas for me lately and I hope you will try them all!
Have any of those worked for you? Let me know how ideas pop up for you most often.
Rosie J. Pova is a multi-published, award-winning children’s author, poet, speaker, and writing coach on a mission to inspire children not only to read and write more, but to use their creativity, follow their passions, dream big and believe in themselves. She is also a Writing Instructor for the Dallas Independent School District through The Writer’s Garret, an instructor with Writing Workshops Dallas, teaching picture book courses to children’s writers, and the founder of two children’s writing contests–KWEST and Haiku Hype–as well as the organizer of The Write Universe Kidlit Writers Workshops in Dallas, TX. She also serves as a judge for Rate Your Story.
Rosie visits schools and shares her inspirational journey as an immigrant from Bulgaria and how she became a published author, encouraging kids to persist, push through obstacles, and hold a high vision of themselves.
Her upcoming picture book, Sunday Rain, celebrates imagination, the love of books, and new friendships. You can pre-order a signed copy. Her latest book, The School of Failure: A Story about Success will be released in spring 2022. Visit Rosie at rosiejpova.com, on Twitter @RosiePOV, Instagram @rosiepova and Facebook.
Rosie is giving away a signed copy of SUNDAY RAIN.
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Kjersten Hayes is the author of the picture book, THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK, illustrated by Gladys Jose and published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, in a century-old house full of color, books, pottery, art, music and happy kid noises. Besides writing she spends her time teaching art, taking adventures, and creating and selling collage art, greeting cards, and handmade journals. Visit her at by Chana Stiefel
Hello Storystormers! It’s hard to believe we’re already three weeks in. How’s it going? Are you churning out ideas like this?
If not, I’d like to jumpstart your idea machine by training your brain to ask a single question:
Where did that come from?
As you go about your day, start thinking about origin stories. Your fluffy slippers, your toothbrush, toilet paper, jeans, Cap’n Crunch, a nest in a tree on your first walk of the day….just look around. Origin stories are everywhere!
They might revolve around something very small.
Or something HUMONGOUS.
They might be about something incredibly important.
Or inventions that made a big splash!
They might even be about something we cherish.
My next picture book LET LIBERTY RISE (illustrated by Chuck Groenink, Scholastic, March 2) is the origin story of one of America’s favorite icons, the Statue of Liberty. Where did Lady Liberty come from? Most of us know she was a gift from France. But did you know that when she arrived in New York City in 350 pieces, America didn’t want her? Americans were supposed to build the pedestal for Liberty to stand on, but when she arrived, the pedestal was only half built and funds had run out. Liberty’s parts, from her torch to her toes, lay strewn about Bedloe’s Island in rain and snow. But Joseph Pulitzer, a Jewish Hungarian immigrant and publisher of the New York World newspaper, felt that Liberty must stand in New York harbor. He said, if anyone gives a penny for the pedestal, he would print their name in his newspaper. And guess what? Schoolchildren came to the rescue by donating their pennies! The World raised $100,000 to build Liberty’s pedestal! How’s that for an origin story?
Here’s another story that’s near and dear to my heart. A few years ago, I read an obituary about Yaffa Eliach, a Jewish historian who spent 17 years traveling the world to rebuild her village in stories and photos after her community was obliterated during World War II. Yaffa’s collection became the three-story high Tower of Faces in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. I’m honored to share that this origin story is the subject of my picture book THE TOWER OF LIFE, illustrated by Susan Gal, coming from Scholastic in 2022.
Still a bit stuck? Make a list of things kids love. Then ask: Where did that come from?
THE WILLIAM HOY STORY by Nancy Churnin is about the origin of baseball signs. Did you know that they came from a deaf baseball player who played in the major leagues in the early 1900s?
Of course, these titles are all nonfiction. But this idea can work for fiction too. Here’s a funny origin story.
My picture book MY NAME IS WAKAWAKALOCH is about a cave girl who wants to change her hard-to-pronounce name (ahem). It’s also about the origins of our names and why names are important.
I was named for my great grandmother Chana who arrived in America 100 years ago. You can learn more here. That’s my origin story. What’s yours?
What are your favorite picture books based on origin stories? And if the hunt for an origin-story idea works for you, please let me know!
Chana Stiefel is the author of more than 25 books for kids. Her next picture book, LET LIBERTY RISE (illustrated by Chuck Groenink, Scholastic, 3-2-21), is the true story of how America’s schoolchildren helped build the Statue of Liberty. Her other picture books include MY NAME IS WAKAWAKALOCH!, illustrated by Mary Sullivan (HMH, 2019) and DADDY DEPOT, illustrated by Andy Snair (Feiwel & Friends, 2017). Recent non-fiction titles include ANIMAL ZOMBIES…& OTHER REAL-LIFE MONSTERS (National Geographic Kids, 2018). Her picture book THE TOWER OF LIFE: HOW ONE WOMAN REBUILT HER VILLAGE IN STORIES AND PICTURES (illustrated by Susan Gal) will be coming out from Scholastic in 2022. Chana loves visiting schools and libraries and sharing her passion for reading and writing with children. She is represented by Miranda Paul at Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @chanastiefel, and Instagram @chanastiefel. To hear Chana pronounce her name, click here.
Chana will be giving away a signed copy of LET LIBERTY RISE when it launches in March.
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Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 