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by Diana Murray
Inspiration is everywhere. It’s just a matter of tuning into it. And in order to do that, you need to switch on that part of your brain that reminds you to evaluate funny or interesting or poignant experiences and ask, “Could this be inspiration for a book?” If you don’t stop to notice it, inspiration can pass you by. Of course it’s also helpful to record things right away so you won’t forget. Official PiBoIdMo journal anyone?
Here are a few ways you can tune into inspiration:
1. Look to Yourself
When I wrote GRIMELDA: THE VERY MESSY WITCH, I started with the character trait of being messy.
Unfortunately, that’s a trait I am intimately familiar with, so I know how frustrating it can be. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked around the house wearing one flip-flop, desperately trying to find the other one. Once I had my inspiration, I cranked it up by making the main character a witch. That made the potential for messiness even bigger and more interesting. If you think about your own traits, maybe even flaws, you can get a lot of ideas that way. For more on this you can read my post from last year: “Brewing Up a Character-Driven Story.” And by the way, I thought up this story during the first ever PiBoIdMo (I think that was in 2009?). It got me a SCBWI grant, an agent, and a two-book deal. Yeah. Tara, can I just give you a big hug right now??
2. Take a Hike
CITY SHAPES was inspired by the long “hikes” I used to take around the city, back when I lived in midtown Manhattan. I loved the way the neighborhoods changed and discovering surprises around every corner. If you go out and observe your environment, what will you find? Maybe you’ll see a greedy squirrel trying to claim all the birdseed in the feeder? Or a raccoon riding on an alligator? (Seriously. Google it.) Scan your surroundings and see if anything inspires you. For a more specific challenge, you can also take the idea of a concept book (colors, shapes, numbers, seasons, etc.) and put a unique spin on it, perhaps pulling from your environment.
3. Observe Kids
This is a no-brainer. Kids are funny, full of wonder, and often brilliant. Watch them. Take notes. My own kids’ antics are a constant source of inspiration.
4. Admire Art
When I wrote GROGGLE’S MONSTER VALENTINE, I was inspired by an illustration. I was in-between projects at the time and my agent suggested that I look at a particular illustrator’s portfolio and see if anything caught my eye. Well, it did! And that’s when GROGGLE was born. And now that very same illustrator (the fabulous Bats Langley) is illustrating the book. So, if you ever get stuck, try browsing some portfolios online or head to a museum.
5. Watch TV
Didn’t expect that one, did ya? Yep, literally watching TV can also lead you to inspiration. However, you need to watch actively, not passively. In other words, keep your inspiration sensor clicked on. You never know what might strike you. In fact, NED THE KNITTING PIRATE was inspired by an episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations–a travel and food show with a smart and amusingly snarky host. The episode I saw was filmed in Sweden. There were these extreme snowboarders who were descended from Vikings, and one of their favorite activities was…you guessed it, knitting. They knit their own hats with pompoms on top and gifted one to the show’s host. Bourdain (kind of a tough, black-leather-clad New Yorker) was clearly not comfortable wearing the fuzzy, woolen hat. It was hilarious.
I was immediately inspired. Now, of course I’m not implying that you should COPY what you see on TV. I’m just saying, you can get a seed of inspiration and then make it your own. For more about mashing together opposing ideas, you can read my 2012 post, “Idea Mash-Up.”
I hope this helps you tune into inspiration…and RIP THE KNOB OFF! (Sorry, I just had to get that in there.) Now get ready to be introspective, explore your world, laugh with your kids (or someone else’s), browse illustrations, and binge watch your favorite shows on Netflix. And most of all…have fun!
Diana grew up in New York City and still lives nearby with her husband, two very messy children, and a goldfish named Pickle. Diana is the author of six forthcoming picture books. Her award-winning children’s poems have appeared in many magazines, including Highlights, HighFive, Hello and Spider.
For more information, please visit: DianaMurray.com or follow Diana on Twitter: @DianaMWrites.
Diana is giving away a NED THE KNITTING PIRATE tote bag with grey/white mosaic trim (product details), and special sneak preview editions (unbound F&G’s) of GRIMELDA: THE VERY MESSY WITCH and CITY SHAPES nearly a year before they appear in stores!
Leave a comment below to enter. One comment per person, please.
These prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You will be eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge.
Good luck, everyone!
LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD was an idea first brought to me by my friend and fellow author, Corey Rosen Schwartz.
“I’ve got a title and I can’t do a thing with it!” she exclaimed in my kitchen one day. “I should give it to you; it’s perfect for you!”
“What is it?” My eyes were wide with wonder.
“Little Red Gliding Hood.”
You might think it hyperbole, but my eyes got even wider. (I’m like Marty Feldman, I am.)
“I’ve got it!” And you know what, I really did.
Well, not at first. I started writing notes about the possible project and I couldn’t figure out what Red’s problem should be.
My initial idea was that Red was known as “Riding Hood” but she really wanted to be known as “Gliding Hood.” Umm, terrible.
As you can see by my notes, I had awful ideas, like the muffins for Grandma spilling all over the ice.
(Julie Falatko misread my notes and gave a thumbs up to “mulling spice all over the ice”. And I thought, Julie, that’s far better than what I had. Far. Perhaps I should go far, far away and not rewrite this fairytale!)
But I persisted. Remember that word, perseverance? Yes. THAT.
When my agent submitted the story to Heidi Kilgras at Random House, she was enamored with the idea but thought the manuscript needed more development.
So I revised. And my agent resubmitted.
And Heidi thought it was better, but it wasn’t ready for an offer.
So I revised. And my agent resubmitted.
By this time, Heidi went on maternity leave. And since that time, I have met her most adorable son. I mean, pinch-his-cheeks-forever kind of cute. But back then, I had to wait another six months to get an answer. Folks, that there was tough times.
But yes, an offer came. And after that? An editiorial letter.
So I revised. (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
Yep, you guessed it. Another letter, another revision.
And I still had Grandma’s final line to figure out. That took MONTHS. But thankfully, I finally got it right.
And so now, almost 4 years after I signed the contract, LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD is ready to meet the world. She is released into the enchanted forest today!
Many thanks to Troy Cummings for making her world come alive!
And to Heidi for making me work harder, knowing that I had it in me.
She is available where fine books are sold.
So skate on over to your local bookstore, fast!
Or, she’s available here, here, here and here.
Thank you for the support!
When I teach classes on writing for children, I tell my students there are only three necessary traits for being a writer. They raise their pens, ready to record the insider tricks I’m about to share that will pave their road to publication. Unfortunately, there are no magic incantations or secret handshakes to initiate you into the world of writers. All you need are three things:
- a modicum of talent;
- a willingness to learn and improve your craft;
- and perseverance.
When I say “modicum of talent,” I mean exactly that. You don’t need to be the next Maya Angelou or Ernest Hemingway. You do, though, need a little something. As a child, were you the one who enthralled your classmates on the playground with your stories? Did you write love poems or protest songs? Do you make up fairy tales for your children every night? Are you a journal writer or blogger? Do people turn to you when they need someone to write up an account about an event? Did you answer “yes” to any of these questions? Excellent. You obviously have a “modicum of talent.” You’re a writer.
But that’s only the first step. You need to be willing to learn and improve your craft. I’ve met too many people who, once they’ve gotten an agent or that first book contract, feel that they are now a “Writer,” with a capital W. They think that now they’ve made it up the first rung of success, there’s nothing else for them to learn about writing. They couldn’t be more wrong. No, you don’t need to go out and earn an MFA in Writing for Children or a PhD in Children’s Literature (not that those are bad things), but you can always learn more about writing. Attend conferences and take workshops. Read craft books and blog posts. Have your manuscripts critiqued and return the favor for other writers. But the most important way to improve your craft is to read mindfully in your genre. Read. Read. Read. Analyze the books you read. What works and what doesn’t work? Learn new techniques from the positive and learn what to avoid from the negative. Read!
The last, and most important writerly trait, is perseverance. Becoming a professional writer is not the easiest of career goals. It takes a long time to hone your craft to the needed level. Along the way, you’ll encounter many barriers. I knew most of my published writer friends long before they had their first book contract. They kept writing in spite of the many rejections they received along the way. To state the obvious, if you stop writing, you’ll never be published.
When I was in high school we had to choose a class motto. (Stay with me. This is related.) The administration thought our choice wasn’t appropriate and cleaned it up to “Always Persevere,” translated into Latin as “Semper Perservere.” I prefer our motto in its original form, though. Here it is as my final piece of advice:
Keep on Truckin’!
Laurie Wallmark writes exclusively for children. She can’t imagine having to restrict herself to only one type of book, so she writes picture books, middle-grade novels, poetry, and nonfiction. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. When not writing or studying, Laurie teaches computer science at a local community college, both on campus and to students in prison. The picture book biography, ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE (Creston Books, October 2015), is Laurie’s first book.
- Website: http://www.lauriewallmark.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriewallmarkauthor
- Twitter: @lauriewallmark
Laurie is giving away a copy of her debut picture book, ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE.
Leave a comment below to enter for your chance to win.
This prize will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You will be eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge.
Good luck, everyone!
by Mary Uhles
I’m incredibly honored to be included in the run-up to PiBoIdMo 2015. You know how it feels to be in an airplane right before take off? The airplane swings out onto the runway. You look out the window and see the fat white lines of the end zone rotate under the plane. The wings bounce slightly in the turn. The flight attendants tuck the air pressure bags into their armpits and walk away down the aisle. And then, just a for a second, right before the pilot hits the throttle, the entire plane gets very, very still. . . poised to leap into the future. That’s Pre-PiBoIdMo Day 1. For the next 35 days you will be leaping into the future. And, while it may seem suddenly still back in the cabin of the airplane, in the cockpit the pilot is actually going down a very specific checklist for the flight ahead. Let’s look at your checklist for PiBoIdMo:
- Commitment? (You’ll need it on Day 1)
- Imagination? (You’ll need it on Day 15 when you think “geez am I only half way there?”)
- Self Forgiveness? (you’ll need it for day 27 when you think “I’ll never have another good idea ever!”)
- Finger on the pulse of your inner child? (You’ll need it every day, that’s what turns great ideas into books)
When I start making art or writing a story I have an external and internal checklist. The external list is the one that helps me procrastinate:
- Do I have all my other work done? (No? Oh well, I have to finish THAT first)
- Do I have good music or a radio program to listen to? (No? Oh well, I can’t possibly work without proper inspiration)
- Do I have time to work right now? (No? Oh well, I shouldn’t even start if I’m going to be interrupted!)
You get the idea. If I let that checklist run things most of my art would never get off the ground. I worked on THE LITTLE KIDS’ TABLE and KOOKY CRUMBS almost simultaneously for a year. Illustrating two books with a huge cast of characters while balancing my other illustrations, writing projects, and life in general was a turbulent journey (I wrote a post about my time management here.) But even with the best time management, I learned that my illustrations would be ho-hum and my effort wasted if I couldn’t get to the beginning of my own runway. Where everything was very, very still. Where it’s just me and the artwork. Me and my characters. Me and the brush and the paper and the color. In that place the funniest, saddest, angriest, happiest, most memorable ideas and images came out onto my drawing table. While working on both books I developed my internal checklist. It’s a little different. It has only one question:
- Can I reach beyond the distractions of now, beyond my brain saying “that’s a stupid idea”, beyond worrying if I’m good enough, beyond worrying if anyone else will like it, all the way to the place where I’m telling the story that only I can tell?
PiBoIdMo-ers, your mission on this flight is to complete that checklist. At your final destination you’ll be greeted by a gaggle of brand new characters.They are your BEST ideas and they are waiting for you. Ready for take-off? Then let’s push that throttle forward.
Mary Reaves Uhles has illustrated THE LITTLE KID’S TABLE by Mary Ann McCabe Riehle (Sleeping Bear 2015); KOOKY CRUMBS by J. Patrick Lewis (Kane Miller 2016); and the adventure series, BEYOND THE GRAVE, by Dottie Enderle (ABDO Magic Wagon Press 2013). Mary has twice been awarded the Grand Prize for Illustration from the SCBWI Midsouth Conference and her piece, EAT was a finalist in the 2014 SCBWI Bologna Book Fair Gallery. Prior to beginning her career as a freelance illustrator, Mary worked as an animator on projects for Warner Brothers and Fisher-Price Interactive. She serves as the Illustrator Coordinator for the Midsouth region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Since creating characters and stories is her favorite thing in the world (even more than mocha fudge ice cream) she feels mighty lucky to do it every day in her hilltop studio. Find her online at www.maryuhles.com and Twitter @maryuhles and Facebook.com/maryuhles.
Mary Uhles is giving away an illustrator portfolio critique AND a copy of her newest picture book, THE LITTLE KIDS’ TABLE. These are two prizes for two winners!
Leave a comment for a chance to win. One comment per person, please. (In your comment, please note “CRITIQUE” if you would like to be considered for the illustrator prize.)
These prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You will be eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge.
Good luck, everyone!
Registration for PiBoIdMo 2015 is CLOSED! You can still participate by following the daily blog posts and jotting down your ideas, but you will not be eligible for prizes.
Hop aboard!
The first signpost on our journey?
Your PiBoIdMo guest-blogger line-up!
Even Anthony Michael Hall agrees, this club is totally cool.
These authors, illustrators and picture book professionals will provide daily doses of inspiration to help you along on your 30-day idea journey this November.
And don’t forget—there’s Pre-PiBo beginning THIS AFTERNOON, to get you organized and ready. And then in early December, there’s Post-PiBo to help you prioritize your ideas and flesh them out.
Participants who register for PiBoIdMo and complete the 30-idea challenge will be eligible for prizes, including signed picture books, original art, critiques, Skype sessions and feedback from one of the “lucky 13” picture book agents. This year’s agents are:
- Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Agency
- Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary
- Ginger Harris, Liza Royce Agency
- Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency
- Teresa D. Kietlinski, Prospect Agency
- Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management
- Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
- Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties
- Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
- Kathleen Rushall, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
- Jodell Sadler, Sadler Children’s Literary
- Sara Scuito, Fuse Literary
- Deborah Warren, East-West Literary
Need more info about PiBoIdMo before you register? Read this.
And review the PiBoIdMo FAQ.
So are you ready to register? You need to do THREE THINGS:
- Write your FULL NAME in a comment below. Only leave ONE COMMENT. Please DO NOT reply to anyone else’s comments. DO NOT make a second comment if you forgot your FULL NAME. I will contact you. If you don’t see your comment immediately, please read the FAQ.
- Follow this blog. Anyway you choose. Look in the left column, under my photo, for the email follow button (“Follow Tara’s Blog”). There’s also RSS in the top menu or you can follow in your WordPress reader.
- Place the participant badge somewhere in your social media (blog, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc.). Link back to taralazar.com from the badge if you can. If you don’t have any social media accounts, skip this one.
(Thanks to my LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD illustrator Troy Cummings for this year’s logo!)
Remember, comment below ONLY ONCE with your FULL NAME. This is the most important piece of registration!
Other optional thingamabobs:
- Grab PiBoIdMo merchandise, like the official journal. All proceeds ($3 per item) benefit RIF if you use this link: cafepress.com/piboidmo. RIF puts books into the hands of underprivileged children.
- Use the #PiBoIdMo hashtag when tweeting about the event….and follow @TaraLazar on Twitter.
- Join the PiBoIdMo Facebook discussion group. This is a closed group meaning you must request to join and I will approve you. (Note: the name says “2011″ but it is the current group.)
That’s it. You’re golden!
REGISTRATION REMAINS OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 5th. You can still follow along if you’re not registered, but remember, those who register AND complete the challenge are eligible for PRIZES.
Visit this blog for daily inspiration from the guest bloggers, then keep a journal or computer file of your ideas. There’s no need to post your ideas online or send them to me. Do not share them. They are your intellectual property. As Sheena Easton croons: “for your eyes only.”
At the end of the month, I’ll ask you to sign the PiBo-Pledge confirming you did create 30 ideas. You’re on the honor system.
Finally, I am able to bring you this event for free every year because of my books. I’d appreciate you supporting them in whatever way you can–by purchasing them, giving them as gifts, reviewing them, asking your library to carry them. Visit this page for all my book info and activities: Tara’s Books. Thank you!
I will leave you with a quote that serves as PiBoIdMo’s motto…from Roald Dahl’s THE MINPINS…
Oh boy, I didn’t realize how far behind I was in picking winners to various giveaways. I would say “my bad” but I don’t like that phrase.”My laziness” is more like it!
Well, things have been BUSY, though. I’ve got three–soon to be four–manuscripts under submission. And I’ve been editing others on their way to the printer. NORMAL NORMAN, out next March, just got a cover! Isn’t he (and his junior scientist pal) adorable???
There’s supposed to be a giveaway for LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD on Goodreads, but it hit some snafu and I’m trying to get it snafuless. Un-snafued? And don’t even get me started on Facebook ads! I’ve been getting emails “Your ad has been approved” and then ten minutes later, “Your ad has been disapproved” and then “That was a mistake, you are approved” in an endless loop.
Finally, I’ve been firming up the schedule for this year’s PiBoIdMo. I’m almost ready to go with the guest blogging calendar, agent-prizes, 2015 logo and participant badges (all by Troy Cummings). You’ll definitely want to meet our new friend “Bulby”! Please be sure to join our PiBoIdMo Facebook discussion group for all the latest/greatest.
I’m also making PDF hand-outs for PiBoIdMo Kick-Off parties if your SCBWI chapter wants to host a picture book schmooze-fest in late October or early November. I’m available to Skype into your party, too. As usual, I’ll be in my pajamas.
Just email me at tarakidlit at gmail for details. (And dance moves.)
Anyway, here are all the WINNAHS from recent (and not-so-recent) contests. I’ll be emailing y’all shortly! Congratulations!
FIRST GRADE DROPOUT Winner:
KAREN LAWLER!
IT’S RAINING BATS & FROGS Winner:
FRANNYB!
THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON Winner:
SANDY PERLIC!
FRACTURED FAIRY TALE SKYPE Winners:
KATRINA MOORE
KORBY SAUNDERS
JEN GARRETT
AMY BANSAK
HELENA DRENNAN
Thanks everyone!
Hmmm…I need a clever ending to this post. I always do a clever ending!
Oh, I got nuthin’. Kermit, take over for me, will ya?
As one of the top kidlit writing websites, one that appears first in numerous Google searches, with thousands of followers, thousands of daily hits…
…I’m here to tell you that this platform doesn’t necessarily yield book sales. It yields emails from writers asking how to self-publish.
(Speaking of my books, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK was just released and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD comes out next month. Did you get yours yet?)
Listen, I’m not bashing those who want to be their own children’s publisher. Everyone dreams of being an author, don’t they? There are some projects that are close to people’s hearts. Stories they want to share, to inspire others. And everyone has to start somewhere. A lot of people seem to start with me.
But why me? I have no experience in self-publishing. Zero. I don’t know the first thing about it and I’d be lost if I tried to do it myself!
Here are my top 5 reasons for choosing NOT to self-publish picture books:
- You prefer the professional backing of a traditional publisher, from production to distribution to promotion.
- You aren’t an illustrator. You want a publisher who can attract top-notch illustrative talent.
- You realize how difficult it is to sell a book to the public, to bookstores, to libraries, to schools…and could not do it alone.
- You welcome input from the creative team and find it invaluable for making your book the best it can possibly be.
- You prefer advances over expenses.
These are my personal reasons. Your mileage may vary, but I’m guessing that many traditionally-published authors feel similarly.
Here are my top 5 reasons to choose self-publishing:
- The story you want to tell—you MUST tell—isn’t commercial enough to secure a traditional publisher, or it is in an experimental or non-standard format.
- You prefer artistic autonomy.
- You have capital available to invest in quality contractors to help you with the entire process, from production to distribution to promotion.
- You have an established platform/audience via which to promote and sell the book.
- You enjoy taking risks. You thrive on it!
If you really want the low-down on self-publishing children’s books, Kidlit411 has put together a marvelous resource list. Also read Chuck Wendig (stop calling it “self-publishing” and get your boomcake on). Check out Will Terry and Dar Hosta, two successful independent author-illustrators.
Me, I’m probably the worst source of information on self-publishing. Unless you’re reading this post. Then I’m okay.
And maybe I’m a better source when it comes to giving advice to on-a-whim-don’t-wanna-do-this-for-a-living writers. Here’s a conversation I tend to have once a week:
“You know, I wrote a little story like Goodnight Moon last year. Now I need to find an agent, right?”
“Oh, that’s great, but I’m going to be completely and brutally honest with you here: it’s not something you’ll want to do unless your heart is set on it as a career.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really. It takes years to land an agent. And then, sometimes, years to find a publisher, if you even find one at all.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Well, I just wanted to have a hard copy for the kids. Maybe I should try Snapfish?”
“Yes, absolutely. Snapfish is wonderful.”
P.S. I also recommend Storybird, Bueller.
by guest blogger Catherine Bailey
You call her Tara Lazar. I call her Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady. And thanks to Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady, and her month-long picture book idea challenge PiBoIdMo, I now have three picture book contracts.
Tara chose this GIF because she always wanted to be Sherilyn Fenn.
I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI.org) in 2010. Soon after I joined Verla Kay’s Blueboards, now accessible through the SCWBI website. That is where I heard about PiBoIdMo.
I’ll admit at first I did not understand all the hubbub. Come up with a PB idea per day? Who would check to make sure I did it? What if I didn’t? Was I supposed to call somebody? What else happened during PiBoIdMo? Then it clicked. I had to work on my writing–even if just for a bit–EVERY SINGLE DAY. Plus there were these motivational, insightful daily posts! I felt like I had struck PB gold.
Suddenly I was focused and taking my writing seriously. I made time to write. I made goals. I made lists. Long, gloriously detailed lists–of ideas, agents, publishers, writing techniques, bookstores, dream editors, dream illustrators…
On one of those lists was idea #17: How Do You Move a Monster? It was something my toddler had asked me. That’s it. There was no plot or character or anything–just that title. When I went back to idea #17 over a year later, I had an answer. You ask the monster to move… politely. Then a manuscript sprouted. After months of polishing, I shipped the story off to a few well-researched publishers.
Lo and behold, Sterling Publishing contacted me. I was plucked from the slush and THERE WAS INTEREST. Of course I just about died. I ate donuts and cried. And I contacted an agent who I had pursued earlier, Kathleen Rushall. Within a few days she agreed to represent me and from there INTEREST turned into and OFFER which turned into a CONTRACT which turned into me EATING MORE DONUTS.
The title changed to MIND YOUR MONSTERS and the book debuted this August. Here is the fabulous cover and some interior sketches:
:
In the meantime, my toddler became an actual kid, we had another baby, and I kept participating in PiBoIdMo. Instead of making a new “Idea” list, I just added to the old one which was (rather optimistically) titled “101 Picture Book Ideas.” Did I have 101 Picture Book Ideas at this point? No. Nope. Nerp. But I knew I would eventually, thanks to Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady and her website of wonders.
Then I turned two more PiBoIdMo ideas into manuscripts. One was simply listed as “Hypnosis/stuck in trance” and the other was “Lucy loves Bobo—maybe Bobo is a lobster?” With time, work, and the input of an amazing critique group, those weird little baby-ideas turned in HYPNOSIS HARRY and LUCY LOVES SHERMAN, both of which sold to Sky Pony Press.
Today my “101 Picture Book Ideas” list includes over 200 entries. And thanks to Tara, I mean Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady, it is pure habit for me to add ideas to this list whenever something pops in my mind. And speaking of lists, here is a very brief recap of what I got out of PiBoIdMo.
- Ideas. Okay, so that one is obvious.
- A concrete starting place I can go to when I am stumped/motivated/annoyed with a current project. Like an anchor on a little boat in a big sea, this is very reassuring and grounding.
- Confirmation that writing is work and deserves the respect and focus of any other job – which for me means planned writing time, specific goals, and occasionally…donuts.
So thank you Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady. Thank you for inspiring and motivating me. And thank you for taking me to what I call Contract-Landia! Now c’mon November–let’s go PiBoIdMo!
PiBoIdMo 2015 registration will begin HERE (yes, I mean right here, on this blog, so there’s no link to click) in late October. I hope to see you then!
I’ve written a buncha fractured fairy tales and two are available this year: I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD. (That was totally unplanned! The picture book gods arranged it.)
In the video below, I offer my favorite tips for creating your own fractured fairy tales, whether you’re a kidlit writer, a teacher/educator or a 2nd grader. Below that is a PDF version with more tips and a link to a Pinterest board of more than 100 suggested fractured fairy tale picture books.
It’s a fractured fairy tale flurry of fabulousness! (Interestingly, none of my tips have to do with alliteration.)
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How to Write a Fractured Fairy Tale PDF:
Fractured Fairy Tale Picture Books Pinterest:
Teachers, leave a comment about your favorite fractured fairy tale and I’ll randomly select FIVE commenters for a FREE CLASSROOM SKYPE VISIT! I’m in a land far, far away but you’ll remember our Skype visit happily ever after! (Bwaaa haaa haaa!)
Contest ends September 21st and visits will be scheduled for October.
Good luck!
I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK, released last week (!!!!!), tells a fractured fairytale only in dialogue…which I wouldn’t normally recommend, because the speech bubbles can obscure illustrations. But if you’re working with the genius that is Benji Davies, you don’t have to worry. Because somehow, he fits it all in! And it’s all gorgeous, dahlinks!
This book took four years to come to print—like a fine bouillabaisse, it simmered long. (Sorry, I just heard that on TV and guffawed, so I had to use it.)
Here’s one of my favorite spreads of the book turned into a coloring page. It’s a quick PDF download. Click it, print it out, share it, make up dialogue for Prince Zilch and Papa Bear! What are they saying? (Is it something about the tourists posting to Instagram? I dunno, they don’t look like millenials to me.)
Enjoy!
And now…onto some winnahs…
First, let me say this to everyone who has bought the book, shared it and otherwise helped spread the word:
See, my buckets overfloweth! (Overfloweth = what I think Gwyneth should have named Apple.)
It takes a village to sell a book, and I’m grateful!
Here are the winners of a signed, personalized I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK from my Facebook author page and PiBoIdMo group contest:
JANET DISOTELL
CARISSA MINA
DAMON DEAN
Congratulations! I’ll be contacting you shortly to arrange delivery!
Well, now I must bid you a fair adieu because I’m taking a little blogging break. (Honestly, if I can stay away for three days, I’ll be flabbergasted. Like you were reading the “fine bouillabaisse” line above.)
GONE FISHING! (To make this, of course!)
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 