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by Kayleen West
As a child, my mother used to tell everyone, “She’s such a daydreamer (adding a disapproving sigh).” I used to hate it, but she was right; I do dream big—and love it, it’s what creative people do best. You may be the same. When communicating in words or pictures it is the way we bless others. We invite others into our dreams and adventures, make them smile, laugh or indulge a little. I am a dreamer. I do dream of a better world-it can be ugly. I can’t save children from pain and disappointment, but if my books help a child smile, laugh, or feel better about themselves or their situation, I have contributed.
I started living this dream job in late 2010. I began late in life (I’m 48) but threw everything into it. I hope to bring many book babies into the world. There is nothing better than adding positives to a child’s life, and what better way than through picture books.
When Tara asked me to share my success story, I was eager to have the opportunity to publicly thank her. I never forgot PiBoIdMo had been instrumental in the birth of my new book, and had helped me form a good habit. You know, we can be slogging away in this industry, unaware of the impact we can have on others. She may blush at this but Tara should be credited with sowing seeds of success with her creative challenge. It is an unpaid gig but something to be very proud of. So thank you Tara!
Creative Challenges
I love creative challenges. They motivate me to be brave, step out in the new, learn, and grow as an artist. I tend to throw myself in 200% believing for something great—no loss in trying right?
Participating in the November 2011 PiBoIdMo I made a commitment to find a minimum of 30 picture book ideas. I focussed more on creating the habit daily rather than the quantity. Giving it my usual 200% I finished with almost double my intended goal. I was also left with the motivation to write more often.
Loaded with a smorgasbord of ideas and incredibly inspired, I began developing a few. You’ll never guess which one made it into publication first? Answer: the very last one—my last idea became my first publishing house success. WITHOUT ME, published by Wombat Books, has just been pre-released this month and will be launched in November. Sometimes we give up just before success. I wonder what if I had not completed the 30 days? Okay, let’s not go there.
I blogged about this challenge. Click the image to read!
Thinking up ideas wasn’t difficult as I am often flooded with inspiration if I look for it. My challenge is always deciding which ideas to develop and not all at once. I get pretty enthusiastic. Many of the ideas that presented themselves from PiBoldMo were worth exploring, and so I have worked to develop more of them. Anyone else need an extra lifetime for writing?
I haven’t submitted many at all. After signing with Wombat Books, everything took off like crazy (personally and professionally), including a second, third, and possibly a forth picture book contract in the past 12 months! Do note that two of these I am illustrating only. I only say this to show you that contract work can snowball once you get started. Sometimes publishers want to see you will follow through and are easy to work with.
At the time I was working on my very first picture book, ADOPTIVE FATHER (a personal non-profit project) which was very important and a lot was going on, but I decided that PiBoldMo was a good investment of my time—was I right OR WHAT?
I hope this inspires you to throw yourself into PiBoldMo 2013 and see what you come up with. I pray my success story encourages you to sign up, be inspired and birth a publishing winner this November.
Hopefully we will be reading about your book next year.
Although an initial childhood dream was to write and illustrate for children, Kayleen West was encouraged to venture into a career of an exhibiting fine artist and later a graphic designer.
Returning to her original passion, Kayleen is now a published children’s Author and Illustrator working on her forth children’s book. She also writes Christian content for magazines and blogs.
Her work has won many awards and hangs in private and corporate collections in France, United States, Italy, in the Australian Embassy in Ireland and in government collections in Australia.
Visit her at KayleenWest.com.au, fan her Facebook Author/Illustrator page, follow her on Twitter, and learn more about her PiBoIdMo success book, WITHOUT ME?.
Kayleen is giving away TWO signed picture books! ADOPTIVE FATHER and WITHOUT ME?.
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
Well, let’s face it, the kids are ALL WINNERS.
But the monster with the most votes is:
SPARKLES!
Congratulations Katie F. and Ms. Abate’s 1st Grade Class!
But GUESS WHAT?
I was so overwhelmed by the number of votes—nearly 500!!!!—that I’ve decided to SKYPE WITH EVERY CLASS WHO ENTERED THE CONTEST.
I’ll Skype with the finalist classes on Halloween. If your class wasn’t in the finals, I’ll arrange another date for you in November. Expect an email from me soon. If you don’t receive the email this week, please contact me.
Thank you to everyone who entered and voted for these amazing monsters!
And don’t forget, there’s tons more useful monsters in THE MONSTORE!
And TEACHERS!
Click here to download the free MONSTORE Teacher’s Guide!
by Betsy Devany
When Tara approached me to do a guest post, I was thrilled. And then I sat down and thought: Oh, dear. How best can I contribute as a pre-published author, who shares her writing room with a life-sized gorilla named Norman and a slew of beloved stuffies?
So I went back through my own PiBoldMo notes/ideas. While I’d followed prior years’ posts, I didn’t officially commit until 2011. I’d spent months revising a number of novels, and I missed working on picture books. Coming up with a new idea(s) every day was like treating myself to a mango/banana smoothie from Cold Stone. I told myself, at the time, that if I actually did that, maybe while enjoying a Love It smoothie, a picture book idea would come to me. I’d have a sparking new voice before I got back home, acting like I had not just gone to Cold Stone and indulged myself, once again.
So with a self-promise to more vigorously support Cold Stone, I took a leap of faith, and added my name to the 2011 PiBoldMo roster.
Every day, I read the guest post. I studied the advice, soaked in the inspiration, and highlighted what spoke to me. I kept a pen and paper nearby at all times. As ideas came, I stretched some further, adding bits of dialogue or notes about conflict. With other ideas, I described the image or images that led to the “light bulb,” all of which seemed to come when I was driving, walking, or paying with my grandkids, i.e. just being silly. Silly like having tea parties with Norman, my granddaughter and seventeen unicorns. Silly like wearing funny glasses and too-small gowns, riding on stick horses while speaking in a British accent. Silly like doing puppet shows in which you act out picture books gone wild. With all of this, I embraced the child within—with my grandkids along for the fun, of course. I do not hold private tea parties for the gorilla, the unicorns, and myself. (Well, okay, I may have done this once.)
Two words of advice: Have fun.
Open your heart and forget what your neighbors might think when they see you dashing through your yard riding a stick pony and shouting, “Yee-haw! Grandma’s gonna wrestle you wild thing!” Ignore their looks when you’re tossing balls to a giant stuffed gorilla. And if your dress-up outfit suggests you’ve forgotten that you’re now a responsible adult, smile and wave. They might even join you! Enjoying-your-life moments take us to the magical place where ideas shift like cotton-candy clouds, all for the taking. Reach out and grab one!
Or . . . you can dice potatoes, because the act of dicing potatoes can also land you in the Magical and Marketable World of Ideas.
On day twenty-four of PiBoldMo 2011, I was doing exactly that, trying to look like I knew the official ins-and-outs of all things potato. It was Thanksgiving, and my daughters, whose adept cooking skills strongly suggest I did not give birth to them, stood there watching me.
“No, Mom. Smaller chunks,” said my youngest.
“Use the other knife, and hold it this way,” said the eldest. “Are you sure you’re our mother?”
“Yes,” I said. Chop, chop, chop.
“I’m shocked that we didn’t starve as children,” said one sister to the other.
“At least I can write,” I said when the “light bulb” went off. “Lucy!” I shouted.
“Who’s Lucy?” asked the youngest. “It’ll be midnight before we’re sitting at the table eating turkey.”
“Lucy . . . she has dolls, all these dolls, and . . .” I swapped the knife for a pen. “One is really smelly and . . .”
My youngest gave her sister an uneasy look. “You’re the paramedic. I think Mom needs medical attention.”
“I think those potatoes need attention,” my eldest said, right after she forever-fired me from cooking the annual Thanksgiving dinner. In truth, we took a family vote. And when my eldest said, “Raise your hand if you think we should fire Mom from cooking Thanksgiving dinner from here on out.” My arm slapped the ceiling first.
The vote was unanimous.
“Thank you, PiBoldMo!” I said, fleeing the kitchen in pursuit of this new smelly idea.
While SMELLY BABY seemed to rise from a pot of unevenly diced potatoes, it wasn’t that simple. Ideas latch on to us, long before the switch goes on. And the more you write, the more the ideas come. Which is why my father, who was a published author, always said, “Write every day, but also live and enjoy your life. The ideas will come, when you’re not so busy chasing them.”
SMELLY BABY grew in my subconscious, its seed planted from working in an old-fashioned toy store, where electronic toys don’t exist. Lucy quietly evolved after talking to hundreds of children I’ve met at the store, children who’ve shared stories of their dollies and smelly stuffies. I love these stories—every single one of them. So listen. Listen to what kids say. Sincere interest (and delight) in what children have to say has left me with a tub full of notes and bits of dialogue, all scribbled on tiny slips of paper. It’s my Idea Treasure Chest. “You have to think of your writing as an IRA, and make daily deposits,” my father also loved to tell me. If all those slips of paper had monetary value, I would be a millionaire, though what makes my life rich is writing for children.
By November’s end my 2011 calendar was filled with stars—one for every idea I came up with. It was so much fun, I gave no thought to which ideas might blossom into a marketable story.
And then one did.
Smelly Baby’s story bubbled and boiled. It was a joy to work on. Playing with the words. Roaring at the images the words evoked. Living with these characters that became (and remain) real to me. This little spark of a PiBoldMo idea grew and grew until it gathered enough strength and heart to capture the attention of not only Christy Ottaviano at Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt, but also the renowned illustrator, Christopher Denise, who calls it “laugh out loud funny.” Publication is set for Spring 2016.
In 2011, I also won an original painting by James Burks (the illustrator of Tara’s book THE MONSTORE). Little (PiBoldMo) Monkey hangs on my wall, and reminds me to play every day. Reminds me to mount a red tricycle, even if my legs are too long. It reminds me to trust in myself, and that if I lift my bare feet off the pedals, I won’t fall off.
Can you see the steep hill? See all of us on our tricycles, waiting for Tara to lower the flag? Little Monkey can. He’s waiting to shout, “1-2-3, Go! Go write daily. Reach for those ideas on your way down.” Having bare feet works the best, as does shouting ‘Whee!’ as you catch a new idea.
It’s almost November 1st, so get out your tricycle, your stars, your pen and your paper.
You’re in for a fun ride.
I’ll be waving at you as we coast down the PiBoldMo hill together.
Betsy Devany wrote her first picture book, The Cat Who Ate Green Peas, at the age of nine. While she wishes the self-illustrated manuscript were still in her possession, she is certain that elements of it have found their way into her writing today. Today, she writes picture books, chapter books, middle grade and young adult novels. Her picture book featuring Norman the gorilla won the 2011 Barbara Karlin Grant Runner-up. Betsy has been honored nine times since 2007 in the prestigious writing competition, New Voices in Children’s Literature: Tassy Walden Award. She is honored to work with the lovely Emily van Beek at Folio Literary.
Almost eight years to the month of joining SCBWI, Betsy received her first book contract. Smelly Baby, illustrated by Christopher Denise, is forthcoming from Christy Ottaviano Books/Henry Holt with publication set for Spring 2016.
To learn more about Betsy (or Norman), visit her at BetsyDevany.com, follow her on Twitter, or read about Norman’s retirement and how his replacement was found.
Betsy is giving away TWO picture book critiques!
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by This might sound strange coming from me, but PiBoIdMo is my favorite writing challenge. Yes, I know I am the founder and host of 12 x 12, but let’s face it—writing picture book drafts is work. Fun, but also work.
PiBoIdMo—just letting your creativity run wild and capturing every little flutter and fancy of your imagination is just plain FUN. Freeing. Fabulous. (See how I used the rule of three there???)
For those of you who ARE planning to do 12 x 12 in 2014, I almost consider participating in PiBoIdMo a mandatory first step. Where else are you going to mine the ideas for 12 picture book drafts?
I made this little video for the sole purpose of reminding everyone to lighten up, have fun, and ENJOY fishing for those awesome ideas—some of which will one day turn into picture books! Many thanks to Tara for bringing us the joy of PiBo each year!!
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Julie Hedlund is a Children’s author, founder of the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, a monthly contributor to the Brain Burps about Books podcast and the “Field Guide to 21st Century Publishing” for the Children’s Book Insider.
Julie is generously giving away two prizes!
The first is GOLD MEMBERSHIP in 12 x 12 for 2014!
The second is a signed print copy of her Little Bahalia release A TROOP IS A GROUP OF MONKEYS.
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by Many of us struggle throughout the year to find the time to write. We struggle to utter the words, “I am a writer.” We feel like we are not progressing. We don’t feel like we have a real writing routine and we fail to write daily.
But for the month of November you are given a gift. It’s like going to the writer’s spa.
Your challenge: create one idea for a picture book each day. One. That’s it. You can do it.
You’ll be amazed at what this little challenge can do for your writer’s morale. Once you put up that antennae you become a lightning rod for inspiration. Thirty days of inspiration! Fill yourself up. Gather. Slather. Enjoy.
This year will be my third participating in PiBoIdMo and I cannot wait. One look at my desk and you will see…I am ready.
I know. I just made you panic. You are thinking, “I haven’t done anything to prepare my desk! Am I supposed to? Am I failing at this challenge already?!”
Hush, my fellow Type A’s.
Deep breath. Remember, you are going to the writer’s spa. It’s time to indulge your writer’s spirit. So put on some calming music and read through my list of ways to prepare your writing space for PiBoIdMo.
Marcie’s 5 Tips for Preparing your Writing Space for PiBoIdMo
1) Clean the Clutter.
If your brain is cluttered there is no room for new ideas. Same can be true for your work space.So clear it all out. You have a week. It’s not an impossible task. And shhhh…no one said you can’t shove it all under the bed or into the oven (don’t fool yourself, you aren’t going to do any cooking during PiBoIdMo…just cooking up ideas!). You can always bring back the clutter on Dec 1st.
2) Gather your Gear.
Make a small pile of resources.These are items that will help you with ideas when you are depleting. As a marathoner, I think of this pile as my “Mile 20 pile”. When it’s November 25th you might need one of these “idea joggers”. Some of my favorites are:
Origin of Everyday Things (Sterling, 2006)
14,000 things to be happy about. by Barbara Ann Kipfer (Workman, 1990)
Rory’s Story Cubes game (Gamewright, 2010)
3) Schedule some Search Parties.
That’s right. It’s time to explore. Get out. Go to a museum, a cemetery, a garden, etc. And now that the government shutdown is over, you can even go to a National Park or monument! Schedule it now before the month even begins…and don’t cancel. If you are like me, your area has some wonderful places to visit that you never go. Maybe you only go to these places when you have visitors in from out of town. But this month, try to schedule two to four “search parties”. Go and let the ideas come to you.
4) Harvest the Heap of Ideas.
You are going to need some place to collect all of your 30 ideas. There is no right or wrong way here, it really has to do with what works best for you. The first year I used index cards bound by a rubber band. I loved it because it gave me a full card, front and back, for one idea. Plus, it left room for me to make notes on the card as the idea grew in the coming year. It also allowed me to isolate each idea and not create idea gridlock. My second year I used a notebook. I know this is what most people do. However, I am the type of person who can easily stick a notebook on a shelf and forget it exists. This year I plan to use a bulletin board. As I create an idea, I will write it on a slip of paper and pin it to the board. That way I can have the ideas visible throughout the coming year and therefore they are more apt to be made into stories in 2014. We’ll see how it goes. Again, it really is a personal thing and it might take some experimentation. The most important aspect is that you write every idea (even if it seems awful) down!
5) Connect with your Cause.
In the coming week, think about why you want to write picture books. Look for a trinket or talisman that reminds you of your crusade. Give it a prominent place on your desk. I, personally, have many reasons why I write for children, but one particular reminder has sat on my shelf by my desk all year. It is a red mud-caked LEGO brick. One year ago Hurricane Sandy ripped through my area and changed life for many. As I was supposed to run the NYC Marathon (which was canceled, albeit too late in my opinion), my entire team chose on November 4, 2012 to travel to Staten Island, not for the start of the marathon, but to help with clean up. For hours I helped one family empty their basement of their muddied belongings. Heaps of mud-soaked toys, holiday decorations, and memories. Before taking a wheelbarrow-full to the already overflowing piles on the curb, I pocketed this red LEGO brick. To me it symbolizes the hardships in life that affect us all, even children. If I can ease that, even slightly, I will have done what I set out to do.
In previous chapters Marcie Colleen has been a teacher and a theatre educator, but now she splits her days between chasing the Picture Book Writer dream and chasing toddlers on the playground as a nanny. Both are equally glamorous!
Her blog, The Write Routine and her Teacher’s Guides, can be found at www.thisismarciecolleen.com. (She created a teacher’s guide for Tara Lazar’s THE MONSTORE.) You can also follow her on Twitter. Additionally, Marcie is the Education Consultant for Picture Book Month (www.picturebookmonth.com) and contributes monthly, as a Blogette, to The Picture Book Academy’s blog (www.picturebookacademy.com/blogettes), posting on humor in picture books.
She lives with her fiancé and their mischievous sock monkey in Brooklyn, NYC.
by Do you mutter the words “Yes, but…” when someone suggests you take ten minutes for yourself? Many people I know cannot seem to muster a simple “yes” or “great idea, I think I’ll do that” then go do it. That big ol’ but (and life) keeps getting in the way. Dang that BUT!
Imagine, though, ten whole minutes just for yourself—to do whatever you feel like—not reading emails, doing chores or running errands—something special. What does that look like?
INVEST
Close your eyes and take one long, satisfying breath. Imagine what you would do with ten minutes. What is it that you truly love to do? Where do you see yourself? Are you dancing? Singing? Lying on a beach? Getting a back rub? Making art? … Writing?
Typical responses to the ‘what-would-you-do’ question revolve around creativity. Yet, human conditioning suggests that taking time for creativity is when you have nothing else to do, or that you should be doing something more practical, or that it’s a forbidden guilty pleasure…oh, how selfish!
If the human conditioning changed, there’s a chance the habit of saying “Yes, but” could change, too. So, instead of feeling like you don’t deserve, you happily invest in your creativity time and subsequently open up a channel of beautiful inspiration and ideas—a new story, perhaps.
DIG DEEP
You wouldn’t be participating in PiBoIdMo if you weren’t creative. Writing (or illustrating) comes from another place. I call this place the Creative Self. Some refer to it as ‘The Well,’ or ‘Sea of Creativity,’ or ‘Happy Place.’ It’s where your ideas manifest from a deeper part of who you are, emanating from your heart and your soul. You have a calling or desire within you to bring your message to the world through story (visual or written). You cannot explain it, you just know it’s there—you feel it.
HABITUATE
Some researchers consider that repeating a behavior for 21-30 consecutive days is a habit. So why not make ten minutes a day a habit? That’s the month of November right there. You may already do this, and that’s awesome. I have to remind myself to take the time because I easily get caught up in life filled with a job, family, friends, NJ SCBWI, book deadlines, school visits, etc. It’s exhausting. Yet, when I do take that time to paint, sketch, write and be creative, I feel reenergized, spontaneous, excited and suddenly new ideas begin to flow.
Taking time out might seem difficult at first, but as mentioned before, think of it as an investment for your Self AND your writing/illustrating career. Here are some simple ways to find ten-minute pockets to get you started:
- Wake up 10-30 minutes earlier than usual and paint/write while still in a dreamy state
- Take a break from online activity (after you read the daily PiBoIdMo posts of course!)
- Take the train instead of driving
- Arrive ten minutes early for school pick up and stay in the quiet of the car.
- Switch off the TV
- Set a timer for household chores. (Instead of spending 30 minutes cleaning the bathroom, do it in 20. It’s great because you’re challenged to work faster to beat the clock!)
- Go to bed 10-15 minutes early, relax, let go of the day and imagine yourself doing what you truly love to do.
AFFIRM
Affirmations are powerful, self-appointed statements that can help condition the subconscious mind in a positive way to accomplish goals or boost self-perception. You can write them down, pin them in your creative space and say them aloud every day. Feel free to use any of the affirmations listed below or create your own:
- I am creative ten minutes a day
- My creativity brings me new and brilliant ideas
- When I am creative I nurture my soul
- Creativity fosters my imagination
- My creativity comes from my heart with love
- Creativity is a gift that I cherish ten minutes a day
- When I write/illustrate, I bring my joy to the world
RECEIVE
PiBoIdMo is all about ideas. Ideas come from your creative thinking. Creativity comes from the very depths of your soul. It’s who you are. Nurture your soul and ideas will flow abundantly. Plus, you are a beautiful giver—to your spouses/partners, families, co-workers, readers, community, environment—you makes others feel good. Please don’t forget give to your Self and how good that can make you feel, too. All it takes is ten minutes a day!
Leeza Hernandez is a children’s book author and illustrator and volunteers as Regional Advisor for the New Jersey chapter of SCBWI. Her latest illustrated book NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO, written by John Lithgow, released October 22.
Leave ONE COMMENT ONLY to be entered into TWO prize drawings!
The first prize is a copy of NEVER PLAY MUSIC RIGHT NEXT TO THE ZOO signed by both Leeza and John Lithgow!
The second prize is a 20-minute Skype session with Leeza to read and discuss her new book, plus a Q&A!
Both prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented on this post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
***Registration officially closed on November 7th. You can still join in the challenge by reading the daily posts and keeping track of your ideas, but you will not be eligible for prizes.***
Cue the fireworks! PiBoIdMo 2013 Registration is officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
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But lemme whet your appetite first. Here is the schedule of 2013 guest bloggers!
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Pretty stellar, right? These authors, illustrators and picture book professionals will provide daily doses of inspiration to help you along on your idea journey.
And don’t forget—there’s Pre-PiBo beginning tomorrow, to get you organized and ready. And then in early December, there’s Post-PiBo to help your organize and prioritize your ideas.
Participants who register for PiBoIdMo and complete the 30-idea challenge will be eligible for prizes, including signed picture books, original art, critiques and feedback from one of nine picture book agents. This year’s agents are:
Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency
Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency
Danielle Smith, Foreword Literary
Mira Reisberg, Hummingbird Literary
Susan Hawk, The Bent Agency
Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management
Sean McCarthy, McCarthy Literary
Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency
Need more info about PiBoIdMo before you register? Read this.
So are you ready to register?
You need to do THREE THINGS:
This is so you don’t miss any of the daily PiBoIdMo posts.
If you already follow another way, via RSS or a blog reader, no need to do it again via email. And if you already follow via email, obviously skip this step.
Please, leave ONE COMMENT ONLY on this post.
DO NOT REPLY to other comments.
DO NOT COMMENT AGAIN if you forget to leave your FULL NAME. (I will fix it and/or contact you.)
If your comment DOESN’T APPEAR IMMEDIATELY, it means I have to moderate it. Please be patient and check back in 24 hours to see if your comment appears. It probably will.
Be sure to comment with your FULL NAME in the text of the comment. This is how you will be identified for prizes.
Here is the badge! Right click to save to your computer and then upload it anywhere you please.
If you do not have a place to display the badge, you can skip this step.
4. Purchase PiBoIdMo merchandise, like the official journal. All proceeds ($3 per item) benefit RIF, helping to put books into the hands of underprivileged children.
5. Add a Twibbon to your Twitter avatar and use the #PiBoIdMo hashtag when tweeting about the event….and follow @TaraLazar on Twitter.
6. 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.)
7. Repeat after me:
I do solemnly swear
that I will faithfully execute
the PiBoIdMo 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge,
and will, to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into
picture book manuscripts
throughout the year.
That’s it. You’re golden!
REGISTRATION REMAINS OPEN THROUGH NOVEMBER 7th. 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. KEEP YOUR IDEAS TO YOURSELF! As Sheena Easton croons, they’re “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.
Thanks for joining! I hope you enjoy this year’s PiBoIdMo! As always, if you have any suggestions for this event, please contact me at tarawrites (at) yahoo (dot) com or post a question on the PiBoIdMo Facebook group.
I will leave you with a quote that serves as PiBoIdMo’s motto…from Roald Dahl’s THE MINPINS…
*Photo credit Alessandro.
Wow, I was blown away by the creativity of the kids who entered my Halloween Skype monster contest! I asked them to draw the monster they’d like to purchase at The Monstore, and they came through with some very useful companions, just right for doing tricky things around the house. In fact, I’d like to borrow all of them!
It was tough to pick just five finalists, as I received nearly 200 entries! But here they are, in no particular order.
Please leave a comment voting for your favorite entry #. The monster with the most votes will win a Skype classroom visit with me on Halloween!
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MONSTER #1
REPRESENTING MS. ROSENBERG’S 2nd GRADE CLASS
MS. GO EYES by JULIA B.!
I like how Ms. Go Eyes can dance with Julia whenever she pleases, plus this monster can reach high to get the most coveted snacks in the cabinet. Of course, Ms. Go Eyes loves THE MONSTORE book, too! Congratulations, Julia!
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MONSTER #2
REPRESENTING MS. MELLIN’S 2nd GRADE CLASS
TRASH MONSTER by SIERRA V.!
Well, Trash Monster can certainly find a welcomed place in my home. I like how neat and environmentally conscientious he is. And he’s so brightly colored, he’ll fit right in with my decor. Congratulations, Sierra!
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MONSTER #3
REPRESENTING MS. MACCRI’S 2nd GRADE CLASS
BULLEYE by NATHAN H.!
Considering that October is National Bullying Prevention Month, I think everyone could use a friend like Bulleye right now. He’s so fierce-looking, he just has to stand there and bullies will steer clear. Congratulations, Nathan!
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MONSTER #4
REPRESENTING MS. ABATE’S 1st GRADE CLASS
SPARKLES by KATIE F.!
As Sparkles is already aware, we could all use a little more sparkle in our lives. Everything she touches glitters and shines. What a happy-making monster! Congratulations, Katie!
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MONSTER #5
REPRESENTING MS. BROWN’S 1st GRADE CLASS
DAGA BY DOANH!
Ms. Brown’s class got very creative and used shapes to create their monsters. They even counted up all the shapes. I’m impressed! This monster’s needed in my house because my daughter does not like to eat meat. It merely touches her tongue and she spits it out. What’s a mom to do? Maybe she will follow Daga’s example. Congratulations, Doanh! (And wow, what neat handwriting!)
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Skype monster contest. It was so difficult to choose the finalists because all the creations were terrific. I’m sincerely blown away by the creativity expressed in this exercise!
Kindly comment below with your # monster choice by SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27th and I will announce the winner on the 28th!
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE! I HOPE TO SEE YOU ON HALLOWEEN!
by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Next year—2014—is going to be a hectic year for me. In January, I’ve got a new book called DUCK DUCK MOOSE releasing, illustrated by the fabulous Noah Z. Jones and published by Hyperion. But that isn’t it for the year! No, I’ve actually got THREE more picture books and a couple novels in the pipeline. It’s going to be quite a year!
I can’t share all the upcoming books with you, but I am thrilled to be able to do this:
A DOUBLE COVER REVEAL!
That’s right, folks, not just one gorgeous cover, but TWO!
ORANGUTANGLED:
Two orangutans reach for some mangoes, fall, and land in a gooey, gummy mess. Other animals join the fray until there’s a big ball of mango-juice-covered animals rolling down a long hill to the ocean—will they be okay? Or will they make a gooey-gummy tiger treat?
Illustrated by Aaron Zenz
SNORING BEAUTY:
Tucked in his little bed inside the castle walls, Mouse is eager to get a good night’s sleep before his wedding tomorrow. But just as he begins to drift off, he’s awoken by a tremendous roar. SNOOOOGA-SNOOOOOM! KER-SCHUPPP! Sleeping Beauty is snoring . . . again! When the handsome Prince Max arrives, Mouse thinks he’s found the perfect scheme: He’ll convince the prince to kiss Beauty and wake her up! But when Prince Max learns that Beauty is the one making such monstrous noises, will he still want to kiss her . . . or will he run away from the noisy princess, leaving her snoring for another hundred years?
Illustrated by Jane Manning
Now, these covers are in no way alike at all. BUT…what strikes me about both of them is that they are screaming to be captioned!
What are those tangled Orangutans saying?
What is the Princess thinking as the prince gets closer? Like this:
CAPTION CONTEST!
IN HONOR OF THE DOUBLE REVEAL, I’m happy to announce a new giveaway. Here’s what you have to do—just write a caption for one of these covers and put it into a comment below. We’ll keep it open for 7 days and then I will pick my favorite one. The winner will receive a signed book of his or her choice as soon as the books become available!
Good luck, and I’m looking forward to reading your captions!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 