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by Okay, it is Day 5 of Storystorm so hopefully by now you are getting in a groove and ideas are starting to flow. But if not…don’t panic. There is something you can do.
BEG, BORROW or STEAL! (and CHEAT!)
You can borrow from books, fairy tales, TV, film, nursery rhymes, songs and more.
But the best place to borrow from (or even outright steal!) … is from YOURSELF.
Unless this is your first-ever attempt at story writing, you’ve got a potpourri of past ideas to pore over, ponder and pick apart.
Check your files. Your notebooks. Your sketchpads. Review Storystorm lists. Look at manuscripts. Reread old drafts. New drafts. Unfinished drafts.
- Reuse a character
Have you already created a character (or two) that you love? Write another story for him/her/them. It can be a sequel or a prequel or something entirely unrelated.
- Recycle a plot
Do you have a storyline that still resonates with you, but perhaps isn’t marketable enough on its own? Keep the essential arc and change the characters. Replace your MC with a ninja or a narwhal or whatever will give it new life.
- Repeat (it’s okay to cheat!)
Tara is very lax about the rules here. If an idea from the past still appeals to you, put it down again! (Hint: If you see an idea pop up over and over, that story definitely wants to be written!)
Over the years, I have gotten quite good at this thievery thing.
I’ve stolen from my own Storystorm lists.
In 2009, I put this down:
25) fractured fairy tale with a surprise twin? Goldilocks has a twin sister or Little Red? (Little Pink?) Tawnylocks?
I never attempted a draft.
In 2010, I still found the idea of a surprise twin to be appealing. This time I nailed it!
11) ***Twinderella–a fractioned fairy tale (Cin and her sis share everything. Each does half the chores, half the washing, half the ironing, and each takes half the fairy godmother’s goodies, but when they each spend half the night dancing with the prince, they have a problem.)
I’ve filched from my own manuscripts.
My second story ever was about two animals who lose each other while out in the woods. Since every kid has lost his mom at Target at least once, I really liked this premise. But it just didn’t seem to have enough of a hook.
Fast forward to Storystorm 2014. I was looking back at my 2013 list and I saw I had one truck idea after another. I really did want to write a truck story, but none of the plot lines seemed right. That’s when it dawned on me.. What if I took my lost story and changed the characters to trucks? Mack and Rig are offroading when one of them takes a wrong turn.
This led to a two-book deal with Scholastic for TWO TOUGH TRUCKS.
So, go ahead. Pinch. Poach. Pilfer.
The property belongs to you, so you might as well plunder away!
Corey Rosen Schwartz is the author of many rhyming picture books, including THE THREE NINJA PIGS and NINJA RED RIDING HOOD. She lives in Warren, NJ with her two kids and her better half. Corey hopes to one day have grand-twins. Visit her at CoreyRosenSchwartz.com and follow her on Twitter @CoreyPBNinja.
Corey is giving away of copy of her newest book, TWINDERELLA.
Leave ONE COMMENT on this blog post to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!
by “Where do you get your ideas?” When someone asks this, if you’re like me, your mind might go blank as you struggle for an answer. I’ve written quite a few unpublished novels and picture books over the last fifteen years, and for most, I could not tell you what idea sparked those stories. But I can tell you where I got the idea for my chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI MOCHI QUEEN.
I came across an article about a multigenerational Japanese American family that got together every New Year’s holiday to make mochi in the traditional way—steaming sweet rice, pounding it, and rolling mochi. Then, a little girl’s voice chimed in my head, complaining that she wanted to pound mochi even though it was a “man’s job.” And Jasmine Toguchi was born.
When my editor made the offer to buy MOCHI QUEEN, it was one of the happiest days of my life. Then, she surprised me by saying she wanted three more books about Jasmine Toguchi, to make a series. I was elated! She asked if I had ideas for more stories. I responded with an enthusiastic YES!
Honestly? I had no other ideas, at least not at that moment. When I wrote MOCHI QUEEN, I wrote it as a stand-alone chapter book. Suddenly, I had to come up with three more book ideas in a very short amount of time. How did I do this?
MOCHI QUEEN has a thread of Japanese culture (traditional mochi-making during the New Year holiday) with a bigger theme of a girl challenging a family rule (too young to participate) and Japanese tradition (pounding mochi has traditionally been a man’s job). With those big picture themes, I sat down and brainstormed. I focused on the cultural aspect since that’s how MOCHI QUEEN came about. I jotted down traditions that I personally enjoyed or was interested in. From that list, I picked out some favorites that I felt I could expand upon.
On Girl’s Day, families with daughters set up a display of special dolls. As a child I loved those dolls, but because they are delicate and fragile, my sister and I weren’t allowed to play with them. I could totally see Jasmine’s mom having the same rule. This became the starting point for book 2, SUPER SLEUTH, where Jasmine is excited to share Girl’s Day with her best friend, but a falling out puts the celebration in jeopardy.
Book 3, DRUMMER GIRL, focuses on taiko drumming. I’d long loved watching and hearing taiko performances and often wished I had been able to learn to play taiko. This one made the list because I knew I’d get to finally take a lesson because, you know, research! This story expanded to lead Jasmine to contemplate the meaning of talent during a school talent show when a nemesis turns the fun event into a competition.
And finally, the idea for book 4, FLAMINGO KEEPER, started with the daruma, a Japanese wishing doll. Long ago, I had wished for one of my stories to be published. I colored in one eye of the doll while I made that wish, and many years later, after I sold MOCHI QUEEN, I was finally able to color in the other eye. I was filled with joy to be able to do this after having it sit on my desk for so long with only one eye. I knew that Jasmine would feel the same joy, but what if her wish was a little impossible? Like wishing for a pet flamingo.
Delving into cultural and family traditions could be a great idea generator. What memories do you have of favorite (or not-so-favorite) traditions? What traditions or stories from your culture fascinate you? Make a list and I’ll bet you come up with more than one idea.
Happy day 4 of Storystorm! I’m cheering you on!
Debbi Michiko Florence is the author of the chapter book series Jasmine Toguchi, about a spunky 8-year-old Japanese American girl. Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen (a JLG selection) and Jasmine Toguchi, Super Sleuth are available now. Two more books will follow – Jasmine Toguchi, Drummer Girl (April 3) and Jasmine Toguchi, Flamingo Keeper (July 3). A third generation Japanese American and a native Californian, Debbi lives in Connecticut with her husband, puppy, bunny, and two ducks.
Visit her at debbimichikoflorence.com and follow her on Twitter @DebbiMichiko and Instagram @jasminetoguchi.
Debbi is giving away a two-book Jasmine Toguchi prize pack. You can win MOCHI QUEEN and SUPER SLEUTH.
Leave ONE COMMENT on this blog post to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!
by I absolutely love sketching prompts. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram (@ciccotello) then you may have seen my 10 minute sketches. Every now and then, I post a question asking readers to share their favorite something… maybe it’s animal, or an object, or maybe a mode of transportation. Whatever it is, I compile all of them into a nice big list and create quick sketches from the prompts. Some of those images become finished character illustrations in my portfolio. A few of those illustrations go even further and have become characters in book dummies.
With visual prompts in mind, I thought we could have some fun generating ideas. All you need to do is look at the pictures and let your imagination wander.
Pick a character…
Pick an object…
Pick a setting…
Now let’s put them together. Combine one item from each row. It kind of makes me think of the board game, Clue. What if we put the raccoon in the living room with the gift? Where is the raccoon? Where is the gift? I don’t want to sway your creativity, but these questions will help define the moment. Let’s leave it there and allow you to finish the scene.
Play around with it. Maybe there are two characters in one settings, or one character with multiple objects. Don’t stop there. If this idea is working for you then get out there and pick some more images of your own. Pull images from the web. Clip pictures from magazines or newspapers.
Look at each item and start to ask questions. Why is this character so special? What are they doing? What’s the dilemma? What is the conflict? How will this character grow throughout your story? Use your fantastic writing skills to develop something unique with your voice.
If you are looking for places to get prompts for writing or illustration, be sure to check these out:
Have fun with it and good luck!
Mike Ciccotello received a BFA with a concentration in painting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has fourteen years’ experience in broadcast motion graphics, working at CNN and Fox Business Network. Currently, he is the Art and Design Director at Telos Corporation. His art has been featured on Liquitex.com, CNN, ClothPaperScisors.com, Artists & Makers Magazine, and Industry Magazine. He has exhibited at Johnson & Johnson Headquarters and the NY Design Center. He is an active member of SCBWI, CBIG, Drawn to Picture Books, and a contributing member of AllTheWonders.com. Visit him at ciccotello.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
Ciccotello is giving away a custom illustrated avatar. It can be in your likeness or just something you admire. But I would suggest it not being Mike. He’s already taken.
Leave ONE COMMENT on this blog post to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!
Now, go get visual.
by Tammi Sauer
Over the Storystorm years, I have shared many of my idea-getting strategies.
This time around, I want to focus on using a familiar song, nursery rhyme, or chant as a starting point.
While I had heard of this writing exercise many times before, it wasn’t until I saw it presented in Linda Ashman’s (super amazing!!!) resource, THE NUTS AND BOLTS GUIDE TO WRITING PICTURE BOOKS, that an idea popped into my head.
This is what I saw in Linda’s book:
Rework a song or chant. Try rewriting a familiar song, chant, nursery or jump rope rhyme. Here are a few suggestions, but feel free to come up with your own:
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Baa Baa Black Sheep
- She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes
- I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- You Are My Sunshine
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
And this was my idea: Mary Had a Little Glam.
I knew I had to write that story. And, once I felt brave enough to tackle rhyme, I did. Lucky for me, Vanessa Brantley-Newton agreed to illustrate the book.
There are many great examples of books that have sprung from this approach. These are just a few of my favorites:
- HUSH, LITTLE DRAGON by Boni Ashburn, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
- I AIN’T GONNA PAINT NO MORE! by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow
- THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Ben Mantle
- TEN ON THE SLED by Kim Norman, illustrated by Liza Woodruff
- THIS OLD VAN by Kim Norman, illustrated by Carolyn Conahan
In February, the adorable TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE CAR written by Kate Dopirak and illustrated by Mary Peterson will zoom onto the scene. (And both ladies will be guest blogging for Storystorm later this month.)
In March, MARY HAD A LITTLE LAB written by Sue Fliess and illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis will prove quite inventive.
While these books follow the same basic rhythm and rhyme scheme as the song, nursery rhyme, or chant they were based on, keep in mind that you don’t have to marry yourself to this approach. You can use one of those things to simply trigger the basic idea for a story as well.
My upcoming book with Dan Taylor, BUT THE BEAR CAME BACK, for example, got its start when I was listening to NPR. They played the old song “But the Cat Came Back.”
Right away, I thought about what it would be like if a rather large and completely unexpected animal would show up at a kid’s house and decide to make himself at home.
While I didn’t mirror the actual song in my book, I used its title as a stepping stone.
BUT THE BEAR CAME BACK debuts this April from Sterling.
So give it a try. Think about those familiar childhood songs, nursery rhymes, and chants then brainstorm a few picture book title possibilities of your own.
Tammi Sauer is a full time children’s book author who presents at schools and conferences across the nation. She has sold 30 picture books to major publishing houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Sterling. Her book WORDY BIRDY, illustrated by Dave Mottram, debuts on February 6. This book got its start in StoryStorm. It was idea number 19 on her 2014 list.
You can learn more about Tammi at tammisauer.com, read her posts at picturebookbuilders.com, and follow her on Twitter at @SauerTammi.
Tammi is giving away a copy of the soon-to-be-released WORDY BIRDY to one lucky duck commenter.
Tammi is also giving away a picture book critique. Ooh.
Leave ONE COMMENT below to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once on this blog post. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!
by Urania Smith
This past year was incredible. I won a We Need Diverse Books Mentorship and got the opportunity to work with the awesomely funny Tara Lazar. We polished three manuscripts, two that came out of last year’s Storystorm. I helped start a non-profit to assist writers of color with professional development. In our first year, KidLit Nation sent 10 diverse writers to SCBWI conferences around the country. And somewhere in there, I took a spontaneous vacation at a random B&B in Canada and ran into this guy.
Yes! That’s Jon Klassen ya’ll!
That smile was pasted on my face for weeks.
So, here I am at the start of a new year, kicking off Storystorm.
30 ideas in 30 days. Simple right?
Heck no!
I have more thoughts about not having ideas than thinking up new ones.
I worry. . .
- What if I never have another idea in my life?
- What if this is it?
- What if I’m finished?
- I’m all washed up, and I haven’t been published yet.
- Ahhh!!!!!!!!!!!
If you’re like me, you’ve bitten your nails to nubs, and have begun to consider each new idea a fluke. When I’m suffering from Insecure Writer Syndrome, I have a temporary cure. . .
Eminem.
I remind myself it’s a bunny eat bunny world, and bunnies die everyday. I’ve been in the kidlit game fourteen years. I can’t stop now.
Then, I brush my shoulders off, bump some “Lose Yourself,” and I let the ideas flow.
So Storystormers, we’re about to get pumped to met this challenge.
First, I want you to slip on your favorite hoodie. Not cool enough to own one?
Rock that Christmas sweater you wore last week.
Next, look yourself in a mirror. A mirror in a grungy bathroom works best.
Now shadow box. Who knows why we’re doing this part. But trust me, we look good doing it.
Now, we’re ready. . .
To take on Storystorm as we channel Eminem.
Look
If you had
One month
To win prizes
And write as many ideas
In as many days.
Would you capture that moment.
Or just let it slip?
Yo
We’re armed and steady,
pencil sharpened, minds are heavy.
There’s drool on our shirts already
coffee smells so heady,
We’re nervous, but on the surface we are calm and ready
To drop 30 book ideas,
But we keep on forgettin’
What we wrote out, critique peeps groan so loud.
“Page is full. . . but what’s this crap you just wrote down!”
We’re chokin’, how, everybodys jokin’ now
Months done, times up, over, blaow!
Snap back to reality
Oh, kidlit writers, we choked.
We’re so mad, but we won’t
Give up easily? No.
We will make it, we know
Just keep writing, we close.
We write books, and we dope
Even if we all broke.
We’re not stagnant, we grow.
We tow ourselves back to the chair alone,
And hit the pad again, yo
This whole writing things slow.
But we’ve learned, and we know,
We better capture this moment
And never let it go.
[Chorus]
You better lose yourself in this month, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go.
You only got thirty days, for your ideas to flow.
Storystorm comes only once in a year
so you better.
[Repeat]
When these 30 days are up, I want you to stand up from that chair.
Lean back and nod your head.
Because we did it. 30 ideas in 30 days.
Then, I want you to drop that pencil like a boss.
Yep, that’s right.
Storystorm.
We out.
Peace.
Urania Smith has a B.A. in English and has been writing for children for 14 years. She is the New Member Chairperson and a Diversity Committee Member for the Illinois chapter of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Urania is the winner of the 2017 We Need Diverse Books Mentorship in the Picture Book category and is mentored by author Tara Lazar. Urania loves to cook, garden, decorate, and DIY projects. She is from Chicago and currently lives in the South Suburbs of Chicago with her family and the laziest shih tzu on the planet, Lucy. Follow her on Twitter @UraniaSmith.
In honor of Urania’s post and the completion of her WNDB mentorship, Tara Lazar is giving away a half-hour Skype consultation to talk about any aspect of kidlit.
Leave ONE COMMENT below to enter. You are eligible to win if you are a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once on this blog post. Prizes will be given away at the conclusion of the event.
Good luck!
***STORYSTORM Registration is closed for 2018. You can still participate in the challenge by reading the inspirational daily posts, but you will not be eligible for prizes. Thank you.***
What a glorious feeling!
It’s that time of the year again, when you will be showered with inspiration!
Story ideas are gonna rain down like cats and dogs! (And maybe some will be about cats and dogs!)
Last year I changed the name and month of my annual writing challenge, from Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) to Storystorm. Why? Answer’s here.
Any writer interested in brainstorming new story ideas in January is invited to join. Any genre, any style; student, amateur, hobbyist, aspiring author or professional.
How does STORYSTORM work? It’s simple…
- Register here by signing your name ONCE in the comments below. Teachers participating with a class can register under the teacher’s name.
- Registering makes you eligible for prizes.
- Visit this blog daily (right here at taralazar.com) in January for inspirational essays by guest bloggers—professional authors, illustrators and experts in creativity.
- Instead of visiting the blog directly, you can receive the daily posts via email by clicking the “Follow Tara’s Blog” button in the left column—look under my photo for it.
- After you have read the daily inspiration, jot down a daily story idea in a journal (the annual CafePress journal will be linked here when ready), computer, anywhere you like to write. Some days you might have no ideas, but some days you might have five or more.
- At the end of January, if you have at least 30 ideas, sign the STORYSTORM pledge I will post and qualify for prizes.
- Prizes include professional consults, signed books, original art, writerly gadgets and gizmos.
Remember, do not share your ideas publicly in January. They are YOURS. No need to prove that you have them at the end of the month. The pledge you will sign is on the honor system.
Are you in? Awesome. Pick up your Official Participant badge below and affix it to any social media account you wish. (Right click to save to your computer, then upload it anywhere.)
The final piece? Join the STORYSTORM Facebook discussion group. You need friends for the journey!
The group is completely optional, but it remains a year-round source of writing information and support, mostly focused on picture books, I admit, because that is where this all began.
Registration will remain open through JANUARY 9TH.
What are you waiting for? Register and go celebrate! I’ll see you back here on New Year’s Day.
*Storstorm 2018 logo courtesy of Ross MacDonald, illustrator of 7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 