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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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You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
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.
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 Margaret Chiu Greanias
Since 2020, I’ve been distracted. By the pandemic. By my kids being home twenty-four seven (hello distance learning!). By the election.
My creative energy, like my time, has been sapped. But one thing that invigorates me, even during times like these, is the promise of a new story idea. Yes, this is why I love Storystorm.
Today, instead of focusing outward for a source of inspiration, I’m focusing inward—on our own failed and discarded stories.
HUH?
If you’re like me, you have tens if not hundreds of partially written and even finished stories. These may range from stories that never left your computer (or notebook) all the way to stories that went on submission but were never acquired. They are stories that are still unfinished puzzles, stories that were never quite right, stories that weren’t marketable enough, stories that never found the right champion. They are the stories we shelved, never intending to read them again.
But WHAT IF one of these stories has:
- a character you love but just wasn’t in the right story?
- a side character that deserves a story of their own?
- a fantastic world that doesn’t shine because the others story elements didn’t work?
- a concept or problem that still resonates with you?
- a phrase, a metaphor, some dialogue, or a description—perhaps insignificant to the failed story—that could become the nugget of a new story?
- a story element, when woven together with other elements from other failed stories, that could be made into an entirely new story?
Just because a story didn’t work as a whole doesn’t mean it has no value. These stories are mineable. Elements from these stories could be the inspiration for something new, something fresh, something fantastic.
My picture book AMAH FARAWAY, publishing next year by Bloomsbury, began as a failed story. The central concept, one of the growing relationship between a girl and her long-distance grandmother and ancestral culture, is close to my heart. It’s the story of my own experience growing up with a grandmother who lived in a different country. Our necessarily infrequent visits always began with shyness and always ended with not wanting to say goodbye.
The failed story was called GRANDMA ROBOT. It involved a girl, her stand-in robot grandmother, and her actual grandmother who lived very far away. I wrote it, revised it, and re-wrote it many times. But I could never get it quite right (now I see why—another benefit of re-reading these long-filed away stories).
Several years later, I was determined to write a story in a format based on the poem “Lost Generation” by Jonathon Reed. Read forward, the poem has a pessimistic tone. But read in reverse (from bottom to top), the tone transforms. The effect is amazing, and I get chills whenever I read the poem.
My idea was to write a story using a similar format. The first half would be the forward read, and the second half would be the reverse read. I thought for months about what kind of story would fit this structure. Finally, I remembered the central concept behind GRANDMA ROBOT and…
AMAH FARAWAY was born.
A child gets to know her Taiwanese grandmother during an all-too-rare visit. AMAH FARAWAY is an intergenerational story in a unique format. In the first half of the story, Kylie keeps Amah at arm’s length. The story peaks in the middle with an invitation from Amah which Kylie accepts. After this, the story lines reverse, and their relationship transforms!
So, take another read through your failed yet mineable stories—there may be a promising story idea waiting to be discovered.
Margaret Chiu Greanias writes stories with heart for children. She is the author of MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS (illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow) and the forthcoming AMAH FARAWAY (illustrated by Tracy Subisak). Even though she wrote her first terrifically terrible book at age 9, it wasn’t until age 46 that she became a published author. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, three children, and a fluffle of dust bunnies.
Visit her online at margaretgreanias.com, or on Twitter @margaretgreania, Instagram @margaretgreanias and Facebook.
Margaret is giving away a non-rhyming picture book and a copy of MAXIMILLIAN VILLAINOUS from Running Press Kids.
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 Katie Frawley
Say what you will about 2020, it sure was a year of comfortable pants. Sweat pants, pajama pants, yoga pants, no pants. I’m all for being comfortable in our clothes, but being comfortable in our writing lives? Not so much.
When I first started writing picture books in 2016, funny manuscripts poured out. Silly stories. Kooky characters. Goofy gags. That was my jam! My debut picture book, TABITHA AND FRITZ TRADE PLACES, is a funny story about a cat and an elephant who do a vacation home swap through a website called LairBnB. It was a pleasure to write, and I hope it’s a hoot for kids to read!
I wore my comfortable picture book pants day in, day out. They were familiar, well-worn, and had just the right amount of stretch around the waist. Ahhhh.
Then, a few months back, opportunity knocked. Unanticipated, unfamiliar, uncomfortable OPPORTUNITY.
A friend in the movie business reached out and asked if I’d like to participate in a writer’s lab for a children’s animation studio. Here’s how the conversation went…
Her: Have you ever thought about writing children’s animation?
My brain: What? Animation? Like movies and stuff? COOL!
Me: I haven’t! Do you have something specific in mind?
Her: I’d like to get you into a writer’s lab. You’d need to come up with 10 movie or TV series pitches in two weeks. What do you think?
My brain: Say yes! Say YES! YES, YOU IDIOT!!!!!
Me: I’d love to give it a try! Thanks for thinking of me!
Her: I’ll be in touch with details.
Me: Talk soon!
My brain: Wait! We don’t know anything about writing for the screen. We only write picture books. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU???
Writing these pitches was miles outside my comfort zone. Not only had I never thought about writing a screenplay, I’d never even read one. I can pitch a picture book like Nolan Ryan, but animation pitches? It was a whole new ballgame. But there was no backing out now. So I put on my big girl pants (which are MUCH less comfortable than sweatpants, by the way) and got to work.
It wasn’t easy. Most of it wasn’t fun. But I cranked it out. I flexed different parts of my brain, I repurposed old Storystorm ideas, I almost cried a few times! And the result? Well, I don’t actually know yet! My fingers are still very much crossed. But I know one thing. I am a stronger writer for the journey. The mere act of pushing myself was the reward.
So, here’s my advice to you: Get out of your comfort zone! If you only write humor, try something soulful. If you’ve been a rhymer so far, slip into some prose. If you tend toward true stories, see how fiction feels. As you jot your way through StoryStorm, write down ANY idea that calls to you, whether it feels familiar or not. Maybe you’ll writer a winner; maybe you won’t. But you’ll benefit from the journey either way.
And remember, if you’re going to push yourself outside your comfort zone, you might as well wear comfortable pants.
Katie Frawley studied English at the University of Florida (GO GATORS!) and earned a Master’s Degree in British and American literature from Florida Atlantic University. Before having her children, she had the distinct honor of teaching English to rowdy teenagers. When not banging away on the keyboard, Katie can be found testing new recipes with her miniature sous chefs, shooing iguanas away from her garden, or reading picture books to a captive audience on the couch. Katie lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her husband, five children, and a handsome mutt named Nantucket.
Find Katie on Twitter @KatieFrawley1 or at her website katiefrawley.com. Katie’s debut, TABITHA AND FRITZ TRADE PLACES, is traveling to shelves on the first of June! If you’d like to pre-order, please support your local indie!
Katie is giving away one picture book and one copy of TABITHA AND FRITZ TRADE PLACES when it’s released.
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 Ruth Spiro
As we head into a new week of Storystorm, you may (or may not) have a growing list of ideas. But if you’re anything like me, you’re staring at that list and thinking, “Now what?” Because stories almost never come to me fully formed. They usually start with just a glimmer. A thought. An image. A feeling. So, how do I turn an idea into a story?
I ask, “What does this make me think of?”
When someone asks me where my book ideas come from, I basically re-enact a scene from the movie Working Girl. You know, the one where Melanie Griffith is asked how she came up with the idea for investing in a radio station. She pulls out a folder with seemingly random notes and news clippings, then proceeds to connect the dots, showing how each bit of information made her think of something else that eventually led her to the Big Idea.
Here’s an example of how that might work:
Idea: Apples
What does that make me think of?
Apple-picking with my kids
What does that make me think of?
Apple trees
What does that make me think of?
If this gets tedious, you can switch it up and ask a different question. (Especially helpful if you’re writing nonfiction.)
What does this make me wonder?
What more do I want to know?
Getting back to our apple trees, the thing I wanted to know was “How?” How do apples grow on trees?
If you’re curious too, you’ll find the answer here:
I used the same technique to come up with a story for my newest book, MAXINE AND THE GREATEST GARDEN EVER, the sequel to MADE BY MAXINE.
For those who haven’t read the first Maxine book, she’s a girl who loves to make things, but not in the crafty sense. She’s a true Maker at heart who uses her tinkering and coding skills to build things that solve problems around the house. Her motto is, “If I can dream it, I can build it!”
As I began brainstorming ideas for MAXINE AND THE GREATEST GARDEN EVER, I made a list of locations and things kids like to do.
Idea: Do stuff in the backyard
What does that make me think of?
Planting a garden
What does that make me think of?
A challenge I experienced in my own garden.
A-Ha! Now I had something to work with.
Like many gardeners, I’ve had my share of frustration when critters nibbled on the fruits of my labor. If my STEM-loving Maxine had this same problem, how would she solve it in a way true to her character? I couldn’t wait to let her show me!
Without revealing too much more, MAXINE AND THE GREATEST GARDEN EVER is about friendship, creativity, persistence, and being kind to one another. Maxine discovers there are often multiple solutions to a problem, and sometimes a problem isn’t really a problem at all, but an opportunity to grow.
I can’t sign off here without acknowledging the importance of today, Marin Luther King Jr. Day. We honor the life, work, and legacy of an important civil rights leader in our country’s history. What does this make me think of?
In 2017 I was invited to present at the LA Times Book Festival and had the opportunity to attend a talk with Representative John Lewis and Andrew Aydin about their recent release, MARCH: BOOK THREE. (From the front row, no less!)
What does this make me think of?
Representative Lewis said, “Find a way to get in the way.”
What does this make YOU think of?
Go write it!
Ruth Spiro is the author of the Baby Loves Science board book series, published by Charlesbridge. There are 21 current and forthcoming titles including Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering, Baby Loves Coding and Baby Loves the Five Senses. She continues her signature style of introducing complex subjects to little listeners with Baby Loves Political Science, a new series perfect for election year and beyond. Democracy and Justice are now available, Congress and The Presidency arrive this April. The Science books are illustrated by Irene Chan and Political Science by Greg Paprocki.
Ruth’s STEM-themed picture book series, Made by Maxine (Dial), is about an inspiring young Maker who knows that with enough effort, imagination and recyclables, it’s possible to invent anything. Made by Maxine sold at auction as a three-book series, Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever comes out on February 16. Maxine is illustrated by Holly Hatam.
A frequent speaker at schools and conferences, Ruth’s previous presentations include the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Chicago Tribune Printer’s Row LitFest, Children’s Festival of Stories, Nerd Camp Michigan, NAEYC and more. Ruth hopes her books inspire kids to observe the world, ask questions, and when it comes to their futures, DREAM BIG!
Ruth’s books are all available from your favorite bookseller. When possible, please support independent bookstores!
Visit Ruth online at Penguin Classroom, ruthspiro.com, Facebook, Twitter @RuthSpiro, and Instagram @ruthspiro.
Ruth is giving away 2 signed copies of MAXINE AND THE GREATEST GARDEN EVER and one of BABY LOVES POLITICAL SCIENCE: DEMOCRACY.
Three separate winners will be randomly chosen.
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 Katey Howes
Happy 2021, StoryStormers! How is the month of brainstorming treating you so far?
Maybe your idea engine is chugging steadily along with an “I think I can, I think I can,” attitude. You might feel your creativity bouncing out of control like five little monkeys jumping on a bed. Or perhaps, in spite of an influx of inspirational sights, sounds and friendly blog posts, your brain snores on??
Well, no matter which classic picture book your mind most resembles today, I’m pretty sure you can guess my chosen theme: refrains!
From CHICK-A CHICK-A BOOM BOOM to I LOVE MY WHITE SHOES, children’s literature is full of fabulous refrains. Why not channel their power jumpstart your creativity today?
A refrain is a phrase repeated throughout a book, generally in a predictable position in the text structure. A good refrain:
- adds to the MEANING of the story
- contributes to the PACING and FLOW of the story
- compliments the SPIRIT of the story
- is fun to say!
An effective refrain is repeated frequently enough to be memorable, but not so often it overwhelms. It may get a “twist” or variation once or twice in the book to keep readers on their toes or to emphasize a significant plot point.
Done well, refrains boost a book’s place in a child’s heart from blasé to “read it ten times a day!” Refrains may make a book rhythmic or melodic, add predictability, improve participation at bedtime and circle time, form a lasting impression, teach, soothe, or motivate.
On the other hand, done poorly, a refrain can come across as unnecessary, lazy, trite or annoying. It can distract from the heart of your story or – even worse – showcase that there’s not much story there at all.
Refrains are a risky business, people. This writing thing is not for the faint of heart.
In my upcoming book, RISSY NO KISSIES, I utilized a refrain for several reasons. First, to showcase building tension, caused by repeated conflicts. Rissy is a lovebird, but she doesn’t like kisses. In one situation after another, family and friends try to share affection with her through kisses. Each time she repeats the refrain to refuse kisses, they speculate as to what might be wrong with her. Is she rude? Confused? Sick?
The pairing of the refrain with Rissy’s increasingly upset body language and facial expression drives home the idea that these various interactions aren’t isolated incidents. They form a pattern, and build one upon the next.
At the same time, the refrain provides young readers with something familiar and predictable, increasing their comfort level with the story. Because this book addresses tough emotions and difficult social situations, giving kids that comfort is very important! With the help of a soft color palette and clear, empowering resolution, the familiarity of a refrain balances out the difficult emotions and situations tackled in the book.
The idea for the refrain:
“No Kissies!” Rissy chirruped
with a most emphatic squeak,
was actually inspired by a line in one of my favorite books, NOISY NORA, which ends:
“But I’m back again!” said Nora
with a monumental crash.
I wanted to channel an energy, emotionality, and authenticity similar to Nora’s as I told Rissy’s story. Reflecting Nora’s voice in Rissy’s refrain helped me focus on and accomplish that goal.
So as a spark for your Storystorm idea today, I suggest you begin with a refrain. This particular refrain may never make it to a final draft (I assure you, many of mine have made it to the trash bin!), but it can certainly get you started on something new. Here are a few exercises you can try:
- Find a line from a book you love and create a refrain that mimics its rhythm and intonation, but hints at a different story.
- Pick an emotion you’d like readers to feel and write a refrain that centers that emotion.
- Think of a catchy or fun-to-say phrase (and imagine a character who’d like to say it).
- Take a refrain from a song or nursery rhyme and change a few words to give it a unique twist.
Good luck and good writing!
Katey Howes is the award-winning author of several picture books, including Grandmother Thorn (Ripple Grove Press, 2017), Magnolia Mudd and the Super Jumptastic Launcher Deluxe (Sterling, 2018), and Be A Maker (Carolrhoda, 2019). With each of her books, Katey seeks to empower readers to recognize their independence, creativity, and strength.
Katey’s latest book, Rissy No Kissies, illustrated by Jess Engle, releases March 2, 2021 with Carolrhoda Books, and has already received a starred Kirkus review and glowing recommendations from teachers, psychologists, and consent educators for its messages of autonomy, consent, and acceptance.
Katey lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with her husband, three ravenous readers, and a pup named Samwise Gamgee. You can find her on the screened porch with a notebook and a bowl of Moose Munch—or find her online at kateyhowes.com, tweeting @kateywrites, and on Instagram @kidlitlove.
Katey is giving away a signed copy of RISSY NO KISSIES and a custom enamel Rissy the lovebird pin.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 