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by It looks as though you’re almost to the end of PiBoIdMo—CONGRATULATIONS! It’s impressive that you signed on for that big undertaking. I’d like to try it myself some time!
I’ve read through many of the previous PiBoIdMo posts and they’re all so inspiring and helpful. I’ve been trying to think of what I could possibly add to all the great writing tips and personal experiences people have shared and the one thing that comes to mind is to TRUST YOUR OWN INSTINCTS with your ideas and writing. It seems like such an obvious thing to say but of all the things I’ve learned over the years about writing, learning to trust my own instincts might be the most important.
I have a massive collection of books and they are a constant source of inspiration. There are certain authors and illustrators I can’t get enough of and their styles have had a huge influence on my own work.
There have been times when I’d be working on a story or illustration and it just wasn’t working and I’d realize days or weeks later that the reason was because I was unconsciously trying to emulate someone else’s style. After working and reworking it again and again, eventually there would come a day when I’d be in just the right mood and my own “voice” would “speak up” and things would finally gel. I’ve learned the hard way that when I try to draw or write like people I admire it only ends up being, at best, a poor man’s version of their style.
When I do school visits, I talk to kids about writing and we draw together, too. I show them how I draw an otter (based on my book, Do Unto Otters) and then I encourage them to turn it into a character—a pirate, a rock star, a scientist or whatever—and then hopefully later write a story about it.
I let them know that even though we’re all drawing an otter, each one will be unique and different from anyone else’s. I love that about drawing and it’s the same with writing. We could all write a story about a banjo-playing pelican (don’t you dare though—that one’s MINE—I just thought of it!) and there’s not one of them that would be alike. You have your own unique way of telling a story so do all you can to develop that.
Lots of people have asked me to review their manuscripts over the years and I’m still surprised at how many try to write just like well-known authors—namely Dr. Seuss. Editors aren’t looking for another Dr. Seuss. There was and always will be only ONE Dr. Seuss. They want to hear fresh, NEW ways of telling a story. What if Dr. Seuss had tried to write like William Shakespeare? “Would thou liketh them in a box? Would thou liketh them with a fox? Those are the questions!” Doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, does it? With all due props to Mr. Shakes, thankfully, Dr. Seuss trusted his own instincts. To any Dr. Seuss wannabe’s—yes, he is a wonderful source of inspiration but take the qualities you like in his work and DO YOUR OWN THING with them. We can’t wait to see it!
As far as book ideas, they can come from anywhere, as you know, and there’s no one right way to get them. There will be times when you know what you want to write about and other times an idea may just pop into your head. When you can’t think of what to write about there are lots of techniques for generating ideas and to get your brain thinking in unexpected ways (you must know many of those exercises by now). As a writer, there aren’t many things that make me happier than when I get a book idea I’m excited about. There’s no way of knowing which ideas will be popular with readers so I’ve learned that the most satisfying thing you can do as a writer is to write what YOU like and tell it in YOUR voice. The rest will fall into place.
I heard a saying once and I’m paraphrasing here:
That really resonated with me and I think it’s spot on when it comes to writing. HOWEVER you come up with your book ideas, trust that gut feeling—your writing road map.
CONGRATULATIONS, AGAIN on completing your challenge. I wish you all the best with your writing. HAVE FUN and DON’T QUIT!!!
Laurie Keller is the author-illustrator of many picture books including The Scrambled States of America, Do Unto Otters, Open Wide: Tooth School Inside and Arnie the Doughnut. She has a new early chapter books series, The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut, and the second book in the series will be published in February 2014. Laurie lives in Michigan, deep in the woods along the shores of Lake Michigan. Visit all her characters at LaurieKeller.com and like her on Facebook.
Laurie is giving away an ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT PRIZE PACKAGE! It includes: Arnie the Doughnut picture book (one of Tara’s all-time favorites!), Book 1 in The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series: Bowling Alley Bandit and “Arnie the Doughnut and 4 Other Fantastic Adventure Stories” Weston Woods/Scholastic DVD.
This prize pack 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 today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
Thank you for asking. My work-in-progress? Uh, well….
Story limbo.
I don’t know why I’d thought this would work.
No, it’s awful. I’m a hack. #failure. Okay, FINE.
Maybe if I distract myself….
Random yelling is fun.
I need more.
Wait.
And …
Hmm.
Could they be…?
I’m goin’ in.
Hey!
It’s true.
At least until the next draft.
.
Annette is an advertising-creative-director turned picture-book-maker, and a BookSeller at The BookMark in Neptune Beach, Florida, where she took these photos. Her titles include MOCKING BIRDIES and THIS BOOK IS FOR ALL KIDS by Jack Simon, and she’ll follow up last year’s Indie Kids’ Next Pick and Buckeye Children’s Book Award nominee, ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN!, with an awfully loud read-aloud, ROBOT BURP HEAD SMARTYPANTS!, in February. Please see more at AnnetteSimon.net.
A PiBoIdMo Prompt/Offer: Share your picture book spine creation for a chance to win a personalized copy of ROBOT ZOMBIE FRANKENSTEIN! and related bling (robot chest panel iron-ons, child-size chef hat and apron, a mini notepad, a disguise, and foam shape stickers). Keep spine photos for yourself, but stack the picture book titles in the comments section below like this: HERE I AM / STUCK. While your local indie bookstore is a great resource, titles don’t have to be new ones—old favorites and library books are game, too. Meantime, you may find you’ve escaped story limbo. Plus, random yelling is fun.
This prize pack 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 today’s post (as per Annette’s spine-tingling challenge).
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by Wendy Martin
It’s been nearly an entire month of PiBoIdMo. Take a good long look at your list. Do you see a theme there?
In past PiBoIdMo challenges I often found myself writing down ideas that ended up being a variation on a theme. The first year I had a dozen ideas all based on classical artists’ early lives. Another year I got into a scientific groove. I actually went on to write first and second drafts on two of those ideas, but got snagged when it came to the illustrations. They got back burnered (can I use that as a word?) in favor of some other silly stories.
In looking over all my years of PiBoIdMo ideas, I noticed something.
My ideas fell into three basic camps. Happy, silly stories; scientific type stories; and what could best be described as biographical stories. There are a few of the science-y ones that could cross over into the biographical section, mainly because I would get ideas while watching PBS Nova and Nature shows.
When Tara asked me to write this blog post, I wracked my brain to come up with something inspirational that dozens of previous blog posts this month and in year’s past hadn’t touched on. For inspiration on my inspirational post—I went to my kid-lit bookshelf. I pulled piles of books down and grouped them by subject. Then the ones that fell into the above themes got re-shelved.
I had five books left.
- “Goodbye Mousie” by Robie H Harris. She was a speaker one year for the NY-SCBWI conference, so it’s autographed. It’s a book about a young boy dealing with the death of his pet mouse.
- “The Goodbye Cancer Garden” by Janna Matthies. This story deals with a mother’s battle with cancer and the affects chemotherapy have on her and her family from the little girl’s perspective.
- “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” by Maria Shriver. This story is about a little girl who deals with the effects of a grandparent who’s losing his memories to Alzheimer’s disease.
- “What’s Wrong With Timmy?” by Maria Shriver as well. In this book a girl befriends another child with Down’s syndrome.
- “Gentle Willow” by Joyce C. Mills. Here is a story about a group of friends that deal with the illness and ultimate loss of a one of their friends.
Notice anything similar about these titles? They all deal with difficult life issues. I got the majority of them for my daughter during a particularly trying time in our lives. My father-in-law was diagnosed with lung cancer, my paternal grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease became advanced and her best friend became very ill with pneumonia requiring a long hospitalization. It was a lot, for me, as an adult to process, and she was only 8 at the time. There were a tremendous number of questions she wanted answered. I needed help in doing that.
I’m not saying this to be a downer, or to rain on your parade. The point being—is there anywhere on your list of ideas a place for the more difficult life events which happen in some children’s lives? The death of a pet, friend or family member; a terminal illness of a loved one or the child herself; even things like discrimination; separation from a parent; or other less than joyful life events can become very worthy books. After all, someone has to write the hard stuff. Maybe that someone can be you?
Look into your life at the bumpy places. Is there a story idea waiting in the shadows to be added to your PiBoIdMo list?
A transplanted New Yorker now living in Missouri, Wendy Martin has been working as an illustrator for 25+ years. She earned a degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, then continued her art education at the School of Visual Arts with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design. After her move to Missouri in 2000, she turned her focus to her true love, children’s books. AN ORDINARY GIRL, A MAGICAL CHILD, a children’s book she both wrote and illustrated, was released in 2005. The book was picked up by a new house, edited and re-released in 2008, then went on to become a finalist in the 2009 international COVR awards. Four additional picture books and a coloring book quickly followed. Visit her on the web at WendyMartinIllustration.com.
Wendy is giving away a signed F&G of RABBIT’S SONG!
One winner will be randomly selected at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by Daniel and I started developing picture books as a team back in 2004. Our earliest picture books were practice vehicles, helping us learn how to create a picture book as well as how best to work together. Our third collaboration landed us an agent and our fourth got us a book deal. Along the way, Daniel and I have discovered a few best practices for successful creative partnerships.
1. Give each other space.
When we started out, we thought we had to muddle through every detail of the development process together—from idea to execution. Soon enough, we felt suffocated by the project, and frustrated with each other. So we changed it up. We’d ruminate on our current task independently and then come to each discussion meeting with solid recommendations on hand.
2. Check your ego at the door.
Even giving each other ample space, our discussions can become quite heated. Naturally, each of us is convinced our approach is the right one. We’ve learned that we can’t hash things out immediately. It’s most harmonious if we present our recommendations with minimal commentary, and then each go back in our respective caves to consider all angles. After some reflection, I often realize that Daniel’s proposed solutions for the story are better than mine, or something he brought up leads me to rethink and rewrite for the better.
3. Try to have fun!
Sometimes we make the mistake of approaching our sessions with too much seriousness. Yes, publishing is a business, but the ideas flow best when we relax and let our creative sides go off on tangents. One of those tangents could be exactly what we need.
Lenore and Daniel Jennewein live and work together in Frankfurt, Germany. CHICK-O-SAURUS REX is their debut picture book as a team. Daniel is also the illustrator of IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN? and TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY TO DRUMS, both by Audrey Vernick. Lenore also writes novels for teens under the name Lenore Appelhans, including THE MEMORY OF AFTER and CHASING BEFORE.
Visit them at LenoreAppelhans.com and DanielJennewein.com.
The Jenneweins are giving away a signed copy of CHICK-O-SAURUS REX plus a personalized illustration by Daniel.
This prize bundle will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)
Good luck, everyone!
by Zachariah OHora
Writing is hard work. Coming up with good characters can be even harder. The market for picture books (at least this moment) is all about character-driven stories.
When I’m trying to come up with a fresh book idea and there isn’t one to steal from my kids, I start with a character.
I’ve developed a method that is very simple. Even if you don’t draw you can fake it.
It’s called “Pimp Your Character” ™.
In a nutshell it works like this…
(Tara’s note: click each image to see it in its full-sized glory!)
Good! You are on your way. If you are feeling confident about this simple version, move on to the advanced version.
Say you are having trouble picking an animal. Maybe you hate animals? If so, try writing dystopian YA.
If you love animals but just can’t decide go to CuteOverload.com or even better FYeahCuteAnimalss.tumblr.com.
Pick an animal and refer to the charts above to “Pimp Your Character” ™.
If done right your character will write or reveal it’s own story. All you have to do is be open to hearing it. Don’t be afraid to use peoples own prejudices and expectations.
You might be surprised. Here’s an example.
Sometimes I get lucky. Real life provides me with a story and character idea and they almost write themselves. NO FITS NILSON! was one of those.
Good luck Pimping Your Character!
Zachariah OHora is the author and illustrator of Stop Snoring Bernard! (Henry Holt 2011) which won the Society of Illustrators Founders Award for 2011 and was chosen as the PA One Book for 2012.
His latest book No Fits Nilson! was awarded a Kirkus Star and featured in The New York Times Book Review. He is currently working on My Cousin Momo (Dial Books, Winter 2015) and Wolfie the Bunny written by Ame Dyckman (Little Brown, Spring 2015).
He is repped by Sean McCarthy of the Sean McCarthy Literary Agency. His website is Zohora.com. Check out his blog and follow him on Twitter @ZachariahOHora.
by Only two more days, everyone! Only two more days until you crack open your notebook and brilliant picture book ideas start flowing out of you!
Or…maybe not.
I want to prepare you for the possibility that your ideas might hide from you. It happens.
And it’s possible that, on Day 12 of PiBoIdMo, instead of having 12 ideas, you will be looking at a notebook with two lame ideas, while everyone around you keeps shouting about how they have 52 ideas, and three of them have already sold and one was optioned by HBO to be a series, which pre-emptively won an Emmy.
It happens.
Remember: PiBoIdMo is a competition with yourself. Those people who come up with lots of ideas? That’s great. But you should be inspired by that, because every time someone comes up with an idea, it sends out idea ripples, and pretty soon a bunch of them are going to hit you. I promise. You’ll be sitting on a park bench, and suddenly you’ll get four good ideas for picture books. (You already know that you need to have something with you at all times to write down these ideas, right? Your phone, an index card, back of your hand? And if you’re in the shower, you’re going to have to repeat “basketball-playing hedgehogs” for three minutes nonstop until you can get yourself to a pencil and paper, so you don’t forget.)
Idea ripples? Click image for the “floating vase,” Tara’s PiBoIdMo Product Pick.
I’ll tell you what won’t work: sitting at your desk, paper in hand, saying, “THINK! THINK! WHAT’S A GOOD IDEA?”
Good picture book ideas are sneaky. They like to jump on you when you’re not ready. (You’re ready, though, right? You’ve got that paper/smartphone/old envelope?)
How do you find the picture book ideas if they don’t want to be found? You have to be sneaky right back.
The first thing you need to do is get out of the house. Or away from your desk, at least. Move. Exercise. Story ideas love to jump out and scare you when you’re exercising.
The next thing you need to do is remember that picture books don’t have to be serious (although they can be) and they can have a lot of nonsense in them. And, although you might hear differing opinions, they have a lot of talking animals. Or talking crayons and pens. Or talking sausages.
So go on a walk, and imagine every non-talking thing you encounter can talk. What would it say? What does the sidewalk say (“Don’t step on my cracks!”) and the grass (“whoosh-swish”) and the snow (“I am very precise and clean and I don’t like it when the dogs stop by to…you know.”)?
What happens if you take some of these newly-talking objects and put them together into one story? Can a park bench be friends with a pigeon? Can a sneaker be friends with a toenail? What happens when a rock steals a light bulb’s banana?
These ideas might not make sense, but if you’re stuck, you have to go to the weird place sometimes.
Here’s the last thing I’ll tell you about ideas: they like to hang out together. They’re a social group. So, once you find one, you’re going to find a lot more. Those people who are talking about how they found 133 ideas? It’s because they stumbled on an Idea Class Reunion, or an Idea Flash Mob or something. But these ideas, there are a lot of them out there. Now, go be sneaky and find where they are.
Julie Falatko sneaks up on picture book ideas from her home in Maine. You can find her at WorldofJulie.com and on Twitter @JulieFalatko. Her debut picture book—which began as a PiBoIdMo Idea—Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) is being published by Viking Children’s in 2015.
Julie is offering one lucky PiBoIdMo’er a picture book critique!
This prize will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for this prize if:
- You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
- You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
- You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (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!
Want to know the whole story behind PiBoIdMo? I tell it today on The Whole Megillah.
When I finally decided to write for children with the intention of becoming published, I got online. I made writing friends. And I listened to them talk.
In the fall of 2008, everyone got loud about an event: NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month. Sounded great! Write a 50,000 novel in a month, join a community of writers doing the same, talk shop every day, and become immersed in the work. I’d feel like a REAL writer.
Except I didn’t write novels. And the thought of writing one? Daunting.
You see, my entire life I’ve been a fan of the short form. I prefer the brilliance in its brevity. I understand how every word must be carefully selected, how every action and scene must contribute to the “single effect,” as dubbed by Edgar Allen Poe. I studied short stories in college, I read short stories voraciously and I began my writing career…
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A very honest post about my debut experience and, sadly, my last for EMU’s Debuts. Please follow my fellow debut friends on their incredible journeys!
Let’s jump right into it, shall we?
Things I Learned During my Debut Process:
- Landing an agent and selling your debut book isn’t THE hurdle. It’s THE FIRST hurdle.
- Not being in Barnes & Noble does make a difference in your book’s success, no matter how many well-meaning people try to assure you otherwise.
- Being in Barnes & Noble does not guarantee your book’s success.
- You will read reviews of your book that will leave you scratching your head, wondering if it’s really YOUR book the reviewer read.
- Just because you have thousands of social media followers doesn’t mean they’ll actually buy your book.
- Just because you publish a book with Simon & Schuster doesn’t mean people who schedule author appearances will want you. You’re still just small potatoes. Think fingerling instead of Idaho.
- You’ll check your Amazon ranking more often than you care to admit and you’ll cringe every…
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You’ve been waiting a long time…but here they finally are: the Mira Reisberg contest winners! I will contact those of you listed here with an exclusive email address to submit to Mira’s Hummmingbird Literary.
Donna Earnhardt
Mary Uhles
Vivian Kirkfield
Laura Renauld
Angie Karcher
There were SO MANY great marketing suggestions, I wanted to pick EVERYONE. You can imagine why it took me so long. Once again I want to thank the lovely and talented Mira Reisberg for sponsoring this contest, and best wishes to all the winners.
Next, the winner of Kristi Valiant’s PENGUIN CHA-CHA Prize Pack! It’s…
Pam Brunskill!
Be on the lookout for my email, Pam. And congrats!
And while I have your attention, NJ-SCBWI just opened registration for a flurry of inspiring and entertaining fall events. I’ll be hosting a PiBoIdMo Kick-Off on October 1st in Manville, plus there’s two other PiBo and NaNoWriMo parties. I’ll also be teaching a picture book workshop at the Fall Craft Weekend on November 10th.
Check it all out at NJSCBWI.com and click “follow blog” so you don’t miss any future event announcements!
Happy writing to everyone! And stay tuned…some PiBoIdMo announcements are coming soon!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 