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Shaping a poem
the body builder
pumps
flexes
tones and
tautens
as
snip
snap
snip –
the gardener
prunes and shapes
and
whoosh!
the very
clumsy clown
colours the sky
with brightly bobbing
balloons of
thought
© Kathryn Apel 2010
Playing with words to inspire creativity
I write poetry. And I write picture books. And this is a good thing, because poetry and picture books go hand-in-hand… beautifully!
If I’m stuck for inspiration or enthusiasm in my picture books, or I’m at that point of doubting that I’ll ever find ‘the’ perfect word (or any words, for that matter)—I write poetry. Poetry prompts me to play with words again.
We all know the cliché that writers paint pictures with words, but when I’m writing poetry, I get three distinct visual images—and they’re all of me! Let me put you in the picture, too…
The first is a bit of a joke, because in reality I can’t lift more than a bar of chocolate… BUT—I see myself as The Body Builder toning up by pumping poetry. Composing poetry flexes creativity. It hones vocabulary and encourages wordplay. It pinpoints weaknesses and forces me to focus on specific ‘muscles’. The more poetry I write, the greater my control of my writing muscles—of words. And that is vital when writing picture books!
As The Gardener, I am a topiary artiste, intent on pruning and shaping; looking at the bigger picture and trimming it into a recognisable form. There is a certain ruthlessness in laying bare a thing of beauty. Poetry is a lot like a topiary tree—each word carefully placed to create a sharp, clear image. Excess words snipped away. There is no room for clutter. Each word must earn its place. A lot like … a picture book!
And then I see myself as The Clumsy Clown clutching fistfuls of colourful helium balloons… but can she keep them all in her grasp? No way! Poetry has a way of releasing thoughts to, float, fly, drift and swirl like a bunch of brightly bobbing balloons. Thoughts that could become a poem… or even a picture book… For me, a tramp over paddocks (with notebook in hand) is the perfect time to release the balloons, where they can dip and sway and soar to greater heights in the vast, open sky.
When writing poetry, I am carried away by my imagination.
Come fly with me!
Kathryn Apel is the author of the rhyming picture book This is the Mud! published by Lothian/Hachette Australia in 2009 and read on ABC Play School in 2010. You can follow @KatApel on Twitter, or visit her website, katswhiskers.wordpress.com. Kat is also the co-founder of #pblitchat, the weekly chat for those who work in the picture book publishing industry. You don’t have to be on Twitter, Facebook or any other social media to join the chat. Read all about it at picturebooksonly.wordpress.com.
by Lori Degman
Thanks, Tara, for letting me be a guest blogger for PiBoIdMo 2010! I was an avid follower last year and came away with more than thirty story ideas (some great, some not so great). It really jump-started my brain!
About a week ago, I sat down to write this post and drew a blank. I just couldnʼt come up with a good idea (pretty ironic, huh?). The next day, after the weather forecasters predicted record-breaking winds, I said to my husband, “That forecast sure was overblown.” When I stopped laughing (well after my husband), I realized I had found my topic—PUNS! Iʼm a sucker for a pun—good or bad—I just canʼt get enough of them!
Most puns just pop out of my mouth, without really thinking about them, but Iʼve learned how to purposely create puns, too—some of which have lead to funny, punny picture book stories! Though some puns go over childrenʼs heads, the adult readers catch them—and itʼs important to please your adult audience as well. After all, theyʼre the ones who will be reading your book again and again and again (hopefully)!
Here are some ways you can create puns—Iʼm sure there are tons more:
Put a twist on an idiom or slang phrase:
- Mrs. OʼLearyʼs cow kicked the bucket.
- Baking a pie is a piece of cake.
- Being a vampire really sucks! (Not for kids, but I thought it was funny.)
Think of animals and related traits:
- The cow was udderly delightful.
- The elephant packed his trunk for a trip.
- Having skunks for neighbors really stinks!
Make references to well-known fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters:
- Maryʼs in trouble and now sheʼs on the lamb.
- The Big Bad Wolf stomped off in a huff.
- Mother Goose hatched a plot.
Any of these puns might make a great starting point for a story. I hope this gets your imagination off and punning (sorry)!
Lori Degman is a teacher of deaf and hard of hearing students. She currently lives in Vernon Hills with her husband, John and two sons, Sean, 24 and Brian, 21. Her first picture book, 1 Zany Zoo, was the winner of the 2008 Spoonfuls of Stories Contest and was released July 2010 by Simon & Schuster. For more punny stuff, visit her at loridegman.blogspot.com.
by A great road trip game is called “No, It Wasn’t.” It’s played with partners. One begins telling a story—any story. The other interrupts as often as desired with, “No, it wasn’t”—or any grammatically-correct contradiction.
It may sound like this:
1: One morning, Jane went for a walk.
2: No, she didn’t.
1: That’s right. It wasn’t a walk. She was running. For exercise.
2: No, it wasn’t.
1: Actually, it was because someone was chasing her. A bad guy.
2: No, it wasn’t.
1: No, it was the police. Jane is the bad guy.
And so on. The challenge to the storyteller is to instantly change direction, as often as they’re prompted. As the story continues, the predictable story lines usually fall away, and the requirement to make changes opens the doors to great creativity. A new story begins to emerge, one that goes in radical new directions. In the example with Jane above, it would’ve originally been a story about her going to visit her friends. In only three twists, Jane is on the run from the police.
This can be a useful brainstorming game for writers too. Maybe you won’t end up writing the story in the direction the game led you, but it does force you to explore more options than Jane simply being out for a walk.
If you’re already working on a premise, write a quick logline for it. In your first sentence, try a “no, it wasn’t,” and see where it leads you.
Or start fresh. Choose a main character, any main character, then give them something to do. And so your game begins.
Need a prompt?
Here it is: When (Main Character) came home that day an old friend was waiting.
No, it wasn’t.
Jennifer A. Nielsen’s debut novel Elliot and the Goblin War was released in October 2010. And it comes with a warning–as of today, only 7 children who have ever read this book have lived to tell about it. If you’re very brave, perhaps you’re willing to take your chance with it.
The next book in the series, Elliot and the Pixie Plot will be released in May 2011. It’s pretty much like the first book, except it has a different plot. Different artwork too. Because that’d be pretty lame if they just used the same art all over again.
by I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of being little. I am a little sister (my sister is five years older than me). Now that we’re adults and friends that difference is pretty much nonexistent, but when we were young, five years was the Grand Canyon. All I wanted to do was spend time with my big sister, doing the things that she got to do. And all she wanted to do was… anything else. I even wrote a story about it in second grade called “It’s Not Fair!”
That’s where I got the idea for my first picture book The Littlest Pilgrim. Well, truth be told, the title actually popped into my head during a meeting and I thought it was cute and wanted to write a story around it. But it didn’t take long for me to circle back to my memories about being little. So, I wrote a story about Mini who is the littlest pilgrim in her village and she just wants to help. Everyone tells her she’s too little for all the grown-up chores and duties, so she strikes out on her own and finds something she isn’t too little for: making a friend.
After The Littlest Pilgrim came out and hit the New York Times Best Seller list (you still have to pinch me about that one!), I was thrilled to be able to write another “littlest” book. As I started thinking about holiday themes, a picture of me in my first grade Christmas play popped into my mind.
I was one of the stars in the night sky (the yellow star in the green skirt, to be exact) leading Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. I had one line to recite in the play. And I was a very shy kid, so it was kind of terrifying to stand on that big, bright stage and speak my one line. I loved the idea of turning that around and writing about Max (the littlest kid in his class, of course). Max wants nothing more than to be the star of his school Christmas play and have a million lines to recite, but he ends up being the actual star with only one line.
So, as you can see I like to take memories of my own experiences from childhood and turn them slightly to the right or to the left – adjusting the lens a little bit and discovering a different character or story hidden there.
Now it’s your turn. Peruse a class picture from elementary school, dig through that box of handprint turkeys and leaf collages, or just reach back in your mind and find a childhood memory that you can turn to the right or to the left. Who or what is hidden there?
In addition to her two picture books, Brandi Dougherty is the author of three middle grade novels: Miss Fortune (Scholastic, 2010), The Friendship Experiment (Scholastic, 2009), and The Valentine’s Day Disaster (Scholastic, 2008). She worked in publishing in New York for eight years and now resides in San Francisco where she is mom to an adorable and rather spoiled dog. Visit her at www.brandidougherty.com.
by In my day-to-day life I’m a dreary, straight-laced stickler for rules. I’m obsessively punctual with my rent. I always wear my seatbelt. And I’d never dream of going through the Express Lane at the grocery store with more than fifteen items in my cart.
But when it comes to writing picture books, I’m proud to be a rule-breaking outlaw.
Who says a picture book needs to be told from start to finish? My fairy tale The End is told in reverse chronological order, from end to middle to beginning.
In fact, who says a picture book needs a traditional beginning, middle, and end at all? My latest book, 1 + 1 = 5 And Other Unlikely Additions, is simply a collection of surprising (but plausible) math facts. 1 + 1 = 3? 1 unicorn + 1 goat = 3 horns! 1 + 1 = 6? 1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians! Who would have guessed that a list of equations could make a successful children’s book, but it works.
Which brings me to my writing tip for today: forget about the rule that says a good book needs a plot with a character and problem and solution. Today, just make a list. The Top Ten Ways to Avoid Doing the Dishes. Reasons Why I Should Have a Horse. My Favorite Things to Do with Peas Instead of Eating Them. You decide on the topic.
Come to think of it, maybe I’m not such a rule-breaker after all. There are plenty of wonderful picture books which are, at their hearts, simply lists:
Jane Yolen’s humorous How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?
Lauren Stringer’s clever and beautiful Winter is the Warmest Season
Judith Viorst’s classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Of course successful list books like these are more than a recitation of boring items. They resonate with a child’s emotions, shine with beautiful language, explode with humor, or invite the reader to look at the world in a new way.
And you can write a memorable children’s book, too! Just pick up your pencil and start making a list.
David LaRochelle has been creating books for young people since 1988. His next picture book, The Haunted Hamburger and Other Ghostly Stories, illustrated by Paul Meisel, will be released by Dutton in 2011. He lives in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and is currently catching his breath after a busy month of carving pumpkins, some of which can be viewed at his website www.davidlarochelle.net.
Get Out and Live, Your Stories are Depending on You
by Ideas are endless, and everywhere! You can find ideas on a backyard walk, or at a trek to the zoo. You can find them in the news, or in the newspaper. Keep your eyes open and really look around. Listen to the chatter of little children, look at the bark of trees. Discover life around you through the eyes of a child.
Trees have faces if you look closely enough. Clouds can create castles. And in the humdrum of everyday activities, you can find a story just waiting to be told. While on my way to take my daughter to school, I was delayed by turkeys in the road. Instead of allowing a panic mode to overtake me (because we were going to be late), I simply enjoyed that moment.
And my debut picture book, 10 Turkeys in the Road, Marshall Cavendish, 2011, was born. I stopped to smell the roses, or better yet, to watch the turkeys. Soon after, I was awakened with the story of the turkeys in my head.
And after 3 major revisions and a year later, editor Margery Cuyler discovered 10 Turkeys at the RUCCL conference.
A trip to the zoo resulted in my story waiting to be sold, My Gorilla Brother, and an afternoon outing to watch my nephew play football, resulted in my story Touchdown! which won first place in the 2007 Smart Writers Contest judged by Verla Kay.
You can find ideas everywhere! A sight, or a smell, or a sound triggers them, but you must to get “out,” and experience life to find them.
One place that most initial ideas will not be found is in front of a blank computer screen. Ideas must first take root in your soul, and then once they are rooted, they are ready for watering, shaping, and pruning.
Yes ideas are endless, and they are anywhere and everywhere you can possibly imagine. Your stories are waiting for you, so get busy and get outside. Live and enjoy your life so you can first imagine, and then write your stories, as only you can.
Brenda Reeves Sturgis began her writing career four years ago, after meeting Lynn Plourde at a school visit. She bought every one of Lynn’s books and asked the question that would change her life, “How do I become a writer?”
Lynn directed Brenda to the CWIM (Children’s Writer’s Illustrator’s and Market Guide book, by Alice Pope), and also to SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrator’s). One of Brenda’s favorite sayings is, “When the student is ready– the teacher will appear!”
Brenda is generously offering a picture book critique as one of the PiBoIdMo prizes. Finish 30 ideas in 30 days to become eligible to win!
Welcome to PiBoIdMo, 30 days of inspiration and motivation created for picture book writers.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it (and I know you will ’cause it’s a cakewalk), is to jot down one new picture book concept a day during November. That’s it. You don’t have to write a full manuscript, but if you want to, go ahead. No one’s stopping you!
Guest articles by published authors and illustrators will serve as your inspiration. Visit here once a day to read a new perspective on creativity.
Your motivation will be prizes. (Plus finishing the month with a file of ideas.) Sometimes you’ll need to comment on a post to qualify for a prize, but for most of the goodies, you’ll need to finish the month with 30 ideas.
To qualify for prizes, there are two steps:
- You must sign-up below (leave a comment) by November 7th.
- You must sign the 30-ideas-in-30-days pledge which will be posted on December 1st.
The pledge is by honor system and will remain open for signing from December 1st thru 4th. Prizes will be announced on December 6th. Please note that if your name does not appear in both places–the sign-up and pledge–you will not be eligible to win.
So that’s the fine print!
Now Johnny, please tell us what they can win…
Feedback from Literary Agents
Three winners will be paired with one of three agents: Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, Kelly Sonnack of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc., and Joanna Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation. Winners will send their five best ideas to their assigned agent. The agent will provide feedback on which ideas may be the best ones to pursue.
Picture Book Critiques
Seven winners will be randomly chosen and paired with one of these authors: Sudipta Bardan-Quallen, Brenda Reeves Sturgis, Corey Rosen Schwartz, Tiffany Strelitz-Haber, Lori Degman, Lori Calabrese and Linda Bozzo. Winners will send one picture book manuscript (up to 800 words) for a critique. (Linda Bozzo offers a non-fiction picture book or article critique. Lori Degman, Lori Calabrese & Tiffany Strelitz-Haber will critique rhyming PBs. Alternatively, Tiffany offers a lesson in rhyme and meter.)
Original Artwork
Some illustrators will be guest blogging in visual format. You can win original art by Neil Numberman, Bonnie Adamson, Jannie Ho, Adam F. Watkins and James Burks, who designed the PiBoIdMo logo and badge.
Picture Books
Picture books donated by Jannie Ho, Sterling Children’s Books, Alison Ashley Formento, Joan Waites, Pat Miller, Tammi Sauer, Jeannine Q. Norris, Lori Calabrese and Simon & Schuster.
Jewelry
Stay inspired all year long with the “write” bracelet, donated by writer and artist Laura Hamor.
Heather Powers has donated her “Anne of Green Gables” book club pendant. Check out her Etsy store Humblebeads for more lovely nature- and literary-inspired wares.
Greeting Cards
Artist Christina Peressini’s inventive die-cut greeting cards have also been donated. The winner chooses a mix & match 10-pack from her original designs, like the “Wishing You Peace” card.
And, there might be some extra-special stuff added as the month progresses, so stay tuned.
So there you have it. PiBoIdMo 2010.
Let the sign-up begin!
Then come back on Monday for the first of 30 posts to help you along your idea journey!
[Update 11/8: Comments are now closed. If you are not signed up below, you aren’t eligible for prizes, but you can still join PiBoIdMo–just visit every day for a new post about creativity to help you along your idea journey.]
by Karen Collum
We creative types often talk about that moment when inspiration strikes. We get an idea, a phrase, an image, a scent, a sound that somehow switches something on in our brains and before we know it words are churning out faster than electric shocks on a trampoline. The concept of inspiration ‘striking’, however, is misleading. It sounds so passive, so unpredictable, so out of our control.
I’d like you to think about another sort of strike for a moment; a lightning strike. It’s true, lightning can strike people almost anywhere and at anytime, and we often hear amazing tales of the same person being struck more than once, but there are well-known factors that can increase or decrease the likelihood of being struck by lightning. I believe the same applies to the strike of inspiration. Here are a few ways you can increase the likelihood of being struck by inspiration (but please don’t use this advice in a storm as you are quite likely to get struck by lightning and although that might make a great story, it would in fact be terrible!):
1. Stand tall and in the open
Everyone knows that lightning strikes tall objects and the wisest thing to do in a storm is lie low. The opposite is true when waiting for inspiration to strike. Stand out in the open field of life, arms outstretched and reaching for the sky. Stand tall, lift your gaze above what is immediately in front of you and look around. Don’t be afraid to be different. Look at a picture, a scene, a group of people from a different perspective. Ask ‘what if?’ questions. Dare to look beyond what you first see. For me that often means taking a mental step back from the scene and surveying it as an observer. Why is that person frowning? Why is the lady in the car crying? Where is that person in a hurry to get to? Do this often enough and inspiration will surely strike.
2. Have your umbrella up
Umbrellas in a lightning storm are a no-no, especially if yours has a metal tip on the end, but for a writer, having your umbrella up means you are ready and waiting to be struck by inspiration. You are aware of what’s going on around you and that there may just be one tiny thing that will spark your creativity in amongst the mundane. I try to have my umbrella up all the time, consciously searching for things that might be useful. I listen carefully to the conversations that my children have and try to absorb their pattern of speech. I also have a notebook handy at all times so I can capture the strike when it happens. When I’m outside playing with my kids I watch for interesting things in my environment. Just the other day I saw a slow and steady march of butterflies heading to some important but unknown place, one at a time. Inspiration can strike on even the gentlest of wings.
3. Get on the phone
During a lightning storm it’s advisable to stay off the phone as lightning can travel down the phone line and end up quite painfully in your ear. As a writer, however, it’s essential that you connect and network with other creative people. Have conversations about interesting things, bounce ideas off one another, share with trusted creative friends what you’re working on. I don’t believe inspiration happens in a vacuum and by connecting with one another we can create surges of inspiration for all of us.
Don’t just wait for inspiration to strike. Stand tall, have your umbrella up and get on the phone. You might just find those thirty PiBoIdMo ideas flowing faster than you ever thought possible.
Karen Collum lives in Brisbane, Australia and is a stay-at-home mum to three pre-school boys. She is about to welcome a baby girl to the family in December. She is also a picture book author and co-convenor of the international online picture book chat group, #pblitchat. (You can find details about #pblitchat at http://picturebooksonly.wordpress.com.) Karen’s debut picture book SAMUEL’S KISSES is due for release in late November by New Frontier Publishing. You can follow Karen on Twitter (@KarenCollum) or find more about her and her books on her website http://www.karencollum.com.au.
Venerable LA Times rock critic Robert Hilburn recently penned Corn Flakes with John Lennon and Other Tales from a Rock n’ Roll Life, a revealing memoir-style series of vignettes featuring the great rock icons of the last 50 years.
In the book, Hilburn recounts his seven-piece Times series on the most influential and prolific songwriters of the rock era, which was published earlier this decade. He chose Bob Dylan as his first subject. Hilburn wanted to learn about a songwriter’s creative process: what inspires them, how they begin to lay down the music and lyrics, if success or failure of past work influenced future songs. The interview with Dylan earned Hilburn his third Pulitzer Prize nomination. And, Dylan’s words may give other writers—perhaps even picture book writers—inspiration for their own work:
“Some things just come to me in dreams,” Dylan told Hilburn. “But I can write a bunch of stuff down after you leave…about say, the way you are dressed. I look at people as ideas. I don’t look at them as people. I’m talking about general observation. Whoever I see, I look at them as an idea…what this person represents. That’s the way I see life. I see life as a utilitarian thing. Then you strip things away until you get to the core of what’s important.”
And picture books are indeed about what’s important; every picture book features an emotional truth, whether it be about family, friendship or fitting in. If you strip away what’s on the surface—the pirates or the penguins or the princesses—what remains is a story about the human experience.
Noted illustrator Jim Arnosky found inspiration in Dylan’s music. “From the first time I heard [Man Gave Names to All the Animals], the lyrics created pictures in my mind of a land of primeval beauty,” said Arnosky. Dylan gave his permission to create a picture book, and the work was released by Sterling in September.
So that’s your inspirational thought for the day. Well, two inspirational thoughts! People and songs.
What do other people’s actions say to you? How do those actions translate to story? What music boosts your creativity?
And don’t forget, there’s much more inspiration to come when PiBoIdMo begins in November. Consider this a warm up, or as Dylan might say, a sound check.
[UPDATE: The winner is Sheryl Tilley! Congratulations and enjoy!]
My story “The Juggler Triplets” will appear in the November issue of Abe’s Peanut, a micro-magazine for kids ages 6-10. Delivered in four postcard installments, the story appears on one side with full-color illustration by Lichen Frank on the other.
Independently published by editors Anna and Tess Knoebel, Abe’s Peanut launched this year after the success of Abe’s Penny, a micro-magazine for adults: “Off-set printed on double thick matte card stock, each issue dispenses art and literature while becoming a collectible, temporal object.” (In kidspeak: “They look cool tacked to your bedroom door.”)
Recent Abe’s Peanut contributors include Audrey Vernick, author of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?, and Lisa Tharpe, author of P is for Please: A Bestiary of Manners.
Kids love receiving their own mail, so here’s a chance to receive four postcards with your child’s name on the label.
Leave a comment naming your child’s favorite picture book for one contest entry. Mention the giveaway elsewhere for two additional entries. A winner will be chosen on Friday, October 22nd.
And stay-tuned for PiBoIdMo in November, when there will be several itty-bitty (plus some hugantic) giveaways!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 