Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

Storystorm 2025 Day 21: Jolene Gutiérrez and her Children Shine a Light

January 21, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Annie Lynn, Jolene Gutiérrez, Mamiachi & Me, The Ofrenda That We Built | 399 comments

by Jolene Gutiérrez

It’s 2025. We’ve been through dark times, and there could be more coming. How do we brave the darkness? How do we find a creative spark when we’re also sad, worried, or busy? And how do we craft stories that will shine a light for others

Twenty-five years ago, I was pregnant with our first child, our daughter Shaian. As a school librarian and book lover, I began searching for books that honored my unborn baby’s Mexican heritage. Slowly, I gathered a small collection, but our family struggled to find well-written, joyful stories with characters of Mexican heritage.

Fast-forward to the pandemic. Shaian, then 19, was taking college classes from home. I was teaching from home. Shaian’s uncle José and my dad/Shaian’s grandpa had both recently passed away. Our ofrenda, an altar with offerings for Día de Muertos, had always been important, but now, it was even more so. Shaian loves decorating our ofrenda with papel picado, alebrijes, and sugar skulls, and as I thought about the layers we add when building our ofrenda, it reminded me of the old nursery rhyme, “The House that Jack Built.” So Shaian and I wrote a cumulative story about a family working together to create their ofrenda and honor lost loved ones. That story, The Ofrenda That We Built, was illustrated by Gabby Zapata and published by Chronicle in 2024. Creating a book about remembrance and celebration felt so powerful. It gave us joy and hope.

And then, my husband was telling me about an all-female mariachi group he’d heard about on NPR. I misheard him and thought he said, “Mamiachi group.” Mami is a Spanish word for mommy, so that made me wonder: had that name ever been used in a book? Because if it hadn’t, it was the perfect name for a little girl to call her mami. This made me think of my son, Dakota, who was 17 at that point and also learning from home. He had been active in choir, musical theater, and orchestra and was planning to join the mariachi band during his senior year, but all performing arts were put on hold at his school that year. Instead, we wrote Mamiachi & Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band. It was illustrated by Mirelle Ortega and Abrams just published it on January 7. This story allowed us to focus on family connections, music, and strength as we created something beautiful.

Working together to create the books that we needed to see in the world gave us hope during dark times. And I was able to lean on my kids—I didn’t have to do it all on my own.

A couple of guiding questions:

What stories have you always wanted to see in the world?
Who might you partner with so you can lift each other up through story and/or art?

And then. . .the question of the hour:

How do we create a spark during times we have almost lost our sparkle?

My friend Annie Lynn (amazing musician and longtime Storystorm and kidlit supporter) and I were recently chatting about challenging times in our lives and how difficult it is to write when we’re carrying painful burdens. So in the hopes that our discussion and my experiences writing with my kids during the pandemic will be helpful to others, here are a few tips:

Don’t wait until you feel better to start creating. The act of creating may help improve your mood. Waiting for the perfect day is kind of like waiting until you’re in shape to start exercising.
Smile and laugh as much as possible. Trick your brain into happiness!
Celebrate often, reframe situations, and find gratitude whenever possible. From my Yogi tea bag: “Gratitude is not about what is received; it’s about how you receive what is there.”

Read and review great picture books! Surround yourself with mentor texts and give the gift of leaving reviews on places like GoodReads and Amazon.

View the world with a childlike gaze. Find wonder, joy, and beauty everywhere!

Be gentle with yourself. You are precious. Treat yourself as you’d treat your child or your best friend.

And, Annie’s best advice: “Eat a cookie or two in the sunshine with your eyes closed.”

The joy you find as you put these things into practice will surely infuse your writing. I can’t wait to see the light you bring to our world!

Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian who has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. Jolene writes for young readers and hopes her books will help some readers feel seen and will help others learn and grow in compassion. Her books have been printed in 10 countries and 9 languages. Jolene is the author of Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (Abrams Childrens, 2026, co-authored with Minoru Tonai), Mamiachi and Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band, The Ofrenda That We Built (a 2024 Golden Poppy Book Awards finalist), Too Much! An Overwhelming Day (Bookstagang’s Best Book of 2023), Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks (a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard book), and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader. Find her online a JoleneGutierrez.com or on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads @writerjolene.

Jolene Gutiérrez is giving away 1 copy of Mamiachi & Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band and 1 copy of The Ofrenda That We Built (U.S. street addresses only, please) to two separate winners.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 20: Katie Mazeika Consults Her Younger Self

January 20, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: ANNETTE FEELS FREE, BEULAH HAS A HUNCH, Is That the Bus?, Katie Mazeika, MAYBE JUST ASK ME | 456 comments

by Katie Mazeika

Howdy Storystormers! I’m going to tell you a little about my childhood and hopefully it’ll help you come up with an idea for a story for the kid you used to be.

I had cancer and lost my eye when I was three. I was in and out of hospitals for years. At one point, when I was five, I spent five months in Cleveland Clinic and had several different surgeries. That summer was when I discovered “Madeline” by Ludwig Bemelmans.

I adored the titular character and wanted to be just like her. Not just because she was brave enough to “Pooh-Pooh” the tiger in the zoo. The scene that made Madeline my literary hero was right after she had her appendix removed. The next morning Miss Clavel brings the girls to see her and Madeline isn’t embarrassed by her new scar, she doesn’t hide it under her pajamas. No, Madeline stands up on the bed and shows it off!

This was the first time I’d seen a hospital stay in a picture book. Madeline had surgery, like I had, she had scar too. For the first time I felt seen!

I wish I could say I walk out of that hospital with the confidence Madeline had when she on that bed and showed off her scar. But I was kid that hid behind sunglasses. Disfigurement has always been a common villain trope (from Bond villains to Disney characters). And disabled characters are often used as comic relief. I internalized this and wished I could just be “normal.” I was ashamed of my disability as a kid.

Fast forward to couple of years ago. I was at a weekend kidlit retreat. A handful of authors and illustrators were sitting around sharing personal stories. I talked about an issue I’d dealt with since childhood. Strangers stare at me, but especially kids. Inevitably a parent steps in, whispers to stop, don’t stare, look somewhere else. And on some level, I had just accepted it. I understood that at some point, we were all taught not to acknowledge someone’s disability—“Pretend you don’t notice”, “Look away”. But that day something clicked. I thought back to my little kid self and realized that she experienced this every day. She heard the adults say to look away. And she assumed there must be something wrong with having one eye, with being different. And my heart broke.

That’s when I got the idea that became MAYBE JUST ASK ME!

By the the car to ride to the airport that Sunday afternoon I had the first draft of MAYBE JUST ASK ME! In my head. I knew the story arc, I had a beginning, middle and end. Before I boarded the plane home I had shared it with my agent. She was as passionate about it as I was. She agreed that this was a story I needed to tell, a picture book that needed to be made.

MAYBE JUST ASK ME! is the book I needed as a kid. The main character, Mazie, does what I wished I could do. She bulldozes through the discomfort and speaks up. She doesn’t feel ashamed and try to hide her disability. She doesn’t stay quiet when strangers look away, pretend not to see her. She speaks up and tells her classmates “Maybe just ask me!” She has some of Madeline’s moxie.

MAYBE JUST ASK ME! is the book I wish I had as a kid. It’s the book I needed as a kid. I think we all have those stories in use-it’s a matter of digging deep and finding them. So, here’s my how-to.

Make a list of the books did you loved as a child. The ones you came back to again and again and still hold a special place in your heart.
Go through the list one by one and ask yourself why that book was so special to you? What piece of you did each book on your list speak to?
Ask what they missed? What did you need to hear when you were a child that wasn’t in any picture book?

Use this to create a story for your child self. Write the picture book you wish you’d had and create the main character you wished you could be. Maybe it’ll be some child’s Madeline!

Katie Mazeika is an award-winning author and illustrator who can’t imagine a better job than making books. She loves creating stories based on real people and events. Katie strongly believes all children should see themselves in books and is passionate about highlighting disabled voices in her work. She hopes her work as a creator and advocate creates a space to openly discuss disability and neurodiversity. Katie does this through presentations, panels, consultations, and workshops for educators, kidlit creators, publishers, and young readers through Highlights, SCBWI, and NCTE.

Katie is the author and illustrator of the nonfiction picture books BEULAH HAS A HUNCH! (Simon & Schuster) and ANNETTE FEELS FREE (Simon & Schuster). Her fiction debut, MAYBE JUST ASK ME! (Simon & Schuster), comes out April 22, 2025. Katie illustrated three board books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: Babies series (Charlesbridge) and Is That the Bus? by Libby Koppanen (Charlesbridge), among other books.

When she’s not drawing, writing, or visiting schools and libraries, Katie likes to spend her time gardening and reading other people’s books. Katie currently lives in Cleveland, Ohio. You can see more of Katie’s work at KatieMazeika.com or follow her on Instagram @kdmazart or Blusesky @kdmaz.

Katie Mazeika is giving away a signed copy of MAYBE JUST ASK ME! with SWAG and an AMA to one lucky winner.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 19: Matt Forrest Esenwine Celebrates Success

January 19, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025, STORYSTORM Success Story | Tags: A Universe of Rainbows, Flashlight Night, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Matt Forrest Esenwine, Once Upon Another Time | 407 comments

by Matt Forrest Esenwine

The great thing about Storystorm is that it spurs so many ideas! It also encourages one to simply brainstorm, without worrying about whether those ideas are any good or not. And it’s a very low-pressure sort of thing, as the honor system is pretty much the only rule we need to follow. It’s also free!

(OK, so apparently there are LOTS of great things about Storystorm.)

Ironically, even though Tara shares daily inspirational posts on her blog during Storystorm, it’s still sometimes difficult to nail down just where an idea came from. Take, for example, this particular success story:

My first poetry anthology!

During the last few days of Storystorm 2019, I was kicking around some possible concepts for a poetry collection. As someone who writes a lot of children’s poetry and whose picture books like “Flashlight Night” and “Once Upon Another Time” are very lyrical and poetic, I’m always on the lookout for new themes and angles around which I can develop a collection.

I have no idea if it was Lindsay Bonilla’s post about wild animals or my friend Diana Murray’s post about actively creating your own inspiration rather than waiting for it (something I wholeheartedly endorse), but the concept of rainbows and all the myriad forms they take suddenly came to me.

When I say “forms,” I don’t just mean normal rainbows, refraction, etc. I began thinking about creatures like the rainbowfish and rainbow lorikeet as well as natural wonders like Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring and the Rainbow Nebula in Orion. So I immediately jotted down “rainbow poetry collection” onto my Storystorm list as #30 out of an eventual 32 ideas.

A couple of weeks later, I was researching rainbows and discovered things I never knew existed like the Rainbow Mountain of Vinicunca, Peru and the amazingly-colored and bad-tempered peacock mantis shrimp.

It occurred to me that since rainbows are symbols of inclusion, hope, and pride…I should try to be as “inclusive” with these poems as possible! So rather than a collection of my own poems, I began my quest to develop my very first poetry anthology. Over the years, I’ve had nearly 40 poems published in numerous anthologies but never created one of my own! Who did I need to talk to first?

Lee Bennett Hopkins.

The late award-winning, Guinness record-holding anthologist had compiled more than 126 poetry anthologies over the course of his career, and having had the honor of working with him on several of them, I wanted to seek out some professional guidance.

So I called him up and we chatted on the phone at length about the rainbow poetry anthology, other projects we were working on, and life in general…and when we hung up, he had provided me with a great deal of advice and support, and had agreed to even contribute a poem.

Little did I realize it would be our last phone conversation.

Six months later, Lee’s friends received the news he had passed away. He never knew that a mere eight months later, in April 2020, I would receive an offer from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers to publish my proposed anthology. But I had done the legwork, research, and organization he had suggested and had a long list of poets and subjects ready to put this book together!

I couldn’t be more grateful to Lee for his guidance or to Tara for the environment she’s fostered that allows for the birth of ideas like this in the first place. I firmly believe that every idea opens the door for every idea that follows – so even if you think one of your Storystorm ideas isn’t worth writing down, WRITE IT DOWN, ANYWAY. That winning concept you’ve been struggling to find could be just another idea or two away!

It’s taken more than six years of contemplation, inspiration, and perspiration, but “A Universe of Rainbows: Multicolored Poems for a Multicolored World” finally arrives April 1! And because creativity begets creativity, I have a second anthology with Eerdmans, as well – and several others that are out on submissions.

Who knows where this new chapter of my career will lead?

Dunno.

But I do know it started with Storystorm!

A voiceover talent and commercial copy writer, Matt can be heard on commercials, animation, and corporate videos from Maine to Florida, from California to New Jersey, from the U.K. to Dubai. Over the years, Matt has had several adult poems published in independent collections, including the Tall Grass Writers Guild’s “Seasons of Change,” “The Licking River Review,” and the Donald Hall tribute anthology, “Except for Love” (Encircle, 2019), among others. In 2012, his poem, “Apple-Stealing,” was nominated by the Young Adult Review Network (YARN) for a Pushcart Prize.

His debut picture book, “Flashlight Night” (Boyds Mills Press, 2017), received a starred review from Kirkus and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Picture Books for Kids of 2017. You can find his children’s poetry in numerous anthologies including Lee Bennett Hopkins’ “School People” (Wordsong, 2018) and J. Patrick Lewis’ “The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry” (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2015), as well as “Highlights for Children” magazine. Matt lives in New Hampshire with his wife and children. Visit him at MattForrest.com.

Matt Forrest Esenwine is giving away a signed copy of “A Universe of Rainbows” to one lucky winner.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 18: Lori Keating Creates a Vision Board

January 18, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Angels in the Sand, Lori Keating, The Memory Quilt | 383 comments

by Lori Keating

Brainstorming ideas for stories can be an exhilarating journey into the depths of creativity. It often begins with a spark—an intriguing character, a peculiar setting, or a what-if scenario that refuses to leave your mind. As you explore these initial ideas, they start to intertwine, forming the threads of a narrative that beckons to be told.

My inspiration frequently arises from the world around me. The concept of The Memory Quilt emerged during a dinner at a friend’s house, where they presented a memory quilt made by a quilter for the parents of their deceased son. Butterfly Ink was inspired by my daughter’s fascination with temporary tattoos. One day, an idea struck me: what if the tattoo possessed magical qualities? As for Angels in the Sand, it initially began as a picture book, but after receiving a request for a complete manuscript from an agent, I saw its immense potential and chose to transform it into a Middle-Grade novel. I discover magic in the everyday—where a brief, simple moment can evolve into an extraordinary story.

These snippets of life are the rocket fuel for my creativity, reminding me that stories are lurking everywhere, just waiting to burst forth. They nudge me to look closer, listen harder, and bask in the world’s beautiful details.

One effective method for brainstorming and developing those ideas is by creating a vision board. If you don’t already know, a vision board is a collage of images, words, and other materials that visually represent your goals, aspirations, and the themes you wish to explore in your stories. This creative process not only helps to clarify your thoughts but also serves as a source of inspiration and motivation.

To create a vision board, start by gathering materials such as photographs, fabric swatches, and any other items that resonate with your story’s themes or characters. As you sift through these materials, allow your intuition to guide you, selecting images and words that spark joy or curiosity.

Once you have a collection of items, arrange them on a board or large piece of paper. Consider the relationships between the elements, and how they might represent different aspects of your story. Play with the layout until it feels cohesive and evocative of the narrative you wish to create.

The beauty of a vision board lies in its flexibility; it can evolve as your story develops. Keep it in a place where you can see it regularly, allowing it to continuously inspire and remind you of the essence of your tale. This visual reminder can help you stay focused and motivated as you bring your story to life, guiding you through the twists and turns of the creative process.

Turning a story of around 500 words into a 30,000-word narrative may appear daunting, but it becomes manageable with a solid plan in place. Start by expanding on the details that make up your story’s world. Dive deeper into the backgrounds and motivations of your characters, allowing them to grow and evolve in unexpected ways. Consider adding subplots that complement the main narrative, enriching the tapestry of your tale and providing additional layers for readers to explore.

Develop your settings with vivid descriptions that transport readers to the heart of your story. Whether it’s a bustling cityscape or a serene countryside, immerse them in the sights, sounds, and sensations of each scene. This not only enhances their reading experience but also creates a more immersive world where your characters can thrive.

Dialogue is another powerful tool to elongate your story while adding depth to character interactions. Use conversations to reveal hidden emotions, secrets, and desires, allowing relationships to unfold naturally and authentically.

Don’t forget to weave in themes and messages that resonate with you and your audience. These can serve as the backbone of your story, providing a cohesive thread that ties everything together. As you expand your narrative, ensure that each element aligns with these core ideas, creating a harmonious and impactful tale.

Finally, embrace the revision process. As your story grows, be open to revisiting and refining each part, ensuring that every scene and character contributes meaningfully to the overall narrative. With patience and dedication, a once-short story can blossom into a rich, multi-layered novel that captivates and inspires readers.

Remember, the journey from a brief concept to a full-fledged novel is a creative adventure in itself. Enjoy each step of the process, and trust in your ability to craft a story that will resonate with readers and leave a lasting impression.

Lori Keating is a versatile author who weaves tales across a multitude of genres. She is the proud winner of awards for her young adult novel Butterfly Ink and the picture book The Memory Quilt. Her latest middle-grade novel, titled Angels in the Sand, was released on January 7, 2025. Additionally, Lori hosts the podcast Kid Lit Meet N Greet on YouTube, where she interviews authors from various children’s literature genres.

She lives amidst the stunning landscapes of South Florida with her husband, her wonderful daughter, two dogs, and two cats. Visit her at LoriKeating.com and follow her on Instagram @LoriMKeating and BlueSky @lorikeating.bsky.social.

Lori Keating is giving away a signed copy of Angels in the Sand.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 17: Namita Moolani Mehra Tests Titles, Taglines and Golden Nuggets

January 17, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Namita Moolani Mehra, THE GREATEST RIVER, THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU | 412 comments

by Namita Moolani Mehra

The ad agency girl in me tends to come up with titles before developed story ideas. My Storystorm output for the last five years are essentially long lists of potential picture book titles. I’ve gone ahead and developed about 10% of these title ideas into full manuscripts, and about four of those manuscripts have gone out on sub with my lovely agent. Two subs turned into contracts, and I’m happy to report that one of those contracts, a humble Storystorm title idea, is now a published, award-winning picture book—THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU, illustrated by Kamala Nair and published by Two Lions.

Over a decade of working in advertising and another decade building my own brand has made me a lifelong student of branding and creative strategy.

If I say Nike, you will immediately think, “Just Do It”.

If I say McDonalds, your brain will go, “da, da, da, da, da, I’m lovin’ it!”

If I say Dove, you might even recall women of all shapes and sizes posing in nothing but their underwear in the “Campaign for Real Beauty”.

These iconic advertising campaigns have built memorable brands with high recall taglines.

I was fortunate to work on Dove and saw first-hand, the power of an idea to inspire a global movement (even Oprah got on board!)

To see a soap brand boldly engage in a conversation around the definitions of beauty and self-confidence was incredible. Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” was the outcome of a global study that revealed a prevalence of low self-esteem in young women and girls around the world. I like to call this key insight, this data-point or truth . . . a ‘golden nugget.’

It was literally my job to find golden nuggets for brands through research, consumer and competitive analysis. Golden nuggets are often creative currency.

THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU is a story about the Indian Festival of Lights, but more importantly, it’s a story about believing in your ability to shine bright even through the darkest times. Holidays and festivals are usually portrayed full of joy, but they can often be a hard time for people living abroad, part of a diaspora, or immigrant families. For children celebrating cultural holidays that are lesser known for example, in their classroom, it can be an emotional roller-coaster not feeling seen.

As an Indian living outside of India most of my life, I often found myself in situations where other children didn’t understand my traditions or culture and it would dim my light. I would fade to fit in, instead of shining bright to stand out. Struggling with a sense of belonging and overcoming self-doubt was my golden nugget for The Light Within You. The title popped into my head even before I had written the manuscript. The heart of the story lies in the many moment the grandma (Nani) and her grandchild Diya shares. Nani tells us that “Diwali is more than a festival, it’s the light within you.”

As a published author, I think of book titles as taglines and the story premise, promise or heart, as a golden nugget.

Interestingly, book titles are also like an ad for your story!

Like taglines, titles present us with an opportunity to grab the reader or buyer’s attention in a few words. Iconic advertising campaigns tend to have powerful taglines driving them and I would encourage you to try starting with a strong title too!

Don’t forget—the primary purpose of advertising is to sell. Taglines sell and I bet good titles do too! Write down a few of your favorite picture book titles and analyze why you love them.

Is the title easy to remember and memorable?
Is it short and sweet?
Is it kid-friendly?
Does it have universal appeal?
Is it punny or funny?
Does it reveal the story’s heart?
Is it believable?
Does it spark curiosity?

Sales and marketing teams at publishing houses have a lot of experience with titles and may challenge your proposed title. My upcoming book, THE GREATEST RIVER, illustrated by Khoa Le and published by Harper Collins was originally titled ‘The Greatest Mother”. I loved my title because the story is about the Holy River of India that millions refer to as ‘Ma’ Ganga—Ma meaning mother. I was attached to the original title because of the spiritual significance, so when the sales team suggested a change, I was resistant. As I sat with their feedback, I realized that readers might not understand the mother reference and could be confused or misled. The publisher suggested we change the title to The Greatest RIVER and it occurred to me that this new title has more universal appeal. It creates a sense of curiosity while still fulfilling on the wider promise of the story—the power of nature to heal AKA my golden nugget.

Have you found your golden nugget? Once you do, it might lead you right to an amazing title!

As a POC author writing culturally specific stories, titles play an important role for me to reach and connect with wider audiences.

Don’ t be afraid to have multiple title options to run by your critique partners or editor. People are passionate about titles and love weighing in on them!

Namita Moolani Mehra is an award-winning, agented children’s book author and the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund almost one million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita’s published books include Veena And The Red Roti, The Light Within You, and Anni Dreams of Biryani. She has also authored children’s cookbooks, including The Magic Spicebox and Superfoods for Superheroes. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences like cooking classes and street food pop-ups. She currently lives in Singapore with her husband, two children, and a dramatic doodle. Visit her online at NamitaMehra.com. Namita is active on Instagram @indianspicebox.

Namita Moolani Mehra is giving away a copy of her new book THE GREATEST RIVER.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 16: Mary Boone Cuts, Hammers, Sands and Polishes Until Ideas Shine

January 16, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Mary Boone, Pedal Pusher | 423 comments

by Mary Boone

Story ideas are exciting packages of potential, and by the end of this month-long brainstorming exercise, you’ll have a pile of them. That’s worth celebrating. In fact, when January comes to a close, I challenge you to write each idea on a small strip of paper and toss them into the air so you can have your own little Storystorm confetti party. Yay you!

But don’t stop there—those flashes of inspiration are worth little unless you act on them.

Think of a story idea like a fallen tree in your yard. It’s rough and unrefined. To make that wood into something remarkable, you’d have to invest a lot of time and effort into measuring, planning, milling, planning, sawing, hammering, and more. Every piece of wood is unique, full of hidden patterns and possibilities. Some pieces might become furniture, others sculptures, and some may simply get tossed into the firepit. Raw story ideas are much the same.

You may have landed on a compelling character or an intriguing “what if.” But at this stage, it’s impossible to know what your idea can truly become. Its beauty, depth, and power only reveal themselves as you work on it.

The first step in woodworking—and writing—is cutting your raw material into workable pieces. Starting a draft is like shaping your story’s foundation—defining your protagonist’s goal, outlining the plot, or deciding on tone and style. It’s messy, but that’s normal.

Once the pieces are cut, it’s time to assemble them into something solid. For writers, this is the first draft. Hammering a story into shape is hard work. Your sentences feel clunky, your dialogue is awkward, and your pacing uneven. But just like nailing those first boards together, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s creating a framework you can later refine.

Sanding is where the real magic happens. Nail holes are filled, rough edges are smoothed, and, over time, the beauty of the woodgrain is revealed. For us, as writers, this happens during revision. During this stage, you focus on refining your story. You write and work with critique partners to deepen your characters, smooth out plot holes, ascertain whether language could be more lyrical, or jokes could be funnier. What once seemed rough and unfinished begins to shine.

During my very first writing job, I had an editor whose frequent advice was to “polish the wood.” As a 22-year-old, especially one working on a daily newspaper’s tight deadlines, I’m not sure I fully grasped what she was saying. But now it’s clear to me there are many parallels between crafting a story and a piece of furniture. And as you write, I hope you’ll remember:

Get your hands dirty. Embrace the mess of a first draft—it’s part of the process.
Not every project is a success. The table with the wonky leg. The cabinet with the doors that don’t close. The picture book with an overly complicated plot. Rebuilding/rewriting may help. Or it may be time to move on to another promising idea.
Over time, you’ll refine your ability to discern which ideas have the most potential. Just like a veteran carpenter knows to avoid warped or knotty lumber, you’ll learn to identify ideas that may not yield the best stories. Does every idea hit for an experienced writer? Absolutely not. But your success ratio will undoubtedly improve.

It’s easy to fall in love with a story idea and imagine its brilliance. But until you put in the effort to craft it—writing, revising, and polishing—it’s just raw material.

So, keep dreaming, imagining, and capturing those raw ideas. Because, when February rolls around, it’s going to be time to start building. Your masterpiece is waiting.

Mary Boone has done just enough woodworking—and writing—to know that “polishing the wood” really does work. Her books include SCHOOL OF FISH (Albert Whitman & Co.), BUGS FOR BREAKFAST (Chicago Review Press) and PEDAL PUSHER (Henry Holt & Co.). FLYING FEMINIST (Andersen Press) and UNFATHOMABLE (Bright Matter) are set to release in 2026. An Iowa native, Mary now lives in Washington state’s Puget Sound region. To learn more about Mary and her books, you can subscribe to her newsletter, follow her on Instagram @boonewrites, Blue Sky, or visit her website BooneWrites.com.

Mary Boone is giving away three signed copies of her new picture book, PEDAL PUSHER, illustrated by Lisa Anchin, to three separate winners.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 15: Jennifer Swanson Sets the Scene with STEM

January 15, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2020 | Tags: Astronaut Aquanaut, Inc., Jennifer Swanson, Kid Literacy, Solve It for Kids Podcast | 400 comments

by Jennifer Swanson

One of the many things that makes a great story is the scene. Setting the scene for your book is so important because your reader needs to know where they are. After all, a book is two-dimensional. It’s not a video which has the ability provide multiple images in a flash of a minute and interact with you. Books need the author to provide rich, descriptive details that makes the reader feel the sensations and emotions of being in a particular place.

It might be the cool, dark forest, surrounded by high, full trees swaying in the wind. It might be the warm pebbles of sand slipping through your toes while gentle waves lap against your feet.

OR it might be the inside of a tiny shoot of a flower as it emerges from the earth and stretches its new bud towards the sky. Wait. Did you just put your reader inside the stem of a flower? Yep. That’s the lovely thing about STEM writing. It can take you ANYWHERE.

When you are writing science books, just like a fiction book, you can immerse your reader in your scene. That scene might be in the ISS (International Space Station) high up in the sky where you have your reader marvel as the view of the tiny Earth fills up your observation window and feel the weightlessness of microgravity. Or maybe your reader is taken on journey across the limbs and tree branches over a stream, into freezing cold mounds of snow, and through a short, quick thunderstorm to show you how the water cycle works.

What I’m trying to say is that just because you are writing about science/STEM/STEAM you don’t have to be boring. Be Creative! When you are getting ready to write your topic, many people think that because this is a book about science, it has to be done “head-on”.

In other words, if you are writing a book about seeds, you need to talk about how a seed, grows roots, its shoot grows, and it undergoes photosynthesis…. (are you bored yet). What you can do, is to set that same scene in an exciting way. Melissa Stewart does a great job of that with her book A Seed Is the Start by NGKids.

Melissa does tell the story of how a seed grows, but she uses images of an actual seed in the soil. She explains what is happening in short, active words so that the young reader can really see what is happening as well as read it. Pretty cool idea. She is showing science in action in a BOOK!

In my book, Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact, I take my reader on a journey to space and under the ocean. It is not so obvious a progression as Melissa’s, but it accomplishes a similar idea. Readers will see the inside of the ISS and real astronauts answer questions about what it’s like to be in space. They will understand and hopefully even imagine the floating around the ISS and doing their job. To make this more real, I spoke with NASA engineers who helped to build the rockets and space suits that the astronauts wear, asking them what it felt like and how they created this amazing technology.

Then the reader is introduced to aquanauts that dive deep in the ocean and live in Aquarius, the only underwater lab in the world. They will feel the pull of pressure on their bodies, and “hear” their voices reach different pitches as they live in the specialized air combination sixty feet below the ocean. Comparing and contrasting these two extreme environments is a great way to help the reader to understand the e forces that push in on them or lift them up as they also learn about what it would take to become either of these two explorers.

Now I could have just given the information “head-on” but setting the scene of what is happening makes your reader feel like a part of the book. Other books that do this well are:

Sarah Albee’s Poison: Deadly Deeds, Perilous Professions, and Murderous Medicines:

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg:

Water is Water by Miranda Paul:

So, the next time you get ready to write about a science topic, think about ways you can use setting to help your reader feel like they are going on an adventure in your book–when actually, they are learning about science. (Shhh…don’t tell them.)

After all, SCIENCE ROCKS!

Jennifer Swanson is the award-winning author of over 50 books for kids, mostly about science and technology. She is the creator and co-host of the Solve It! for Kids Science Podcast, the creator of STEAMTeamBooks, and STEM Tuesday, and a curious kid at heart.

Visit her online at JenniferSwansonBooks.com. She is also the President and Founder of Kid Literacy, Inc.

Jennifer Swanson is giving away a 20-minute Zoom Ask me Anything session to one lucky winner.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 14: Audrey Perrott Knows Being Funny is Serious Business

January 14, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: A HAT FOR HOUSE, Audrey Perrott, BAA HAA, MOO HOO, Ross Burach | 512 comments

by Audrey Perrott

If you’ve ever been on my Instagram feed, you already know I cry easily, just like Milton in my debut picture book MOO HOO. But I also love to laugh, just like Babette in the upcoming companion book BAA HAA. And House, well, his snarky anxious self in A HAT FOR HOUSE is me in all the ways.

What I’m trying to say is…

I’m an author shamelessly plugging my books.

I kid, I kid. (Not really, not really.)

Actually, what I’m trying to say is my anxiety makes me a deeply feeling person, which is mostly great when it comes to writing books for kids.

My husband uses the word “intense.” I prefer the word “passionate.”

Tomato, tomato sauce.

This passion usually translates to books with humor and heart, but I’m not always feeling particularly jovial especially when the world feels dark. That’s when I need a little help finding the light—inspiration that brings me joy, makes me laugh, and validates all of my feelings. So where do I turn?

Stand-up comedy.

Seriously.

Hear me out: While the content of most stand-up comedians is NSFPBs (Not Safe For Picture Books), there is a huge bucket of inspiration and knowledge you can gleam.

Stand-up comedy is so much more than jokes. It’s carefully crafted storytelling with perfected word choice, pacing, tone, voice, themes, and a pay-off in punchlines. Sound familiar?

Comedians tell a story that connects with their audience that makes them laugh, hopefully over and over and over again. That’s what we want for the readers of our funny picture books. We are writing to surprise our readers with joy, preferably in the form of a belly-aching snort-laugh so they read our books over and over and over again.

Study the way comedians weave together everyday situations in unique ways. Watch how they lean into the awkward, the embarrassing, the obvious, and the preposterous. Take notes on their timing. Think of their dramatic pauses as page turns. Pay attention to the running gags and where they’re placed in the set.

Laugh—and then analyze why you’re laughing.

I’m not joking.

Humor is a serious business. So is writing funny picture books.

This is why a few years ago, I made a writing challenge I called Eat Your Words to brainstorm silly picture book ideas. You can find all of the posts on my blog, starting here. I printed out lots and lots—and LOTS—of teeny tiny bits of paper with words. Every week I challenged myself to pick three and use them to come up with story ideas. I encouraged people to join me!

They did not.

It’s okay. It was fun! It also helped me get out of my rut and led to some funny story ideas.

You could easily use an online random word generator, such as, Random Word Generator, or you can download the ones I made.

One last idea for ideas: I’ve been a huge Tara Lazar and Storystorm fan for years, even fangirling big time at the SCBWI Florida Regional Conference in 2020 before the world (almost) ended.

But this is my first time as a guest blogger! It’s a very surreal and exciting checkmark on my proverbial author BINGO card. So, I thought it would be fun to make a real 2025 Book-Maker BINGO card for you to download as a way to keep your sights on your dreams beyond January.

After all, one of my main mantras is to dream big, work hard, and be grateful.

On that note, I hope you dream up dozens of big story ideas this January.

I hope you work hard to turn some of the into full drafts.

And I am oh so grateful to Tara and all of you for inviting me into your inbox today.

Now go forth, be the light and find the funny!

Audrey’s sense of humor has helped her get through some really icky seasons in life. It’s also helped her write and publish a few books, including her debut picture book MOO HOO, illustrated by Ross Burach, A HAT FOR HOUSE, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago, and the upcoming companion to MOO HOO titled BAA HAA, launching on March 4, 2025. Audrey believes funny books are just as important as serious books and writes both in her North Carolina home. You can find more about her at AudreyPerrott.com, on Instagram at @audreysbooksandbakes or BlueSky at audreysbooks.bsky.social.

Audrey Perrott is offering a picture book critique [non-rhyming, up to 600 words] OR one copy of one of her books [MOO HOO, A HAT FOR HOUSE, or BAA HAA (March 2025)], to one lucky winner, their pick.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 13: Alan Silberberg Hosts “The Idea Game”

January 13, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Alan Silberberg, MEET THE LATKES, MEET THE MATZAH, MEMEET THE HAMANTASHEN, MILO; STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE, P is for PASTRAMI, THE BAGEL WHO WANTED EVERYTHING, THE FALAFEL WHO FELT AWFUL | 469 comments

by Alan Silberberg

Alan is a cartoonist and writer who loves making funny food books for kids. P is for PASTRAMI – The ABCs of JEWISH FOOD keeps company with MEET THE LATKES, MEET THE MATZAH and MEET THE HAMANTASHEN (Viking/ Penguin Random House). His new book, THE BAGEL WHO WANTED EVERYTHING will be published Summer 2025 followed by THE FALAFEL WHO FELT AWFUL in 2026.

His illustrated middle-grade novel, MILO; STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE won the SCBWI Sid Fleischman Humor Award.

Alan is from Boston but happily lives in Montreal.

He likes chocolate chip cookies.

Learn more at SilberBooks.com and follow him on Instagram @alan_silberberg.

Alan Silberberg is giving away a signed copy of one of his books, one lucky winner’s choice.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.

Storystorm 2025 Day 12: Joann Howeth Chooses Parallel Story-Telling

January 12, 2025 in STORYSTORM 2025 | Tags: Joann Howeth, THE MOLLYS B | 484 comments

by Joann Howeth

People ask what inspired the writing of my picture book biography THE MOLLYS B. and why I chose the parallel story-telling format. It started with an incident in which a heifer executed (forgive the pun—perverse, for sure, but for some reason makes me chuckle) her grand escape from a slaughterhouse in Great Falls, Montana in 2006. That was a busy year for me; I was taking care of my elderly parents, working full-time, and just getting through each day. I remember reading the article about her in the local newspaper. Mostly, I was amused, but I was also inspired by this bovine’s determination and pleased that she had been granted clemency. I cut it out of the newspaper, added it to a folder about animals I’d been keeping for years, and then forgot about it.

Eight years later this heifer made the news again. The article provided a recap of her escapade (hilarious again in its retelling) and proceeded to tell readers about what she’d been doing in the intervening years. Having evaded slaughter and now named Molly, she had been a resident of two large animal sanctuaries. When both of those operations had to close, a third home was found for her at a farm animal sanctuary located in my hometown. The story once again tickled my funny bone, so for my own amusement, I cut the article out of the newspaper, filed it away, and proceeded to forget about it.

By this time, my parents had both died, I was no longer working full-time, and I was engaged in learning the craft of writing children’s books. Always on the lookout for story ideas, I visited my folder about animals where I stumbled across the newspaper articles about Molly. I remember thinking what fun it would be to write her story, but how? A cow escaping from a slaughterhouse? For children?

Fast forward another eight years: it was November. My husband and I were flying home from New York City, and I was as sick as sick could be—the kind of embarrassing sick that had me using the motion sickness bag. And in that weird, brain-fogged, “please let me die” place, I was touched by magic, and THE MOLLYS B. landed in my lap.

In 2006 when Molly the heifer was recaptured and returned to the meat packing plant, the manager didn’t have the heart to send her back to the slaughter pens. Her gumption to overcome her fate spoke to him. He secured her freedom and humorously named her “Molly” after the original unsinkable “Molly”—Margaret Tobin Brown— famous for having survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. He saw that the two females shared a natural buoyancy: not only had Molly the heifer survived encounters with moving objects (cars, trucks, and a train), like Margaret she had also survived an ordeal with water—a fast-moving ride down the Missouri River.

In my flulike stupor, I envisioned these two, indomitable gals side-by-side. The text started unfurling and with racing thoughts, I dictated it to my husband, who patiently let me interrupt his reading each time I leaned over with a fresh line. I wrote the first draft of THE MOLLYS B. in four brain-addled hours, but it’s evident that the desire to tell this story had been germinating a long time—sixteen years! Success? Yes, sort of. I had found my way into the story. I had words down on paper, but I still had a sticky problem.

Photo credit: Blue Balloon Books

How does one explain a slaughterhouse to little children? What was my responsibility here? I really wanted to tell Molly’s story—her gumption inspired me. I wanted to celebrate that. But how? Finally, I decided I could tell the story by focusing on one single, shared experience, and how both females, from places of determination and inner strength, fought to save their lives.

Fast forward another two years: after a year of conducting interviews, obtaining testimonials from experts, purchasing licenses for photographs, rewriting, and revising, and then another year of working with a publisher and illustrator, the dual story of the Mollys is at last ready for its audience. It has been a long journey, demanding an amount of patience for which no synonym exists, but I’ll tell you what—it has been FUN! With capital letters. Immensely rewarding and gratifying, I wouldn’t change any part of it.

So don’t ignore those niggling ideas that keep you awake at night, no matter how outlandish they may at first seem. One of those ideas may be a story longing to be told and you may be the only one who can tell it. Find your way into it and start writing!

*Footnote: for the parents of the astute child who questions Molly’s presence in a slaughterhouse in the first place, my book provides resources that will hopefully guide them in finding answers for the toughest of questions they may find lobbed at them.

Photo credit: Adler Boncher Creative

Expecting to become a high school English teacher, Joann was secretly relieved when a scarcity of jobs following graduation nudged her into a complete change of directions. Finding employment in the jewelry industry, she spent many happy creative years as a designer and goldsmith. Comparably satisfying, Joann now writes children’s books. She is a member of the SCBWI and the winner of a handful of awards. THE MOLLYS B. is her second book. Joann makes Montana her home. Visit her at JoannHoweth.com and follow her on Instagram @joannhoweth.author.

Joann Howeth is giving away a signed copy of THE MOLLYS B. to one lucky winner.

You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2025 participant and you have commented only once below.

Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.