STORYSTORM 2024 registration begins on December 27. It’s FREE. Stay tuned.

What is Storystorm? It’s a month-long story brainstorming event.

Tired of watching novelists have all the fun in November with NaNoWriMo, I created Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) as a free 30-day challenge for picture book writers. PiBoIdMo began in 2009 and was held annually every November.

But In 2017, PiBoIdMo was moved to January and the name changed to Storystorm to reflect a broader scope. Any writer eager to brainstorm ideas can now participate—professionals, amateurs, teachers and students.

The Storystorm challenge is to create 30 story ideas in 31 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas.

You might think of a clever title. Or a name for a character. Or just a silly thing like “purple polka-dot pony.” The object is to heighten your idea-generating senses. Ideas may build upon other ideas. Your list of potential stories will grow stronger as the days pass. Eventually, you will have a list of ideas to flesh out into concepts, premises and manuscripts in the coming year.

On this blog, daily posts by authors, illustrators, editors and other publishing professionals will help inspire you. By the end of the month, you’ll have a fat file of ideas to spark new stories.

Storystorm registration begins every year in late December and continues into the first week of January. On January 31, participants who completed the challenge are asked to take the Storystorm Winner’s Pledge stating they ended the month with 30 or more ideas. (It’s on the honor system. Participants do not have to post their ideas. In fact, I urge them not to!)

Writers who register and complete the challenge will be eligible for prizes:

  • Feedback from literary agents and editors
  • Original art by kidlit illustrators
  • Critiques from published authors & editors
  • Signed books
  • Bookish jewelry
  • Bookish accessories
  • Other cool writerly stuff

Did I mention that this is all FREE?

Read posts from previous Storystorms:

To continue the picture book discussion, please join our Storystorm Facebook group. Connect with other participants and kidlit professionals, chat about the event and other writerly topics. It’s open year-round!

And follow this blog (see left column) to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

Thank you to Melissa Crowton for the 2019 logo and Bonnie Adamson for the Facebook button!