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by Nancy Tupper Ling
When I visit schools or talk to future authors, I’m often asked: “How do I break into the world of writing?” My first piece of advice will resonate with all of you Storystorm folks. Start with an idea! Not just one idea, but two or three or . . . thirty, if you’re a full-fledged Storystormer!
Thankfully, our ideas flow from a variety of places (hikes, train rides, day-to-day observations at work). Along with this “idea factory” that we’re generating however, we need to actually write . . . eventually. (Sigh! or Huzzah!—depending on how you’re feeling at the moment.)
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That’s where my second piece of advice comes in. As a matter of fact, I’ve pasted this quote onto my latest batch of rack cards: “Write everything and anything . . . you never know where it may lead you.” Sometimes this advice seems a bit shocking. After all, we’ve often been told that we need to hone our particular craft and concentrate on a certain genre, whether that’s picture books, middle grade, poetry, etc.
But nope! I’m here to disagree. I believe our writing improves and develops when we tackle a variety of genres simultaneously. Really, we are building our resumes and relationships in all that we do. A blog post might lead to an article; a short story might weave its way into a novel. Likewise, a poem might lead to a picture book. That’s exactly what happened to me with my most recent book, HEARTS IN MY POCKET (Union Square). It’s a true-blue example of how writing everything and anything can lead to amazing twists and turns.
Several years back, I wrote a poem entitled “Hearts in my Pocket” for the anthology, FOR EVERY LITTLE THING (Eerdmans Publishing), that I coauthored with June Cotner. The editor, Kathleen Merz, had asked for a poem related to divorce or separation. Of course, I sat down and penned one that evening. Certainly, that poem could have been all that I wrote. After several edits, it was included in our anthology. Done!
But as Storystormers, we never shut off that “idea faucet.” Therefore, I began to wonder . . . could this poem possible turn into a picture book story? Believe it or not, it did, but not in an abracadabra kind of way. Rather, in a many drafts, edits, and tears kind of way. Eventually it sold to Union Square Kids in a bidding auction. Even now, my favorite parts of the story are its poetic spreads, where the reader can take a pause, enjoy the illustrations, and listen to the rhyming couplets such as: “Hearts break, leaves shake.”When we witness various forms of our writing coming together into one work, that’s a wonderful thing.
True, this January we’re in an ideas percolating stage! We’re not supposed to be thinking dark, heavy thoughts about submissions, acceptances, and publication. But let’s face it! It’s impossible not to wonder about these things. If we’ve been submitting for a while, we can’t help but fear rejection as well. Yet, I come bearing good news! While we await that first or next acceptance, we have some options. That’s the wonderful idea behind “writing everything and anything. You never know where it may lead you!!”
I’ve published the whole gamete—traditional, non-traditional, self-published, tiny chapbook press, faith-based, journals, start-up children’s publishers, and anthologies. Many of these genres don’t require you to have an agent and are open for submission. All that’s to say, play with your story ideas. Consider whether one or two might work their way into a poem or a short story instead. Then, take a chance and submit them. Believe me when I say, I cannot wait to hear about everything and anything that you write this year! Good things await!
Blessings!
Nancy Tupper Ling is a children’s author, poet, book seller and librarian. Her latest books are Hearts in my Pocket and Bless the Earth with co-editor, June Cotner. Along the way her work has received various honors including the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize, Delaware Diamond Award, Northern Lights Book Awards, and a Golden Scroll Award Finalist. Visit her at NancyTupperLing.com and follow her on Blue Sky and Instagram.
Nancy Tupper Ling is giving away 3 copies of HEARTS IN MY POCKET to 3 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.
Photo: Stacy Murphy Photography
Inspiration. Oh inspiration. Wherefore art thou?
It is Day 21, for goodness’ sake. Are we all here? Have we lost anyone? I hope your well hasn’t run dry. Not yet, at least. If you’re like me, you have visions of cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie dancing around in the back of your head. Still, Thanksgiving must wait for now. We’re busy serving up some PiBoIdMo on our festive plates.
I cannot tell you how grateful I was for my notebook of ideas from last year’s PiBoIdMo adventure. In my household, there’s no such thing as a long stretch of time to write (maybe this is why I’m a poet). If I’ve stocked up on the “Idea Shelf” however, I’m golden. It’s like finding a collection of chocolate bars hidden inside the piano bench (hey, it’s possible) long after Halloween has flickered away. This way when the opportunity to write arrives at my doorstep, I can go for it, even if it’s for a half hour at a time.
Ah, but I digress. Onto inspiration!
I often mention the art of observation to students when I visit schools. I love what Mary Oliver has to say on this topic. “To Pay Attention, this is Our Endless and Proper Work.” My inspiration for my first picture book, My Sister, Alicia May, happened through observation.
During the summer of 2006, I visited a childhood friend and her family. As we walked down a long country road, Cheri and I began to talk about her middle child, Alicia, who has Down syndrome. Ideas began to percolate and I jotted them down, but the heart of the story came from my observations of the two older sisters, Rachel and Alicia, and their everyday interactions with one another.
My second book, Double Happiness, began as a poem.
Ironically, that poem never made it into the book so I’m going to share now. That way it will see the light of day (ha!).
Rain
All day,
rain.
Yesterday, too.
It’s glassy and light,
like bean thread
noodles, sloshing
the window panes.
We’ve done everything,
Jake and I.
We rolled our bodies
inside rugs, tight
like spring rolls.
We ate Mr. Lee’s cherries;
our lips and fingers
turned purpley-red.
We colored napkins
with the pits—see,
my cherry tree?
See, Jake’s scribble?
When we were done,
we watched more rain.
Really, we knew,
there was nothing left to do.
After much revision, the story came to have a dragon, a move, and lots of snow. There’s no rain or cherries or Mr. Lee, but the initial poem got my imagination going. When people ask me for advice on writing, I always say “write anything and everything.” Don’t limit yourself to one genre. Becoming a better poet helped me to become a better children’s author (note, still a Work In Progress).
Oddly enough, my fresh-off-the-press book, The Story I’ll Tell, was inspired by a day dream.
As I was driving down the highway one day, an image came to me—a baby on the doorstep of a home in the mountains. I began to ask myself questions. Who will open the door to the child? And how did this child end up there? And what kind of stories would the parent tell her child about that journey to their doorstep? I found these questions to be helpful for inspiration, as I thought of more and more fantastical ways that the baby came to his new home.
Still, there was one line that pivoted the story, and that’s my favorite line in the book today: “. . . there are times when I think I will tell you the truth, for the truth is a beautiful story too.” With that line I came to a realization. There would be a nugget of truth in each of the fantastical stories that the parent would tell her child, and this patchwork of truths would be stitched together to reveal the most beautiful story in the end—a story of adoption.
So here’s to your 21 ideas, and to this observation-making, poem-tackling, dream-weaving journey. Looks like you’re on the way to your next story!
Nancy Tupper Ling is the winner of the prestigious Writer’s Digest Grand Prize and the Pat Parnell Poetry Award. She draws her inspiration from the multicultural background of her family and the interwoven fabric of familial culture which is, on the surface, seemingly every day. She is the author of My Sister, Alicia May (Pleasant Street Press), Double Happiness (Chronicle Books), The Story I’ll Tell (Lee & Low Books) and the founder of Fine Line Poets. Currently she resides in Walpole, Massachusetts with her husband, Vincent, their two girls, two fish and a parakeet named Nimbus.
You can learn more about Nancy at NancyTupperLing.com, Facebook and Twitter @BlushingFawn.
Nancy is giving away a copy of Double Happiness.
Leave a comment below to enter. One comment per person, please.
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!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 