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by Adam Lehrhaupt & Ame Dyckman

Remember snarfing Cookie Crisp with your favorite stuffie and watching this guy—um, THESE guys on Sesame Street?

Yeah, our Moms wouldn’t let us have Cookie Crisp either—STILL bummed! But back to our point! These guys—

ADAM: “We have a point?”
AME: “’Course we have a point, Fuzzy! Now, pipe down! We’re in Narrative Mode!”

THESE GUYS were able to tackle ANY challenge!

Driving a car!

Spelling “CHEESE.”

Even PiBoIdMo.

ADAM: “The 2-Headed Monster did PiBoIdMo?”
AME: “TOTALLY! Under a PSEUDONYM.”
ADAM: “What pseudonym?”
AME: *whispers*
ADAM: “NO WAY!”
AME: “WAY!”

So now, on PiBoIdMo Day 19, when your lone little head’s probably feeling pretty crunchy—

AME (wistfully): “Like Cookie Crisp!”
ADAM: “AME! Who’s interrupting now?”
AME: “Um, wasn’t me! That was a typo.”

SO NOW, ON DAY 19, how do you make like our co-cranium Henson hero?

You just need an extra head!

Luckily, heads are everywhere! That friend you made at the SCBWI event has a head. Your kidlit pal on social media?

ADAM: “They MIGHT have a head.”
AME: “Yeah. Avatars can be confusing like that.”

And if your writer buddy’s a fellow PiBoIdMo-er, it’s quite likely their lone little head could use a bit of help by now, too.
So why not put your heads TOGETHER? Approach—

ADAM: “I’ll get the pointy scissors and the sewing kit!”
AME: “IDIOM! And you’re not allowed to use the pointy scissors! And you still owe my cat an apology.”
ADAM: “Who you callin’ an idiom?!”

APPROACH your prospective extra head carefully. We suggest this unique technique:

Ask them.

AME: “Just… ‘Wanna be my extra head?’”
ADAM: “Worked on you.”
AME: “So THAT’s how we happened! Always thought it was voodoo…”
ADAM (hides pins): “Don’t be silly.”

Once you’ve obtained your extra head—

ADAM: “Play Pok-A-Tok! Like the Mayans!”
AME: “Pok-A-Wha?”
ADAM: “Ancient Mesoamerican ball game. Occasionally played with heads.”
AME: “Surrender the keyboard. NOW!”

DO NOT remove your extra head from the body where it lives.

DO NOT bounce your extra head through a small stone hoop as ceremonial sport.

ADAM: “AW!”

DO use BOTH your heads to come up with new picture book ideas. How does a 2-Headed Monster do this? You can:

• hang out.
• call or Skype to chat.
• text. (We do this every 17 minutes.)
• use Google Docs. (This, too.)
• e-mail.
• practice your awesome psychic ability.

AME: “OW! Turn your psychic ability down! You’re LOUD!”
ADAM: “Sorry! I was excited. This is the good stuff.”

And what do you DO during these social interactions? Besides share festive beverages? You can:

• brainstorm ideas together. (They ARE your Brainstorm Buddy.)
• bounce those ideas off each other. (Gently.)
• laugh at the funny stuff.
• amp up the not-funny-yet stuff.
• layer ideas to strengthen them.
• share festive beverages.

ADAM: “We already said that.”
AME: “So nice, we said it twice. Like Duran Duran!”

Then, you simply write the idea into a story, edit a thousand times, get agent approval, survive Acquisitions and Contracts, edit another thousand times, get published, and promote like HECK! EASY PEASY!

And if you’re lucky, like we are, your extra head is right there for all of it, shouting in your ear (and to the masses): “Hey, YOU! Check out how RAD my extra head’s story is! And… STUFF!”

AME: “You’re THE BEST, Fuzzy!”
ADAM: “I know. Look! I even got you a present.”
AME: “COOKIE CRISP!” *NOM NOM NOM*
ADAM: “Uh, the cereal. NOT the fingers, please.”
AME: “Sorry. The SUGAR! It’s WORKING!”
ADAM: “QUICK! To the Writing Cave!”
AME: “And then, maybe a game of Pok-A-Tok. For you.”

BYE, EVERYBODY! HAPPY WRITING! And please let us know how your extra head search goes in the Comments below!

Adam Lehrhaupt (TOTALLY the right head!) is the award-winning author of WARNING: DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOK! and PLEASE, OPEN THIS BOOK! His next book, CHICKEN IN SPACE (illustrated by Shahar Kober; HarperCollins), blasts off May 17, 2016. Follow Adam: @Lehrhaupt.

Ame Dyckman (TOTALLY the left head!) is the award-winning author of BOY + BOT, TEA PARTY RULES, and WOLFIE THE BUNNY. Her next book, HORRIBLE BEAR! (illustrated by Zachariah OHora; Little, Brown), wakes from hibernation April 5, 2016. Follow Ame: @AmeDyckman.

PRIZES! Adam and Ame are donating a signed copy of PLEASE, OPEN THIS BOOK!, a signed copy of WOLFIE THE BUNNY… AND a picture book manuscript co-critique! Lunch and festive beverages—if you’re so inclined—included if you live near ’em! (They said they’ll even TRY not to squabble and throw lunch—THIS time.)

Leave a comment below to enter. One comment per person, please.

These prizes will be given away at the conclusion of PiBoIdMo. You are eligible for these prizes if:

1. You have registered for PiBoIdMo.
2. You have commented ONCE ONLY on today’s post.
3. You have completed the PiBoIdMo challenge. (You will have to sign the PiBoIdMo Pledge at the end of the event.)

Good luck, everyone!