This has been more than a month of learning. It has been a month of connecting, inspiring, and encouraging. I have met some wonderful people through PiBoIdMo and made lots of new writing connections, but more so… friends! Many thanks to Tara Lazar for all the links to awesome writers, teachers, and literary geniuses!
I’ve spent too much time reading and learning not to have recorded some ideas that I can go back to later as needed. Having done all this for myself seems a little selfish, so I decided to leave my notes in my blog for anyone else who needs a quick shot of inspiration or motivation. With each one, I added the link back to Tara Lazar and her amazing Picture Book Idea Month blog. Of course, one could simply go back to Tara’s archives and search for the posts, but for me it was easier to have my own set of links with my notes for quick reference. If you decide to copy this list (by all means, do) you may want to rewrite the notes to suit your own needs. I went with a one or two line description to jog my memory.
And let me once again thank Tara Lazar publicly for hosting this wonderful online event! I have learned so much through humor, wit, sassiness, silliness, creativity, honesty, and professionalism!
Pre-Pi Bo Id Mo 2013
1. Leeza Hernandez
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/25/pre-pibo-day-1-leeza-hernandez/
Pledge to take Ten-Minutes-a-Day for yourself!
2. Marcie Colleen
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/26/pre-pibo-day-2-marcie-colleen/
Prepare Your Writing Space
3. Julie Hedlund
Pre-PiBo Day 3: Julie Hedlund’s Most Wonderful Time of the Year (plus prizes!)
Founder of 12×12
Tara’s PiBoIdMo is almost considered a mandatory first step to 12×12.
4. Betsy Devany
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/28/pre-pibo-day-4-betsy-devany/
Have Fun! Got out of cooking Thanksgiving Dinner so she could write!!!!
5. Kayleen West
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/29/pre-pibo-day-5-kayleen-west/
Didn’t start writing until she was 48 years old. Started with PiBoIdMo2011 and has already published two books with two, almost three more contracted.
6. Julie Falatko
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/30/pre-pibo-day-6-julie-falatko/
Sneak Up on Sneaky Ideas and Catch Them
7. Dianne de Las Casas
http://taralazar.com/2013/10/31/pre-pibo-day-7-dianne-de-las-casas/
How End Papers can Enhance a Picture Book
Pi Bo Id Mo 2013
1. Tammi Sauer
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/01/piboidmo-day-1-tammi-sauer/
Start with a Title: Showcase a Main Character, focus on the Setting, Create a Sense of Suspense, Utilize Fun Language Play
2. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/02/piboidmo-day-2-sudipta-bardhan-quallen/ http://nerdychicksrule.com/
Idea Wheel http://wheeldecide.com/ Characters x Outcomes CxO=#of story ideas.
3. Greg Pizzoli
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/03/piboidmo-day-3-greg-pizzoli/
Sometimes limitations will force you to be creative.
Doing the work you feel driven to do, can produce work you might not expect.
4. Katie Davis
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/04/piboidmo-day-4-katie-davis/
30 Days of Picture Book Inspiration (One Activity per Day to Work On)
5. Ryan Sias
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/05/piboidmo-day-5-ryan-sias/
LOOK! Favorite places to look are kids, kids again, and library/bookstore, galleries/museums, and internet.
6. Michael Garland
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/06/piboidmo-day-6-michael-garland/
Not all ideas will be books. Go with your heart when writing, you never know which ideas will be published.
7. Pat Zietlow Miller
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/07/piboidmo-day-7-pat-zietlow-miller/
Finds Inspiration in the Air and in Other Books Snippets of Words and Admiration
8. Mike Allegra
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/08/piboidmo-day-8-mike-allegra/
Importance of Play and Imagination to Creative Writing
9. Paul Schmid
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/09/piboidmo-day-9-paul-schmid/
I think, therefore I am stuck. (Or how I tell my brain to shut up so I can be creative.)
10. Drew Daywalt
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/10/piboidmo-day-10-drew-daywalt/
Muse in a Man-Cave
11. Todd McQueen
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/11/piboidmo-day-11-todd-mcqueen/
Ships and Harbors Will the idea float?
12. Elizabeth Rose Stanton
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/12/piboidmo-day-12-elizabeth-rose-stanton/
Procrastidoodle!
13. Jane Yolen
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/13/piboidmo-day-13-jane-yolen/
Show up! Luck only happens if you’re already working on it!
14. Zachariah Ohora
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/14/piboidmo-day-14-zachariah-ohora/
Pimp Your Character!
15. Adam Lehrhaupt
Writer’s Block: 10 Ideas to Jump Start Your Brain
16. Anne Marie Pace
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/16/piboidmo-day-16-anne-marie-pace/
Inspiration comes from Hope, Deadlines, The Ticking Clock, My Kids, and Kid Readers
17. Lenore & Daniel Jennewein
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/17/piboidmo-day-17-the-jenneweins/
Collaboration: Give each other space. Check your ego at the door. Try to have fun!
18. Dorina Lazo Gilmore
PiBoIdMo Day 18: Dorina Lazo Gilmore Feeds Her Imagination (plus a prize!)
Cooking with mama, grandmas, and aunties gave her material to write.
19. Maria Guion
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/19/piboidmo-day-19-melissa-guion/
Inspiration is a scam! Stay away from oracles and romantics! Sit down at your desk and work!
20. Pat Miller
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/20/piboidmo-day-20-pat-miller/
Back Door Ideas: Piggyback, Get Emotional, Mother of Invention, Carry a Net, Plant Bulbs
21. Steve Barr
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/21/piboidmo-day-21-steve-barr/
Look and Listen
3 Part Chart: Main Character/Setting/Supporting Characters (Mash-up Activity)
22. Bitsy Kemper
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/22/piboidmo-day-22-bitsy-kemper/
Writing Time- Use it Wisely Blog or Manuscript? Manuscript always wins!
23. Kelly Light
PiBoIdMo Day 23: Kelly Light Gets Medieval On Your [Bleep] (plus prizes!)
Drive and Determination! Work 10-hour days, 7 days a week!
24. Maria Gianferrari
PiBoIdMo Day 24: Maria Gianferrari Embraces Failure (plus a prize!)
Embrace failure as a recipe for success.
Recipe: Knead/Change genres or format, Marinate/Let it sit a bit, Fold In/a new point of view, Set Aside/Take a break and procrastinate and lots more.
25. Wendy Martin
PiBoIdMo Day 25: Wendy Martin Gets Difficult (plus a prize!)
Themes: Most books fall into 3 categories – happy/silly, scientific, and biographical.
Out of the Box Themes – death, cancer, alzheimer’s, down’s syndrome, loss of friend (life issues)
26. Renee Kurilla
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/26/piboidmo-day-26-renee-kurilla/
Windy Day – Pay attention to everyday things (like wind) to get really great ideas.
27. Annette Simon
http://taralazar.com/2013/11/27/piboidmo-day-27-annette-simon/
Used book titles, stacked on top of each other, photo of spines to tell story! Genius!
28. Joni Sussman
PiBoIdMo Day 28: Joni Sussman Has Hanukkah on the Brain (plus a prize pack!)
Write for a Jewish market. Can you turn a story into a Hanukkah story?
Contact Tara directly for the email address and subject line code to submit to Joni Sussman at Kar-Ben Publishing.
29. Kami Kinard
PiBoIdMo Day 29: Kami Kinard Goes After It With a Club (plus a prize!)
“You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” Jack London
30. Laurie Keller
PiBoIdMo Final Day 30: Laurie Keller Trusts Her Instincts (plus a prize pack!)
TRUST YOUR OWN INSTINCTS Write what you like, and tell it your voice.
Post Pi Bo Id Mo 2013
Take the PiBoIdMo Pledge:
I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed
the PiBoIdMo 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge,
and will, to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into picture book manuscripts.
1. Corey Rosen Schwartz
Post-PiBo Day 1: Corey Rosen Schwartz Looks for What POPS (plus a prize!)
Weigh your best options. Check Amazon to see what competing titles are out there. Shop out manuscripts to editors/agents.
2. Kristi Valiant
http://taralazar.com/2013/12/03/post-pibo-day-2-kristi-valiant/
Work on the Big Picture until you have a unique story. Then master the details!
3. Stacy McAnulty
http://taralazar.com/2013/12/04/post-pibo-day-3-stacy-mcanulty/
BOM your story! (Billing Out Material) Engineer the Creativity! Make a spreadsheet of characters, settings, problems, etc and work out details integral to the story.
4. Ame Dyckman
Post-PiBo Day 4: Ame Dyckman’s Idea Herding Method (plus a prize pack!)
Take only your best ideas, write a title and opening line for each, then tape them all over your house! Look at them every day and let them speak to you until you have a full manuscript!
5. Artie Bennet
Final day of Picture Book Idea Month. Artie Bennet entertains us with The Butt Book! Somebody has go there, might as well be him!
6. Tara Lazar
Tara leaves us with a parting message and a link to her most popular post, Self-Ended Picture Book Layout.
This has been a wonderful experience and a wild ride! Thank you Tara and all the contributors to the community. You are much appreciated!
Juliana Lee 