by Kjersten Hayes Here we are, Storystorm day 22—how’s it going? Do you have 22 shiny new picture book ideas? If yes, hooray! If not… There’s still time! In my book THE ELEPHANTS’ GUIDE TO HIDE-AND-SEEK, the main character is invited to play a game,
by Chana Stiefel Hello Storystormers! It’s hard to believe we’re already three weeks in. How’s it going? Are you churning out ideas like this? If not, I’d like to jumpstart your idea machine by training your brain to ask a single question: Where did that
by Margaret Chiu Greanias Since 2020, I’ve been distracted. By the pandemic. By my kids being home twenty-four seven (hello distance learning!). By the election. My creative energy, like my time, has been sapped. But one thing that invigorates me, even during times like these,
by Katey Frawley Say what you will about 2020, it sure was a year of comfortable pants. Sweat pants, pajama pants, yoga pants, no pants. I’m all for being comfortable in our clothes, but being comfortable in our writing lives? Not so much. When I
by Ruth Spiro As we head into a new week of Storystorm, you may (or may not) have a growing list of ideas. But if you’re anything like me, you’re staring at that list and thinking, “Now what?” Because stories almost never come to me
by Katey Howes Happy 2021, StoryStormers! How is the month of brainstorming treating you so far? Maybe your idea engine is chugging steadily along with an “I think I can, I think I can,” attitude. You might feel your creativity bouncing out of control like
by Diana Murray It seems only natural to start writing a story as soon as you know the beginning. But since the beginning and the ending need to be connected, doesn’t it make sense to figure out the ending first? That way you’ll know what
by Mike Ciccotello We’ve all heard that critique from an editor, “It’s too predictable.” And then, we pull out the rejection Bingo Card and fill in a spot. Coming up with an unexpected concept is challenging. There are plenty of ways we can apply this
by Lauren Kerstein We’re off to see the Wizard! The Wizard of story ideas… Often, when I begin exploring an idea, my journey leads to LOTS of new ideas. Grab a notebook and let’s go! Let me show you what I mean. Step One: THE
by Joana Pastro In my 2020 StoryStorm post, I talked about always having my senses on, and my brain ready to make the necessary connections to generate ideas. But then the pandemic turned our lives upside-down, and somewhere along the way, I lost the habit