Wow. What a journey. Thirty days which felt like thirty years and thirty minutes at the same time! I’m speechless, truly. My mind has been watching, planning, plotting, and endlessly talking for thirty days straight!
So, with my head still spinning (it’s a good spin, honestly, full of excitement, delirium, inspiration, and some trepidation), here’s the top ten lessons I’ve learned from participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) for the first time.
1. Be on the lookout for the next idea – constantly!
Having the goal of generating thirty picture book ideas in thirty days is a huge challenge, one that forces you to constantly be on the look out for the next idea. If you’re not paying attention you’ll miss that idea as it whizzes by! And an effective incentive is the possibility of winning some of those amazing prizes; that was a big motivator keeping me on the idea lookout! (Personally, I’m hoping for either a manuscript critique or the book ‘Wherever You Go’, which I first heard about from publisher Connie Hsu at the SCBWI Sydney conference and put it straight on my wish list).
2. Be open to ALL ideas
If you’re anything like me, you are your hardest critic. Every idea that enters your mind gets pummeled through the ‘Is it good enough?’ ‘Is it different?’ ‘Is it workable?’ sieve. I eventually learned to write down everything. So what if twenty nine ideas are utterly terrible? Perhaps I needed to write down those twenty nine bad ideas to find the one incredible idea. Looking on the bright side, recognising the fact that those twenty nine ideas aren’t so good is necessary for my growth and improvement as a writer. Writing those twenty nine stinking stories helped me hone my writing skills, discover new ways of writing, and look at things from a different perspective. No writing is ever wasted. And, likewise, no idea generating is ever wasted either.
3. Think like a child
As much as I still identify with the child within, I’m realising more and more how often I think and talk ‘adult’. I listened carefully to the crazy stuff my daughters came out with. I found myself completely intrigued by the way they think, the honest and uninhibited way they speak, their language, their questions, the things that are most important or frustrating to them. Even though I’ve (obviously) been a child myself, it was over twenty five years ago! We all need a fresh reminder to open up to the inner child and dream, imagine, wonder, question, think… like a child.
4. See the world through child eyes
To think like a child, it helps to see the world through a child’s eyes. Allow yourself to feel scared at the crack of thunder, safe having a cuddle, content licking an icecream, tiny under the vast sky, invincible in a superhero cape. Get down on a child’s level. That tree looks twice as BIG, that dark bedroom looks twice as menacing, that waterslide looks twice as long and ten times as much fun! Stop yourself often and ask, ‘How would a child see this place?’
5. Look and Listen! Take in everything from the kids in your life.
Pay attention! Inspiration is everywhere, especially if you have kids around! Watch them. Listen to them. What makes them giddy with excitement? What makes them tremble in fear? What are the quirky sayings you hear thrown your way (or another way but you caught it because you were paying attention)? And if you don’t have kids, borrow some! Nieces, nephews, grandchildren, a friend’s children… contact with kids is crucial!
6. Allow yourself ‘Thinking Time’
To truly let ideas take root and sprout into wonderful stories, you have to give yourself the thinking space needed! Whether that be while you go for a walk, lie in bed at night, or sit on the deck with a glass of wine, it’s a must! Make the time for it and be rid of any guilts you have for not ‘working’, because you most definitely are!
7. Record it immediately
Write down each idea that flits your way – straight away! Always carry a notepad and pen and keep one on your bedside table… seriously, what’s with ideas striking in the middle of the night?
Siri has become my new best friend during PiBoIdMo. I’ve been seen numerous times telling Siri to ‘Add to Notes’, while I’m driving, doing dishes, hanging washing, you name it. It’s such an easy way to record an idea when you’re in the middle of something!
8. Write when you can
We all hear the popular advice for writers: Write everyday! As important as this is to improve your writing skills, life also gets ridiculously busy, kids get sick, newborns keep you up all night, the house needs cleaning and the clothes need washing. I’ve learned to forgive myself for those days that I don’t even think about writing and to dismiss the guilt.
I’m not saying that having a writing plan is not important, because it is! Sometimes life gets so busy that if we don’t make the time to write, it won’t happen. I’ve heard some writers advise finding twenty minutes a day to write. Personally, I find I work best when I can have a solid amount of time to write. So rather than twenty minutes every day, I arrange writing time where my husband takes the kids for a special ‘dad date’ frequently and I have a whole morning (or more!) to myself and my imagination. And I also grab those hours that pop up here and there during the week!
9. Think positively!
The more you say something, the more you believe it. If your inner talk is saying things like ‘You can’t do this’, ‘You’re not a writer’, ‘You’ll never get published’, it won’t take long before you believe it and give up. Persistence and positivity is the key!
10. Let your characters take on a life of their own!
Don’t think you have to be in ‘control’ of your characters constantly. Let them take on a life of their own, think their own thoughts, get up to their own shenanigans! I know this sounds strange, but draw or print a picture of what you think your character looks like. Watch them. What might they think and do? Consider their personality. Ask them what their strengths and weaknesses are. What do they desperately want? Not only will this set you up for fantastic characterisation, it will also assist in creating a character-driven story.
11. Bonus
The biggest thing I’ve learned is to jump out of my comfort zone. It might only start with a tiny step and then another, but eventually I'll end up a jump away from where I started! Instruction, inspiration and improvement is inevitable when you push yourself out of the norm and get involved in the many programs available to writers.
A BIG thank you to Tara Lazar for organising PiBoIdMo.
I’ll definitely be back next year!
So, with my head still spinning (it’s a good spin, honestly, full of excitement, delirium, inspiration, and some trepidation), here’s the top ten lessons I’ve learned from participating in PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) for the first time.
1. Be on the lookout for the next idea – constantly!
Having the goal of generating thirty picture book ideas in thirty days is a huge challenge, one that forces you to constantly be on the look out for the next idea. If you’re not paying attention you’ll miss that idea as it whizzes by! And an effective incentive is the possibility of winning some of those amazing prizes; that was a big motivator keeping me on the idea lookout! (Personally, I’m hoping for either a manuscript critique or the book ‘Wherever You Go’, which I first heard about from publisher Connie Hsu at the SCBWI Sydney conference and put it straight on my wish list).
2. Be open to ALL ideas
If you’re anything like me, you are your hardest critic. Every idea that enters your mind gets pummeled through the ‘Is it good enough?’ ‘Is it different?’ ‘Is it workable?’ sieve. I eventually learned to write down everything. So what if twenty nine ideas are utterly terrible? Perhaps I needed to write down those twenty nine bad ideas to find the one incredible idea. Looking on the bright side, recognising the fact that those twenty nine ideas aren’t so good is necessary for my growth and improvement as a writer. Writing those twenty nine stinking stories helped me hone my writing skills, discover new ways of writing, and look at things from a different perspective. No writing is ever wasted. And, likewise, no idea generating is ever wasted either.
3. Think like a child
As much as I still identify with the child within, I’m realising more and more how often I think and talk ‘adult’. I listened carefully to the crazy stuff my daughters came out with. I found myself completely intrigued by the way they think, the honest and uninhibited way they speak, their language, their questions, the things that are most important or frustrating to them. Even though I’ve (obviously) been a child myself, it was over twenty five years ago! We all need a fresh reminder to open up to the inner child and dream, imagine, wonder, question, think… like a child.
4. See the world through child eyes
To think like a child, it helps to see the world through a child’s eyes. Allow yourself to feel scared at the crack of thunder, safe having a cuddle, content licking an icecream, tiny under the vast sky, invincible in a superhero cape. Get down on a child’s level. That tree looks twice as BIG, that dark bedroom looks twice as menacing, that waterslide looks twice as long and ten times as much fun! Stop yourself often and ask, ‘How would a child see this place?’
5. Look and Listen! Take in everything from the kids in your life.
Pay attention! Inspiration is everywhere, especially if you have kids around! Watch them. Listen to them. What makes them giddy with excitement? What makes them tremble in fear? What are the quirky sayings you hear thrown your way (or another way but you caught it because you were paying attention)? And if you don’t have kids, borrow some! Nieces, nephews, grandchildren, a friend’s children… contact with kids is crucial!
6. Allow yourself ‘Thinking Time’
To truly let ideas take root and sprout into wonderful stories, you have to give yourself the thinking space needed! Whether that be while you go for a walk, lie in bed at night, or sit on the deck with a glass of wine, it’s a must! Make the time for it and be rid of any guilts you have for not ‘working’, because you most definitely are!
7. Record it immediately
Write down each idea that flits your way – straight away! Always carry a notepad and pen and keep one on your bedside table… seriously, what’s with ideas striking in the middle of the night?
Siri has become my new best friend during PiBoIdMo. I’ve been seen numerous times telling Siri to ‘Add to Notes’, while I’m driving, doing dishes, hanging washing, you name it. It’s such an easy way to record an idea when you’re in the middle of something!
8. Write when you can
We all hear the popular advice for writers: Write everyday! As important as this is to improve your writing skills, life also gets ridiculously busy, kids get sick, newborns keep you up all night, the house needs cleaning and the clothes need washing. I’ve learned to forgive myself for those days that I don’t even think about writing and to dismiss the guilt.
I’m not saying that having a writing plan is not important, because it is! Sometimes life gets so busy that if we don’t make the time to write, it won’t happen. I’ve heard some writers advise finding twenty minutes a day to write. Personally, I find I work best when I can have a solid amount of time to write. So rather than twenty minutes every day, I arrange writing time where my husband takes the kids for a special ‘dad date’ frequently and I have a whole morning (or more!) to myself and my imagination. And I also grab those hours that pop up here and there during the week!
9. Think positively!
The more you say something, the more you believe it. If your inner talk is saying things like ‘You can’t do this’, ‘You’re not a writer’, ‘You’ll never get published’, it won’t take long before you believe it and give up. Persistence and positivity is the key!
10. Let your characters take on a life of their own!
Don’t think you have to be in ‘control’ of your characters constantly. Let them take on a life of their own, think their own thoughts, get up to their own shenanigans! I know this sounds strange, but draw or print a picture of what you think your character looks like. Watch them. What might they think and do? Consider their personality. Ask them what their strengths and weaknesses are. What do they desperately want? Not only will this set you up for fantastic characterisation, it will also assist in creating a character-driven story.
11. Bonus
The biggest thing I’ve learned is to jump out of my comfort zone. It might only start with a tiny step and then another, but eventually I'll end up a jump away from where I started! Instruction, inspiration and improvement is inevitable when you push yourself out of the norm and get involved in the many programs available to writers.
A BIG thank you to Tara Lazar for organising PiBoIdMo.
I’ll definitely be back next year!
