PiBoIdMo 2011 is in the bag! What an amazing experience! As someone new to writing (picture books) this year, I don’t think one can do better than to participate in Picture Book Idea Month, launched by Tara Lazar coupled with Picture Book Month, headed up by Dianne de las Casas. The inspiration and practical help daily on these two sites during the month of November have been phenomenal. Add to this the PiBoIdMo FB support group and all the #PictureBookMonth tweeting, and I feel saturated in picture book love. Kids who don’t have access to picture books are missing out on a truly foundational part of childhood, and one thing this month has brought to me is a renewed commitment to support projects committed to literacy and getting books into children’s hands.
Setting out, I had no idea if I would come up with 3O ideas. Also, knowing this is the busiest time of the year for me, I knew I would have no time to develop these ideas, so my goals were realistic. I planned simply to scribble down: titles, characters, problems and conflicts that could potentially be developed into stories. All my ideas were written in a Twilight notebook a writer friend gave me at the SCBWI conference this summer. I contemplated it, but confess none of my PB ideas include vampires, but why not? Am I too late to add #5O? I shall now transfer all these ideas to a more legible MAC docx.
Results: 49 ideas, including one draft written, which came out completely unplanned in rhyme. I suspect many of these ideas will be discarded or laid aside until they come to maturation. I am thrilled Julie Hedlund is setting up the 12×12 group, and will be more than happy if the result of PiBoIdMo 2011 is 12 manuscripts in 2012.
Once again, however, I think the highlight for me is “meeting” new writer friends and sharing our passion. I have certainly added some great new blogs to my GoogleReader! What a wonderful variety of writers we are; from across the world and aged almost-ten, Erik (from This Kid Reviews Books) to, well I was too polite to ask! But, there’s no wrong age to be a children’s writer!
Good luck with all your new stories, friends! And let me end with a Twilight quote, “Some things don’t have to end.” See you all around the FB PiBoIdMo page and back for next year’s challenge!
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Perfect sum-up of an incredible experience, Joanna! 49 ideas? Phenomenal. It boggles my mind to think how many ideas were generated by the entire group over the course of PiBoIdMo.
Now on to 12 X 12! It’s going to be an excellent way to ensure that those ideas get their chance.
(And now to try to figure out why, although I’ve apparently signed up for email notifications of your new blog posts, not just once but twice, it’s not happening. Hmmm…)
Beth, it would be kind of cool to have a tally of total ideas from the month!
This is way cool Joanna. I too have signed up for 12×12, knowing I need that constant… kick-in-the-pants motivation, and to have 12 completed manuscripts, would be awesome, as you say. *whew* where has half of this year gone… so much has happened….lol.
mmm… kind of think, I know that quote…..
So glad you have signed up too, Diane! And, yes, I thought you would recognize the quote!
We might as keep the party going into 2012! Enjoyed your summary of the month. Am happy it was so fruitful! I can’t see you writing about vampires.
You know I think we learned more from Erik! He’s so talented. He certainly kept up with the adults and showed us a thing or two. Great month. Now onward to 12×12 in 2012!
We certainly learnt much from Erik and, no, don’t plan on a any vampire stories in the near future!
Joanna, I have really enjoyed blogging with you during PiBoIdMo! I feel blessed to have met you and so many others on this journey. You gals keep me on track! 🙂 Check out http://www.wegivebooks.org/ for an awesome literacy campaign that puts books into the hands of children around the world. I am reading e-book picture books on wegivebooks.org this week with my students-they get really excited when they get to click “give a book ” after reading and a big “Thank You” appears on the screen. The Pearson Foundation is sponsoring this-I’m not sure for how long, but it is a great campaign and it doesn’t cost a thing to participate.
Kelly, thanks so much for the link. How great that your students can become involved and know that thrill of helping!
Hurray for PiBoIdMo! Hurray for 12X12! Hurray for all our enthusiastic, supportive writer friends! We have a great community, don’t we? 🙂 Congrats on your 49 ideas (and as for #50, the world probably needs a vampire picture book :)) Looking forward to 12X12!
Hurray, indeed, Susanna!!
I’m with Susanna – the world might need a vampire picture book. It’s been great to read everyone’s round up. I love hearing what everyone did. I also appreciate the network created. A fun challenge and a fantastic learning experience. Congrats for winning.
Well, I guess 3-5 year olds could go for some funny vampires 😉
Joanna…I can’t believe how much we have in common! I taught for 7 years at a Christian school, four of those years as a school librarian. I took French in HS, and now my kids (teens) are taking Rosetta Stone French. We visited Paris and Grenoble (where we have missionary friends) over three years ago. I would LOVE to live in the south of France, and we have two Ragdoll cats!
Let’s keep in touch via Facebook and 12×12…see you there!
Jarm, how exciting to see all these connections. The south of France is a truly amazing part of the world to live in. Let’s most definitely stay in touch!
Joanna
I certainly will!!
Whoo, it sounds like you had a blast. Your enthusiasm is so contagious it almost makes me wish I were writing picture books (guess I’d better add that to my bucket list). These writing months are such a great idea; they seem to inspire everybody to do more than they thought possible, and the combined energy of so many people working together is thrilling. Good for you, Joanna. I’m looking forward to seeing some of these ideas in print!
Gail, I have enjoyed watching everyones progress in NanoWriMo and PiBoIdMo… so much energy and buzz. Here’s to the next phase for us all!