[LATE] Day Eleven - 1st Annual 12 Days of Christmas Write Christmas Challenge

The Holidays got away from me in the worst of ways -- I became very ill. So ill that I am only now feeling a little better (and my Christmas tree is STILL up), but promised myself I would finish up the challenge come snow or storm <grin>, so here I am! 

Today I am going to give a nod toward Storystorm created by Tara Lazar (formerly PiBoIdMo). My own upcoming picture book with Sterling, Moldilocks and the Three Scares, illustrated by David Rodriquez Lorenzo (Sterling, August 2019) was a Story Storm idea in 2015 when it was PiBoIdMo. 

While I was driving around in the pouring rain today, I thought about how the word storm featured in the new PiBoIdMo title and how rain, must have, in some stretch, inspired Tara. I wondered if it might inspire me, too. I did realize that there were so many, many good books about rain, and I gave them a lot of thought. I checked them off in a mental list and as I looked out into the rain, two ducks waddled by and an idea came to me. 

Now, there are 1,000 books about ducks in the rain, so no, it's not about ducks in the rain. And that's exactly the point. My idea is NOT ABOUT DUCKS IN THE RAIN. Sometimes, with an idea, it's not about the first idea that comes to you, or the second, or third. When I do my writing workshops about ideas, I challenge participants to make a list of ten ideas. The idea behind this is to encourage writers to stretch their imaginations past their comfort zones. 

The same principle lies behind Storystorm. Don't stop at the first idea. B(rainstorm) a lot of ideas and then pick the best of the best. Don't write about ducks in the rain as it has been done time and time and time and time again and it would be quite the challenge to find a new and fresh angle that editors and readers will buy. 

I hope today's post inspires you to sign up for next year's Story storm (I'll be there sharing my thoughts for inspiration!) and to keep b(rainstorming)! 


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Lynne Marie is the author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten - illustrated by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic, 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School – illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic, January 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books, 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling, pending) and Let's Eat! Mealtimes Around the World -- illustrated by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books, 2019). You can learn more about her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com. 

To order the Star in the Christmas Play, click the title.