My Not-So-Secret Writing Tool for Generating Picture Book Ideas

by Lynne Garner

A friend recently asked me where I got my ideas. "Everywhere," was my reply.  She looked a little confused so I explained about the three picture books I’ve had published. The first A Book For Bramble evolved from my work with a not-for-profit organization that rescues sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs. I began to wonder what (if any) dreams hedgehogs have whilst they  hibernate. Slowly the story of Bramble the hedgehog and his friend Teasel the mouse evolved.

My second book The Best Jumper grew from a conversation with a friend. We were discussing putting on weight and no longer being able to wear that favourite garment. We agreed at least we had the chance to lose the weight and squeeze back into that garment. Unlike a child who would never be able to squeeze back into their favourite piece of clothing because they’d grown out of it. From that conversation came Spindle and his shrinking jumper.

My last book Dog Did It came from owning a dog. Anyone who lives with a canine friend will know they can sometimes suffer from flatulence. This aromatic problem can sometimes result in a statement along the lines of “the dog did it!”

So my three books have come from:

·         An idle question

·         A conversation

·         A life experience

Now, although I have taught myself to ask questions my secret tool as a writer is my notepad and a pen which I take everywhere with me. In this way, when I see, hear, read or am told something I feel I could use in a story I write it down. Now that small spark of possible inspiration is not lost. So, if you want to be a writer, arm yourself with that secret tool. Pop it into your bag and get into the habit of jotting down all those little things that pass everyone else by.

P.S.

Whilst you are buying one notepad buy yourself a second and place it beside your bed. So next time you wake up with a dream still fresh in your mind you can quickly jot it down before it retreats and is lost forever.

P.P.S

My family and friends have become so accustomed to seeing me reaching for my not-so-secret tool that each birthday and Christmas I receive the most gorgeous notepads, which will one day be full of notes, ready to become part of a new story.

***

 
Lynne Garner has been a freelance writer and author since 1998. Since that time she has written for a large number of magazines both in the UK and the US. She has 21 books published; this includes three picture books, with a fourth to follow shortly. Her first title ‘The Best Jumper’ was recorded for the CBeeBies children’s radio channel (part of the BBC) whilst ‘A Book For Bramble’ has been translated into five languages including Korean and Indonesian.

Lynne is also a WOW! Women on Writing Classroom instructor. Her interactive workshop HOW TO WRITE CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS AND GET PUBLISHED starts Friday, June 24th. Click here for more information and to sign up!

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6 comments children's books, generating new ideas, getting ideas, Lynne Garner, online writing classes, WOW Classes, WOW instructor, writing children's picture book, writing class

Friday Speak Out!: Really? That’s a Story Idea!, Guest Post by Juliann Wetz

Really? That’s a Story Idea!

by Juliann Wetz

For years, I always ate lunch with my co-workers on Mondays. That was our time to connect and share what we’d done over the weekend. On one particular Monday I didn’t have anything special to share -- or so I thought. But as I recounted the shift I’d worked at my part-time job as a domestic violence counselor, I realized that my story might be of interest to more people than just the co-workers sitting around our table.

One of the males in our group, Scott, asked me what I actually did at the shelter. I told him that I managed the shelter during my shift, making sure that everyone was safe and doing what they were supposed to be doing, whether it was household chores or getting to social service appointments. I did intakes on women coming into the shelter, or departure interviews on those who were leaving. And sometimes I answered the crisis hotline, which I’d done over the weekend. But I hadn’t had an actual crisis call, just another obscene phone caller.

“Really?” he asked. His mouth hung open and his eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. Apparently this was news to him.

I nodded. “We get prank calls and obscene phone calls all the time.”

Scott sat back in his chair, a look of astonishment fixed to his face. “Really?” he repeated. And that’s when I knew – here was a story I needed to write. A tale that needed to be told.

Somewhere in my reading past a writer gave this advice: when you are recounting a story and someone interjects the word “Really?” you know you have a story.
That word should be a writer’s cue that the statement he/she has just made sparked interest in the listener. The speaker has just relayed something incredible, incongruous, new or provocative that the listener wants to know more about. Like the sad fact that crisis line workers often get pranked with obscene phone calls. It’s part of the job, but I hadn’t realized that there was a story in that until I heard Scott’s reaction to something I’d taken as routine.

Now I often use the word "really" as my litmus test. If I begin a story or tell the premise of a story and hear that goldmine of a word, I know I’ve got a story idea and a potential audience. Really!

* * *

In addition to raising a family and working many different jobs (including one as a domestic violence counselor), Juliann Wetz has been writing for more than 20 years. Her work has appeared in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Boys' Life, Cappers, Good Old Days, Child Life, Reading Today, Dog Fancy, and 50+. In addition, she wrote restaurant and book reviews for the Cox Newspapers of southwestern Ohio.

She is currently working on two novels and keeps her writing skills sharp by blogging daily. Read more at http://juliewetz-dailysnapshot.blogspot.com/
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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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2 comments Friday Speak Out, generating new ideas, getting ideas, Juliann Wetz, writer inspiration

Friday Speak Out!: Lists I Love, Guest Post by Betty Auchard

Lists I Love

by Betty Auchard

I am obsessive about making lists for story prompts, and have more than I can possibly use in a lifetime. Most of my ideas spring from letters I write.

Long ago I started a file called Stories in Letters, and it’s so large now that I have files within files. A few of the subtitles are Mom, Grandkids, and Teaching Junior High (I’m renaming that file My Gin and Tonic Period). Other categories are Menopause, Raising Teenagers, Mating the Dogs, Living with 12 Men, Catechism Classes, Escape from Las Vegas, Jury Duty, Student Teaching at 40, College Graduation at 42, and To Make the Bed or Not to Make the Bed. I get such a kick out of just reading my ideas that I’ve often thought of putting the lists together and sharing them with other writers in a program called Lists I Love.

In addition to computer folders, I have a drawer full of spiral notebooks filled with first drafts and notes about writing. Some notebooks are completely full and others contain many sheets of clean paper. (Does any of this sound familiar?) When I get an idea that I don’t want to lose, I grab a half full tablet, make sure I put the date on my new notes, and then start writing by hand. One tablet I grabbed recently is dated December, 2001. The date on the next page is January 1, 2011. The note read, “I am not making resolutions this year—period!” I love reviewing these entries. Some became published stories.

There’s also a Ziploc freezer bag full of stuff that is just as much fun to sort through as the notebooks. The bag is an odd assortment of first drafts dated 1998, thoughts I didn’t want to forget the year my husband died. These old drafts are written on all kinds of paper—used envelopes, napkins, the white margin of a torn out hunk of newspaper. I scribbled on scraps and journaled on junk. Writing kept me afloat.

One item I cherish from that plastic bag is a white paper placemat from The Fish Market. An idea struck and I just had to get it down. I pushed my almost empty plate a little to the left and wrote on the placemat over stains of tomato sauce and salad dressing. The shape of the story is curved like the plate on the left and straight at the edges on the right. I cried privately while writing, glad that I had already eaten most of my food. That story ended up in my first book.

Idea lists are precious. We might want to mine them for stories more often.

* * *

IPPY Finalist Betty Auchard is a popular speaker and the author of two memoirs. She lives and writes in northern California. Blog with the author at http://www.bettyauchard.com/.

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!
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2 comments Betty Auchard, Friday Speak Out, getting ideas, letters, lists, notebooks, prompts, Story Inspiration, writing

Friday Speak Out!: How to Break a Blog Fever, Guest Post by Joanne DeMaio

How to Break a Blog Fever

by Joanne DeMaio

During these cold winter months, you might experience the virtual version of Cabin Fever. Symptoms include staring at a blank computer screen, fiddling with a pen and looking longingly at Blogger Scheduler. Are Blog post ideas as fleeting as a warm, sunny day? You’ve got a case of Blog Fever, friends.

But for writers, our blogs should consistently shine. Day after day, week after week, no matter what the blog theme, new posts must be written regularly, all while maintaining major writing projects. This is when writer angst raises its head. The cry “What can I blog about?” often rings across the blogosphere.

The answer lies in your camera. That’s right. A picture’s worth a thousand words, or a blog post at the very least. So grab that handy point-and-shoot and step outside. Take a walk through the winter wonderland of your neighborhood, or down Main Street, or along the windswept beach. Snap any images that catch your eye. A colorful window display. Waves crashing on the rocks. Ice skaters at a local pond. Look for whimsy, and charm, and nature.

As easy, and fun, as that, you’ve got several new posts in those images ready to keep your blog chugging along. Here’s how. Take your blog’s theme, whether it’s sharing a writing journey, finding happiness, or learning to cook, and project it onto the pictures. Then ask yourself how some aspect of writing, or happiness, or cooking, is paralleled in the images. When you look at a photograph closely, you’ll be amazed at the connections you can make.

My blog, Whole Latte Life, focuses on keeping our passions, or crafts, a central part of our own perfect blend of life. With that theme in mind, I have built an inventory of photographs to inspire relevant posts. Any subject is game. An overturned rowboat on a sandy beach becomes a post asking if my readers’ passions have ever been beached, and how they handled it. An ancient stone wall bordering a farm suggests that readers build their book, or song, or garden, one stone at a time in small, diligent efforts. A sunflower growing from a hollowed-out tree trunk reminds readers to give their creations a fresh spin.

So the next time you’re blogging and feeling the pressure to post, grab your camera and hit the road. A world of blog posts is poised and ready to be framed in your lens!

* * *

 Joanne DeMaio is a Connecticut writer and founder of the inspirational blog Whole Latte Life. Grab a coffee and stop by for a visit at http://www.joannedemaio.blogspot.com/.

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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54 comments blog photos, Friday Speak Out, getting ideas, Joanne DeMaio, writer inspiration

Spanning the Globe: Turning Local Ideas Into National and International Stories

As I freelance writer, I devour the newspaper when it lands in my mailbox. Yes, I read the entire newspaper, but I pay special attention to the regional and business sections. Why? Because the local stories sometimes make great articles for national - and even international -publications.

What type of story works best? Unfortunately there's not a magic formula. It's a matter of hard work and thinking outside the box. For example, a business page story featured a short piece about a woman who makes fishing lures. I pitched the idea to a fishing magazine. Another regional story highlighted technology use at a local school. I took that idea and expanded it into a feature article. A book by an area author turned into a $400 paycheck from a Canadian publication.

Consider it an additional way to re-slant a story.

When approaching an editor, be sure you've done your homework. Plus, offer to supply photographs, illustrations or infographics, sidebars, and need-to-knows (recommended reading, expert websites, etc.).

Freelance writers need to always be on the lookout for great - and profitable - story ideas. Using regional or local newspapers adds another tool to a freelancer's toolbox.

by LuAnn Schindler. Visit LuAnn's website for more of her articles, columns, and ideas.

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1 comment generating new ideas, getting ideas, infographics, international sales, local stories, LuAnn Schindler, national sales, need-to-knows, photographs, repurposing ideas, reslanting an article

Friday Speak Out!: 7 Ways to Help Writers Survive the Holidays, Guest Post by Cindy Kerschner

7 Ways to Help Writers Survive the Holidays

by Cindy Kerschner

We're all stretched a little thinner around the holidays; between family visits, catching up with friends, shopping and party obligations, what's a writer to do? This time of year, I stare more at the calendar than I do the clock. That says a lot because I'm a big clock watcher.

Instead of stressing out about it, let this time of year inspire you with new ideas for articles and stories. Here are a few samples from my own ghosts of Christmas past.

1. Write about the consequences of living with dyslexia after you realize your guests arrive on the 12th not the 21st.

2. Hit the home decorating magazine market with tips for cleaning and decorating at the same time; for example, spray painting dust bunnies red and green for Christmas.

3. Surprise the food magazines with your knowledge of cheese acquired from deli counter sampling.

4. Write about the benefits of measuring your car, doorways, and living room ceiling before cutting down and trying to transport a live tree from the farm to your home.

5. Advise parents how to handle your child's hysteria when she finds out you forgot to buy cookies and milk for Santa. Explain that Santa is on a diet and lactose intolerant.

6. Share your survival tips on how to camp out on Black Friday Eve at the Megamart without losing your place in line and not get a bladder infection.

7. Write an article for a blog about how help writers survive the holidays.

Remember that personal experience articles are always in demand. Wow, look at the date! Gotta run!

* * *

Cindy Kerschner lives and works in Northeast PA where she writes, draws, cooks and gardens but not necessarily at the same time. Visit Cindy's website at http://writelane.wordpress.com/.



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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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1 comment Cindy Kerschner, Friday Speak Out, getting ideas, holiday writing

Where Do Ideas Come From?

In high school and most of college, I was convinced that the only way I could put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard was if a brilliant idea popped into my head. I had to wait for some kind of (magical? divine?) inspiration.

But after a really long dry spell with no ideas, I had to change my thinking on this. And, after speaking with many aspiring and established writers over the years, I realize I am not the only one to believe in the myth that a writer waits for ideas to come to her.

So, if creative ideas aren’t magically placed into our heads at regular intervals, where do they come from?

 Well, I don’t know where they come from or how they form, but I do have some ideas on how to find them, other than the normal writing prompt/timed writing exercises. Here are some of my favorite idea-generating methods:

• Photography: Taking photos forces me to look at common objects or everyday people from a unique perspective. My photography teacher and my creative nonfiction teacher both said the same exact sentence about their respective crafts: “It’s about finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.” This has become my personal definition for art and helps me find new twists on common ideas.

• Bookstores/libraries: I like to think I can absorb the creative ideas from the books on the shelves through osmosis. Plus, people-watching in public places like these can generate some wonderful ideas. Or better yet, ask any bookseller (or anyone who works in retail) to tell you stories about their “favorite” customers. I guarantee you they all have at least one story to inspire you.

• Yard sales: I casually walk through community yard sales (or drive slowly past them) so see if any interesting objects stick out. I wonder about the history of the objects, how they were used, how that crack got there and why is there a speck of paint there?

These are a few samples to get you started if you’re having a blockage of ideas. If you’ve developed some unique idea-generating methods, we’d love to hear them! Post a comment and let us know.

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Leave a Comment Anne Greenawalt, generating new ideas, getting ideas

Getting Ideas by Focusing on Form

Perusing a copy of Jack Heffron's The Writer's Idea Book, I came across a few exercises to share.

In one section, he discusses using form to generate ideas. As an example, Heffron tells about a M.F.A. poetry workshop assignment where he had to find a poem he liked, and then write his own poem using exactly the same meter. He said that by concentrating on getting the meter right, which was not an easy task, he lost his self-consciousness and came up with better poems than he thought he could come up with.

Here are a few of his prompts that are designed to help you get writing ideas by focusing on form rather than on subject:

Prompt: Find an essay or story or poem that you like. Outline it, noting turns in plot or shift in topic or approach. Write a piece of your own using the outline, simply changing the topic.

Prompt: Write a story based on a myth or a fairy tale, setting it in contemporary times. For example, you might retell the Hansel and Gretel story using two children you know. If this works for you, pick another myth and try again.

Prompt: Retell a myth or fairy tale, changing what happens or exploring character more deeply then the original. For a model, read John Gardner's Grendel.

Check out the book for more form-related prompts, and lots of other great writing activities.

--MP

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1 comment getting ideas, Marcia Peterson, writing tips

The TMI Dilemma

by LuAnn Schindler

"I can't think of anything to write!" When I taught English and would have classes free write, at least one student would utter those words to me.

"Well, write what you just said a few times, and eventually, an idea will sprout in your mind," I would tell them. "How can you have difficulty finding something to write about?"

I've never had that problem. When I wake up, hundreds of ideas jog through my mind, each elbowing the other out of the way, competing for the top spot in my writing priorities.

Yes, I suffer from the TMI Dilemma - too many ideas. I've talked about this before. My desk is plastered with Post-It notes filled with ideas. My idea file needs to go on a diet, a purge that will result in a delicious payback for me.

If you, like me, are afflicted by the too many ideas dilemma, here are some strategies to help you focus on the cream of the crop:

• Ideas, like fine wine, get better with age. Some need to age and develop a pleasing bouquet before you pop the cork and share it with the world. I've had a short story idea drifting around in my mind for two years. Each day, the details become a little more clear to me, and when the time is right, the cork will pop! And, I'll write the short story I am meant to tell.
• Deadlines are key. Even if you don't have a deadline, give yourself one. Even a timed free write can bring the best ideas to the front.
• Mind the brain. When ideas are swirling, stir them and see what floats to the top. That is the best idea to focus on.
• Organization is open to visualization. On my office door, I have a list of articles that are due, along with the due date. By keeping these projects in front of my eyes, I am able to stay organized and on task.
• A network of writer friends, or even friends who are creative thinkers, allows you to bounce ideas off them. Whether you join a critique group or just share an idea with a friend, they'll be honest with you. In the long run, your writing will be better, too.
• Exercise the right to exorcise. I'm responsible for mowing our acreage. During that time, not only do I walk and get a great walking workout, but I also focus on an idea and flesh out details. If something isn't working with a story line or article idea, I exorcise the idea and start over. It works!

If you suffer from the TMI dilemma, try one of these ideas for fast relief and a clear writing path.

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Leave a Comment focusing, getting ideas, LuAnn Schindler, narrowing ideas

Call a Friend

I'm collecting stories about how successful writers get their ideas. Here's another good one for non-fiction writers, particularly columnists, from Fran Lebowitz:

"When I was writing two columns a month, sometimes it was difficult to come up with ideas. I had certain friends that I have a humorous rapport with, and I'd talk to them on the phone until something came up. I made no bones about it. 'Hello, I have to write a column,' I'd say, and start talking. It was a way to hear my own voice back. I often found it useful in a pinch. Certain people inspired me or provoked something in me."


--MP

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Leave a Comment Finding Inspiration, getting ideas, Marcia Peterson, women writers

An Active Process

I'm collecting stories about how successful writers get their ideas. Here's a good one for non-fiction writers:

"You can't sit there and wait for ideas to smash into you. It's not a passive process. So much of being a nonfiction writer is forcing yourself to find things to write about. It's an active process of looking at something in the newspaper, or some thing that's going around, and thinking, 'How do I feel about this?...Can I get anything out of this?...Can I push myself a little further on this topic?"
- Nora Ephron

Great advice--and stay tuned for more suggestions from the experts!

--MP

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2 comments Finding Inspiration, getting ideas, Marcia Peterson, women writers