Picture Book
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12 x 12 in 12
It’s official! I’ve signed up to for the 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge hosted by Julie Hedlund! What is this challenge all about?The premise is simple. Write 12 full picture books (with a beginning, middle, and end) in 2012. It’s ok if they’re not submission ready. The idea is just to put pen to page, while motivating yourself and other writers in the process. You can even earn prizes!! How about that? I know, I know — writing 12 full length picture books sounds like a daunting task, but as long as you have the intention of completing them, it’s worthwhile to sign up! I have heard of so many…
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Susanna Hill’s Holiday Writing Contest
Author Susanna Leonard Hill is having a Holiday writing contest where you could win prizes! Be creative and write a post with your own version (350 words or less) of The Night Before Christmas (it can be about any winter holiday). Please visit Ms. Hill’s website for all the details HERE. My entry is posted below. I have been interested in writing a picture book about the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal for quite some time, but have not done it yet. So, for my entry today the monk seal takes center stage, as I play around with the idea of what a monk seal might want for Christmas. Enjoy!!…
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PiBoIdMo: I’m a Winner!
From Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo site:I do solemnly swear that I have faithfully executed the PiBoIdMo 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge, and will, to the best of my ability, parlay my ideas into picture book manuscripts.Signed: Christine Marie AlemshahPhew!! I can’t believe I made it through! In 30 Days I have managed to come up with 32 picture book ideas. It was much harder than I thought it would be. The first two weeks were smooth sailing. Then, thanksgiving week came and it was like my ideas were separated from my brain by a brick wall. (It probably didn’t help my mushy brain spending the week in Kauai. My whole body felt like jello!) Luckily some days I had…
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Dinosaurs!
For two days in a row my picture book ideas have been about dinosaurs. Bah! There are so many picture books about dinosaurs already. Good ones too! How will my little ideas ever compete? Oh well, I will think about that later… It’s just, well — let’s face it, children are fascinated by dinosaurs. In the past week, I don’t think a day went that I did not hear a mention of them by one or more of the children I work with. No wonder I had a PB idea about dinosaurs!! I will keep my ideas tucked away for a rainy day. In the mean time, check out the…
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PiBoIdMo
It’s officially here! Picture Book Idea Month! What is it? The premise is quite simple. In November 2011 you vow to come up with 30 picture ideas in 30 ideas. October was such a busy month for me, I’m excited to take the plunge and come up with 30 new picture book ideas this month. I’m ready for the challenge, and yet also nervous about keeping up! How am I doing so far? I had one idea “sneak” up on me Mon Oct. 31, so not sure if I can count it. Yesterday, I had two ideas. Yay! Let’s hope I can keep it up! Fellow Picture Book Writers (and any…
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Library Picture Book Round-up: Week One
I have made it my mission this summer to visit the public library at least once a week. My goal is to read and study picture books to better understand their construction, find out what kids like, and improve my writing. This week I read:Press Here by Hervé TulletRhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan ThomasEpossumondas plays Possum by Coleen SallyFather’s Day by Anne RockwellHerbert, the True Story of a Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Beltonand Calvin Can’t Fly by Jennifer Berne What I saw with my writer eyes…I was delighted to see the similarities in the structure of these books. I was able to identify right away which books followed a…
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Adventures in Rhyme
If you’re an aspiring children’s writer like me, I’m sure you have heard the following plenty of times: Stay away from rhyme. It no longer sells and new writers rarely get it right. Truth be told I never have had a gift for rhyme or poetry. But, I have a silly story idea, which I have written in prose. The magic and silliness is just not working the way it is currently written. Every time I stare at the letters on the page, I think to myself, “how can I fix this?” Each time I do this the story starts trying to make a rhyme or song in my head.…
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Picture Book word counts in Current Children’s Book Market
It was June 2010 when I finally had an idea for a picture book and I had to get it down on paper. Before that time I stared at my computer screen for years trying to come up with stories and characters that just didn’t work. I was so eager to get my idea in story form that I “winged it”. I figured hey, I had taken a course in Writing Books for children and I tell stories to kids all the time. I can do this. No problem. Well guess what? My story had promising structure but the word count was way off. In the current picture book marker…
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Research!
Last week I got the chance to visit a Scholatic Book Sale Event. All the books for sale were 50% off their cover price! You know that feeling you get when kids are playing with a toy? Maybe with a barbie doll for example — my personal favorite? Sometimes they ask you, “will you play with me?” Secretly on the inside you’re ecstatic, even if all you out say out loud is, “sure.” It’s fun to get the opportunity to let loose and be a kid again. That’s how I felt at the book sale. I enjoyed picking my books out lovingly. I will also be able to use them…
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The Magic of Story Time
Imagine the following scene… A room full of children varying in ages from 5-11 playing with toys. Two children are throwing toys, two others rolling around on the floor, and still two more are playing very loudly and not following directions. The adults in the room have tried redirecting to new activities, attention getters, giving warnings, separating children, etc. And yet the room does not get any calmer. Enter the storybook… The group has been gathered together for story time. Amongst the moans and groans comments can be heard such as “picture books are for babies” or “I don’t want to read a story…it’s boring.” And yet the storyteller ignores…
