Writing Challenges

I usually do one or two challenges a year. StoryStorm is always a go. It’s the perfect way to start the year. The idea of StoryStorm is to come up with 30 picture book ideas in thirty-one days. There are posts, and prizes, each day to help you come up with ideas. This year I finished with thirty-one! I still need to weed through them and figure out what I should prioritize and what I should just put over here…next to the trunk…

The other that I’d done in the past, though not the last two years, was Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Picture Book Challenge. The idea of 12x12 is to write 12 picture book manuscripts in twelve months. Sounds easy. Sounds hard. And you’re right. It’s easyhard (see Websters? New word! You’re welcome). 12x12 is so much more that just writing 12 manuscripts in a month. There’s a whole group out there doing it with you. I think there’s about 1,000 people this year that signed up for it. There’s a forum to interact with other people, critique each others manuscripts, pitches, query letters, etc. People form critique groups outside of it, and forge friendships that last. I wrote a previous post about rejoining it, and I’m still really glad I did.

I plan on doing more this year. I signed up for NonFiction Fest (aka NFFest) this year to help with a non-fiction idea I’m researching and turning into my first non-fiction picture book manuscript. There are helpful posts each day, as well as prizes, to help you along with writing and researching your NF MS.

I think Reading For Research Month is coming up in March, and I plan on doing that one as well.

There’s always NaNoWriMo in November, but I’ve never accomplished that, or the mini writing related goals that I set for myself. But, I always move forward faster with NaNo.

After that? I’m not sure. I’ll have to dig around and see what ‘s up.

What writing challenges do you partake in? Are there any I missed?

From Idea to Story

You got this story idea.  You’ve written it down, now what? 

Write it! 

That’s the basic idea of Tara Lazar’s StoryStorm. 

During the month of January, you write down 30 picture book ideas in 31 days. 

Now, you’ve got this great stack of ideas for picture books. So, what’s next? 

Go through those ideas, and put them into four categories (at least, that’s what works for me). Category 1 means it’s a great idea, category 2 is an okay idea, but needs some help, category 3 is not that great but not trash worthy, and category 4 is not that good- don’t trash it, you never know when that 4 might turn into a 3, or even be sued to help a 2 become a 1.  

Now you’re gettin’ somewhere! 

Go through those 1’s, pick one, and then write it. After all, these are the ideas that are ready to be written! Put those words to keyboard, or paper, and don’t stop until it’s done.  That’s it!  Really.  Of course, there’s tons of editing, but that’s for future posts. 

As of now, I have eleven ideas from StoryStorm, and have turned two into manuscripts as they really want to end up in Scrivener.  One sucks.  I mean, it’s horrific.  This thing’s going to the trunk (that’s another post, too!). The other? Well, it’s a second manuscript for a manuscript that I’ve been shopping around a bit that I consider “ready”.  It was okay.  Much editing will come.

  Editing makes me do this                                        Copyright TeeTurtle.  Their tees rock! 

StoryStorm 2019

I’ll be joining many others for StoryStorm.  For those that don’t know, StoryStorm is a challenge to come up with 30 picture book ideas in 31 days. Originally, it was called Picture Book Idea Month held in November, but creator Tara Lazar switched to to January a couple years ago to give everyone a fresh batch of story ideas to work with for the new year.

I first did StoryStorm back in 2015, when it was PiBoIdMo.  I have “won” the challenge each year, and some of those ideas have been turned into manuscripts. For the ideas that do not get turned into a manuscript, I keep them on file on my iPad, and also as a small booklet in my bag. 

I create a file on Scrivener for each year, with each idea following the same format:

Idea # 7

Characters:

Setting:

Problem:

Adventure:

Solved:

Notes:

I used to keep each as a separate notecard on scrivener, but putting them in one file is so much easier. From there, I just fill in the info that comes to mind when an idea slaps me on the back of the head.  The idea might just be a location, characters, or a problem.  I rarely end up with just one part filled in.  I usually get three of them filled in.  Many of my ideas come from Storybird.com For ideas that come from there, I write in the notes what pic it was.  On my account, I try to remember to favorite them so I can look back at them.  Sometimes I’ll e-mail myself a link for the pic.

Do you participate in StoryStorm?  Where do you get your ideas from?

NaNoWriMo? StoryStorm?

​NaNoWriMo, StoryStorm, 12x12, ReForReMo, etcetera.

All worthwhile contests and events.  Do you participate in any?​

​NaNoWriMo is one I’ve ‘entered’ many times, but never completed.  Most of the time, I set a goal of poems, and picture book manuscripts, and, in the distant past, getting in 50,000 words for fantasy novels.  I once hit 35,000 words, but that’s as close as I’ve gotten to 50K. I never hit my goals for poems AND PB manuscripts, but have hit for one or the other.  I’ve had word goals for early chapter books, and for middle grade fantasy books, but never came close to reaching them.  For me, getting in those high numbers are not a goal I want to really do.  It leaves me feeling like I’m just practicing writing, rather than going for quality.  Yes, I do practice writing, often, but doing this much in one month is not for me (anymore!).

StoryStorm, formally called PiBoIdMo, is about creating thirty (PB) ideas in a month.  This, I love.  I’ve gotten so much joy out of reading different authors posts for how they get ideas, to perusing art work on line for inspiration, as well as doing a favorite ast time of mine- people watching. I’ve hit over thirty ideas each time, and will do this event year after year. Most of the ideas I get are for PBs, though I’ve also gotten ideas for CBs, MG, and YA​.

​12x12 is Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Picture Book Challenge. I did 12x12 for five years, but did not join last year. I may this year, but I’m not sure.  The goal is to write twelve picture book manuscripts in twelve months.  I’ve ‘won’ 12x12 four out of five years I was in it.  There are two levels of 12x12, with Gold being the highest.  A bonus of being a Gold level member, over the Silver level, is being able to submit to one of two featured agents each month, and having your PB being placed at the top of the slush pile.  A draw back is that I usually only get an actual rejection from about 60% of whomever I submit to.  I also have not submitted each month as both agents may not be for me when I research them.  It happens! 12x12 is also a cost for each of the levels, so that’s another consideration.  I didn’t join last year as I was saving money for a week long writing conference during the summer, and I may go there again. A plus of being a member is the AMAZING level of support you get from other writers as ALL levels from beginner to already published.

ReForReMo is Reading For Research Month.  I signed up once, but I never completed it.  The idea is to read a book each day that can serve as a mentor text to help you with your own writing. There are daily posts all month long during the heat of the event, and weekly posts throughout the year.  It’s another great opportunity to help you learn to delve deeper into the craft of writing.

​Did I miss any? Let me know!

What’s your favorite? Let us know!​