Revision is a Part of Life

"Writing is rewriting...Nothing creative ever takes shape exactly the way it’s planned."
—  Deb Lund*

Black bird and apple book plate from Pinterest

*Via Meg Miller's ReviMo

PiBoIdMo is now Storystorm

Followers of this blog will have noticed the absence of Picture Book Idea Month back in November. Founder Tara Lazar announced big changes, and those changes are here.

Storystorm is the new incarnation of PiBoIdMo. Instead of focusing on picture book ideas, Storystorm aims to inspire writers of all genres. Daily posts and oodles of prizes are the motivators for aspiring and published writers to spend the next thirty days brainstorming story ideas.



Storystorm, still striving for 30 ideas in 30 days
Logo courtesy S. Britt

There's still time to chase the idea storm.

• Grab a notebook.
• Register on Tara's blog before January 7.
• Read this month's posts from Deb Lund and Tara herself.
• Comment on each post to be entered in the drawings.

That's it! Remember to register and comment JUST ONCE per day to be eligible for the prizes. Honestly, I can't remember ever winning anything, but as a participant since 2012, I've collected hundreds of ideas and now I don't need a challenge to generate ideas. My brain is constantly on the lookout for story tidbits and I habitually fill my notebooks with story seeds.

Now I just need February to be Writingstorm so I can turn each of these shiny ideas into a manuscript.

Are you participating? Which challenges are you using to move your writing forward?

A Note on The Inner Critic

I think every writer, illustrator, and artist struggles with the voice of the inner critic. We smash our ideas before they are even on paper. We are more critical than any editor, and we beat our inner child until he is weeping in despair.

Statler and Waldorf, Jim Henson's toughest critics.

There is a time and place for self-criticism.

It isn't during PiBoIdMo. 

Maybe you've been lamenting your less-than-Newberry efforts so far. Here is some advice* from those who've been there, gleaned from last year's Picture Book Idea Month posts.

"Gag your inner critic! . . . stop perfectionizing! . . . Write down ALL the ideas you consider. You don’t know what will piggyback on them or what new variation will emerge." -Deb Lund

"I try not to reject . . . ideas too early, because there is no telling where they will end up." -Peter Harren

"I allowed myself to indulge in my imaginative whims.  . . . This was new. The feeling of having nothing to lose, so why not? I was no longer thinking about what I thought the publishing industry wanted to see. I was drawing what I wanted to see for myself." -Kelly Light 

"There's a fine line between a crazy, out-there idea, and a really brilliant one." -Aaron Reynolds

If you are still struggling, read the posts below in their entirety and repeat after me,

"I will not allow my inner critic to shout too loudly or too often."

Why not share your thoughts here, or on the PiBoIdMo Facebook group. Sometimes stating the fear out loud puts it in perspective. Happy brainstorming!

You can see last week's Quips and Tips post on Crazy story ideas here.

*You can read the original posts on Writing With Kids (While Raising Them): Aaron Reynolds, Deb Lund, Kelly Light, Peter Harren