Grab ALL ideas as they Fall

Taking the Picture Book Idea Month Challenge has been just that - a challenge. For me the simple part is jotting down a topic each November day. The real trick is coming up with 30 original story ideas. 

At the beginning of November, I researched every idea on my list using Amazon's website. For instance: "Fall." After all how many books in print do readers really want about the Fall season? Currently, 475 books on Fall have been published for ages 3 to 5. Then I typed in - Fall leaves: 225 picture books, Fall animals: 135 picture books, Fall colors: 97 picture books. This process may be informative but it's not creative.

What have I learned as November draws to an end? I needed to stop editing my thoughts during the brainstorming stage. By allowing one idea to lead to another organically, creative ones emerge.

Now I'm scanning picture albums of my boys' preschool years to remember what interested them. And I'm keeping my eyes open during my daily activities and interactions. The result is a growing list of ideas that stem from my world not statistics.

Visit Author Tara Lazar's blog Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) http://taralazar.com for daily posts to inspire your writing.

Remember it takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.   Eleanor Roosevelt