By Melissa Stoller Cheers to 2024! It’s a new year - time to discover, catch, and cultivate new ideas! Here are a few prompts to help you gather ideas that you can turn into stories and books. Canva Image 1) Write about a new year custom or ritual that you enjoyed as a child, or celebrate now as an adult. Think about the tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of your celebrations. Include some sensory details in your story. 2) Look at the holiday cards you sent or received last month. Notice the emotions and settings in the photos or messages. Perhaps a title, line, or scene will spring to mind. 3) Take a first day walk in nature! Jot down sights and sounds from your neighborhood. Perhaps you can feature one of the moments you encounter in a book plot. 4) Call an old friend and reconnect for the new year. After your conversation, make a list of some traits you enjoy about your friend. Then try to write a friendship story. 5) Make a list of resolutions. Notice any similarities and themes in your resolutions. Let your list spark some story ideas. I hope these prompts help you jump into January with plenty of ideas that you can use to write stories in 2024. Let me know in the comments! Happy New Year! MELISSA’S BIO: Melissa Stoller writes to bring connection, joy, and a bit of magic to her readers. Her newest picture book, Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi, releases from Gnome Road Publishing in Fall 2025. Melissa is also the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island, and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom; and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written). Melissa is a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story Judge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, a Book Meshuggenahs member, a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Trustee, and a past school and Synagogue Trustee. She also interviews authors and offers resources on her blog. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer/editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Central Park walks. Melissa is represented by The Seymour Agency. CONNECT WITH MELISSA: https://www.MelissaStoller.com https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller www.twitter.com/melissastoller www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller The price we must pay for brilliance is attention. In a world of increasing distractions, attention is a scarce commodity. We are bombarded with tweets, pings, and telephone rings. How do we quiet the noise, pay attention, and write brilliantly? The ancient practice of mindfulness, with a few modern innovations, might be the key. USE DISTRACTIONS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE In my work as a psychotherapist, I recommend two things to every client. Practice journaling and develop personalized mindfulness practices. Before you book your ticket to meditate in the Himalayas, I must point out that meditation is only ONE type of mindfulness practice. Here is an alternative that is a bit more user-friendly:
This method helps you accomplish a few things: It helps you disengage your judgmental voice. Making it more likely you will eventually break the habit. If judgmental thoughts are not dealt with effectively, they can wreak havoc. You may engage in the habit more to cope with the negative emotions they create. You learn to refocus. Often, people think of mindfulness and meditation as a static state of fixed attention. However, the intention is to teach your body/mind to refocus on your objective (observing the breath, sensations, or repeating a mantra). The more you practice refocusing, the faster this process occurs in everyday life, and it will start to appear as if you never lose focus. When actually you’ve just developed lightning-fast refocusing super-powers. Gently and slowly, bringing your attention back to your characters by imagining how they may react in this present moment will possibly spark some ideas and reignite the drive to continue writing. Who knows? You might even go on to use some of the sensory information you’ve gathered in your story. Now that you’ve overcome your scrolling habit, you may have time to spare. Use it to check out “The Mindful Writer” by Dinty Moore for more great tips on how to reclaim your attention and release your brilliance. Brentom Jackson is an award winning poet/writer, actor and psychotherapist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With poetic voice, theatrical flair, and socio-emotional expertise Brentom tells stories that explore the universal lessons within Black-American history and heritage. His debut picture book Elijah's Easter Suit with Doubleday/Penguin Random House is available for pre-order now. Follow him on all social media @brentomjackson. www.brentomjackson.com By Melissa Stoller It’s winter – a season filled with holidays of many faith traditions. Take some time this month to breathe in the joy of the season and add some holiday rituals and magic into your storytelling. Here are a few seasonal prompts to help you dodge into December with ideas! Canva.com 1. Write about a ritual, custom, celebration, or heirloom from your faith tradition. What memories do you associate with the holiday season? Incorporate sensory details into a story scene. 2. Remember a childhood celebration. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of your memories. Perhaps a book title will spring to mind, or even a full story idea. 3. Think about the foods associated with the holidays. Conjure the smells and tastes. Perhaps browse family recipes or bookstore holiday coffee table books. Capture any ideas generated from your research. 4. Look through old family photos of past celebrations. Study the expressions of the people in the photos. Write a story based on the emotions you notice. 5. Watch holiday movies and TV shows. Maybe a plot will inspire a children’s story! I hope these holiday-related prompts help you dodge into December ideas. Let me know in the comments! Happy Holidays! MELISSA’S BIO: Melissa Stoller writes to bring connection, joy, and a bit of magic to her readers. Her newest picture book, Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi, releases from Gnome Road Publishing in Fall 2025. Melissa is also the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island, and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom; and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written). Melissa is a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story Judge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, a Book Meshuggenahs member, a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Advisory Council member, and a past school and Synagogue Trustee. She also interviews authors and offers resources on her blog. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer/editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Central Park walks. Melissa is represented by Jonathan Rosen at The Seymour Agency. CONNECT WITH MELISSA: https://www.MelissaStoller.com https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller www.twitter.com/melissastoller www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller We love children's book creatives so as we wrap up our final weeks of the Ultimate Craft and Business of Writing Children’s Picture Books, and head into the end of the year, in the spirit of gratitude and giving, we have a special token of our appreciation, with a lovely FREE GIFT! We sent this out to our current mailing list last week and received so much great feedback, that we want to offer it to you now by simply signing up for our mailing list. Its a lovely FREE 18-Page Workbook on... Writing Stories with The 5 Ps of Publishing"
This delightful workbook is designed to guide you through the essential steps of bringing your children's book dream to life. Packed with tips and worksheets to get you focused on the craft of creating and publishing kidlit, this workbook is your re-usable companion on your exciting journey of crafting captivating and meaningful children's stories and publishing them. How to Access Your Free Workbook: Simply CLICK HERE to join our free helpful newsletter and you are in! Yabba dabba doo and wait for your goodies! Sending much love, Dr. Mira and the CBA gang xoxox This Book Makes Me Think About: Bing, Bop, Bam Time to Jam! By Valerie Bolling and Sabrena Khadija11/27/2023
Bing, Bop, Bam: Time to Jam is the latest collaboration of Valerie Bolling and Sabrina Khadija, and it will surely make your heart sing. The duo creates a colorful community of diverse instruments, people, food, and fun. Readers follow an intergenerational group of musicians and music lovers as they plan, decorate, and participate in the “neighborhood jam!” Bolling’s signature rhyming couplets become a soaring sing-along to little listeners' ears. Meanwhile, Khadija’s bold, geometric illustrations create rivers of rhythm that all eyes are sure to follow. This book was put to the test by my three-year-old picky reader, and it passed with flying colors. Whether it was finding the red balloons shaped like hearts, taking a slight online detour to listen to the sound of an erhu, or belting "Applaud, bow. Encore! WOW!" He quickly deemed it a repeat read along with its companion book Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun. Bing, Bop, Bam, and Valerie Bolling's debut picture book Let's Dance makes the perfect musical pairing. While one showcases instruments from around the world, the other presents dances from across the globe. Together, they are a testament to the magic of music and movement. And they deserve a special place in pre-schools, primary grade music rooms, or wherever we gather to be seen and heard. Bing, Bop, Bam Time to Jam! Makes Me Think About: Babatunde Olatunji: Nigerian drummer, activist, educator, and graduate of Morehouse College whose 1959 album Drums of Passion introduced many Americans to world music. The Pan-African Connection Bookstore and Art Gallery in Dallas, TX: The Sunday afternoon drum circle is North Texas' weekly “neighborhood jam!” Ms. Meg, Ms. Courtney, and Ms. Hannah: Instructors with the Music Together program my son has attended over the years. Each of them contributed to his growth in such a meaningful way. A quote from Tony-award-winning actress Phylicia Rashad: "Before a child speaks, it sings. Before they write, they paint. As soon as they stand, they dance. Art is the basis of human expression." Go pick up this book today and see what it makes you and your little readers think about! Brentom Jackson is an award winning poet/writer, actor and psychotherapist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With poetic voice, theatrical flair, and socio-emotional expertise Brentom tells stories that explore the universal lessons within Black-American history and heritage. His debut picture book Elijah's Easter Suit with Doubleday/Penguin Random House is available for pre-order now. Follow him on all social media @brentomjackson. www.brentomjackson.com |
We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our awesome bloggers!!
Here's our lineup: 1st Mondays begin with former school psychologist Dr. Debra Collins who will be writing about Social emotional Learning in kidlit and behind the scenes as well as Jewish children's books. 2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books. 3rd Mondays will feature our new blogger coming soon. 4th Mondays features new blogger, the fabulous Brentom Jackson, who has a beautiful approach to blogging. And 5th Mondays we'll be taking a break Archives
May 2024
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