by Melissa Stoller Ideas for children’s books are all around. Sometimes you find and harness them. Other times you may need to kick start the idea avalanche. Being open and receptive to thoughts, visuals, snippets of conversation, children's antics, pets, nature and science, current events, music, art, and just the world around you can often lead to a wonderful idea discovery. Here’s the genesis of the ideas behind my three children’s books, inspired by my grandparents, a trip to a museum, and an observation on a walk around New York City: THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION: RETURN TO CONEY ISLAND: The first book in my chapter book series is based on the story of how my grandparents met on the Coney Island trolley in the 1920s. My grandmother told this story many times and it was part of our family lore. I had wanted to tell the story for many years, and finally took a leap and started to write. Mining your family history can be a wonderful way to discover ideas and to memorialize treasured parts of your family legend. SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH: One day, I was standing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, gazing at paintings by one of my favorite Impressionists, Monet. I wondered what it would be like to have a magic paintbrush and paint like Monet. From there, a series of “what if” questions entered my imagination. What if I could paint perfect paintings with a magic paintbrush? What if the magic brush was lost? What if it was found again? Ideas swirled around, and now my debut picture book with illustrator Sandie Sonke is out in the world! My love of art history and a little sprinkling of magic helped me catch this idea. READY, SET, GORILLA!: I happened to be walking along a New York City street and saw a huge billboard overhead that read, “Ready, Set, Go.” For some reason, the words, “Ready, Set, Gorilla” popped into my mind. I imagined a little gorilla racing, and shouting “Ready, Set, GOrilla!” to all his friends. A bit later, I imagined a little GOpher joining in the fun. I love puns and wordplay and enjoyed creating some fun in this story. I’m glad I was receptive and had an open mind when I saw that billboard. I’m so excited that this idea led to my newly releasing picture book with illustrator Sandy Steen Bartholomew! * * * As you go about your daily routines, stop and consider that moments from your everyday world can lead to your next great children’s book idea. Happy creating! MELISSA'S BIO: Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Book One: Return to Coney Island and Book Two: The Liberty Bell Train Ride (Clear Fork Publishing, 2017 and Spring 2019); and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush and Ready, Set, GOrilla!(Clear Fork, Fall 2018). She is also the co-author of The Parent-Child Book Club: Connecting With Your Kids Through Reading (HorizonLine Publishing, 2009). Melissa is an Assistant and Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, an Admin for The Debut Picture Book Study Group, and a volunteer with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators/MetroNY. Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Trustees at The Hewitt School and at Temple Shaaray Tefila. Melissa lives in New York City with her husband, three daughters, and one puppy. When not writing or reading, she can be found exploring NYC with family and friends, traveling, and adding treasures to her collections. CONNECT: www.MelissaStoller.com http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller http://www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller http://www.pinterest.com/melissastoller 11/17/2018 01:01:42 pm
When you are a writer, it's a sin if you will run out of ideas! You are working on the creative side of the world, that's why ideas should never abandon your mind! But there are just moments where we feel like everything is blank and we couldn't come up of something worthy. That's normal. Writers regularly reach that phase, but to stay there isn't allowed anymore. They need to fulfill their minds in order for them to come up with something worth sharing! By the way, I love all the ideas that I got from you. 10/30/2021 03:30:03 am
A very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post. I was exactly searching for. Thanks for such post and please keep it up. 4/24/2022 03:30:07 pm
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing blog that understand the value. Im glad to have found this post as its such an interesting one! 2/28/2024 02:48:50 am
Impressed with Learn Quran Online USA's dedication to quality education! The user-friendly platform, experienced teachers, and comprehensive curriculum make it an ideal choice for Quranic learning. 2/28/2024 04:21:00 am
My men's titanium wedding band is exceptional! Its lightweight feel and rugged durability make it perfect for everyday wear. 3/20/2024 11:00:54 am
Enhance your vehicle's performance with our quality "new tyres" in Maidstone. Choose from a variety of brands and types to suit your driving needs. 3/26/2024 10:40:44 am
Find reliable part-worn tyres in Aldershot at GForce Tyres. Our quality used tyres are thoroughly inspected to ensure safety and performance. 3/28/2024 07:55:44 am
Unlock your potential as a sales assistant with JobZee's array of job listings tailored to your location. Whether you thrive in retail environments or prefer B2B sales, discover opportunities near you to excel in customer service and drive business growth. Comments are closed.
|
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
April 2024
|