IT’S ALL ABOUT . . . IDEAS WITH HEART

by Melissa Stoller


​This February, whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s Day, think about the themes of friendship and love and try to find ideas filled with heart. Here are some prompts to get you started:

1. List five friends or family members. Write down some of their attributes that you love. Next, jot down five places you have visited together. Finally, imagine a situation such as the first day of school, losing a tooth, learning to ride a bicycle, taking a vacation, or even celebrating Valentine’s Day. Mash together some of these categories and create an idea based on your heart-filled thoughts.
2. Think of some typical Valentine Day’s foods such as candy, donuts, cakes, and more. Do memories about these foods inspire any story situations?
3. Imagine the color red and some typically red objects such as a fire engine, a red heart, or a red rose. What ideas can you expand on relating to one of these objects? 
4. As you read children’s books this month, notice all the heart-filled moments. 
5. Scroll online and find some photos of hearts or heart-shaped objects. Do they inspire any manuscript plots, title, or characters?

​I hope these prompts help you develop some story ideas filled with heart. Let me know in the comments.

Image from Canva

MELISSA’S BIO:
 Melissa Stoller writes to bring connection, joy, and a bit of magic to her readers. She is 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 with Callie Lovvorn and Shirin Rahman). Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant 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.

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