IT’S ALL ABOUT – SPRINGING FORWARD WITH IDEAS

​By Melissa Stoller

Where I live in New York, Spring arrives on March 20th. This month is the perfect time to spring forward with ideas! Here are a few tips to find inspiration all around you:

1) Spend time outdoors. Notice buds on the trees, flowers starting to bloom, and birds migrating. Stop by a botanical garden or even a flower shop and explore floral arrangements. Visit a local zoo. Organize a birdwatching excursion. Do any story ideas spring to mind?

2) March is the month of St. Patrick’s Day. Jot down a few ideas associated with this holiday such as: good luck, four-leaf clovers, and the color green. Turn those associations into a story title or first line.

3) Enjoy a spring picnic. What foods do you associate with springtime? Research some spring recipes and images. Perhaps take a spring stroll through an antique store or local food market. Notice table settings. Maybe a bud vase or a cheese board will spark your imagination. Hone in on one object and draft a few story lines. 

Enjoy this month and the changing seasons. And cheers to springing ahead with creative story ideas.

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BIO:

Melissa Stoller 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!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Wordle! www.MelissaStoller.com 

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