THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books
  • Picture Book Palooza
    • Contributor Bios
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • Mighty Networks Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships

​IT’S ALL ABOUT – MUSIC AS A WRITING PROMPT

3/8/2021

8 Comments

 
Picture

By Melissa Stoller 
 
 
I have always been fascinated by how music can spark memory. Taking that further, music can provoke memories that can inspire story ideas. Try these steps to help generate some drafts this month:

  1. Write down the names of three favorite songs from childhood.
  2. Jot down the titles of three songs you currently love. 
  3. Brainstorm songs that were special to you from three different periods in your life – perhaps a wedding song, a song you remember from prom, a song from a beloved TV show or movie, a song connected to summer fun at the beach or winter snowball contests, or a song tied to a special person in your life.
  4. If possible, play some of this music. 
  5. Describe in writing what makes these songs special – how does the music make you feel, what are the lyrics bringing forth, why does the song speak to you. Think about the memories from the songs listed above. What do they say to you now?
  6. Finally, do the music, lyrics, song titles, or associated memories help you generate story ideas – read what you wrote in response to the prompts above. Do you notice any patterns? Does anything leap out to you? Perhaps there are some ideas ready to be discovered that will become your next manuscripts. 
 
Enjoy using music, songs, lyrics, and memories to help uncover ideas that may be waiting for you! Let me know in the comments what you find! Cheers to creativity! 
​
Picture


​MELISSA'S BIO:

Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island (Clear Fork Publishing); and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, Ready, Set, GOrilla!, and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. (Clear Fork). 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. 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 long beach walks.

​
CONNECT:  
https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog 
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
http://www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
http://www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com 

​
Picture
Picture
8 Comments

WRITING FROM THE HEART By Charlotte Offsay

3/1/2021

12 Comments

 
Every now and then we have a wonderful former student guest blog for us and today (my birthday) the wonderful Charlotte Offsay is doing just that. Charlotte took our Picture Book Writing course a few years ago and now her career is rocketing, which makes me VERY happy!

I always love to hear how other writers get their story ideas. ​

via GIPHY

Some writers I know make lists and mix up atypical characters, feelings and settings. Others I know try word associations and see where their minds wander. Personally, my best ideas tend to come from the things that take up the most room in my heart.

via GIPHY

Take for example my upcoming book How to Return a Monster. When I sat down to write this book, I wanted to write a story about an older sibling feeling replaced by a new baby. ​
Baby Child GIF from Baby GIFs
At the time I was consumed with how my 19-month-old would react to her new baby brother and a need to process and embrace the mixed feelings I was certain she would have. I first wrote a traditional narrative arc story about a train feeling replaced by a shiny new train, but the story felt too much like a sad terrible twist on Toy Story. ​

via GIPHY

But I kept re-envisioning characters and story structure and eventually arrived at a humorous how-to story about a child who tries to return their sibling in the mail. This is the manuscript that is being illustrated by Rea Zhai and will be published this September by Beaming Books.
The Big Beach Cleanup is another manuscript that was formed from the things in my life that I care about the most. I passionately believe that if enough hands join together we can change the world and wrote this manuscript out of a desire to show my children that they don’t need to be superheroes to make a difference, they just need to do their part and join hands with those around them.
Picture
The Big Beach Cleanup is an ocean advocacy story about little hands joining together to make big change. It features Cora who plans to be a sandcastle-building champion, but when the contest is canceled due to litter at the beach, her plans come to a halt. Cora and Mama pull on gloves and get to work, but soon Cora realizes it will take more than two pairs of hands to solve a big problem. It is illustrated by Katie Rewse and published by Albert Whitman.
Picture
Yet another example of a story idea inspired from my own life, is my upcoming book A Grandma’s Magic. One of the things that matters the most to me is family and in particular my Grandma. My Grandma lives in England and I don’t get to see her as often as I would like. After one particularly difficult goodbye I was reflecting on what I wanted to write about and decided to write about my Grandma whose magic inspires me daily even from far across the pond.
Picture
A Grandma’s Magic is a picture book celebration of grandmothers and all the ways in which they are “magical.” It is being illustrated by Asa Gilland and published with Doubleday Books for Young Readers in Spring 2022. 

Even though these story ideas are taken from my own life, none of them in concept are unique just to me. These are things that lots of people not only care about, can relate to, but also have been broached in picture books before…


There are many fabulous new sibling stories including these:

Picture
There are lots of wonderful books which encourage young activists, including these…
Picture
There are lots of lovely grandma books out there including these…
Picture
What makes my books different is that they are told in my voice, from my unique perspective, from my heart. I look forward to reading the stories that are most important to you, told from your unique perspective. Happy writing!!

Picture
CHARLOTTE OFFSAY was born in England, grew up in Boston, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her  husband and two small children. Through her work, Charlotte hopes to make children laugh, to inspire  curiosity, and to create a magical world her readers can lose themselves in time and time again.  
Charlotte’s debut picture book, The Big Beach Cleanup, illustrated by Kate Rewse will be published by  Albert Whitman in Spring 2021, followed by How to Return a Monster, illustrated by Rea Zhai releasing  Fall 2021 with Beaming Books. A Grandma’s Magic, illustrated by Asa Gilland will be published by  Doubleday Books for Young Readers in Spring 2022.  
Learn more about Charlotte's work at charlotteoffsay.com and follow her on Twitter at @COffsay and on  Instagram at @picturebookrecommendations. Charlotte is represented by Nicole Geiger at Full Circle  Literary. ​
12 Comments

WRITING WITH HEART AND HUMOUR

2/22/2021

38 Comments

 
By Sharon Giltrow
Picture
                         When writing funny books, it is important to combine the right amount of HAHAHA! with the right amount of

Today I feature the delightful picture book - A CROCODILE IN THE FAMILY, by Kitty Black and Daron Parton. This book provides the perfect balance of heart and humour. It also conveys the important underlying themes of family, belonging and acceptance.
Picture
A Crocodile in the Family
Written by: Kitty Black
Illustrated by: Daron Parton
Published by: Hachette Books, August, 2020
US release: Fox Chapel Publishing, September 2021,
A charming, warm-hearted picture book about a family of birds who take home an egg, and even though the crocodile that hatches from it doesn't look or act like the rest of the family, he belongs.
I asked Kitty to share two of her favourite, humorous pages, which are also full of heart. I also asked, why she finds these pages so funny.
Picture
K - “I adore this spread! The way the illustrations convey the cheekiness of Croccy, combined with relatively sparse text just makes me smile.”

Kitty has utilised a very important technique for writing funny – surprise the reader. What a surprise it is to find Croccy in a box of donuts.
Picture
K - “This gorgeous double page spread is all about the ridiculous. Before we even get to using a crocodile as a coat rack - there’s different types of hats to examine, the bowler hat. as well as a cockatoo in a bonnet, plus a teeny tiny bird on the tip of Croccy’s nose. Then, we can take in the fact that Croccy’s wearing a party hat and is being utilised as equipment. I love it.”

Through the use of sparse text, Kitty allows space for the illustrator. The text doesn’t say what types of hat Croccy will be holding. Thus, allowing the illustrator to use his skills to add to the humour.
FUNNY FACT
The word crocodile is funnier than the word alligator. This is because it uses the hard /K/ sound. Comedians use this when they write funny. Amp up the humour in your writing by using some hard /C/ of /K/ words. Croccy has three hard /C/ sounds in his name - funny.

Well, that’s it from me this month, see you in March, with another great Aussie book.
 
Share a laugh and connect with someone today.
GIVEAWAY
For a chance to win your very own copy of A CROCODILE IN THE FAMILY
  1. Comment on this blog post
  2. Share this blog post on social media
  3. Follow Sharon on twitter
  4. The winner will be announced on twitter on Monday 8th March
BIO
Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in 2022. Awarded the Paper Bird Fellowship for Writers in 2019. Sharon used this time to write her early middle grade book SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT. To be released in 2021 through Clear Fork Publishing’s new imprint &MG. Sharon is also a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy,
 
CONNECT
https://www.instagram.com/sharongiltrow1/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/sharongiltrowwriter/
https://twitter.com/sharon_giltrow
https://sharongiltrow.weebly.com/

38 Comments

Bryan’s Black History Month Reading List

2/15/2021

3 Comments

 
by Bryan Patrick Avery

Well folks, it’s February which mean it’s Black History Month. I’ve put together a reading list of a several of my favorite titles centered on the Black experience. I’ve steered clear of many of the traditional Black history topics (slavery, civil rights, etc.) and focused, instead, on books that focus on Black youth experiencing the world they live in with passion, creativity, joy, and even struggle. While I do think things like slavery, civil rights, and other issues are critically important, I think that celebrating complete Black experience is equally important and, quite often, overlooked.

So, without further ado, here's my 2021 Black History Month Reading List:
Picture
Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes
Picture
The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes
Picture
Haiku by Richard Wright
Picture
The Scrumptious Life of Azaleah Lane by Nikki Shannon Smith, illustrated by Gloria Felix
Picture
Tristan Strong Destroys the World by Kwame Mbalia
Picture
The Last Mirror on the Left (A Legendary Alston Boys Adventure) by Lamar Giles, illustrated by Dapo Adeola
Picture
The Jumbie God's Revenge by Tracey Baptiste
Hopefully, you’ll find a new favorite or two on this list.
​
Well, that's all for now. Happy reading and have a magical month.
Picture
Bryan Patrick Avery writes picture books, chapter books, middle grade and graphic novels. His middle grade story, “The Magic Day Mystery”, was published in June 2020 in SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES, an anthology from HarperCollins and the Mystery Writers of America. His debut picture book, THE FREEMAN FIELD PHOTOGRAPH, will be published in Spring 2021 by Clearfork Publishing/Spork.

3 Comments

IT’S ALL ABOUT . . . PHOTOGRAPHY WRITING PROMPTS

2/8/2021

6 Comments

 
by Melissa Stoller
​
Picture
Picture


Photographs can provide new writing inspiration. Here are a few tips for harnessing the power of photos and developing writing prompts that will spark story ideas.
 
 
PREVIOUSLY TAKEN PHOTOS
 
Search through old photos, either in albums, on your computer or phone, or on your social media sites. 

-Find photos of family and distant relatives
-Gather photos of pets
-Plow through travel, holiday, birthday, and special event photos
 
Write a story using a subject matter from a life experience.





 





NEW PHOTOS
 
Stroll through your neighborhood and take photos of everything you see. Or look out your window and take photos all that you notice. Capture details such as:

-doors, windows, part of homes
-nature such as birds
-bodies of water
-methods of transportation
-people
 
Write a story based on an image you capture. You can even use selfies for inspiration! 
 
INTERNET PHOTOS
 
Have fun scrolling through the internet!

-Find all those adorable pet trick photos or the many cute baby photos on the internet. 
-Search photo GIFS
            
Write a draft based on one photo that captures your imagination. 
 
​
I hope that using photos helps you generate story ideas this month. Let me know in the comments. Cheers to creativity! 


Picture
Picture

BIO:
Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island (Clear Fork Publishing); and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, Ready, Set, GOrilla!, and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. (Clear Fork). 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. 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 long beach walks.

​


CONNECT:  
https://www.MelissaStoller.com
https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog 
http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller
http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller
http://www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller
http://www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller
https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com





​

6 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome new bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with  Clear Fork/Spork editor/art director, former agent and former kidlit professor Mira Reisberg PhD who is also the Director of the Children's Book Academy.

    2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books.
     

    3rd Mondays will feature
    Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    4th Mondays feature funny Aussie author Sharon Giltrow sharing awesome Aussie books.

    And 5th Mondays will feature Libyan American author Koloud Tarapolsi sharing wonderful diverse books.

    Enter your email address to follow this blog:

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Tribe and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2020  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books
  • Picture Book Palooza
    • Contributor Bios
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • Mighty Networks Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships