PiBoIdMo
***PiBoIdMo 2014 has concluded. Join us next year, beginning the last week in October.***
What is PiBoIdMo? Why, it’s Picture Book Idea Month!
Tired of watching novelists have all the fun in November with NaNoWriMo, I created PiBoIdMo as a 30-day challenge for picture book writers.
The challenge is to create 30 picture book concepts in 30 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas.
You might think of a clever title. Or a name for a character. Or just a silly thing like “purple polka-dot pony.” The object is to heighten your picture-book-idea-generating senses. Ideas may build upon other ideas and your list of potential stories will grow stronger as the days pass.
Daily blog posts by picture book authors, illustrators, editors and other kidlit professionals will help inspire you. By the end of the month, you’ll have a fat file of ideas to spark new stories.
PiBoIdMo was first held in 2008 by a party of one—me! Then I hosted it on my blog for the first time in 2009. In 2014, PiBoIdMo had over 1,300 registered participants, with 800 writers completing the 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge.
Registration begins every year in late October and continues into the first week of November. After the event concludes, in early December, participants who completed the challenge are asked to take the PiBoIdMo Winner’s Pledge stating they ended the month with 30 or more ideas. (It’s on the honor system. Participants do not have to post their ideas. In fact, I urge them not to!)
Writers who register and complete the challenge will be eligible for prizes:
- Feedback from literary agents
- Original art by picture book illustrators
- Picture book critiques from published authors and editors
- Signed picture books
- Bookish jewelry
- Other cool writerly stuff
(If you’d like to donate a prize to PiBoIdMo, please contact me at tarawrites [at] yahoo [dot] com.)
PiBoIdMo 2013 Guest Bloggers
(Click name to read their guest post.)
Mike Allegra
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Steve Barr
Artie Bennett
Marcie Colleen
Katie Davis
Drew Daywalt
Dianne de Las Casas
Betsy Devany
Ame Dyckman
Julie Falatko
Michael Garland
Maria Gianferrari
Dorina Lazo Gilmore
Melissa Guion
Julie Hedlund
Leeza Hernandez
Lenore & Daniel Jennewein
Laurie Keller
Bitsy Kemper
Kami Kinard
Renee Kurilla
Tara Lazar
Adam Lehrhaupt
Kelly Light
Wendy Martin
Stacy McAnulty
Todd McQueen
Pat Miller
Pat Zietlow Miller
Zachariah Ohora
Anne Marie Pace
Greg Pizzoli
Tammi Sauer
Paul Schmid
Corey Rosen Schwartz
Ryan Sias
Annette Simon
Elizabeth Rose Stanton
Joni Sussman
Kristi Valiant
Kayleen West
Jane Yolen
…with thanks to Joyce Wan for designing the 2013 PiBoIdMo logo.
PiBoIdMo 2012 Guest Bloggers
(Click name to read their guest post.)
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Peter Brown
James Burks
Dianne de Las Casas
Kelly DiPucchio
Amy Dixon
Kate Dopirak
Ame Dyckman
Donna W. Earhardt
Marcus Ewert
Deborah Freedman
Tiffany Strelitz Haber
Peter Harren
Charise Mericle Harper
Julie Hedlund
Leeza Hernandez
Carter Higgins
Ward Jenkins
Mike Jung
Ella Kennen
Diane Kredensor
Emma Ledbetter, Assistant Editor, Atheneum
Kelly Light
Deb Lund
Tracy Marchini
Wendy Martin
Diana Murray
Laura Murray
Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Carol Rasco, CEO of RIF
Aaron Reynolds
Laura Sassi
Liz Garton Scanlon
Corey Rosen Schwartz
Kayla Skogh
Tammi Sauer
Mr. Schu, School Librarian & Kidlit Book Blogger
Melissa Sweet
Will Terry
Audrey Vernick
Robert Weinstock
Tamson Weston, Editor & Consultant
Timothy Young
To continue the picture book discussion, please join our PiBoIdMo Facebook group. Connect with other participants and kidlit professionals, chat about the event and other writerly topics.
And follow this blog (see left column) to ensure you don’t miss a thing!