2013 PiBoIdMo Success

The magic and muse visited me again in November for PiBoIdMo. I ended the month with 33 new ideas in my notebook and a nearly forgotten spare (written on an scrap of paper and shoved in my purse). It seems unbelievable that in one special month ideas flow like water when other months are dry as the Sahara. But as I commented on one of the PiBoIdMo blog posts, for me it is all about showing up. Nearly every morning in November I woke up a half hour or so before my alarm, made a cup of coffee, sharpened my pencil, grabbed my new eraser/notebook and ...waited. Within 5 to 10 minutes a glimmer of an idea or a title would come to me. I faithfully jotted it down and waited some more... fixing breakfast or making more coffee in the interim. At times the entire idea formed and was outlined, but some fragments came later in the day or even days later. All good.

Then presto chango! November is over and I have successfully completed another Picture Book Idea Month with lots of new ideas to begin 2014. Hurray! - Q

Mind Time

I read something a while back that mentioned the writer's life and how hard it is to get motivated. With so many fun, family, and work parts of the pie that is a writer's life pulling us away from writing, slow forward motion can be a downer.

I don't have the answer, but I have tried a variety of methods to keep my writing moving. They usually depend on how close a deadline looms. But I've started giving myself credit for the writing I do in my head (some non-writers call this daydreaming). 


I've found that if I don't allow a story enough time to percolate a bit and be mulled over, my time at the computer is not particularly productive. So give yourself a star! Count the standing in line at the bank, waiting for your engine oil to be changed, or being stuck in traffic as part of your writing process. You'll feel much more productive. It works for me!
-Q