Looking for this year’s Picture Book Marathon?

While there’s no “official” marathon this year, it’s easy to write your own. 

Your Goal: During the month of February, write (or, for illustrators, create thumbnails for) one picture book a day, until you get to 26. This gives you two “rest” days, or, in a leap year, three. 

A writing buddy helps you get through the month productively! If you don’t have one, line up some non-writing friends to check on your progress and provide encouragement.

The Basics: For the marathon a picture book is defined as (1) a story or narrative, (2) with a  beginning, middle, and end, (3) for children, and (4) intended to be illustrated. They’re generally, though not always, meant to be published in a 32 page format. Given the speed of the marathon, your picture book DRAFTS (for that’s what they’ll be) will be very rough. What you hope to capture is the basic plot, characters, and emotion of each story.

Why Do It:

• Generate a lot of material in a short amount of time.
• Get your creative juices flowing by forcing yourself to write daily.
• Circumvent your internal naysayer, who won’t have the time to be criticizing.
• Practice a writing practice.

Think about YOUR PURPOSE for doing the Marathon. Is it to generate material that you’ll spend the rest of the year revising? Learn the ins and outs of a new type of story (say, fairy tales)? Get really, really good at writing plot? Learn how to develop characters quickly?

Pick what’s important to you at this juncture in your writing career. Then, start writing. 

Does a month-long marathon seem overwhelming? One of the benefits of doing it for that length of time is to really focus your mind on picture books. When you need to write 26 in a row, you’ll be looking for ideas all the time, and the smallest encounter can trigger a great manuscript draft.  

But, if you feel you really can’t commit to a month, try starting with a mini-marathon week!

Good luck!

The Finish Line

A big "HOORAY!" going out to 2014 Picture Book Marathon finishers today! Time to sit back, relax, and take credit for a job well done.

Since you're well on your way to establishing a daily writing habit, perhaps you want to continue.... You don't need to generate an idea for a new picture book each day, of course. But what would daily practice do for your writing life?

If you haven't quite gotten to the finish line yet, no worries, nobody will be taking it down. Keep going at your own pace. You'll get there when you get there, and be glad that you did.

After a few days, it'll be time to take stock of what you've written, and decide which manuscript to work on first. Good luck! And remember, you don't need to wait for February for a picture book marathon. Consider a mini (or full-fledged!) marathon any time you feel your writing needs a kick start.

The Halfway Point

If you've been writing a picture book draft daily up to this point you're up to lucky 13 -- halfway there. Keep it up! And, if you've fallen behind? Time to buckle down and catch up.
Use a different part of your brain for some story-starting action --  try creating some story stones. And then, write it down.....

A Quarter of the Way There....

My tea bag tag this morning said "chances multiply when you grab them." So do ideas, and, particularly relevant this month, picture book ideas. Don't let them float away looking for another home (or if you do, send them here!). Grab those fleeting ideas and see what you can make of them.
  In the book Smarter Than You Think; How Technology is Changing our Minds for the Better, Clive Thompson quotes science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon as saying "Ninety percent of everything is crap." Which may be true, or at least partially so; what you hope to achieve, by doing the Picture Book Marathon, is to write through that 90% to the 10% that is gold.
  It gets harder as you go because you've already grabbed the low-hanging fruit. Now you have to reach higher, or dig deeper.
  So, grab those ideas as they float by, and dig deeper for the gold!
A story starter: think of a child you know, and write a story especially for them.

Groundhog Day

Day 2 of the marathon - you've probably already got two done, and only 24 more to go! Are you feeling like you're on a roll, or a rusty wheel needing a push? A story starter for today: include a groundhog and a football....

Final Training Tips....

#4:
Make a commitment to complete the marathon -- see this post for instructions.

#3
You get to carbo-load the day before a marathon, right?

#2
Get your writing gears going - sit down and write three pages without stopping.

#1
RELAX -- and get ready for a fun and challenging month!

How the Picture Book Marathon Works

Hello Authors and Illustrators! If you’re unfamiliar with the marathon, here’s how it works. 

Your Goal: 

Between February 1 and February 28, write one picture book a day, until you get to 26. This year, you get two break days, which you get to pick. 

The Basics: 

For the marathon, a "picture book" is defined as (1) a story or narrative, (2) with a beginning, middle, and end, (3) for children, and (4) intended to be illustrated. They’re generally, though not always, published in a 32 page format. Given the speed of the marathon, your picture book DRAFTS (for that’s what they’ll be) will be very rough. What you hope to capture is the basic plot, characters, and emotion of each story.

Why Do It:

• Generate a lot of ideas/material in a short amount of time.
• Get your creative juices flowing by forcing yourself to write daily.
• Circumvent your internal naysayer - they either won’t have time to criticize, or they’ll be too tired.
• Develop a writing habit.

A Few Other Notes

• The marathon doesn't host a place where you can post your work.
• See today's separate blog post for instructions on signing up (optional).

Marathon Sign Up (Optional)

You can do the marathon perfectly well on your own, though it helps to have the support of at least one other person who’s also marathoning.

However, if you would like to (1) make a commitment that will motivate you to keep going, and (2) connect with a larger group of people who are also doing the marathon, consider creating a commitment contract at stickk.com (how stickk works). The site allows you to set and track a goal with a timeline, making it a perfect match for the marathon.

If you decide to make this commitment:

Set up an account at www.stickk.com

Create a custom goal as follows:
Create your own goal: Complete the 2014 Picture Book Marathon
Commitment type: ongoing
I commit to: Write 26 picture book drafts during the 28 days of February
This commitment starts: February 1
Length of commitment: 4 weeks
Goal category: career

To make your contract more effective, you can pledge to donate money if you DON’T meet your goal (this step is entirely optional). If you meet your goal, you pay nothing. If you don’t meet your goal, you select where your money goes from one of three options: an anti-charity (you select one you would not want to donate to); a charity (though you don’t get to select which one); or, a friend or enemy.

Important: under supporters, list PBMarathoner. I’ve been playing with the stickk search engine, and it’s less than perfect. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to link everyone who makes a commitment contract through this step.

If I am able to link everyone that way, this last step may be unnecessary. But if you want to make sure you get linked to everyone else, email me (writers at picturebookmarathon.org) with the following:
subject: stickk contract
message: your stickk username
If I can't link you directly through the stickk site, I’ll send out a list of everyone who sets up a contract and emails me by 5:00 p.m. on February 2, and you can add them as supporters.

So, if you want to sign up, do it before February1!

More Marathon Training Tips

#6 Buy yourself a little time and peace of mind by knocking off a few chores before February starts. Stock up on groceries, do the laundry....

#5 Read! Picture books, new and old. A magazine or newspaper you wouldn't normally pick up. A book on writing or illustrating picture books. Something to get you "thinking outside the book"!

Congratulations to the ALA award winners!

Training Tip #7: Create an Idea File

If you haven't yet begun tracking picture book ideas, now's the time. Whether you use your phone, a notebook, or the back of your hand, write it down! Don't assume you'll remember it later.
  Train yourself to tune all of your senses in to picture book possibilities. Who knows? Your next picture book might originate in an overheard comment, a memory triggered by the smell of bubblegum ice cream, or the feel of your cat's tongue licking your hand.

Training Tip #9/8: Make Some Time!

Hmm, looks like days 9 and 8 got combined. Which reminds me of the next training tip: clear your February calendar. Or at least, schedule time to make a successful picture book marathon happen. Think about when you plan to write each day, and then make sure to keep that time open. Often, we're so busy each day we don't even allow time to think! Not conducive to creativity....

Ten Day Countdown Starts Today

We're counting down to the start of the 2014 Picture Book Marathon with 10 days of "training" exercises.
Today, clear a space. That might be your desk, a corner of the kitchen table, or a spot in the living room. Give your brain a place to work free of distracting clutter.
I'm starting with this one first because, if your desk looks like mine, you might need 10 days to get it done....
While you're at it, look for some inspiring quotes or pictures that you can post nearby. Anyone have any good ones to suggest?

Picture Book Marathon 2014

Put yourself in a Picture Book Frame of Mind.... Picture Book Marathon 2014, starting February 1!

Let the Revisions Begin!

Congratulations on finishing the 2013 Picture Book Marathon!

Now it's time to take a hard look at those drafts you've spent the last month creating. Sort, evaluate, and decide which ones you want to tackle first. Hopefully, you've created enough material to keep you busy for quite some time.

Here's wishing you a happy and productive writing year!

Last Day, Hurray!

Here's hoping that the last day of the 5th Annual Picture Book Marathon finds you appreciating everything that you've accomplished this month. Whether you've done a half marathon, the full 26, or something in between, you should be proud of yourself!
How do you plan to celebrate?

Story Starters: A Few Fun Resources

These story starter sites are designed for kids, but since you're writing for kids they work just fine.

Don't forget to write your story while you play with this one on Scholastic's site. Or, try these ideas from authors such as Katherine Paterson, Mo Willems, and Jon Scieszka -- and get ready to celebrate Children's Book Week in the process. No luck? Check out these ideas for daily writing.

Show Me A Story: 40 Craft Projects and Activities to Spark Children's Storytelling, by Emily Neuburger, might be more involved than you have time for during marathon month, but see if you can find it at your library or bookstore later. I want to make a set of the story rocks for my nephews, and then another set for myself.

Story Starter: Go Wordless

Today's story starter idea is a wordless picture book. I know, if you're not an illustrator, that seems like a weird one. But it forces you to think about the scenes in the book, like a mini movie or play. Sixteen spreads - what's going on? Write the stage directions.

Eleven days to go marathoners!

A Few Quick Questions....

Hang in there, marathoners, 10 days down and 18 to go. You're more than a third of the way if you're doing the whole marathon! And some of you half-marathoners will be finishing up this week.

Here's a quick (4 question, multiple choice) survey for you -- if you're doing the marathon, please take a moment to fill it out. 

Story Starters: Multiple Choice

Okay, choose one from each of these four categories:

Your character is:

• a frog
• a lizard
• a postman
• a mayor
• a duck

Who is also:

• a magician
• a toad in disguise
• a street musician
• a juggler
• despondent

And wants:

• to be famous
• to avoid bedtime at any cost
• cinnamon rolls for breakfast
• a new haircut
• to be an astronaut

But:

• Aunt Marge is coming to visit
• the babysitter is mean
• she can't sing
• she has a broken leg
• the store is fresh out of magic wands

Okay, go!

Story Starters: What Do You Hear?

The first of the story starters, for when you're running low on ideas:

Start with a sound. For example, "Crinch." or "Kapow!" or "Shh, shh, shhhh...." 

For a timely example, take a look at Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox, written by Susan Blackaby with characters and illustration created by Carmen Segovia. I love the little fox's "piff, piff, hoop, hoop," for instance. 

Think of some sounds that are fun to say. What stories do they bring to mind?