PiBoIdMo - Picture Book Idea Month- WARNING: Pie Might Be Involved by Kathy Halsey

No matter how you say it phonetically, "Pie. Bow. Id. Mow." it's time to sharpen those pencils and minds (wait, that would hurt) for a super challenge, Picture Book Idea Month! Find all the info you need at Tara Lazar's blog/website.

This is my second year for the challenge and this year Tara is even including instructions on how a classroom of kids could signup. What fun for all! 
"November?"you say. Yes, we are all busy come November, but one of last year's suggestions fueled a story that snagged me an agent...just saying...

Here's the 411...
1. It's' a daily challenge to come up with a new idea for 30 straight days.
2. There are great prizes, fabulous camaraderie, and it's free.
3. On Tara's blog, writing luminaries host and share their process to stay energized and find new ideas. You can hang out with Molly Idle, Aaron Reynolds & others!
4. Sign up is October 25-Nov. 4 here. 

Here's are tips to keep you organized...

1. AM is the best time for me to do this before the day takes shape. I always feel accomplished once I've written.
2. Blog posts come via my email and I create a folder for them in mail so I can always refer to them later.
3. I use a graphic organizer for each day to cover these areas: Doodle, Date, Idea, Title, Concept/Storyline (no more than a graph unless I'm on a roll), Themes that fit story.

4. No worries if you can't fill all the requisite days or spots on your graphic organizer! Some days will flow better than others. Just keep up momentum!

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REWARDS!!!! 
1. New writing buds.
2. New discipline. 
3. Oh, and maybe pie...

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Journal [jûr′ nǝl] n. A Personal Record ~By Suzy Leopold

Many people, young and old, keep journals-artists, students, teachers, librarians, gardeners, farmers, athletes, politicians, scientists, writers, chefs, and many, many more. 

Most writers use a journal to record everyday events and topics that interest them.  These journals may include daily entries that record news and events that are personal in nature.  They are private and not intended for others to read as one writes about personal experiences, thoughts and dreams, in a diary.  Others who write in a journal may want to share their thoughts, recordings and reflections. These individuals enjoy sharing, with a trusted reader, who is interested in the subject matter or information. Favorite quotes, jokes or delicious recipes can be passed on from a writer to a reader.  Some journals are considered working journals that record observations and facts, such as crop, plant and weather data. A double-entry journal, is a way to share, read and respond while rotating the journal between two writers. Most often a double-entry journal dialogue is between a teacher and a student.  These journals become a written conversation for learning and growing.  

The American Heritage dic•tion•ar•y defines the word journal: [jûr′ nǝl] n. A personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis; a diary.

Did you know that Leonardo 

da Vinci kept over forty notebooks?  He wrote about his activities, and recorded plans for his engineering projects.  If Meriwether Lewis had not kept a journal, while exploring across North America, we would not have a glimpse of his travels, during the time he lived, nor the geographical information that he recorded in his journal. The beloved, world class diary, The Diary of Anne Frank, was written while Anne and her family hid in an attic, from the Nazis during World War II.  Reading her remarkable child diary connects the reader to the horrors of the war. President, Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president kept a kind of diary.  On little scraps of paper, he jotted down thoughts and sometimes referred to these notes in his speeches. Our beloved president was a powerful orator.  His love for the written word was evident in his love for books. As a young man, Abraham always had a book stashed away. He read whenever he found a chance to do so, sometimes finding a moment in between chores on the farm. On a page from Abraham's schoolbook he wrote the following poem: 

Abraham Lincoln

his hand and pen

he will be good but

god knows when

There are many purposes for keeping a journal or two or more.  A journal has many functions and uses.  Writing in a journal is an excellent place to jot down personal experiences, thoughts and memories.  

For additional information, refer to a previous post by Janie, Tickling Your Muse or How to Spark Ideas Using Glitter and Crayons.

Many readers and writers use journals to enhance their writing from beginning to end. It is a great format to write about books.  Keep a reading log of books you are reading.  Scribe your thoughts about the book.  Summarize and evaluate the book.  Would you recommend the book to others?  Consider recording ideas, information, data and facts, or rhyming words about topics that you wish to write about.  

As a writer, brainstorm thoughts and make lists in a journal. Use a journal for pre writing that is spontaneous and written in a first draft form. Try a strategy referred to as quickwriting.  It is an informal ramble of words on paper to develop and generate ideas.  Jump start your writing with some writing prompts that may spark some creativity.  Make a list.  Doodle. Sketch. Create a graphic organizer. Think of bold beginnings, mighty middles, and exciting endings. Add mementos and ephemera.  Jot down words and more words. Keep on writing. Just focus on your thinking and ideas; not grammar and spelling.  The revisions and editing can follow later.  Use a variety of writing implements.  You can use more than a pencil. Try writing with colored pencils, markers, or even a collection of rainbow colored pens.

Keep a pocket size journal or notebook in your purse or backpack for moments when bright ideas pop into your head.  Writing in a composition notebook or even a spiral bound notebook, make great journals. 

Create and keep a variety of journals and begin writing for many purposes.  One can never have too many journals.  Just think of the many possibilities.  What type of journal do you write in?  What kind of journal will you create to write in on a daily basis?

Graphic Organizers in a Writer's Toolbox ~By Suzy Leopold

As an instructor, who has taught hundreds of students, throughout the years, teaching the subjects of reading and writing are my favorite.  During Writer’s Workshop lessons, my students are encouraged to use a Writer’s Toolbox.

As a writer, you too, need a Writer’s Toolbox.  What do you have inside your toolbox?

Graphic organizers are one of the many items that are included my students’ toolboxes as an instructional tool that aids in the writing process.  As a writer, I use graphic organizers as a visual aid that organize my thoughts and ideas as I write.  Being able to effectively communicate ideas onto a graphic organizer is an excellent starting point that enhances one's writing.

WHO?        Writers
WHAT?       Graphic Organizers/Webs/Mind 
                        Maps/Concept Maps
WHEN?       Prewriting or anytime during the 

                        writing process

WHERE?    In a Writer’s Toolbox
WHY? To improve on the task or skill of
                        writing

HOW?          That is the big question and I have 

                        the answers.

Graphic organizers are outstanding instructional strategies that come in a variety of formats.  There are so many to choose from.  Each one serves as a tool that helps a writer to plan and organize ideas, brainstorm, research, problem solve, jot down thoughts or even identify the characters in a picture book story.  There are so many uses for this writing tool.  

Using a graphic organizer, during prewriting, becomes a diagram or a visual map that effectively organizes and enhances a story.  Just as the name implies, a graphic organizer provides organization through a visual along with coherence as a first step with the writing process.  Graphic organizers guide a writer's thoughts, while one writes, filling in the template, which then becomes a visual.  Having a visual guides the writer, throughout the writing process, allowing one to revise, edit and finally creating a polished manuscript that is ready to submit.

• Venn Diagram:  Effective for comparing and contrasting as it visualizes similarities and differences.

• Outline:  Helpful to a writer to ensure all points are well thought out and includes detail and support.

• Ladder:  Using sentence strips or strips of paper, write a stanza, for a poem, on each one.  Revise and edit by moving the written lines around until your piece is polished and just right.

• A Bubble Graph: An effective visual tool that guides and organizes a writer through brainstorming and pre-writing, while planning an outstanding story, that catches the reader's attention.

• The Five Ws and How: Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, and How?

• The Hamburger: Write a topic sentence, that includes a hook, followed by many details and a conclusion.

Meet Rob Sanders,  an author of a delightful picture book: Cowboy Christmas.

Rob, too, uses graphic organizers for his craft of writing, occasionally. Following are Rob Sander's thoughts on the use of graphic organizers when he writes:

"I imagine it's the teacher in me that always wants to find ways to present information in new ways, to create a new graphic organizer, to help with a problem, or plan step-by-step how to do something (and to teach someone else the steps).  In that spirit, I'll share once again the graphic organizer I designed to help plan a picture book.  I don't use this tool every time I write -- no tool is that wonderful -- but this graphic organizer has come in handy more than once."  May 2012

• Rob Sander's Picture Book Graphic Organizer:

For more information about Rob Sanders, and his fantastic books, along with resources and critique services, check out Rob's web site, blog spot or you may consider following him on Facebook or Twitter.

Cowboy Christmas By Rob Sanders
Golden Books/Random House

Outer Space Bedtime Race By Rob Sanders
Release Date: Spring 2015, Random House Children's Books

Ruby Rose On Her Toes, By Rob Sanders 
Release Date: Winter 2016, HarperCollins

Web site: www.robsanderswrites.com
Blog: www.robsanderswrites.blogspot.com
Twitter: RobSandersWrite

Facebook: RobSandersWrites 

Thank you, Mr. Rob Sanders, for permission to share your thoughts and information about the use of graphic organizers to better our writing.

These examples are just a handful of suggested graphic organizers that you may want to consider. 

There are so many graphic organizers to choose from.  You, too, may find the usefulness of using graphic organizers with your writing.  As your ideas flow, jot down your thoughts onto a graphic organizer. Use pictures along with your words. Your thoughts and ideas do not need to be complete sentences at this point. Set your graphic organizer aside. Put it down and return to it later when additional ideas begin to flow from your heart and onto the template. As you continue through the writing process, use the graphic organizer to create a draft.  Write a second draft. Revise and edit.  Write a third draft. Revise and edit some more, and more, if need be. Soon you will create a final, polished copy that is ready for a critique group and/or several rounds of critiques, followed by the just right moment to submit. 

Consider adding several graphic organizers to your writer’s toolbox as you write.