Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)

Storystorm 2026 Day 19: Sara Weingartner Branches Out a Character

January 19, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Sara Weingartner | 81 comments

by Sara Weingartner

Before we dive into creative inspiration, I want to take a moment to check in with you all. How are you, emotionally? I’m in Minneapolis. The weight of the world is overwhelming—with fear, anger and sadness for what is happening to Minnesotans, my neighbors, the businesses, our schools, our whole community.

If even a little bit of this resonates with you, take a moment. And breathe. In times like this, the act of writing and art making can be our place for peace or meditation. What we create can also become a moment of calm, or hope, or joy for anyone who sees it.

(Thanks for letting me be real for a moment. Now onto the inspiration part…)

As an artist, I’ve always loved brainstorming and creating characters and imaginary worlds. So, when I discovered Storystorm back in 2013 (when it was PiBoIdMo) even though I hadn’t declared myself a writer yet, my journey as a PB writer began.

For me, PB ideas often begin with a character that I’ve drawn or one that is stuck in my head, pleading to come out on paper. As I play around with animal vs. human, body shape, clothes and accessories, it slowly reveals its personality.

It’s wonderful to be able to draw out my first impressions of a character. But I often don’t have a clear picture or direction of whom this character is, its hobbies, friends or setting.

That’s when “branching” ideas can be super helpful.

Here’s how it works:

(RED) Draw a circle in the middle of your paper and choose a character you’re interested in (animal, person, object, place),
(BLUE) Branch out and draw three (or more) circles. Think up characteristics or qualities (realistic or imaginary) about this character.
(GREEN) From those three words, branch out again, but this time, with two circles each. Fill with 1) the opposite, and 2) the extreme versions of each quality/characteristic.
(PURPLE) Last branching, add two more circles each, and fill with nouns that also possess this quality or characteristic.

I hope I didn’t lose you. (Download Sara’s Branching Template here.)

Here’s my quick branching example of an alligator for clarity:

Now comes the fun, brainstorming part! Combine these words to create new character(s), a possible setting, even a friend. So, instead of my initial idea of a (boring) long, snappy, scary alligator, I’ve just imagined a mini alligator fashionista who goes everywhere with her teddy bear, who might be best friends with a confident mouse artist, and maybe this story takes place in a peaceful meadow.

You’re welcome! Now you give it a try!

But first, a few tips:

TIP 1: Set a timer. Maybe 5-10 mins. Because with a tick-tocking clock, we tend to think quicker and avoid self-editing.
TIP 2: Use a thesaurus! Choosing words from a list, speeds up your process, and offers multiple meanings of a word. (Note my “stylish” word choice above.)
TIP 3: I’ve attached a blank branching template PDF if you think it’s more fun to fill in circles.

After you come up with a potential character with weight, dive deeper:

WHO are they?
WHAT do they really want?
HOW are they going to get it?
WHAT is at stake if they don’t?
WHERE does this story take place?
and ask WHAT IF? (if you get stuck along the way).

As an added BONUS, challenge yourself to draw your character! And I already don’t believe you if you say, “But I can’t even draw a stick figure.” YES YOU CAN! Just try.

But most of all, enjoy the creative flow because this is what we are made to do! Thank you, Tara, for this opportunity to share, and for all of you for choosing to be on this journey, too.

Sara Weingartner has illustrated nine books (PBs and an early chapter) and is currently submitting her author-illustrator dummies to agents. She works in mixed media (traditional and digital) and is a graphic designer who has designed tons of PBs for a local publisher. Sara is happiest when she’s creating things, being active, and filling her world with color. She also loves throwing pottery (on a wheel!), pickleball, baking and running. She dreams of an inclusive world, believes in magic, and wishes animals could talk. Living in Minnesota, Sara and her husband have two kids (an adult art teacher and teen) and a very spoiled pooch.

Visit her at SaraWeingartner.com or on Instagram @sarajweingartner and Bluesky @saraweingartner.

Storystorm 2026 Day 18: Ann Diament Koffsky Writes What She Cares About

January 18, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Ann Diament Koffsky | 88 comments

by Ann Diament Koffsky

“Write what you know,” is a classic piece of advice given to writers.

Hogwash!

If I only wrote what I know? I would be writing very little!

For example, I didn’t know much about Emma Lazarus. Just that she had written the poem about the Statue of Liberty. That’s it.

But because I was compelled by that poem, I was driven to research and discover a lot more about her: her compassion for immigrants, her advocacy work, and her kindness (I especially loved learning how she once wrote a passionate response to an antisemitic screed—go Emma!) And thus, my love and admiration for Emma led to my book WHAT EMMA WROTE, (Apples and Honey press, March 2026).

I propose that we transform the advice of “Write what you know,” into what I think is a far more useful mantra, “Write what you CARE ABOUT.” Caring, otherwise known as feelings, can be a supercharged, flammable, writing fuel!

For example, you wouldn’t think feelings of grief would lead to a book about comedian Mel Brooks. But when my family and I suffered a terrible loss a couple of years ago, humor was one of our life rafts—or as Brooks said, “Once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it,” This inspired me to write BLAZING HUMOR: MEL BROOKS IS SERIOUSLY FUNNY. (Intergalactic Afikoman, April 2026).

BOREDOM inspired another of my new books. Passover lasts eight long days, and if you’re one of those who celebrates the holiday by eating matzah (a flat, cracker-like unleavened bread) each day, it can start to taste pretty bland by day three! Matzah with melted cheese and tomato sauce smeared on top has always given me a welcome break from the boring, and so it is for the main character of my book THE MIRACLE OF MATZAH PIZZA (Intergalactic Afikoman, February 2026)

Other writer friends of mine report that their caring, and emotions have inspired them, too.

A feeling of SHOCK inspired educator and author Jacqueline Jules, “I was very surprised to learn that my students didn’t know that the Pentagon had been attacked on September 11, 2001.” How could her students, who lived just miles from the Pentagon, not know what their neighbors had suffered that terrible day? This led her to write SMOKE AT THE PENTAGON (Bushel & Peck, 2023).

ANGER can be a motivator too, according to author Linda Elovitz Marshall, “Furious that Russia invaded Ukraine, the former home of my great grandparents, I wrote BRAVE VOLODYMYR: The Story of Volodymyr Zelensky and the Fight for Ukraine (HarperCollins, 2023).

And, lest I leave you with the impression that only negative emotions can inspire, let me add that positive ones can be effective too, “I’ve always loved encounters with nature—seeing the ocean, watching sunsets, climbing mountains, exploring wildlife,” author Chana Stiefel says. Those feelings led her to write AWE! (Scholastic, March 2026).

So, the next time you feel bored, shocked, frustrated, awestruck, furious—take note!

Feelings are a compass—they can point you precisely to what you care about and what’s important to you; to what’s meaningful to you and your unique soul.

Feel the feelings.

And get out your notebook.

Ann Diament Koffsky is the award-winning author and illustrator of more than 50 books for children.

Ann’s artwork has also been featured on products by Hallmark, Costco, Great Arrow Graphics, Rite Lite Judaica, as well as in publications like The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Times, Jewish Action Magazine and Hadassah Magazine.

Previously she was an editor and art director at Behrman House Publishers, and an illustration Professor at Stern College, Yeshiva University.

Ann lives with her family in West Hempstead, NY. Visit her online at AnnKoffsky.com.

Storystorm 2026 Day 17: Gina Perry Gets Unstuck

January 17, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Gina Perry | 90 comments

by Gina Perry

I am a long-time Storystorm participant. I love finding new ideas! What I don’t love is the stuck point. You know what I’m talking about. When you love your character, but you lack a plot. Or when you have a great story arc, but something about the voice isn’t working out. Or, when you know it’s a good idea, and you have catchy refrains, but your character is missing that something special. And worst of all, when all you have is a catchy title or premise! But don’t fret, a stuck point is not a dead end. Today I’m sharing 5 techniques that have helped me get stories back on track:

Put it away.
Try not to think about the project AT ALL for several days to a week. Then pick it up again and see if anything new jumps out.
Break it down.
Dissect all the elements and decide if any of them could be more interesting. With THE KING OF BOOKS, my main character started as a basic orange cat. I flipped through old work and saw a simple illustration I did of a tiger wearing a crown on a pink background. Huzzah! A more exciting character and setting is born!
Start from Scratch. Picture books are fragile, but short. Have you tried writing your story over again? You could change the setting, the voice, or the main character. It doesn’t hurt to give it a try, then compare and see if it shines a light on a better path. For my picture book SMALL, I had to try a few settings for the story before I landed on the city. It was full of diverse challenges and perfect for my tiny protagonist.
Play favorites.
I write funny picture books. If I’m not having fun making a book, it’s a problem. But even if you write serious picture books, they should have an element of wonder or magic, right? Try injecting your story with your favorite foods, animals, activities, humor, games, etc. What makes you feel like a kid? What would the ‘normal’ adults think is childish for you to collect or enjoy? Are you an artist who finds yourself drawing the same thing over and over? Weaving favorites into your story will make it feel more personal and authentic. And keep you motivated through the long journey to publication.
Frankenstein’s Monster.
If you only have a catchy title or premise, go back through all your ideas and see if you can patch together a story using multiple nuggets. Are there patterns to your ideas that go together? Is there a big emotion you return to over and over? Why can’t your rainy day story also be about monsters and pancakes?

Gina Perry is an author and illustrator from New England. Her latest picture book, THE KING OF BOOKS, is out now from Feiwel & Friends. She is also the creator of the monthly illustrator event #KidLitArtPostcard. You can find Gina on Instagram @ginaperry_books or BlueSky @ginaperry.bsky.social or follow her author newsletter Doodle Mail.

Storystorm 2026 Day 16: Ursula Murray Husted Draws Inspiration

January 16, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Ursula Murray Husted | 103 comments

by Ursula Murray Husted

Want more free comics like this one, teaching guides to my books, or step-by-step videos/pdfs with classroom art activities? Go here!

Ursula Murray Husted is the creator of the graphic novels A Cat Story and Botticelli’s Apprentice. A lifelong artist, former professor, and advocate for the arts and art history education, Husted teaches formal comics classes, lectures, and art history workshops ranging from graduate university seminars to pre-K. Husted received her PhD from the University of Minnesota, MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and BFA from Marshall University.

Storystorm 2026 Day 15: Marcie Colleen Practices the Quiet Work of Noticing

January 15, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Marcie Colleen, THE BEAR'S GARDEN | 139 comments

by Marcie Colleen

Lately I have been reading and studying the poetry of Mary Oliver. Slowly. Intentionally. Not to rush through it or “get” something from it, but to sit with her language and the way she notices the world.

Reading her work has made me think a lot about attention—about what we choose to notice, and what we allow ourselves to linger with. Mary Oliver’s poems don’t hurry. They observe. They stay. They remind me that paying attention is not passive. It’s an active, generous way of moving through life.

That way of noticing has been echoing for me because it’s the same kind of attention that lives at the heart of my picture book THE BEAR’S GARDEN, illustrated by Allison Oliver (Macmillan, 2020). In that story, the world is busy and rushed. Whole neighborhoods are forgotten. Broken. Overlooked. But the child sees something else. She notices small bits of beauty where others see only neglect. A reflection. A shape. A possibility. And because she notices, she begins to tend.

She doesn’t force the garden to grow. She watches. She believes. She whispers encouragement. She stays with it—day after day—through heat, wind, and uncertainty. And slowly, because of that attention, others begin to notice too. First quietly. Then together.

This practice of slowing down and choosing what to pay attention to has been with me through this first half of StoryStorm. Thirty ideas in one month can invite comparison, urgency, and the feeling that creativity needs to be performed on command.

So let’s gently set that aside.

Your job this month isn’t to perform.

It’s to live with attention.

Creativity doesn’t need to be summoned or proved. It doesn’t respond well to force. What it responds to is presence as your daily life unfolds, even when nothing particularly dramatic seems to be happening.

Living with attention means slowing down enough to notice what usually gets brushed past. A feeling that lingers. A moment that makes you pause. A thought that quietly returns when everything else moves on. These are small things. They’re easy to miss. And they’re exactly where stories begin.

You don’t have to catch every idea. You just have to savor enough moments that curiosity has room to grow.

Mary Oliver understood this deeply. Her poems remind me that noticing is a choice. That attention shapes meaning. That what we turn toward matters.

And THE BEAR’S GARDEN reminds me of something else: that noticing is an act of belief. Belief that what looks small or overlooked is worth caring for. Belief that tending—even quietly, even imperfectly—matters.

When we allow ourselves to savor a moment rather than rush past it, curiosity naturally follows. It asks gentle questions: Why did that stay with me? Why does this matter? You don’t need answers right away. Curiosity doesn’t demand them. It just wants space to exist.

Some days, that curiosity will bloom quickly. Other days, it will barely stir. Both are part of the work.

Some days will feel quiet.
Some ideas will barely whisper.
Trust them anyway.

Quiet days are not empty days. Whispered ideas are not weak ones. Many of the stories that stay with us the longest begin this way—small, unassuming, easy to underestimate.

StoryStorm doesn’t require brilliance on demand. It asks for openness. It asks you to notice what you’re already living. To write down what sticks, what returns, what gently taps you on the shoulder when you’re not trying so hard.

If you miss a day, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. If an idea feels incomplete, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t count. An idea can be a sentence. A question. A feeling you don’t yet have words for. Write it down anyway. You’re not finishing stories this month—you’re planting them.

And perhaps most importantly, you’re practicing trust.

Trust that your life is already full of material.
Trust that attention is enough.
Trust that you don’t need to force meaning for it to exist.

Because when you savor life—really savor it—stories follow.
Not all at once.
Not loudly.
But faithfully.

So let this month be gentle. Let it be curious. Let it be quiet if it needs to be.

You’re not behind.
You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re living with attention—and that is the work.

Marcie Colleen is the author of numerous acclaimed books for young readers. Her writing spans picture books, chapter books, and comics. No matter the format, her stories reflect a deep love of community, creativity, and joyful connection. For more information about Marcie’s projects, visit ThisisMarcieColleen.com. You can also find her on Instagram @marciecolleen and Bluesky @marciecolleen.bsky.social.

Storystorm 2026 Day 14: Michael Leali Has Too Many Ideas

January 14, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Michael Leali | 118 comments

by Michael Leali

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by inspiration. Story ideas come to me on a weekly and, not infrequently, daily basis. An observation at the bookstore, a snippet of overheard conversation, the image of a young child chasing her dog. Everywhere we go there are seeds that can grow into something more.

I have more story ideas than I will ever have time to explore. And writing time is precious and inconsistent, so I must be selective. As someone with many, many only-just-begun manuscripts that have been abandoned for the next shiny idea, I’ve learned to pause when inspiration strikes. Give my nascent ideas room to breathe. That’s the only way I see a project through to the end.

Listing out my ideas helps me organize, reflect upon, and recall my sparks of inspiration. Revisiting my lists not only reminds me about my story ideas, but it also acts as a gauge. How excited am I about one idea over another? Which ideas continue to rise to the surface? When I’m bored, which stories do I daydream about? The longer I wait and let the ideas fight amongst themselves, the stronger some story ideas become.

Storytellers and future readers deserve only the best ideas because time is a precious, limited resource. Not only are we giving of our time when we commit to putting a story on paper, we’re also asking our future readers to dedicate their time to reading the story. We must give them a story worthy of the time they are sharing with us and our art.

So, how do I know which story idea to pursue? Here are a few cues I wait for that tell me to stop waiting and start writing:

Shaken Soda:
For me, art is a joyful thing. I love the act of making something from nothing. When I feel the story idea ready to erupt, bubbling and gurgling like a shaken soda can, I know it’s time to write. This usually only happens after I’ve been gripped by daydreams of the story for weeks or months. Often, I will have written a few lines or brainstormed some world building—I allow myself to write around the story, but not the story itself. When I have all this, and I’m ready to burst from excitement and the gleeful prospect of spending countless hours in this world, only then do I sit down to write.
Say Something:
I can turn just about anything into a story. I think many writers can! But just because I can say something, it doesn’t mean that the story is saying something. For me, every great story is a highly entertaining narrative that reflects something about the human condition. This doesn’t mean that every story needs to be overtly philosophical or wildly moving, but every story should reflect and connect on a human level. I write a better story when I know my story has something to say.
Daydreams:
A great story idea will rise to the surface of my thoughts over and over again. Whether I’m walking the dog or doing dishes, in those moments where my body is distracted and my mind can wander, I’ll find myself consistently returning to a particular story idea. It will grow slightly or flip around, and I’ll see it from a new perspective. This is a sign that the story has a beating heart. It’s living and now I need to care for it.

If you’re like me and facing the overwhelm of indecision—or making the “right” decision—try paying attention to these cues. Don’t let the gift of many story ideas feel like a burden. Because it is a gift! Let your creativity generate more creativity. But be patient. Let the very best you have to offer rise to the surface. And then… get writing!

Michael Leali is the award-winning author of The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, which won SCBWI’s Golden Kite Award. His work has also been twice nominated for Lambda Literary Awards among many other honors. His other middle grade novels include Matteo and The Truth About Triangles. He is a veteran high school English teacher, a seasoned writing coach, and he now teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco. He holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Follow Michael on Instagram @michaelleali and learn more about him and his work at michaelleali.com.

Storystorm 2026 Day 13: Ariel Bernstein Writes a Piece of Work

January 13, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Ariel Bernstein | 110 comments

by Ariel Bernstein

One of my favorite parts of the writing process is wondering which line will lead my friend and critique partner, the author Ali Bovis, to comment that a character is ‘a piece of work.’ She doesn’t quite mean it in the same way as Merriam-Webster’s definition of ‘a complicated, difficult, or eccentric person.’ She means it in the kidlit way of saying THIS is a kid character (human, animal or other), the good and the bad. Because there is nothing I love better in a book than seeing a kid character reflect young readers on their level, accepting them for who they are.

The first time I remember seeing a piece of work character was in that most iconic of children’s books, Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. Many people understandably comment on the Caldecott-winning art and the indelible images of the wild things as reasons for why the book has endured for each new generation of readers. But I think what children most respond to is the subtle message that Max, who acts badly and never actually apologizes, is not seen as a ‘bad child’ but as a child who is still learning about lashing out and seemingly unfair consequences and above all, is a child who is still deserving of love (and what is love but a parent who leaves their child a hot supper after a tantrum).

In my new early reader, OLIVE & OSCAR: THE FAVORITE HAT, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal, I knew Olive would be the “piece of work” character. Her first act is actually kind as she gifts her friend Oscar the aforementioned hat. But as the day goes on and the friends find themselves in need of objects (something to dig sand with, something to hold groceries when a bag breaks, etc.), Olive volunteers Oscar’s new hat without hesitation and without much thought as to whether it’s an appropriate use of Oscar’s hat or if Oscar himself wants to use his new hat for such purposes. Some people (adults) would recognize this behavior as less than ideal as Olive is being rather presumptuous. But at a kid level through a kid lens, it makes sense. If you don’t have a shovel for sand, why not use a hat? It’s there. Why should a kid be expected to think first of the consequences of a sand filled hat? Just because Olive is making a bad decision doesn’t mean she’s a bad kid. She’s just a kid. A work-in-progress kid. Who also happens to be a “piece of work.”

Of course not every children’s book needs a piece of work character, and I would say most children’s books don’t have one at all. But when a book has one and it works, it can create a story full of understanding, humor, endearment and emotional resonance.

Some more of my favorite books with such wonderful characters include Kelly DiPucchio and illustrator Greg Pizzoli’s DRAGON WAS TERRIBLE, Ryan T. Higgins’ WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES, and Katrina Moore and illustrator Zoe Si’s TEENY HOUDINI series.

I would add my picture book MABEL WANTS A FRIEND, also illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. It was suggested that I remove the scene where Mabel stole a child’s toy in case it made Mabel too unlikeable. I decided to keep the scene because I felt the reader needed to see who Mabel truly was, warts and all, before a friendship helped changed her desires and priorities. Mabel did a particularly bad thing, and while she deserved her friend Chester’s condemnation, she also deserved a chance to learn and grow from her mistake.

These piece of work characters of course can and should learn from their mistakes as kids eventually do. Max decides to leave the wild things and return home. Olive offers to replace Oscar’s ruined hat. They haven’t suddenly become different characters and the expectation isn’t that they will never make a bad decision again. But they’ve learned a little and understand a little more. The fact that they were seen and accepted—the mom still loves Max and Oscar still loves Olive—make it easier for these characters to grow at their own pace. And a young reader can see that when they too make a mistake, they should also still be loved and understood.

My writing prompt for you is this:

Create a character and then think…what it is about them that makes them a “piece of work”?

Is there a scene where they are impulsive, presumptuous, angry, greedy, overwhelmed, bossy?
How do you make these traits into something relatable to a young reader?
How do you make the readers feel seen through your character rather than judged?

Ariel Bernstein is an author of picture books including WE LOVE FISHING! (starred review Publisher’s Weekly), YOU GO FIRST (starred review Kirkus Reviews), and MABEL WANTS A FRIEND (starred reviews Kirkus Reviews and Publisher’s Weekly), all illustrated by Marc Rosenthal. She also wrote the WARREN & DRAGON chapter book series, illustrated by Mike Malbrough. Honors include a Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2024, Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title, Junior Library Guild Gold Selections, CCBC Choices, and Bank Street College Best Book of the Year. Ariel lives in New Jersey with her family and you can find her online at arielbernsteinbooks.com.

Storystorm 2026 Day 12: Trisha Speed Shaskan Teaches, Coaches and Tries New Things

January 12, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Trisha Speed Shaskan | 225 comments

by Trisha Speed Shaskan

During the summer of 2005, because I had taught creative writing classes to children, I was hired to teach mystery writing. The catch was: I didn’t have a clue as to how to teach it. But I loved Sherlock Holmes. And I had a motive: I needed the income. So, I read a craft book on mystery writing and studied a book on how to teach the subject to kids. One approach was to write the mystery backwards (plotting vs. pantsing). You decide who committed the crime, figure out who the suspects are, plant clues, then circle back to the start and begin writing. Kids wrote about runaway chickens, flying robots, and a shapeshifting bear!

That year, I was also a student in an MFA program where I studied creative writing. I sold my first book, THE TREASURE MAP, an easy reader to Capstone Press. Afterwards, the editor asked me to write books-for-hire, meaning I’d be paid a flat fee to write them, but wouldn’t own the copyright or receive royalties. I wrote educational-based books such as IF YOU WERE ONOMATOPOEIA.

Several years later, an editor at Capstone who knew my husband Stephen was working on becoming an illustrator asked us to collaborate on the book-for-hire, Art Panels, BAM! Speech Bubbles, POW! Writing Your Own Graphic Novel. The format was new to me, but I deduced Stephen could help guide me because he’d been reading comics since he was a child. From craft books, I learned about panels, splash pages, and emanata, which are the visual elements that emanate from a character or object in a comic, such as stink lines!

Afterward, Stephen and I taught graphic novel classes to elementary students based on that book. We witnessed how much kids loved creating comics!

A couple years later, Stephen celebrated the release of his first traditionally published picture book. We both had agents. Together, we were invited to pitch an illustrated early chapter book series to a publisher. For the first time, we brainstormed fictional story ideas together. Because of the summer class I’d taught, we had a breakthrough: We created Q & Ray a mystery series about a hedgehog and rat who solve mysteries at Elm Tree Elementary. The characters are forest animals. Q is a hedgehog because they’re found in England where Sherlock Holmes originated. Ray, a rat, is her best friend.

We had fun naming characters. Q is short for Quillan since she has quills. Q & Ray is a riff on Q & A, questions and answers, which is the heart of a mystery. The media specialist is Mr. Shrew based on the media specialist extraordinaire (now author) Mr. Schu. The main teacher is Ms. Boar!

Coming up with a story, pitch, and sketches took 2 months. When our agents submitted the series: Plot twist. It was rejected. The editor “liked it, didn’t love it.” We loved the idea, but the format was very specific. We wondered: What to do?

At my job as a literacy coach, the students wanted to read Baby Mouse and Lunch Lady, but those graphic novels were too difficult. We suspected kids might like a young graphic novel series. To learn how to write the format, I reread Story by Robert McKee since graphic novels are similar to screenplays.

A couple months later, our agents sent it out on submission. Suspense! And…rejections. Publishers weren’t as familiar with younger graphic novels as they are now. Finally, we sold the 3-book series. We had proof that all our work wasn’t lost.

While working on the series, I could hear Stephen in the next room laughing while drawing. He’d found utter joy in the format! And because of Q & Ray, Stephen created the young graphic chapter book series, Pizza and Taco, which has resonated with children all over the world. The 10th book in the series was published this month:

Has the story you’re creating had plot twists or cliffhangers? Perhaps a new experience that’s come your way might help inform it? Or maybe trying a new format might help shape it? I’m no detective, but I have a hunch you’ll close the case on your story soon!

Stephen and Trisha at their launch for Q & Ray at Red Balloon Bookshop

Questions for You:

Is there a new genre you want to try?
Is your story fresh? If not, can you take bits–a title, phrase, character, etc.–and use it in another story?
Is there a fun way to play with the characters’ names in your story?
Have you tried brainstorming story ideas with a close friend or family member?
What are the children reading? Excited about? Is there something they want to read that hasn’t been created?
Last, but not least: Are you having fun?

Trisha Speed Shaskan has written fifty books for children, including her latest picture book The Itty-Bitty Witch illustrated by Xindi Yan. Trisha and her husband/author/illustrator Stephen Shaskan have created the picture book Punk Skunks and Q & Ray graphic novel series. They love to visit elementary schools and libraries where they share their passion for creating books for children. Trisha has taught creative writing to students at every level from kindergarten to graduate-school. She has an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University. Trisha and Stephen live in Minneapolis, MN with their beloved dogs, Beatrix and Murray. Visit Trisha at trishaspeedshaskan.com or on Instagram @trishaspeedshaskan.

Storystorm 2026 Day 11: Casey W. Robinson Pays Attention and is Astonished

January 11, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | 131 comments

by Casey W. Robinson

As an English major, I wrote A LOT of papers in college. Whenever I’d get stuck, I’d pull E.E. Cummings: Complete Poems 1904-1962 off the shelf, flip open to any random page, and point. I loved e.e. cummings because he threw words together in unexpected combinations, often smooshed together with no spacing, or dangling one letter at a time in between hard returns

the page.

There was something about his word choice though, the jolt of the unexpected, that almost always jostled me out of my creative funk and got me back to writing. I think this little trick worked because it did two important things: it changed my visual surroundings and it asked me to pay attention.

When I’m looking for new manuscript ideas, the first thing I do is change my surroundings. More often than not, I go for a walk around my neighborhood. Even a well-worn familiar path can show you something new if you are committed to the mindset of observation. I remember reading about one celebrated author (pretty sure it was Hilary Mantel, but I couldn’t find the reference) who went for a walk every morning and tried to write one sentence in her head to describe what she observed. Maybe something about the slanted morning light, or the crisp snow underfoot, or the windchime of icy tree branches. Anything to practice noticing and capturing. It’s more challenging than you think! But when I’ve remembered to do this—first, looking for something noteworthy and in the process really noticing everything around me—I’ve come home with the start of a poem, or an interesting phrase. At the very least, I come home clear-eyed and ready to write.

You can also change your literary surroundings. Read something by someone new, and if you can, read it aloud. This works particularly well with picture books, thanks to their brevity and musicality. But the beginning of a novel or a poem can work as well. Pay attention to how the words sound, how they make you feel, the images they conjure. How and when does voice emerge? I’ve started spending Wednesday mornings at my local library, and my first order of business is gathering a stack of 5 or so new picture books to read. If one of them really strikes me, I’ll retype the text into a Word doc, studying as I type the author’s word choice, the page turns, the pacing and narrative arc. By the time I’ve finished the stack, I am in the right mindset to start playing around with an idea or two of my own. Kind of like listening to the right playlist to get you in the mood for creativity.

Most writers I know are, by nature, endlessly curious, questioning creatures. I think we are collecting ideas all the time, even when we’re not meaning to. I wrote my first draft of SMALL THINGS MENDED after a chat with my friend Heidi Stemple.

We had been talking about comfort TV shows to counter our pandemic blues. She mentioned a British show called “The Repair Shop,” and I got off the phone wondering whether someone would ever accidentally start a repair shop. And if they did, what would they fix? What would kids consider treasures worthy of repair? I sat down and wrote the first draft in one go. I never even watched an episode of that BBC show!

Most of what I need to do to bring new ideas to the page is get out of my own way. Our unconscious brains are full of trickery and potential if we would just let them play! What is that Mary Oliver quote we all love . . . “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” Well that’s good advice for us creatives, too. Notice, wonder about things, and see where it takes you.

Casey W. Robinson’s latest picture book, SMALL THINGS MENDED, illustrated by Nancy Whitesides, was a New England Book Award winner, a Christopher Award winner, a Crystal Kite Award winner, and received a 2025 Massachusetts Book Award Honor. Casey’s debut picture book, IVER AND ELLSWORTH, illustrated by Melissa Larson, was a finalist for the Crystal Kite Award and Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award. Her next book, THE SHARING HOUSE, illustrated by Mary Lundquist (Rocky Pond Books/Penguin), will be out in May 2027.

Casey grew up in Maine and used to keep a shoebox of favorite words and phrases under her bed. She now lives with her family just west of Boston, in a yellow house overflowing with books. When she’s not writing, Casey manages book events for her local indie bookseller, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, MA. Find Casey on Instagram @cwrobinson or at caseywrobinson.com.

Storystorm 2026 Day 10: Courtney Pippin-Mathur Draws Out the Emotion

January 10, 2026 in STORYSTORM 2026 | Tags: Courtney Pippin-Mathur | 136 comments

by Courtney Pippin-Mathur

A character and the plot are fundamental parts of a story. But what about emotion?

I often tell my students to find the Universal Emotional Connection. Love, jealousy, pride, curiosity, acceptance (to name just a few), these are the emotional heart of your story and what will make a reader connect with your book.

I especially like to draw emotions. I don’t always have an idea of what to draw, but if I start with an emotion, it flows a bit more easily.

Often it will reflect how I’m feeling in the moment, something like…

Anger:

Joy:

Loneliness:

These are fun (and give me the buzz of creation), but they don’t always lead to an idea, so sometimes I add another character:

Grief:

or an interesting setting:

Or my personal favorite, two individuals in that quiet but simmering form of disagreement. (I think I just like to draw grumpy people.)

Sometimes an idea will pop into my head as soon as I draw the character, but sometimes the art will serve as my list of ideas that I can return to later for story inspiration.

And if you don’t draw, (or need some emotional inspiration) no problem!

Start with a list of emotions like this one I found on the American Psychological Association site.

Now try adding a noun (person, place or thing) to an emotion and see how that works.

For instance:

Comfortable cow
Daring rat
Flabbergasted chef
Cautious kid

Keep playing around with the words or sketches until you find something that makes you giggle or think, “I could write a story about that!”

Courtney Pippin-Mathur is the author and or illustrator of several picture books including Dinosaur Days (author), Maya was Grumpy, and Dragons Rule, Princesses Drool. She makes lots of other types of art including paper machè, clay and acrylic painting. She teaches online (and occasionally in person) at The Highlights Foundation and through personal mentorships.