Here’s Day 1 of your FREE children’s book story idea generator!
Lilla here! Welcome to your three day #MATSprep. I often like to get my students ready for class with a free mini warm up assignment, called a #MATSprep, to give you a taste of the what’s to come and to get everyone motivated, so I’m sharing this free three part assignment ahead of My Kid Book Pitch, my children’s book writing course for Make Art That Sells, which begins Monday, October 18th.
I honestly couldn’t be more excited about this course. Having done the course as a beta for my artists and running it for the first time back in October 2020, I know that you’re going to make some amazing stories from this. And it works: read some success stories here.
Here’s Day One of your FREE children’s book story idea generator: MAGIC CARDS! I created my Magic Cards as a powerful way to help you dream up your own one of a kind story ideas, whether you already have an idea you want to develop further or you haven’t a clue where to start.
I’d like to introduce you to my Magic Cards. Each card contains a photograph of one of the oddities I’ve collected over the years, and they work magic on the imagination. To warm you up for class, I’ll give you a single Magic Card for each day of this three-day Prep.
On to the children’s book story idea generator!
On Day One of the course, Monday, October 18th, you’ll get a set of 26 Magic Cards that I made just for the course for you to download and cut out, and a 9-page Magic Cards worksheet! The cards we’re using for the Prep aren’t part of the course, they’re just to give you an idea (so really you get 29 Magic Cards in total!).
And if you already took the course back in 2020, guess what? For 2021, you’ll get ALL NEW Magic Cards. (If you’ve already taken the class, you could even mix the two sets of Magic Cards, to give you tons of fresh ideas!)
Let’s get started! Here’s your first Magic Card:
Squeeze Me Doll, an odd hand-made doll I found at a vintage store in Essex, MA, about ten years ago. She intrigued me.
Today, I want you to free associate. What comes to your mind when you see this Squeeze Me Doll Card? Jot down your ideas and any feelings that come up. Add drawings if you like.
First, take a good look at her. Who is she? Giver her a name. What about that bow, scarf and shirt? Why is she looking to the side? What emotions does she seem to be expressing? Where does she live? With whom? Why? What is she doing today?
Now, let’s conjure some memories and feelings. This might get you to think about when you were a kid, what you played with. Maybe you wanted a doll like this. Maybe you had one and loved it and carried it everywhere. Maybe you had one but wanted a different one, with a plastic face and glossy hair. Maybe someone made a doll like this for you and you adored it, or maybe you didn’t and felt guilty about it. Maybe you enjoyed styling her hair, or wished you had hair like that too. Maybe she was made for an ill child.
Does this give you any ideas about her? Is she a doll that’s loved, or lonely, or fun? Does she have a best friend? You’ve just created a main character! On Day 2, Wednesday, I’ll show you another card that could be her friend. Stay tuned!
See how an odd hand-made doll can get you thinking? Take a moment to write down absolutely anything that comes to mind, no matter how seemingly off track or odd. Don’t be shy or censure yourself. Let your mind wander. Daydreamers, this is for you!
TIP: Sketch any scenes that pop into your head and make note of any emotions that come up, too. All children’s picture books need to have the feels, so this is good practice.
Some of the picture books from my collection. What will your children’s picture book look like?
You: Lilla, why the heck are you making us do this?
Me: Because the way to get to a fresh, unique story is to get into that full, robust, quirky mind of yours. From teaching for over 40 years, I have found that odd treasures inspire the creative mind.
You: But Lilla, I’m not quirky. There’s nothing unusual about me. Nothing comes to my mind!
Me: Take a moment to just stare at the doll and take some slow gentle breaths. That will stimulate the creative mind. Free associate. Daydream. Go on tangents in your mind. Make up anything. I know it’s in there. Every human has stories in their heads. This game will help you get there.
You #2: But I have a ton of stories in my head! I’m an imagination machine!
Me: That’s great! But let’s take it a step at a time. Start jotting down your impressions of the Squeeze Me Doll for today. We’ll build step by step over the course of this three day prep. Let’s just focus on her as your main character.
I’d love to see what you do today. If you’ve created an image (or images) then share them on Instagram with the hashtag #MATSprep and tag @makeartthatsells so I can find them. Even if you’ve just written notes, share that too. You can make your notes pretty or mix them up with sketches and doodles, or just share what you’ve written. I’ll be looking for them – I can’t wait to see!
Plus join me LIVE for a FREE Zoom event THIS FRIDAY, October 15th, at 12 noon ET/5 pm BST. I’ll be giving away a FREE place in class, showing off some of my latest favorite children’s books and talking about what makes them so great, discussing your story ideas, answering your questions and maybe doing a pop in or two too. Don’t miss out – set an alarm on your phone now! Join here.
Be sure to join me in class for more goodness and to craft your own wonderful story. Sign up here. Hurry, class starts Monday, October 18th!
Xo
Lilla
P.S. See you on Wednesday for Day 2 of your children’s book story idea generator! Don’t miss it – I’ll reveal Squeeze Me Doll’s best friend!
