12 x 12 in 2012 Picture Book Challenge | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD

Have any of you read “The Celestine Prophecy”? Author James Redfield talks about ‘synchronicity’…a term first used in the 1920’s by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. Redfield explains that coincidences have a meaning personal to those who experience them.

Late last year, one of my blogging buddies, Nancy over at Spirit Lights the Way, suggested I check out a Friday linky of Picture Book Reviews. I hurried over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday…and I’ve happily been there every Friday since then! Susanna also hosts writing contests and writing prompts that encourage us to express our creativity.

Connecting with an amazing kid-lit community that followed Susanna’s blog, I met dozens of wonderful writers (one of whom has a birthday today…Happy Birthday, Beth!!!!), illustrators, librarians, teachers, moms…one of those was Julie Hedlund. It turns out that Julie had just organized a challenge called 12×12 in 2012…write a picture book draft every month of the coming year.

My love affair with picture books began over sixty years ago, but I had put away my picture book writing when I started working on my book for parents and teachers, “Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Heart beating like a rock-band drummer, I immediately signed up.

And now the year is almost over…so it is definitely party-time! I know WE are all ready!

I have completed twelve picture book drafts…twelve more than I would have had if not for Julie Hedlund! Two or three have been critiqued and polished (hopefully enough) and will be submitted to publishers/editors shortly.

Caroline’s Flower-Sprigged Hat
Whom Do I Love?
The Boots of Dylan McGee
The Tomato Turner
No Brother for My Birthday
Grandma’s Visit
Confessions of the Tomato Turner
Hugs Are Not For Sale
How Can I Learn How to Snow
The Witches of Fairy Top Hill
Where Is Buddy?
Further Adventures of The Tomato Turner

Julie’s blog also provides guest posts by writers, illustrators, editors and others who love children and books…each sharing a journey that motivates and teaches. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that we couldn’t have done it without her.

I also have thirty picture book ideas, generated during Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo…an amazing challenge in November that I recommend to anyone who has ever thought of writing a picture book or to anyone who has dozens of published picture books…the information and inspiration gained by reading the guest posts is invaluable!

This year has been a joyous one for me…due, in large part, to my immersion in Julie’s picture book writing challenge. It’s kind of like a picture book party where I am always dancing around, scribbling story titles, character names and plot ideas…what fun!

I will be retiring from my ‘day’ job on December 31…lots more time for picture book writing, I’m sure! I’ll be hopping aboard the 12×12 in 2013 train…I’m looking forward to continuing this picture book writing journey…with Julie Hedlund as the engineer!

Don’t Be Afraid…Go Ahead…Write Picture Books! (viviankirkfield.wordpress.com)
Make a Dummy to Perfect Your Picture Book Manuscript (onewaytowonder.wordpress.com)
12 x 12 | JulieHedlund.com (onewaytowonder.wordpress.com)

The blogosphere is full of challenges this year.

One of the ones that struck a chord in me was Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 in 2012. Julie is a talented writer, inspired blogger and generous spirit. I’ve never met her, but if you visit her blog, you’ll see what I mean.

Badge by Linda Silvestri

When my children were little, I always had a pad of paper and pencil and pack of crayons wherever we went. Bored children? Write a story! Cranky children? Write a story! Happy children? Write a story!

You get the picture!

The original mock-up for The Balloon Man

Sad to say, many of those stories were tossed during different moves we made over the years. Others languished in taped-up boxes, forgotten in the shadowy corners of a closet.

My children are grown now, with families of their own…but my passion for picture books remains fresh!

Of course, I am fortunate in that I get to read picture books with a new generation of children when I present the Show Me How Story-time with Miss Vivian programs to library groups, kindergartens and Pre-K’s. And I do have the opportunity to read to my grandchildren when I visit them.

But one of my dreams is to write a picture book story that children love and want to hear over and over and over again.

And that’s why, when I saw Julie’s 12 x 12 Challenge, I knew I had to participate. Write twelve picture book drafts in a year…one each month.

January has come to a close…and I’m proud to say that I’ve completed my January assignment!

I know it needs a LOT of work…it’s just a rough first draft.

The tentative title:

Caroline’s Hat…or Caroline’s Flower-Sprigged Hat.

The story:

Little Caroline is out in the garden. She forgets her hat when her mother calls her in for lunch. While she is gone, several garden animals help themselves to parts of her hat so that when she returns, it is not where she left it. As Caroline searches the garden, she discovers her hat is being used by the animals for their own purposes.

The opening lines:

“The soft summer breeze tousled Caroline’s’ curls,

As she lay in the tall green grass.

On a blueberry bush, the red ribbons waved,

From the brim of her flower-sprigged hat.”

I think we all have secret dreams…would you like to share yours?

Today is the last day of the month, so our 2012 PPP “Read to your Child Everyday” Challenge ends for January. In the next few days, I’ll be posting the name of the January winner of a picture book.