PiBoIdMo: A Wrap-up
A few days before November, I took the PiBoIdMo pledge, promising that I’d do my best to come up with 30 ideas in 30 days.
How many ideas did I get?
57!!!!
Which means, I get this!
I also treated myself to one of the PiBoIdMo mugs, with Bonnie Adamson’s darling art, from the CafePress store.
Yes, I’m proud of myself. Especially because I definitely got a bit muddled there with the stupid sickness that hit the family in the middle of the month. And, you know, some of those ideas are pretty…meh. But there are a few, maybe a half-dozen, that sparkle. At least for me. One of my critique partners who also did PiBoIdMo, has ranked his ideas, in order of how strongly they call to him. That’s next on my PiBoIdMo to-do list. To identify the ideas that I want to work on, or–I guess–that want me to work on them!
Because it’s not really time for pride yet. Happiness, yes, that I have way more ideas than I would have had if it weren’t for Tara Lazar and her awesome challenge. What really matters, though, is what I do with these ideas. What’s important is that I don’t simply shut them in a drawer, or drop them into that folder on my computer and forget about them.
Ideas aren’t stories. Yet.
One of my critique partners, who also did PiBoIdMo, has gone ahead and ranked his ideas–putting those that really call to him up at the top. I think this is the next task on my PiBoIdMo to-do list. I know I have maybe a half-dozen ideas that are sparkling for me, and the first thing to do is identify them.
The next thing is to grow them. I need to give them characters–characters with problems. I need to find settings and voices. I need to turn those ideas into plots. What I have is just what Laura Purdie Salas talked about in her PiBoIdMo post–I have seeds. I need to tend them–with my imagination, my creativity, and–here’s the most important: my time. This is the kind of gardening I can get behind.
This is the notebook I bought in October.
Pretty, isn’t it. It’s also something else…just the beginning.
Here’s my commitment to my PiBoIdMo idea list. That I will take at least one of the ideas on it and turn it into something more. Into a story that I will pass along to my critique group, a story that I will revise. And revise.
Who’s with me?
beckylevine.com 
13 Comments
Excellent, Becky! Ranking your ideas sounds like a great idea, too. I think I will give that a try, myself. Although pathetic me did not win my own challenge! LOL!
LikeLike
Well, it wasn’t like you didn’t have a WHOLE LOT OF OTHER STUFF to do! Besides, I really think it’s like NaNo: Even if you don’t finish, you have a lot more to work with than you would have had, without doing the challenge at all. 🙂
LikeLike
You rock, Becky! Best of luck with the sorting and ranking and growing of your seeds. I’m looking forward to a year of fleshing out the best of my ideas through 12X12in 2012 — right now, I’m taking one a day of those 32 seeds that I have in my folder, and testing them out — where can this story go? what problems can occur? and “why come?”
LikeLike
I love your idea of testing one at a time–looking for problems, for the story. Good luck!
LikeLike
Great post! I love the idea of ranking the ideas. I’m an organization person and that would help me a ton!
LikeLike
I think it will (hopefully) keep me from drifting around so much, going…well, maybe this one…what was this one again…what’s in here? A little focus goes a long way!
LikeLike
57 ideas! Wow. I am seriously impressed. I had 31 and figured NCTE and Thanksgiving were my excuses for not doing more. But I’ve seen all the illness stuff on FB and know how exhausting your month was. So–57? I bow to your determination and creativity. You are awesome!
LikeLike
I don’t know about creativity–more panic and paranoia! I had a LOT of ideas at the start, because I just wasn’t sure how the month would go. And a LOT of the ideas do have some sick-day element to them! 🙂
LikeLike
Very cool. I like the concept of seeds. A good one to pass along to my students. Thanks!
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Congratulations! Wow! That’s quite an accomplishment! And I love the new notebook! Enjoy filling it up!
LikeLike
That notebook is filled! It did it’s job–now I have to keep doing mine. 🙂
LikeLike
Wow. Truly amazing. And I love your vow (we all heard it!) to bring at least one into the clear light of the future.
LikeLike