Celebrating Picture Book Month

Many writers think of November as National Novel Writing Month, but there's another literary event going on, and it's much easier to celebrate: Picture Book Month. While it's hard to cram in 40,000 words of writing amid holiday celebrations, it's easy to honor and enjoy illustrated books yourself or with children.

Read them. 
Read by yourself or with a child. Browse a bookstore or a library.

Talk about them.

Join the conversation at SCBWI events, online at the Blueboards, or on Twitter at #picturebookmonth.

Brainstorm them.
Participate in Picture Book Idea Month. Started by picture book writer Tara Lazar, write down an idea a day to kickstart your creative process and get your mind thinking in the weird and wild ways that inspire new stories.

Write them.
Shape off your best idea into a story. Sign up for picture book writer Julie Hedlund's 2015 12 x 12 Challenge  and write a picture book manuscript per month.

Picture books are a child's first introduction to literature, but there's no need to outgrow them. Picture books are the beginning of the story of a reader, not the end.