Cheers to 2024! It’s a new year – time to discover, catch, and cultivate new ideas!
Here are a few prompts to help you gather ideas that you can turn into stories and books.
1) Write about a new year custom or ritual that you enjoyed as a child, or celebrate now as an adult. Think about the tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of your celebrations. Include some sensory details in your story.
2) Look at the holiday cards you sent or received last month. Notice the emotions and settings in the photos or messages. Perhaps a title, line, or scene will spring to mind.
3) Take a first day walk in nature! Jot down sights and sounds from your neighborhood. Perhaps you can feature one of the moments you encounter in a book plot.
4) Call an old friend and reconnect for the new year. After your conversation, make a list of some traits you enjoy about your friend. Then try to write a friendship story.
5) Make a list of resolutions. Notice any similarities and themes in your resolutions. Let your list spark some story ideas.
I hope these prompts help you jump into January with plenty of ideas that you can use to write stories in 2024. Let me know in the comments! Happy New Year!
Melissa Stoller writes to bring connection, joy, and a bit of magic to her readers. Her newest picture book, Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi, releases from Gnome Road Publishing in Fall 2025. Melissa is also the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection – Return to Coney Island, and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; Sadie’s Shabbat Stories; Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom; and Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written). Melissa is a Blogger for the Children’s Book Academy, a Rate Your Story Judge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, a Book Meshuggenahs member, a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Trustee, and a past school and Synagogue Trustee. She also interviews authors and offers resources on her blog. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer/editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and Central Park walks. Melissa is represented by The Seymour Agency.
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