How to Participate in NaPiBoWriWee 2013!

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Hi! Can you believe NATIONAL PICTURE BOOK WRITING WEEK (AKA NaPiBoWriWee) is just around the corner? From May 1-7, 2013, we will all attempt to write 7 picture books in 7 days! 

(Edited on 4/24/13 to add: Official rules blog will be posted later this week, but a basic reminder: From May 1-7, I will post daily blogs with fun author advice from myself and guests. Everyone then comments on their progress and we cheer each other on. Until May 1st, you are welcome to brainstorm ideas and do research and even outline. But actual draft writing is not allowed until May 1st! Stay tuned for official rules blog later this week.)

Our 5th anniversary of this wonderful event will feature many guest author Q&A blogs, including thoughts from  picture book author/illustrators KATIE DAVIS, HOPE VESTERGAARD, ERIN EITTER KONO, VARSHA BAJAJ, FORD STREET, TANIA MCCARTNEY, LAURI MEYERS, MARTHA BROKENBROUGH and many, many more! (Please click on each name to check out their website links.)

Our STORE is also open here where you can purchase fun 2013 souvenirs, from coffee and travel mugs to notebooks and tote bags: http://www.cafepress.com/napibowriwee2013

Finally, I have had many folks contact me wondering how to participate. It’s easy. Here are a few simple tips:

1. Just comment on my blog at https://paulayoo.com/napi to let us know how you are doing from May 1-7! In fact, you can even start by posting a comment to THIS VERY BLOG RIGHT NOW.

2. When you post a comment on my blog, you must fill out the prompts asking for your name, email address (which will not be published to the public), website (if you have one), and then type the “RED MOVING LETTERS” (which is a SPAM filter).

3. Once you do this, you are automatically registered to my WordPress blog and you can just post comments in the future no matter what. (You still have to fill in the prompts each time, but your comment will get posted immediately instead of you having to wait for approval.)

4. ANOTHER OPTION: You can email me at paula at paulayoo dot com to let me know you would like to be included in the contest drawing at the end of the event. Please give me your email address. I will keep track of everyone’s comments and email addresses and include them in the contest drawing. Prizes will include autographed copies of my books (SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY, SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG  STORY, and GOOD ENOUGH) plus autographed books from our guest author bloggers as well as souvenirs from our store!

I created this event, National Picture Book Writing Week, in 2009 as a fun way to promote the publication of my second picture book, SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY (Lee & Low ’09).

I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to write 7 picture books in 7 days. I had been procrastinating writing another new picture book draft for the longest time. So I thought, “What if I force myself to try and write 7 different picture book manuscripts in one week?” Sure, the drafts would be sloppy rough drafts. But at least I’d have 7 FINISHED drafts to choose from when it came to serious revisions and possible submission to my book agent.

To my surprise, HUNDREDS of people from all over the world (including places as far away as Hong Kong, Egypt, and Australia) participated. It led to the creation of a NaPiBoWriWee Souvenir store and to a wonderful community of writers who bonded as future friends and joined SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers & Illustrators). Some participants even won writing contests with the drafts they had created from this event!

I will continue to post updates about the event here as well as on Twitter. You can follow me here: @paulayoo

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Stay tuned for more details and new blogs soon! Until the next blog, remember… HAPPY WRITING! WRITE LIKE YOU MEAN IT! 🙂

 

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75 Comments »

    • Excited to have you back Marcie! 🙂 And you wrote more than me! (It’s almost impossible for me to do 7 now that I run this event, but I still try! LOL!) Happy writing and see you soon! xo P.

  6. Can’t wait. I’m here again. Even though I’ll be on the road, I’m going to hang in and do it one way or another.
    Thanks for the opportunity Paula.
    Nina

    • That’s the spirit Nina! BTW even if you do not finish 7 drafts in 7 days, I’m happy if you even write 7 words! The whole point is to help cheer everyone on and encourage us all to fight procrastination. No need to have a perfect draft. This event is to encourage everyone to have 7 rough drafts that they can go back and revise later, which is where the real nitty gritty work truly begins. Good luck! 🙂

  8. So excited to take the challenge again! So excited I ordered a t-shirt and a notebook! Thanks for doing it again this year!

    • Welcome back! Hope you enjoy the new 2013 souvenir items at our store! 🙂 Let’s hope you fill that notebook with ideas and research before May 1st. And then you can start writing the drafts in that notebook by May 1st. 🙂

  11. Ya-hoo! I think I am going to try this. I need a challenge or something to zap my creative energy back. Maybe, I should check wander into the store and look around.
    Thanks for getting it started.

    ss 😉

    • Welcome aboard! I promise you will have fun. I will post daily blogs with fun author advice from guests and everyone then comments on their progress and we cheer each other on. Until May 1st, you are welcome to brainstorm ideas and do research and even outline. But actual draft writing is not allowed until May 1st! Good luck! 🙂

  14. Hi Paula,
    Wow! Has it been 5 years already? I’m still revising a story or two from last year… and probably years before that!
    I love this event–we are all so lucky to have you pulling this together for us. I’m looking forward to May 1st and a fun week.
    Thank you, Paula!

  20. Hi, I heard about this through a fb post from Dana Carey. Very excited about participating. Since I hears about it, I’ve started writing a picture book in my head, but waiting until May 1st to put it on paper. Title: How to Snuggle with a Chicken.

    • Great! Excited to have you on board, thanks to Dana! Everyone who participates is automatically included in the drawing. Happy writing!

  25. First I’ve heard of this, and just the kick in the booty I need to “write like you mean it” (love that tag line!). Thanks for the inspiration!

  33. Hi Everyone!

    This is my first year taking part. Do I report each day when I’ve finished the PB draft? If so, I’m checking in. Day One PB is done!

    Thank you! This is fun and a great motivator. 🙂

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