Picture Books 14:14 Sign Ups Are Here

PB 14:14 Book Love. Craft Love. Writer Love. Share the LOVE.

The Valentine Vision:

Read, Study, and Share

14 picture books in 14 days

PB 14:14 is a blogging challenge. A blog hop. A learning adventure about books and craft ...with PRIZES!

It's almost as stupendous as Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book Friday reviews, as purpose-driven as Mandy Robek's August Picture Books 10 for 10, as momentous as Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo, as profound as Paula Yoo's NaPiBoWriWee, as intense as Lora Koehler's and Jean Reagan's Picture Book Marathon, as ambitious as Julie Hedlund's 12 x 12, and as influential as Dianne de Las Casas' Picture Book Month. 

PB 14:14 is COSMIC!

This is not a simple book recommendation event. It's a 2-week picture book blogging extravaganza. It is a specific type of book "review" for WRITERS! For as many days as you can, post your own "review" (as explained below) on your own blog and link it back to the daily linky list so everyone can hop to each other's blogs and learn more about the craft of picture book writing.

Who Can Join

Anyone who blogs, reads, writes, or breathes picture books. Simply read a book, study it, and share what you have learned with everyone else, much like I have done on my Top 10 Story Elements for Picture Books series. 

Each person will be writing their own recommendations, or lessons to share on their own blog and linking that post back to the linky list for that day so that we can all hop over to each other's blogs and learn more together than we ever could have alone.

Purpose Behind the Event

There are SO many picture books out there that I would LOVE to read and study, but simply don't have access to them. I'm hoping this will open up a lot of doors - er...books - to all of us. My library can NOT get any book I want. I'd have to buy it or make a trip to the bookstore and hope they had it in stock, JUST TO READ it. This way, we can all share our access to the best of the best books and learn more about great craft and skill than we could on our own.

How to Write Your Blog Post

Each book must be able to teach by example a short lesson on one of the Top 10 Story Elements for Picture Books. Include the title, author, illustrator, publisher, year, and word count, and an image of the cover. All books must be within the last 10 years. 2005 and forward. Please follow the examples of my previous Story Elements posts to the right. Just click on an element and read a post or two. Just share what feels right and most helpful, but certainly don't quote the whole book, or even half the book. A few quotes are good. Help us LEARN. Help us SEE. What can we emulate to become better writers for that element? SHARE with us what you found most helpful.

Top 10 Story Elements

#1: CHARACTER

#2: CONFLICT

#3: PLOT

#4: DIALOGUE

#5: THEME

#6: PACING

#7: WORD PLAY

#8: PATTERNS

#9: RHYME

#10: BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS

RULES and PRIZES

The goal is to find 14 picture books published in 2005 or later. Each day, you will write a blog post about that book and recommend it to writers to use for studying one of the top 10 story elements for picture books. You can focus on two elements max, if you're having a difficult time choosing between two. 

To be eligible for prizes, you must post at least 5 out of the 7 days in that week to receive one entry. If you post 7 out of 7 days for that week, you will receive 2 entries. All winners will be chosen randomly.

There will be 5 winners total. All prizes will be announced on the 28th!

2 first week winners (14th-20th): 1 picture book, and 1 critique

2 second week winners (21st-27th): 1 picture book, and 1 critique

GRAND PRIZE winner: 

• a book about craft, business, or inspiration
• a critique
• a special Top 10 Story Elements wall calendar
• free tuition to an online picture book craft writing class

To be eligible for the grand prize, you must have at least 10 out of 14 blog posts (5 each week). Those who have 14 out of 14 will get TWO extra entries. Good luck and may the muse be with you!

When to Start

Basically, you can start right now. But, technically, you won't be able to post anything until 2.14.15. Scour your shelves for the best books. Choose which one or two elements each book will teach. It's okay if someone chooses the same book as someone else. One person might choose it to teach rhyme, whereas another might teach character. Do what you feel the book compels you to do. You can actually start writing the blog posts NOW. Just save them as drafts and schedule their publish dates for later. Don't publish them now. Wait until the 14th and do one a day.

Sign Up Now

Simply sign the linky list below with your name and a link to your blog. More details will follow on how to add your individual blog posts closer to the 14th. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. You have 2 weeks to sign up and 2 weeks to participate. The deadline to sign up is Valentine's Day at midnight.