[Robertvs Posts: 54 Status: Offline 1 <3 PB WWW]

I'm currently working on a picture book with a primary focus on imagination/creativity and it's working out so far (or at least I've improved on it with the various edits) and I'm having difficulty finding inspiration or seeing how other authors deal with lack of imagination/creativity as the conflict.

I'm not talking about books which have an underlying tone of imagination/creativity where the main character goes off into a fantasy land but one where the main conflict is strives to gain creativity.

For example Not a Box didn't seem to have a narrative to me but it was interesting to imagine the box as different things. Harold and the Purple Crayon was pretty cool but the character was already imaginative in the beginning.

The only other books I've found was where a writer or artist needed to write or draw something but couldn't think of anything.

[nilaffle Posts: 69 Status: Offline Shut the front door! ...No seriously it's cold. WWW]

"What Do You Do With an Idea?" by Kobi Yamada and The Creatrilogy (The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color) by Peter H. Reynolds come to mind, but I'm not sure if these are quite what you're looking for. Still, they deal with creativity, so might be woth looking into!

[Arona Posts: 513 Status: Offline The house didn't fall on me. It fell on my sister.]

I don't have suggestions  , only a question. Does your story hinge on something being lost or changed (stakes) if the conflict (lack of creativity) doesn't get resolved?

[DianaM Posts: 1,192 Status: Offline Writer, rhymer, runner, punner. WWW]

You may want to take a look at: ISH by Peter Reynolds, LOUISE LOVES ART by Kelly Light, and CRAFTY CHLOE by Kelly DiPucchio.

Or maybe THE PLOT CHICKENS, which is about some chickens trying to write a good story.

[DianaM Posts: 1,192 Status: Offline Writer, rhymer, runner, punner. WWW]

Oh, and also HOUNDSLEY AND CATINA (an early reader) by James Howe.

[Artemesia Posts: 4,527 Status: Offline WWW]

Also BATTLE BUNNY by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett is pretty brilliant.

[LoriA Posts: 91 Status: Offline WWW]

RALPH TELLS A STORY by Abby Hanlon is about a boy who's trying to write a story, but he thinks nothing ever happens to him, so he doesn't have anything to write about. Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but thought it might be worth a mention.

[Cynthia Kremsner Posts: 734 Status: Offline Author / Illustrator WWW]

Dan Santat's Beekle is a bit different, how imaginary friends wait to be picked. I'm not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but it's a different take on the theme.

[Robertvs Posts: 54 Status: Offline 1 <3 PB WWW]

"What Do You Do With an Idea?" by Kobi Yamada and The Creatrilogy (The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color) by Peter H. Reynolds come to mind, but I'm not sure if these are quite what you're looking for. Still, they deal with creativity, so might be woth looking into!

I've read the What do you do with an Idea? as well as the Creatriology, both really interesting. Not really what I'm looking for since those protagonists are already creative - I'm kinda looking for a protagonist who's conflict is lack of creativity.

I don't have suggestions  , only a question. Does your story hinge on something being lost or changed (stakes) if the conflict (lack of creativity) doesn't get resolved?

Not particularly, however that might be a fundamental problem of the story. For mine, the conflict is lack of creativity and the stakes is simply not being able to fun creativity.

Similar example: a person sees the joys of music but doesn't know how to play an instrument. That person wants to learn and would feel left out if he or she didn't learn to play. The story would be about that person feeling left out and eventually being able to play.

You may want to take a look at: ISH by Peter Reynolds, LOUISE LOVES ART by Kelly Light, and CRAFTY CHLOE by Kelly DiPucchio.

Or maybe THE PLOT CHICKENS, which is about some chickens trying to write a good story.

Hmm, I will have to check out Louise Loves Art. I've just looked at the book trailer and it seems pretty interesting.

Same with Crafty Chloe. Only just looked at Amazon previews so far.

btw, I love the title The Plot Chickens (...plot thickens, lol) Don't know anything about it yet.

Oh, and also HOUNDSLEY AND CATINA (an early reader) by James Howe.

Only looked at Amazon previews but seems cool too.

Also BATTLE BUNNY by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett is pretty brilliant.

Not quite the kinda of book I'm looking for but - yes - great idea for a book.

RALPH TELLS A STORY by Abby Hanlon is about a boy who's trying to write a story, but he thinks nothing ever happens to him, so he doesn't have anything to write about. Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but thought it might be worth a mention.

I've read that one, thanks for the (re-)suggestion.

Dan Santat's Beekle is a bit different, how imaginary friends wait to be picked. I'm not sure if it's exactly what you're looking for, but it's a different take on the theme.

Sounds great from the youtube trailer.

-

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I hope to check these books out sometime

I find that most of these creativity/imagination stories deal with a classroom setting. The conflicts usually revolve around a child competing a project and either they don't know what to do or what they do isn't perceived to be good enough... I'm kinda wondering if there's any creativity/imagination story that is, in itself, for the sake of creativity/imagination and that's where the conflict arises?

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,006 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

There must be stories where two characters have different creative opinions. Char A wants to play plain old tag, but char B wants to play Alien Attack - essentially tag where you pretend to be aliens. These would become friendship stories since compromise is needed. Of course, I can't think of one off the top of my head. The stakes are the friendship.

Why is becoming creative important to the character/story?

[Robertvs Posts: 54 Status: Offline 1 <3 PB WWW]

There must be stories where two characters have different creative opinions. Char A wants to play plain old tag, but char B wants to play Alien Attack - essentially tag where you pretend to be aliens. These would become friendship stories since compromise is needed. Of course, I can't think of one off the top of my head. The stakes are the friendship.

Why is becoming creative important to the character/story?

What I have so far is one character is creative while the other one isn't. Using your example, CharA can play alien tag and it looks like fun to CharB but when CharB tries, s/he can't do it.

The conflict lack of creativity in one character and the resolution is finding a way to get creative/imaginative and be inspired. The ultimate outcome is that both characters can play in a fun way.

Right now I'm working it as a "feeling left out" kind of story and the thing which is "left out" is make-believe play.

[dinalapomy101 Posts: 2,242 Status: Offline Happy writing to all! WWW]

Have you read I'M BORED by Michael Black (illustrated by our Debbi Ohi!)? It might not be exactly as you describe but could offer some ideas. It's hilarious either way!

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,006 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

I wonder whether the focus is causing the issue. Anyone can color or paint. Anyone can play Alien Tag.

The conflict may be in the assumption of how the work should look when it's done. There is no person who lacks all creativity, but there are many who can't do the thing up to snuff. For example, when I say I can't draw, I don't mean I can't pick up the pencil and put lines on paper. I mean, you wouldn't recognize the outcome as what I planned it to be. Someone else may think it's great.

I'm curious to know how the plot really plays out.

[Mike Karg Posts: 67 Status: Offline Dream well.]

Maybe this one would help: A BOOK by Mordecai Gerstein features a family living inside a picture book and the little girl asks "What's my story?" and journeys to find out.

[LoriA Posts: 91 Status: Offline WWW]

Hey Robertvs -- Check out a PB title called A FEW BLOCKS. It's about an imaginative sister helping her brother get to school. Initially, he doesn't see the fantasy world they way she does (his pages are black and white; her pages are in color). Cool book! Might be closer to what you are looking for. Good luck with your story!

[Eileen Kennedy-Moore Posts: 95 Status: Offline Award-winning books for kids and parents WWW]

I'm enjoying these suggestions. Ish is one of my all-time favorite picture books.

[Robertvs Posts: 54 Status: Offline 1 <3 PB WWW]

Have you read I'M BORED by Michael Black (illustrated by our Debbi Ohi!)? It might not be exactly as you describe but could offer some ideas. It's hilarious either way!

Maybe this one would help: A BOOK by Mordecai Gerstein features a family living inside a picture book and the little girl asks "What's my story?" and journeys to find out.

Hey Robertvs -- Check out a PB title called A FEW BLOCKS. It's about an imaginative sister helping her brother get to school. Initially, he doesn't see the fantasy world they way she does (his pages are black and white; her pages are in color). Cool book! Might be closer to what you are looking for. Good luck with your story!

Thanks everyone, I really need to go to local library or bookstore and find all these.

That "A FEW BLOCKS" book sounds really interesting.

I wonder whether the focus is causing the issue. Anyone can color or paint. Anyone can play Alien Tag.

The conflict may be in the assumption of how the work should look when it's done. There is no person who lacks all creativity, but there are many who can't do the thing up to snuff. For example, when I say I can't draw, I don't mean I can't pick up the pencil and put lines on paper. I mean, you wouldn't recognize the outcome as what I planned it to be. Someone else may think it's great.

I'm curious to know how the plot really plays out.

The story I'm writing is analogous to writing a story about a writer overcoming writer's block with the aid of his or her best friend. The actual mini-conflicts are more tangible than writer's block since it's a picture book and it needs to be both interesting and illustrative, but it's still tricky as the essence of the conflict is innately internal.

[Mike Karg Posts: 67 Status: Offline Dream well.]

I would add Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills to your stack; Rocket is a dog with writer's block.