But instead of setting up a fan club (which I’m still considering doing), I decided the best way to show my appreciation would be to share word of her motivational challenge with anyone and everyone who I thought might be even remotely interested. Tara wasn’t yet a published rock star picture book author but I still worshiped the cyberspace she typed on, and she now had a fan for life. (The details of this PiBoIdMo success story can be found here.) A story I wrote from one of those ideas went on to win the SCBWI 2011 Barbara Karlin grant. Tara lined up another month of non-stop inspiration from published picture book authors and illustrators, and by acting on guest blogger Sudipta Barden-Quallen’s advice, I came up with a few ideas for fractured fairy tales. The following year I couldn’t wait for November to arrive. While none of the ideas I generated that first year amounted to much, the challenge helped keep me sane. I needed something to take my mind off my misery and PiBoIdMo did the trick. By the time I discovered Tara and her month-long picture book idea challenge, I’d spent five months sick in bed. The year 2009 was a very bad year for me. She’s also gotten me into the habit of generating ideas every day, and I credit her with three picture book success stories. Although we’ve never met, she unwittingly got me through a very rough time. I like to think of myself as Tara’s biggest fan.
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