By Melissa Stoller
www.MelissaStoller.com
It’s the end of the year – goodbye 2025 and hello 2026! This month, take stock of your ideas for the past twelve months, and dream about all your ideas for the upcoming year. Here are a few tips to get started:
www.MelissaStoller.com
It’s the end of the year – goodbye 2025 and hello 2026! This month, take stock of your ideas for the past twelve months, and dream about all your ideas for the upcoming year. Here are a few tips to get started:
- Take time to daydream. Examine the clouds, listen to music, or take a long walk, and dream. Let your mind wander as you develop plot points, titles, characters, and story arcs.
- Listen to your nighttime dreams. Keep a pad and pencil handy to record your dreams during the night or first thing when you wake up.
- Keep a dream notebook to store all your dreams, which will hopefully turn into ideas, which might turn into stories, and then books!
- Look through your dream notebook periodically and use your dreams as jumping off points – pick one to focus on or mash a few together to create a new story idea.
- Dream big – envision your dreams turning into reality!
Happy December, and I wish you all the best for ideas, manuscript drafts, and success in 2026 and beyond! Happy writing and cheers to creativity this month and into the new year!
MELISSA’S BIO:
Melissa Stoller writes to bring heartfelt connection and joy to her readers. Her newest picture book, Hazel and Mabel: Two Hearts Apart, illustrated by Anita Bagdi, released from Gnome Road Publishing in September, 2025. Melissa’s next picture book, Stella’s Special Recipe: A Rosh Hashanah Story, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova, will release from Kar-Ben Publishing in Fall 2026. Melissa is also the author of the chapter book 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, and a Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center Trustee. 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 long walks in Central Park and at the beach.
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