I’m so excited for a new 12×12 Picture Book Challenge to begin (thanks, Julie Hedlund!) and to see Kelli Panique listing so many familiar names — and new ones, too — in her welcoming posts in our Facebook group. This is going to be a fabulous year. Can’t you feel it?
New members: there’s a lot of info in 12×12, and it can be overwhelming. Many new members don’t know where to start, what to do next, or they feel like everything must be done right now…or else! The more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know. It might be immobilizing, at first. It definitely was for my in my first year. But if that happens, wait, breathe, and take it a bit at a time. Here are a few tips.
- Focus on one thing at a time. Spend a week popping into the forum and poking around. Do the same in our FB group. If you begin to get overwhelmed with info you’re finding, open a word doc, jot some notes, & copy the link so you can revisit the info when you’re more relaxed.
- You’ll begin to think there will never be an end to blog posts members will share. (Hint: there won’t be!) You’ll never get yourself fed or bathed if you tried to read them all, but if you’re like me, you’ll be afraid you’ll miss some good stuff. So give them a quick look and bookmark the I-can’t-not-know-this posts for a thorough read later.
- Be active in the forum and on the FB page. You’ll build networks and friendships and get so much more from your membership when you’re active.
- Don’t panic or beat yourself up if you don’t write a PB draft each month. Writing 12 over the course of the year will get you the win, even if you write them all in November. But try not to do that. The point of the challenge is to build good writing habits and grow in your profession. If you miss a month, take a look at why that happened. Make the changes you need to make so you can reach your goals.
- When you need help, ask. (Notice I said when, not if. We all need help at some point.) The people in this community will hold you up, help you along, answer your questions, motivate you, and cheer for every single success you have, big or small.
We’re your family. Welcome.
