Maybe he’s a Big Bad Monkey with hairy hips and big lips.

Maybe your monkey is allergic to bananas.

We would love to hear your ideas on the different kinds of personalities you could create for a monkey character in a story!

Speaking of distracted I thought I already put this post up but I can’t find it anywhere so here it goes.

When I imagined a deserted island I saw a row of sandcastles along the beach.  It made me wonder how they got there since the island is deserted.  My current theory is that the sand forms itself into the castles… we’ll see where the story leads.

What would make a snowman a great character for a story?

Is he the type that has adventures at night when no one else can see?  If your snowman melted into something when given a kiss, what would he melt into?  What does your snowman do to fight the premature melting effects of the sun’s rays?

When I was a child we used to create incredible snow sculptures with my Pop.  We had your typical snow-men, snow-women, and snow-kids, along with snow alligators and snow penguins.  One year I thought our snow sculptures would be even more cool if they were colorful.  My Pop rummaged around until he found some spray paint and my wish was granted – my snow alligator was actually green.  Probably not super-environmentally friendly, but magical for sure!

My daughter chose this setting for one of the stories she created recently and came up with some great ideas.  I asked her if I could share them with you and she said, “Sure!”

The trees in her forest were mobile – they would change positions to confuse and disorient travelers.  Some trees were nice but some were not.  It was hard to tell which trees might eat you and which ones might help you.  If you want to pass through the forest safely you need to bring lots of mint flavored gum and sandwiches because the trees (whether good or bad) like to chew gum and eat sandwiches.  There are fairies, elves, dwarfs, and other fantasy creatures that all make their homes in her mystical forest.

What is this dragonfly’s greatest ambition?  What is he afraid of?  What is he really good at doing?  What blunders does he get into?  Let’s paint a picture of the many personality possibilities together!

Take the invitation and get your ideas out there!

This time I’d like to invite you to post your ideas on a setting card I randomly pick from the deck…

It’s an ICEBERG!

Please share sensory detail, ideas for places and attractions, and anything else you can think of that might ignite some story possibilities!

This is designed to be a community project, where you can add ideas, thoughts, comments, and experiences related to the Pirates in Pajamas Story Creation process. From time to time, I’ll post something to spark imagination and get the story making process started, then you can add your comments and ideas to that post and share with other readers.

We’d all love to hear the stories and ideas you come up with – if you’re willing to share. Of course there is no pressure for Pulitzer Prize quality material – just fun stories that are meaningful to you and your family. Any thoughts or ideas are also welcome. This project is an ever-developing one, with new ideas being generated continually. Here’s the first topic to get your minds in gear…

Thanks again for joining the Pirates in Pajamas community. We’re excited to have you on board!