Storystorm 2025 Day 3: Leigh Anne Carter Gets Honest

by Leigh Anne Carter

Hello Storystormers! Today we’re going to dig deep and ask ourselves: What am I not ready for?

Get really honest! It could be something inevitable that you’re dreading. It could be something you keep putting off. Whatever it is, sit with it and write or sketch your thoughts. Whenever I’ve taken time to think about a truth that comes from inside myself, I can usually find a story I want to tell.

Maybe it’s small: a toothpaste spot on the bathroom mirror that needs to be cleaned. Is it serious? A work presentation or a close friend is moving away. You could be feeling annoyed, overwhelmed, nervous, or unprepared. Use that emotion to fuel your brainstorming.

Now how could that be worked into a story that a kid can relate to? Housework turns into chores or homework. Presentations turn into show and tell. Friends can move during all stages of life. You decide on tone. It can be punny, serious, inspirational—whatever works!

YETI IS NOT READY FOR SCHOOL is my debut picture book and it began from a Storystorm idea. But it boiled down to what my kidself struggled with. A memory from my first day of kindergarten began with me nervous to go in the classroom. But once I saw a friend, I was ready to go inside and enjoy what felt impossible. How could I turn that into a story that would inspire and be marketable? I have always loved stories about ghosts and monsters, so it felt right that I should write about a yeti who was not ready for her first day of school. After lots of revision and hard work, Yeti is now coming to a bookstore near you this summer!

Because I love seeing examples, here are even more picture books to give you different ideas on how you can work “readiness” into a story.

A perfect example: DON’T WASH WINSTON (Ashley Belote) shows a boy who goes to great lengths to prevent his teddy bear from a trip inside the scary washing machine. It’s not until a certain turn of events that he realizes Winston might feel better after a bath. A self-realized journey to being ready!

Try flipping it around: A character is ready. In THE LONGEST LETSGOBOY (Derick Wilder and Cátia Chien), a family pet knows his time is near. Told from the dog’s perspective on his last walk with his Little, he makes sure she will be okay after he is gone. He knows he is ready for the next part of his journey and the reader is gifted with a beautiful, bittersweet conclusion.

Maybe it’s a small part of your story: ALL THE GREATNESS IN YOU (Tameka Fryer Brown and Alleanna Harris) celebrates a child from their family’s voice. They share things that make him great, but one spread advises sometimes he might feel like he’s not ready to face certain obstacles. It ends on encouragement: “Tomorrow, should life make you doubt or forget who you are, or fear something new…Remember your can-do! Depend on that bounce-back! Believe all the greatness in you.”

Whether your character seeks out help from others or discovers answers on their own, part of being ready is acknowledging what is challenging. Through their story they can determine what they need to triumph. Honesty can help us use our own experiences and emotions to inspire a story.

Are you ready to listen, dig deep, and plant your next story seed? I think I know the answer.

Leigh Anne Carter is a writer and illustrator of stories for young readers. Her debut picture book YETI IS NOT READY FOR SCHOOL will be published July 2025 (Random House Children’s Books) with a second Yeti story coming in 2026. If she’s not at her desk working, you can find her lost in a book or the forest. She lives and works in North Carolina.