Last year, more than 670 authors registered for our first NF Fest, along with 1.2K Facebook members. We are doing it again with 28 new authors and illustrators and improvements based on feedback from participants.
Sign up for the Facebook group to see updates (and nonfiction tips) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFFest. Information will also be updated here. Registration for NF Fest 2021 is January 15 - January 31.
Hope to see you in 2021 for reading and writing and researching in the company of hundreds of fellow writers and illustrators!
Friday, October 30, 2020
Coming Soon - NF Fest 2021!
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Celebration
By Pat Miller
CELEBRATION!
Did you do it? Did you persevere through 28 days of
reading, writing and taking action? Were you educated, inspired, and supported?
It was not easy!
We sure hope you did. If you read the posts, commented on
each and completed 28 activities, you may take the NF Fest Pledge:
I did it! I completed 28 activities. I read and commented on every post.
Hooray for you! If you are a registered NF Festive, this
makes you eligible for prizes.
Now you can add the winner badge to your social media!
IF YOU DIDN’T FINISH, no worries. Take your
time. Award yourself the winner badge whenever you do manage to complete
everything.
To sustain you until next year’s NF Fest, here are three suggestions:
 |
| Right click to download |
- Participate in the NF Fest Facebook group (NF Fest).
- Join the NF Fest Twitter group by adding your handle to Meg Welch Dendler’s comment of February 7, 2020.
- Write, write, write!
- Prize winners will be announced by the end of March.
Friday, February 28, 2020
The Power of Great School Visits
By Steve
Swinburne
A school visit has the power to
engage, enlighten, entertain and inspire young students. But how do you craft
an author program that inspires readers, makes wonderful curriculum connections
and leaves lasting memories? In presenting to school kids for over twenty
years, I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I’d love to share with
you some of the things that have worked and helped garner some rave reviews for
my school visits from librarians. Below you will find a few cardinal rules that
may guide you in designing a great school visit.
Once,
years ago, I had a school visit in New Jersey. I remember that my first session
began at 9 a.m. But at 9 a.m., I’m in my car, stopped dead in traffic, in the
center of the George Washington Bridge. Lesson learned: plan ahead. I like to
arrive 30 – 45 minutes before the first presentation begins. If you’ve ever
arrived as parents are dropping off their kids in the front of school, you know
that’s a hectic scene. Arrive early, get comfortable, check sound, check lights,
check that your program is loading. Make friends with the custodian. Locate the
bathroom.
Be you.
Be sure to adapt.
A school visit has the power to
engage, enlighten, entertain and inspire young students. But how do you craft
an author program that inspires readers, makes wonderful curriculum connections
and leaves lasting memories? In presenting to school kids for over twenty
years, I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I’d love to share with
you some of the things that have worked and helped garner some rave reviews for
my school visits from librarians. Below you will find a few cardinal rules that
may guide you in designing a great school visit.
But, first things, first. If you’re
super nervous about standing in front of 150 third-graders, just know
that every visiting author has been there. Here’s how I handled the school
visit jitters. I started small. I visited my daughter’s elementary school
classroom. After a couple of visits, when I realized second graders were not
going to eat me alive, I moved on to church socials and Rotary Club gatherings.
Practice, practice, practice until you get comfortable in a room full of kids
and adults.
Be
proactive.
Long
before the BIG DAY arrives, make sure you and the school visit coordinator
(librarian, teacher or PTO) are on the same page. Do you have a signed contract
with school telephone number and the cell phone of the coordinator, in case of
an emergency? Know how the day will roll out: number of presentations, length,
location, book signing times. Will you or the librarian handle book sales? If
you are providing books, do you have a book order form with prices? The best
way teachers can prepare for an author visit is for the students to read the
author’s books. Thoughtful questions and good conversations can result.
Be
prepared.
There
are some things you can’t control on school visit day – weather, traffic, etc.
But you can control how prepared you are. Double-check your equipment. Do you
have appropriate dongles to connect your MacBookPro to the library Smartboard? Do
you have fresh batteries in your remote? Did you bring extra ones? Have you
checked and double-checked your Keynote or PowerPoint program? You want your
full attention on the kids, not worrying about the technology.
Be
early.
Once,
years ago, I had a school visit in New Jersey. I remember that my first session
began at 9 a.m. But at 9 a.m., I’m in my car, stopped dead in traffic, in the
center of the George Washington Bridge. Lesson learned: plan ahead. I like to
arrive 30 – 45 minutes before the first presentation begins. If you’ve ever
arrived as parents are dropping off their kids in the front of school, you know
that’s a hectic scene. Arrive early, get comfortable, check sound, check lights,
check that your program is loading. Make friends with the custodian. Locate the
bathroom.
Be
flexible.
Roll
with the flow of the day. Every author loves to present in the heart of the
school – the library. But if the library is too small for all the 4th
and 5th graders, you may have to present in the cafeteria or gym.
You are there for the kids. Bring your big boy/big girl pants and make it work.
Remember, they’re paying you a lot of money on a tight school budget. No
complaining allowed.
Be you.
Students
don’t meet authors every day. You’re special. They want to know who you are and
what makes you tick? Introduce your self. I always begin my presentations with
a slide pinpointing where I live compared to where the school is located. It
sets up the geography. I show one or two photos of my family, my house and most
of all, my dogs. (kids are dying to know if you have a pet). I then show them photos
of the river I live beside and talk about how the river inspires me. And that
point we are off and running and moving into the meat of my program.
Be sure to adapt.
Librarians
love when an author adapts their presentations to various age levels. With the
youngest kids, Pre-K to 1st graders, you can be more playful and
animated. With older students, engage and inspire them with substance, intrigue
and story.
Be
entertaining.
Kids
love to laugh. Sneak in a joke. Tell a funny story. If you win over your
audience with humor, they will be with you when you engage them with writing
tips and curriculum connections. You don’t have to play ukulele or illustrate
(but if you do, go for it!) Do you yodel? Can you hoot like an owl? Share a bit
of yourself, your hobby, your interests – that way you become real to your
audience. You will inspire them.
Be informative.
In every
school visit, I emphasize things like, “Strong Verbs, Cool Details and Hooking
the Reader” can make your writing sparkle and come alive; “Get your first draft
down, then fix it up”; “Good readers make Good writers.” Teachers REALLY
appreciate that their students hear this kind of powerful writing and reading
advice from a “REAL, LIVE AUTHOR.”
Be a
storyteller.
Tell the
story of how you became an author, illustrator or photographer. Did you read as
a kid? What books? I was a reluctant reader growing up, and I tell kids that. Make connections. Kids love hearing how
authors get their ideas. Share research anecdotes. In researching my upcoming
book on giraffes, I visited a giraffe center in Africa where if you stuck a
small biscuit between your lips, a giraffe would come along and slurp it out
with their long 19-inch tongue. I then show a photo of that scene. Kids love
behind the scenes research stories.
Be someone
who follows up.
For a
hundred bucks or so, I get a bunch of Thank You Postcards from my local
printer. After every school visit, I mail the librarian a postcard. It’s a nice
follow up. And, as often happens, a week or two after your school visit, a package
of “Letters to the Author” might show up in mail. You don’t have time to send a
thank you note to every kid, but a note or postcard to the teacher does
wonders.
When I was a kid growing up in Queens, New
York, I never remembered authors and illustrators visiting our public school
auditoriums or classrooms. I thought authors who wrote books were a mystery;
artists lived somewhere far away from our Queens neighborhood. I’m very
grateful we have moved on from that unenlightened era. We know now that when an
author visits a school, readers are inspired. An author visit can foster active
and curious minds. Minds hungry for exploration and growth.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Steve Swinburne has
worked as a national park ranger and is the author of more than 30 children’s
books. His extensive travels to faraway lands such as Africa, Borneo,
Bangladesh and Dubai along with treks through Yellowstone and researching
giraffes, have all influenced his book projects, including Sea Turtle Scientist, Run,
Sea Turtle, Run and his upcoming title, Giraffe
Math. Steve visits over 50 schools a year across the United States as well
as many international schools. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Heather, two
dogs named Scout and Jem, and a cat named Skittles. Learn more at www.SteveSwinburne.com.
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Steve will provide a 30-minute Skype visit with the winner or with a classroom of their choice.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
On-Site Research: The Value of Being Where It Happened
By Christy Mihaly
NF Fest author Mary Kay Carson has explained the role of field research in science writing. Well, on-site research is also important when writing about history. Of course, unless you keep a time-travel portal in your treehouse, you can't directly observe long-ago events. But you might be able to travel to where they happened.
I learned the value of on-site history research eight years ago, at the beginning of my writing career. I had pitched an article for "Cobblestone" magazine's issue on "The Age of Exploration." I got the assignment—my first assigned article. Then I panicked. How to start writing?
I was living for a year in Spain with my family. My daughter attended a Spanish school, and I was intrigued with something her teacher said about Christopher Columbus: The Italian explorer's expedition would have failed without the courage, skill, and leadership of the Spanish sailors who sailed his ships—in particular, the Pinzón brothers. I pitched my article based on this tidbit.
I'd done some background research, but when the assignment came through, I wasn't ready to write. I knew that in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella directed the seagoing townspeople of Palos de la Frontera to provide Columbus with ships and crew. The people rebuffed Columbus until the Pinzón brothers—Martín, Vincente, and Francisco—stepped up. The Pinzón brothers agreed to finance Columbus and signed up to join the expedition: two as captains of the Pinta and Niña, the third as navigator. And they recruited capable sailors as crew.
Interesting stuff. But to bring my facts to life, I needed some onsite investigation. I traveled to Palos, Spain, for the town's annual Pinzón Day celebration. For several days, I toured the Pinzón homes (brimming with nautical gear), prowled around the docked replica of one of Columbus's vessels (cramped and tiny), and visited a historical fair and re-enactment. I gathered many more facts and photos than I'd ever use in a 250-word article. I also gained a more three-dimensional understanding of the Pinzón brothers, their family, and their times, and finally felt qualified to write their story.
I consider this kind of on-site research well worth the commitment and time it requires. Consider these three benefits:
Experience the sensations of being there
Written sources teach you many facts, but they don't give you the physical sensation of rough wooden planks under your feet or handwoven wool garments scratching your skin. Inside Columbus's ship, I was struck by its small size: I couldn't stand upright belowdecks, and the stores of food and water were terrifyingly sparse. You'll write more authoritatively about a medieval dungeon if you've personally seen and felt the damp, cramped darkness, and heard the slam of heavy iron doors behind you. Sensory details like these will enliven your writing.
If the place that you're writing about is inaccessible or has drastically changed, look for other ways to "travel" to the time period. Many living history museums and re-enactments transport visitors to bygone days. The Boston Tea Party Museum, for example, re-creates a meeting of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and re-enacts the colonists' rebellious vandalism in the harbor. You can find similar historical re-creations and re-enactments from St. Augustine, Florida to Dearborn, Michigan to Sutter's Fort, California, and beyond.
Even at home, you can investigate those sensory details with a little creative time-traveling. If you know that a person in your book loved eating her mother's home-cooked posset, locate a recipe and make your own. Learn to play an instrument from the time period you're writing about; try sewing or crafting something that people made back then; read the books that were popular at the time. "On-site" investigations like these let you experience the details that bring history to life.
Nail down geographical features
Geographical details can be critical. If you tour the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, you'll be impressed with the Cedar Creek Room, which is dominated by Julian Scott's massive, mural-size oil painting. It depicts the Battle of Cedar Creek, a Civil War battle in which the arrival of the Vermont Infantry helped win a Union victory in the Shenandoah Valley. When Scott was commissioned to paint this, he searched out and interviewed veterans of the battle.
Then, he traveled to the site. According to survivors, he portrayed the battlefield accurately. That's our goal in writing history – to paint a faithful enough picture that those who lived through the events would agree you got it right.
Today's writers and artists can also conduct virtual geographical research. Google offers a stunning level of detail on satellite views, and you might find video footage of your site on YouTube or other websites. These tools can help you get the vital physical details of your historical site just right.
Find your story's heart
For compelling writing, you need to identify the essential truth, or heart, of your story. For history writing—nonfiction and historical fiction alike—on-site research can help you discover that nugget.
Author Andrea L. Rogers provides a powerful example in the endnote to her middle grade novel, Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Story (Capstone 2020). Rogers, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, recounts that growing up out west, she thought she understood the history of forced removal, and wasn't interested in writing about it. Then she visited New Echota, the capital of the Cherokee Homeland in Georgia. There, she finally comprehended how much the Cherokee people lost when forced from their land. "As we walked around the site," she explains, "I realized how much I hadn't understood." Rogers knew then that she wanted to share the story of her people's great loss, "the loss of the places where our stories were born and our ancestors were buried." From this essential truth, Rogers built her moving novel.
So, history-writing friends, whether you travel by foot, ship, train, or Internet, go to the site of your story. There are sensory details waiting for you there.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christy Mihaly writes nonfiction for all ages. Her forthcoming picture book, Free for You and Me: What our First Amendment Means, introduces young readers to the five First Amendment freedoms. Other books include Hey, Hey, Hay! A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them (about haymaking); the YA nonfiction Diet for a Changing Climate: Food for Thought, co-written with Sue Heavenrich, and a couple dozen books for the educational market. Christy also writes articles, stories, and poetry. She lives in Vermont, and loves taking her dog for walks in the woods and playing the cello (though not simultaneously).
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Christy will give away a signed copy of Free for You and Me.
Leave one comment below about what struck you in the post.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered NF Fest participant and you have contributed one comment below.
NF Fest author Mary Kay Carson has explained the role of field research in science writing. Well, on-site research is also important when writing about history. Of course, unless you keep a time-travel portal in your treehouse, you can't directly observe long-ago events. But you might be able to travel to where they happened.
I learned the value of on-site history research eight years ago, at the beginning of my writing career. I had pitched an article for "Cobblestone" magazine's issue on "The Age of Exploration." I got the assignment—my first assigned article. Then I panicked. How to start writing? |
| statue of two of the Pinzon brothers |
I was living for a year in Spain with my family. My daughter attended a Spanish school, and I was intrigued with something her teacher said about Christopher Columbus: The Italian explorer's expedition would have failed without the courage, skill, and leadership of the Spanish sailors who sailed his ships—in particular, the Pinzón brothers. I pitched my article based on this tidbit.
I'd done some background research, but when the assignment came through, I wasn't ready to write. I knew that in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella directed the seagoing townspeople of Palos de la Frontera to provide Columbus with ships and crew. The people rebuffed Columbus until the Pinzón brothers—Martín, Vincente, and Francisco—stepped up. The Pinzón brothers agreed to finance Columbus and signed up to join the expedition: two as captains of the Pinta and Niña, the third as navigator. And they recruited capable sailors as crew.
Interesting stuff. But to bring my facts to life, I needed some onsite investigation. I traveled to Palos, Spain, for the town's annual Pinzón Day celebration. For several days, I toured the Pinzón homes (brimming with nautical gear), prowled around the docked replica of one of Columbus's vessels (cramped and tiny), and visited a historical fair and re-enactment. I gathered many more facts and photos than I'd ever use in a 250-word article. I also gained a more three-dimensional understanding of the Pinzón brothers, their family, and their times, and finally felt qualified to write their story.
I consider this kind of on-site research well worth the commitment and time it requires. Consider these three benefits:
Experience the sensations of being there
 |
| Not all historical sites are well-preserved. |
Written sources teach you many facts, but they don't give you the physical sensation of rough wooden planks under your feet or handwoven wool garments scratching your skin. Inside Columbus's ship, I was struck by its small size: I couldn't stand upright belowdecks, and the stores of food and water were terrifyingly sparse. You'll write more authoritatively about a medieval dungeon if you've personally seen and felt the damp, cramped darkness, and heard the slam of heavy iron doors behind you. Sensory details like these will enliven your writing.
If the place that you're writing about is inaccessible or has drastically changed, look for other ways to "travel" to the time period. Many living history museums and re-enactments transport visitors to bygone days. The Boston Tea Party Museum, for example, re-creates a meeting of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty and re-enacts the colonists' rebellious vandalism in the harbor. You can find similar historical re-creations and re-enactments from St. Augustine, Florida to Dearborn, Michigan to Sutter's Fort, California, and beyond.
Nail down geographical features
Geographical details can be critical. If you tour the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, you'll be impressed with the Cedar Creek Room, which is dominated by Julian Scott's massive, mural-size oil painting. It depicts the Battle of Cedar Creek, a Civil War battle in which the arrival of the Vermont Infantry helped win a Union victory in the Shenandoah Valley. When Scott was commissioned to paint this, he searched out and interviewed veterans of the battle.
Then, he traveled to the site. According to survivors, he portrayed the battlefield accurately. That's our goal in writing history – to paint a faithful enough picture that those who lived through the events would agree you got it right.
Today's writers and artists can also conduct virtual geographical research. Google offers a stunning level of detail on satellite views, and you might find video footage of your site on YouTube or other websites. These tools can help you get the vital physical details of your historical site just right.
Find your story's heart
Author Andrea L. Rogers provides a powerful example in the endnote to her middle grade novel, Mary and the Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Removal Story (Capstone 2020). Rogers, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, recounts that growing up out west, she thought she understood the history of forced removal, and wasn't interested in writing about it. Then she visited New Echota, the capital of the Cherokee Homeland in Georgia. There, she finally comprehended how much the Cherokee people lost when forced from their land. "As we walked around the site," she explains, "I realized how much I hadn't understood." Rogers knew then that she wanted to share the story of her people's great loss, "the loss of the places where our stories were born and our ancestors were buried." From this essential truth, Rogers built her moving novel.
So, history-writing friends, whether you travel by foot, ship, train, or Internet, go to the site of your story. There are sensory details waiting for you there.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christy Mihaly writes nonfiction for all ages. Her forthcoming picture book, Free for You and Me: What our First Amendment Means, introduces young readers to the five First Amendment freedoms. Other books include Hey, Hey, Hay! A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them (about haymaking); the YA nonfiction Diet for a Changing Climate: Food for Thought, co-written with Sue Heavenrich, and a couple dozen books for the educational market. Christy also writes articles, stories, and poetry. She lives in Vermont, and loves taking her dog for walks in the woods and playing the cello (though not simultaneously).
ABOUT THE PRIZE
Christy will give away a signed copy of Free for You and Me.
Leave one comment below about what struck you in the post.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered NF Fest participant and you have contributed one comment below.
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