tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47325249109498148112024-03-16T03:08:21.613-04:00Nonfiction FestUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-3427843788900855572024-02-29T00:30:00.005-05:002024-02-29T00:30:00.148-05:00SO, WHAT'S NEXT? <p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <b>By <a href="http://www.stephaniebearce.com/">Stephanie Bearce</a></b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">What a great month of nonfiction learning! Do you feel
pumped up? Are you ready to write your award-winning book?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Or are you feeling a little lost? Wondering what you should
do next?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s how I feel after every great learning experience,
whether it’s NF Fest, a retreat, or a conference. Now that I’m back at my
computer, without the inspiration and encouragement of fellow authors - exactly
what am I supposed to do?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Because the “After-Event-Slump” is REAL – (and probably
diagnosable by your local critique group…) I’ve come up with a few brain and
writing boosters. Try these tricks to get moving on that fantastic new
nonfiction project!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get
an accountability partner.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Find a fellow
writer who is willing to check in with you at least once a week and make sure
you are on track. It’s amazing how productive you get when you must give an
accounting to another person. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate meeting or
reporting system. Just take ten minutes a week to exchange writing goals and
accomplishments with a fellow writer. Accountability builds success.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->BIC
– Butt in Chair.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Okay – here’s the
cold hard truth. Sometimes you need to glue that hinny in the chair and WRITE. It’s
a job. Block out your time. Cancel extraneous appointments and start writing
that story. If you don’t spend time with your fingers tapping on those computer
keys, you won’t have a manuscript to critique or sell. Write the horrible,
awful, disgusting first draft and then set it aside. Once you have SOMETHING to
work with you can move forward. Revisions are what makes the story shine. But
first you must WRITE!!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dig
out old projects.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Use what you’ve
learned from NF Fest to revitalize old manuscripts. You’ll be amazed what new
ideas pop into your head for how to write that story with a new format. Can you
add humor? Turn it into a layered text? Examine the story from a different
perspective? Take what you’ve learned and apply it to those old stories, and
you may be astonished at the shiny new manuscript you create.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Plug
into a writing community.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Part of the joy of
NF Fest is learning that there are other writers out there working and
struggling just like me. Carry that spirit into your everyday writing life and
participate in writing communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you don’t have a critique group – form one! Put out a call on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFFest">NF FEST FB</a> page to see who
would like to form a critique group. Check out your local <a href="https://www.scbwi.org/">SCBWI</a> region, and organizations like
Storyteller Academy, Manuscript Wishlist, Highlights Foundation, Institute of
Writers, Storystorm, and 12x12 challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Plan
your next learning event!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Writers need to be
learners. While it is a whole very l-o-n-g year until the next NF Fest – there
are many other learning opportunities out there. Find a retreat, class, or
event that will move you forward in your career and enroll!<span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most important of
all – keep telling those true stories. The world needs your voice and
perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And keep in touch –
let us know how the journey is going! The Nonfiction Ninjas care and we’re here
to help.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy Writing!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigVAjOSWkqQea6u94ro8Fx679QZbx0hvISIuy1XM4dj_B5nDPnPqn5Eh0nVDOpC7rywr0FTBcoAcd0DeMP6qfY_jez3YBzj1b9LZ_Iza02jBXVhiHFOGAYiR7vxU_zUSfPtjj5kUP5s0ll7iNPY_WY4NURx2DgUomkbjvRKnhJmV3SqjCqvFIvsZqQ6xw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="279" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigVAjOSWkqQea6u94ro8Fx679QZbx0hvISIuy1XM4dj_B5nDPnPqn5Eh0nVDOpC7rywr0FTBcoAcd0DeMP6qfY_jez3YBzj1b9LZ_Iza02jBXVhiHFOGAYiR7vxU_zUSfPtjj5kUP5s0ll7iNPY_WY4NURx2DgUomkbjvRKnhJmV3SqjCqvFIvsZqQ6xw" width="241" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author: </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Stephanie is the award-winning author of 35 books for children. Her newest book, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mary Anning and Paleontology for Kids</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, will be released by Chicago Review Press in May. You can learn more about Stephanie and the world of writing on the Way-Word Writers Podcast. Waywordwriters.com or follow her X - @Stephanie Bearce, Insta and FB - @stephaniemowrybearce.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-28404884989185459012024-02-28T00:30:00.007-05:002024-02-28T00:30:00.134-05:00PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://steveswinburne.com/">Steve Swinburne</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQu7QOSH9AJYtp2Wj-V5xabqBScYwsHchXkysuBaCOaxGdBidIv_IZpzdskJXtypgKllImkInQwSCvMOt1N-owsbMa4ZQHYXwuEQqxjXaYdUulcUrx2ClKBleI90La5nVJIIvgjUaAFfe_AmPE37vSSxO1T2DShApMh7jeZ841bdEeml9Yu5HXEW_jnv8" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="895" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQu7QOSH9AJYtp2Wj-V5xabqBScYwsHchXkysuBaCOaxGdBidIv_IZpzdskJXtypgKllImkInQwSCvMOt1N-owsbMa4ZQHYXwuEQqxjXaYdUulcUrx2ClKBleI90La5nVJIIvgjUaAFfe_AmPE37vSSxO1T2DShApMh7jeZ841bdEeml9Yu5HXEW_jnv8" width="199" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some books take years and
years to evolve, mature, unfold. And some books are born out of spontaneity.
For example, the idea for one of my new books, BIG TRUCK SUPER WASH,
came to me by pure serendipity. A few years ago, we visited our daughter and
her husband living in New York City. As you do, we went out for coffee and
bagels one morning and we happened to pass Brooklyn’s Famous Car Wash. Watching
the cars go in and out, a thought popped into my head, “Where do trucks get
washed?”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I think all stories are
born from curiosity. What if a shark played the ukulele? What do sperm whales
eat? How large were T Rex eggs? Where do trucks get washed?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While the idea for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">BIG TRUCK SUPER WASH</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> came out of the blue, my other new book, GIRAFFE MATH,
was another matter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve been trying to write
a book about giraffes for over a decade because I think they are ridiculously
cool and one of the most unique creatures on the planet. My Vermont buddy,
Peter Lourie, and I first proposed The Giraffe Scientist for the Scientist in
the Field series with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2009. Pete would take
pictures and I would write. After HMH and others rejected our project, we tried
a new hook, Tall Beauty-Desert Giraffes of Africa. This was to be an adult
coffee-table-style book about giraffes living in the Namibian desert. After a
year or so of submitting we realized it was not to be.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I couldn’t shake my
obsession with giraffes so I tried writing a very simple and short nonfiction
manuscript about giraffes. It flopped. About the time GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE, I thought I’d try a funny book about giraffes. No go. Then I played
around with a giraffe joke book. My manuscript was a joke! I even tried a young
nonfiction book that I thought might work as a board book. My ingenious title
for that one was Giraffes Are Tall. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicCdV3fiYZHXadCl_EUVlNtIu23PKqpL-ppsMImEwThkyFOFzNzmxWxQhSH_wxm00y7LpihUvvtu9ev9zZcOThiOG57hs0H-KPhQLEJuhflJDPIEB6NiUBIwiwYEeqaXEdkDxwFdBN71Jzr88diA_Nt8oMzrLtwlR6CDTjQzqUiSDuo2uSM0IZSqhmw6c" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicCdV3fiYZHXadCl_EUVlNtIu23PKqpL-ppsMImEwThkyFOFzNzmxWxQhSH_wxm00y7LpihUvvtu9ev9zZcOThiOG57hs0H-KPhQLEJuhflJDPIEB6NiUBIwiwYEeqaXEdkDxwFdBN71Jzr88diA_Nt8oMzrLtwlR6CDTjQzqUiSDuo2uSM0IZSqhmw6c" width="201" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">After over a decade of
giraffe book trial and error, I hit the pause button. Shortly thereafter I was
invited to Kenya for an author visit. After the school visit, my wife and I
went on a 3-day safari. Seeing giraffes in the wild reignited my fascination
for this creature.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I got back home, I
sat down with a blank yellow pad and began making a list of things I knew about
giraffes. How tall they were. How long was their tongue. Their weight. How long
they sleep. I looked at the page and realized it was all numbers. It was math!
It wasn’t long before I connected Giraffe with Math and I had my title, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">GIRAFFE MATH</span><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do
you have a manuscript that seems to be stuck? Is it possible your younger nonfiction
story is really mid-grade nonfiction? Would lyrical poems best suit your tale
about baby dinosaurs? What if you told your examination of recycling practices
from the first-person point of view? There’s no ironclad way to write your
nonfiction manuscript.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Moral of the story: some ways
to tell your story take a very, very long time to congeal, to crystallize. Be
flexible. Be patient. Never give up. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoPL9jnCWEXL9MrqxlUON6ypr-R5bUVd1jrOUvH_KlmyOElVnj34PtYRJVNlFznJMXyrFsMRiRCgCvgIq2R45G9KhRBH2KLSgQ0Mz0qc1hfmiySv2Fc5ICkKNG-Ke3Mqz3dnbiXc0_w9LeAjMtXojPTNAPIyYHYYhZzRmh8mvtJAIlkHvf8I1oZ4p4Fo0" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="975" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoPL9jnCWEXL9MrqxlUON6ypr-R5bUVd1jrOUvH_KlmyOElVnj34PtYRJVNlFznJMXyrFsMRiRCgCvgIq2R45G9KhRBH2KLSgQ0Mz0qc1hfmiySv2Fc5ICkKNG-Ke3Mqz3dnbiXc0_w9LeAjMtXojPTNAPIyYHYYhZzRmh8mvtJAIlkHvf8I1oZ4p4Fo0=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>About the Author:</b></span><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Swinburne has worked as a national park ranger and is the author of more than 40 children’s books. His extensive travels to faraway lands such as Africa, Borneo, Bangladesh and Dubai along with treks through Yellowstone and the highlands of Scotland, have influenced his book projects. Steve researched sea turtles in the Caribbean Islands for <i>Sea Turtle Scientist</i> and <i>Run, Sea Turtle, Run</i>, and he went on safari in Kenya for his nominated STEM title, <i>Giraffe Math</i>. Steve visits nearly 70 schools a year across the United States as well as many international schools. He lives in Vermont with his wife, Heather. For more information, see <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.steveswinburne.com/&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw13e7mEtg7b7xqLDak5v0Ue" href="http://www.steveswinburne.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">www.steveswinburne.com</a>. <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve blogs at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://stephenswinburne.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw0fbTOTTNg93qD2a2974PIv" href="https://stephenswinburne.wordpress.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://stephenswinburne.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/</a><span style="color: #0563c1; text-decoration-line: underline;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Website: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.steveswinburne.com/&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw13e7mEtg7b7xqLDak5v0Ue" href="http://www.steveswinburne.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">www.steveswinburne.<wbr></wbr>com<br /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Blog: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://stephenswinburne.wordpress.com/&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw0fbTOTTNg93qD2a2974PIv" href="https://stephenswinburne.wordpress.com/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://<wbr></wbr>stephenswinburne.wordpress.<wbr></wbr>com/<br /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Facebook: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/stephen.swinburne&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw1jogCrzAcv4pYCq-AXlJoA" href="https://www.facebook.com/stephen.swinburne" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.<wbr></wbr>facebook.com/stephen.swinburne<br /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Instagram: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.instagram.com/steveswinburne/&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw10mygIbV2Qll7EtPuo-qBv" href="https://www.instagram.com/steveswinburne/" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://www.<wbr></wbr>instagram.com/steveswinburne/<br /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Twitter: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/steverswinburne&source=gmail&ust=1706638561840000&usg=AOvVaw0PhJcMzEhUs_XMF9MRYz38" href="https://twitter.com/steverswinburne" style="color: #954f72;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>steverswinburne</a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-46962705535390680282024-02-27T00:30:00.006-05:002024-02-27T00:30:00.129-05:00PUBLISHING SMALL FOR A BIG WIN<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.wondersofweird.com/">Kelly Milner Halls</a></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Throughout my 30-year career, I’ve written nonfiction for
major houses like Harpercollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, National
Geographic, Random House and Lerner. It’s been fun to imagine myself a part of
the big dog team. But publishing more recently with Sasquatch/Little Bigfoot--a
smaller house in Seattle—has given me a big new win.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">My first book with Little Bigfoot was CRYPTID CREATURES: A
FIELD GUIDE (2019). My book about mysterious creatures, TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS
(Lerner, 2006) has been a favorite among elementary school readers for almost
20 years. But as those readers aged out, they asked for a meatier bone—a bone I
hoped to deliver. Lerner wasn’t willing, but Little Bigfoot was. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdkA7Lc8U0UeBg5ZnSdzyMAu5wOegQR8gaapqz1OMVOzuRn5-enSRNPQB3WaWK7AsTi9aGm1EQEkrbRExn-gWlTLSsqyIO6l0fnx3wwlrYV-k1hSyLTe-ehobptYKW9OGMuYJC8wVW3OoGHKuTkcbX9PFCTZew_LMDbMx3tMUcOhMuXAqHnVam9FRgvA/s1000/Tales%20of%20the%20Cryptids.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1000" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdkA7Lc8U0UeBg5ZnSdzyMAu5wOegQR8gaapqz1OMVOzuRn5-enSRNPQB3WaWK7AsTi9aGm1EQEkrbRExn-gWlTLSsqyIO6l0fnx3wwlrYV-k1hSyLTe-ehobptYKW9OGMuYJC8wVW3OoGHKuTkcbX9PFCTZew_LMDbMx3tMUcOhMuXAqHnVam9FRgvA/w278-h238/Tales%20of%20the%20Cryptids.jpg" width="278" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC2s2MGmedkbqTw-8hWAyd6rIeUS7Qa4p5LagpXJl537mNilI09eTBbl0xdZBFGj18vzanEkWTeExk05vsucrAoTQoCKhgkVAw7QEvA6aKhPLYktjyOjKeoboApJ-7Jd4s13xmOw46qHN7LcVKwGHVpLAsaFcWUfh3-nNkGu8KVAG4GUWg9IANU1Z2yM/s450/9781632172105.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="330" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglC2s2MGmedkbqTw-8hWAyd6rIeUS7Qa4p5LagpXJl537mNilI09eTBbl0xdZBFGj18vzanEkWTeExk05vsucrAoTQoCKhgkVAw7QEvA6aKhPLYktjyOjKeoboApJ-7Jd4s13xmOw46qHN7LcVKwGHVpLAsaFcWUfh3-nNkGu8KVAG4GUWg9IANU1Z2yM/w214-h291/9781632172105.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead of mimicking the 72-page TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS picture
book, they allowed me to write the expanded 224 page paperback my older readers
wanted. They even let Rick Spears, the illustrator who made TOTC a masterpiece,
create original art for the project—a lot of it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">We offered well documented eyewitness reports on 50
different unconfirmed animals with three illustrations for each one—an adult, a
baby and a skeletal feature. I loved the book throughout the process, but I
expected it to take years to be discovered. Silly me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Almost immediately, the book—distributed by Random
House/Penguin—sold like gangbusters. After 18 years, TOTC has 145 Amazon reader
reviews. Five years into CRYPTID CREATURES, there are more than 700, most of
them five stars. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Little Bigfoot promoted the book with gusto, in part because
they had fewer titles to present than the major houses might have. My editor
was exceptionally gifted and the publicist lined up the best television
coverage I’ve ever enjoyed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I attribute the success to Little Bigfoot’s willingness to
take a chance on a book I was convince would find an audience, when the big
houses refused. The partnership was so successful, I have another Little
Bigfoot book on Washington State’s only dinosaur fossil discovery coming this
fall. SEA MONSTERS: A FIELD GUIDE and BABY CRYPTIDS (a board book) will be
available from Little Bigfoot in the fall of 2025—all illustrated by Rick
Spears. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publishing with any house is a win, and I’d still work for
the big dogs if the opportunity arose. But I’ll never overlook the little guys
again. Little Bigfoot may be small by New York standards, but the results have
been super-sized for me! </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPIrZcBTOd9GMarHwCDm62qjHlahc-cpeFohcb-JKWtgtxjcYpkz8GVgFPiXSZYdML6R2LOYqEfImzfTCmnQKbAY0po4-7eZOpu6sBXKD-DB2xBlF9W6lCWYGvAhZ-ilDl2nGXzJWfyBQxgClvD6li_rjaDNaVkmHJjm2jM-HDTeQiRKoskb-YtzicB_A" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="250" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPIrZcBTOd9GMarHwCDm62qjHlahc-cpeFohcb-JKWtgtxjcYpkz8GVgFPiXSZYdML6R2LOYqEfImzfTCmnQKbAY0po4-7eZOpu6sBXKD-DB2xBlF9W6lCWYGvAhZ-ilDl2nGXzJWfyBQxgClvD6li_rjaDNaVkmHJjm2jM-HDTeQiRKoskb-YtzicB_A=w256-h353" width="256" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author:</b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156;">For the past 30 years, Kelly Milner Halls has crafted high-interest nonfiction books and articles for young readers. Known for well-researched topics, Halls delights in drawing even reluctant readers into the realm of discovery through the exploration of dinosaurs, Sasquatch, mummies, UFOs and dozens of other themes. She makes her home in Spokane, Washington with two daughter and a cat named Sue. She speaks at schools and conferences all over the world.</span> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p> </p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-17287400291295442762024-02-26T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-26T00:30:00.134-05:005 TIPS FOR FINDING AN AGENT<span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://www.lisaamstutz.com/">Lisa Amstutz</a></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">You’ve done the research. You’ve written, revised, and
polished your manuscript until it’s as shiny as you can make it. Now what?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">If you want to publish in the trade market, you may want to find
an agent. It is possible to sell your work on your own, especially to smaller
publishers, and many authors build successful careers that way. However, an
agent can open doors for you. They handle submissions and contracts and may help
edit your work, give marketing and career advice, offer a shoulder to cry on,
and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unfortunately, finding an agent is easier said than done. While
agents are more accessible than ever before thanks to the Internet, competition
is stiff. Agents receive hundreds if not thousands of queries during open
submission periods, all competing for one or two spots on their list. It sounds
discouraging, I know. But you can improve your odds!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: arial;">1. Start with a strong manuscript. Study the market to see what is selling; read new releases to learn what styles are popular and what feels overdone. What will make yours stand out on the shelves?<br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Know your book’s genre and target audience. An agent or editor will have a hard time acquiring a manuscript if they don’t clearly know how to position it in the market.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">3. Research agents who represent your genre. QueryTracker is a good place to start. Writer’s Market guides are another good resource. Find out who represents other nonfiction writers too. Google can help, or ask around in the writing community. Check out agency websites for current submission guidelines. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">One caveat here: I sometimes have to reject projects I like—even ones with offers!—because they are too similar to something else on my list. I can’t ethically set up competition between clients. So the ideal agent may represent clients whose work is similar—but not too similar.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">4. Write a standout query letter. Start with a pitch that grabs the reader’s attention. Include the genre, age category, and word count of your book as well as several comps. These should be trade books published in the last three years, if possible. <br /><br />Write a bio that highlights any relevant writing or educational experience. It’s nice to share a personal detail or two, but don’t overshare. Do mention if you’re a member of SCBWI, 12 x 12, or other professional organization. <br /><br />Keep it professional. Don’t oversell or undersell yourself. Your book likely isn’t the next Harry Potter. But be positive about it—and yourself! Be polite and friendly. <br /><br />5. Remember that while writing is an art, publishing is a business. Agents have to earn a living too, and many work on commission alone. So they look for books they think they can sell. That means books with an appealing hook, a clear market, strong writing, and a fresh take on a topic.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />I see a lot of submissions that, while nicely written, feel vaguely familiar. They’re too similar to other books already on the market to really stand out. The ones that give me goosebumps are those that feel so exciting, lovely, or unique that I am still thinking about them the next day. Those are an easy yes! <br /><br />Finding an agent is not easy, and it may take time. But if you hang in there and keep learning and growing as a writer and putting your work into the world, I am confident you will succeed! <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHyLF52K2DGhpLm1zK09ElpN8ytFsdvU27cwCM7X6BB419V8CYud9pA5fiqvFPXD4grSerC3hAAbGtQf3-2dqhydpCiRbNDYM6l0LR1V-EVon7wyvr8jaKqf_r3DRvD1rzhRfnPlXv7nzjiP5hheJU3vvLaYKkOwL6fLw60Um5OPWqpSjOJCIPQaN9ooY" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="281" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHyLF52K2DGhpLm1zK09ElpN8ytFsdvU27cwCM7X6BB419V8CYud9pA5fiqvFPXD4grSerC3hAAbGtQf3-2dqhydpCiRbNDYM6l0LR1V-EVon7wyvr8jaKqf_r3DRvD1rzhRfnPlXv7nzjiP5hheJU3vvLaYKkOwL6fLw60Um5OPWqpSjOJCIPQaN9ooY" width="212" /></a></div><br />Meet the Author:</b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Lisa Amstutz joined Storm Literary Agency in 2021 after sixteen years as a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of more than 150 children’s books for the trade and educational markets and a member of the Nonfiction Ninjas. See <a href="http://www.lisaamstutz.com/">www.LisaAmstutz.com</a> for more info. <br /></span><br /> <span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-4890794640068660902024-02-23T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-23T00:30:00.135-05:00POETRY AND NONFICTION: HOW DOES THAT WORK? <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn8JOo9frE2g9N6Z3jNxtRiW1K69yZUT-cXD7y-HUOpM6GoPzN2rybeAb6RDhCHBkdu6fKdxzzZUQLO788UWTxZpgfB4eF1wJvPVqlLs043Hn80CyYxeuSzS105VFUg_xRrcZ5Hklvr0hxapVnQ6J7cdGVmVrFgwrqwzajqsU745hQ_25fX8b02YaQlxM">Lindsay H. Metcalf</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So you want to write a poetic and/or rhyming nonfiction
book. How do you balance a factual, compelling story, with lyricism and/or
poetry? It can be done!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes it feels like throwing all the poetic devices in a
pot, stirring it up, letting it simmer, not knowing what kind of soup it will
make. That’s the beauty of poetry—you can change the recipe AFTER your soup is
made.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">But there are a few techniques to make the process a bit
easier: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. <b>Let the story
drive the writing. </b>Research is paramount. Do your basic reading, watching, and
listening first.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87RQN-B3SF0n4lzZhflivf35d_RS_w_8lgOwubudzuY_TubiwUsexeYQsUtqbGZWOmkFd77lyZFDh7lgT24JovTrHETYvtpg4byzdSMChRhTUKN49lloOqYGsfd3AWuOXwpeP8tJ2spa_lgz4hpABwhGKmZxZXGkCXeRw9Mt927RMdJRe8LWpDpydDcI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="544" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87RQN-B3SF0n4lzZhflivf35d_RS_w_8lgOwubudzuY_TubiwUsexeYQsUtqbGZWOmkFd77lyZFDh7lgT24JovTrHETYvtpg4byzdSMChRhTUKN49lloOqYGsfd3AWuOXwpeP8tJ2spa_lgz4hpABwhGKmZxZXGkCXeRw9Mt927RMdJRe8LWpDpydDcI" width="310" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">For my upcoming picture book, OUTDOOR FARM, INDOOR FARM,
illustrated by Xin Li (Astra Young Readers, April 2024), I started with a few
ingredients for my soup but didn’t know how to combine them for a delicious
meal. I had my inspiration—huge, indoor vertical farms like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME_rprRlmMM">this one</a>. The idea of
converting a sunless warehouse into a plant factory differed greatly from my
experience growing up on a traditional wheat, corn, soybean, and milo farm in
Kansas. I wanted to compare the two types of farms. I decided that I would
challenge myself and do it in sparse, rhyming verse. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here’s the opening from my first draft:</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial;">Old farm,</i></div>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>field and sky.</i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>New farm,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>trays stack high.</i></div></i></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not terrible. But I realized that comparing “old” and “new”
would pit them against each other. When really, both kinds of agriculture are
based on foundations of innovation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Changing “old” to “outdoor” and “new” to “indoor” helped
me set the frame and guide my research. This was about similarities <i>and</i> differences. Here’s the final
version of that stanza, which is no longer the book’s opening:</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Outdoor farm,</i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><div style="text-align: center;">field meets sky.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Indoor farm,</div><div style="text-align: center;">trays stack high.</div></i></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">From there, I had to do a lot more research before I could
come up with a solid draft.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I saw myself writing an expository compare-contrast book in
verse. I wanted young picture book readers to understand how much science and
innovation goes into food production, and why. I wanted all the facts to be
correct, so I attended conferences with hydro- and aeroponic growers online,
connected with experts, and asked questions to fill in the gaps of my
understanding.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="975" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhyCEK77w_kDRNbcs-fQdsT3_yjyC1XjrkiQzVHLwpjkl686MT46NON8LT9BIYMSlz4I0Lpz1729afFkNN1nPgCe9D8a1kIQiO-rdigUe4R-r3YgVqgT-NzFzb4knfcaQ8aiNJiT3NrO3jxs6LhSTBUd1qq0pXNqFltkqV6eU4GyiHA4N6YgVQmKJQkbA=w640-h246" width="640" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Beyond a frame for the verse, I needed a scaffold on which
to hang the story. I needed a clear opening and satisfying closing. One of the
main differences between outdoor farms and indoor is growing seasons: Outdoors,
especially in colder climates, growing fields lay dormant for part of the year.
Not so with hydroponic and aeroponic farms. If I organized the text around
seasons, I could show the progression of growth outdoors while also contrasting
it with what happens indoors. I could talk about planting, growing, harvesting,
and enjoying the fruits of that harvest. I had my recipe!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. Make a dummy. </b>Now
that I knew the structure and the facts, I could start to puzzle out how the
individual page spreads would look. Where’s the poetry, you ask? Nowhere—yet!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Writing nonfiction poetry—especially rhyming verse—can be
painstaking. First creating a dummy, or outline, will save you a lot of
headaches as you revise and keep the focus on your subject rather than the
wordplay.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I say dummy, I’m not talking about making sketches,
although you can. I’m talking about envisioning how the story will unfold. Try <a href="https://taralazar.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/">Tara
Lazar’s method of pagination</a>, and lay out the scenes to make sure your book
will be well-paced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_dM5qmU3CPzVlSjf7mT9HWwCkUTtkI699zpjYO9Zr9awxPGYolFf4VZJeqkCb4BpMUB08gfqGObKhFELCNaYwc6_mxhFaDtctwH4L2UVL7XxsUxKU2Bv9VFMIuXbpj9fMbycyuto_g1nH_WPxhklhxDIelHnVViuMM0TT__uR90_O_huYXNQAa-ZQT-8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="975" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_dM5qmU3CPzVlSjf7mT9HWwCkUTtkI699zpjYO9Zr9awxPGYolFf4VZJeqkCb4BpMUB08gfqGObKhFELCNaYwc6_mxhFaDtctwH4L2UVL7XxsUxKU2Bv9VFMIuXbpj9fMbycyuto_g1nH_WPxhklhxDIelHnVViuMM0TT__uR90_O_huYXNQAa-ZQT-8=w640-h248" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Practically speaking, I created digital notecards for each
page spread in <a href="https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview">Scrivener</a>,
a program that allows you to move chunks of text around easily and visualize
the work as a whole. I jotted down as many compare/contrast ideas as possible,
and dropped in some of my research and sources. I reordered the concepts by
season. Then it was time to make them rhyme.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3. <b>Write. (Finally!)</b>
This, my friends, is the agonizing part. My final manuscript for OUTDOOR FARM,
INDOOR FARM clocks in at 162 words, but my “overflow” file with draft stanzas
is 1,800 words long. Once I sold my book, it took me almost a year of revising
with my editor before the manuscript moved on to copyediting. Sometimes I spent
days puzzling out a single stanza—like this one:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQNxJrTWX99Y-FbDKcxyBK0lYCoudU015cGEBi1z9A1v2PtWSO1Qj9ZJYvPURmDAygc9KZfdzfYCGdP6SxWKR7eaquG-S6XRRBlmYYiEXEeaNJwDv1zEo7W-7c_l1AD_0Jx5F9Z3LlWUjvJ4XL9TbqUEeyL-3YiLrkuP_WKYIid8vnhzpr8PZDcVRIWAE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="975" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQNxJrTWX99Y-FbDKcxyBK0lYCoudU015cGEBi1z9A1v2PtWSO1Qj9ZJYvPURmDAygc9KZfdzfYCGdP6SxWKR7eaquG-S6XRRBlmYYiEXEeaNJwDv1zEo7W-7c_l1AD_0Jx5F9Z3LlWUjvJ4XL9TbqUEeyL-3YiLrkuP_WKYIid8vnhzpr8PZDcVRIWAE=w640-h248" width="640" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rhyme is tricky! But if you know what you want to say, you
can look for similes and words that rhyme within a small family of words and concepts.
If you haven’t planned what you want to say, the manuscript can careen off the
tracks pretty quickly.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some tips for writing rhyme:</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 63pt; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Beware of forced rhyme. If the writing doesn’t
read as you would naturally speak, it’s bad rhyme.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Rhyme and stressed beats must be perfect to be
publishable. (Here’s my plug for <a href="https://www.reneelatulippe.com/lyrical-language-lab/">Renee LaTulippe’s excellent
Lyrical Language Lab course</a>, where you’ll learn all things rhyme and meter.)
</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.rhymezone.com/">Rhymezone</a>
is your best friend. You can search for synonyms, filter by the number of
syllables, stressed beats, parts of speech, and even the starting letter. An
“advanced rhyme” filter allows you to see only perfect rhymes.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4. Be honest: Is it
fiction or nonfiction? </b>Rhyme and poetry can absolutely be nonfiction. But
be honest with your readers if you stray from the facts. In poetry and verse,
nonfiction still means <i>not-fiction</i>.
Any shred of made-up information means your book pushes it into informational
fiction territory. Attributing unverified emotions or actions to a character,
writing about someone other than yourself in first person, making up quotes…
that’s fiction, even in poetry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is this OK? Yes, if the story calls for it! I wrote OUTDOOR
FARM, INDOOR FARM as nonfiction, but when illustrator Xin Li brought her vision
to the book, she created two characters who live on separate farms and have a
pen-pal relationship. And you know what? Now I can’t imagine our book any other
way. The point is, feel free to write the story that needs to be written. Just
be honest and upfront with your readers about what is fact and what is fiction.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aAPWFO6QkiY" width="320" youtube-src-id="aAPWFO6QkiY"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rhyme and poetry can feel intimidating, but once all the
ingredients come together, they blend for the heartiest, most delicious
stew—the kind your readers will want to taste again and again.</span></p>
<br /><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>About the Author: </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1cPNMeo_IBzldI1Om3_exfZJip58bqh5vnPZDFqAPc31a8LmMJ9IsogrSdw_o5NvFddLOnpLzFO4-zSwCcOz4WhyphenhyphenpKmTZMg8QcLr4mLUeKafWvLYnR0PZ3WcNezOySEdBax-nFAT9V0UidEo6Ui-eUfcpFBuPmptOUAzphCi0rNf-f79ffpO-uLBTCE/s809/Lindsay%20Metcalf%202022%20for%20web.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF1cPNMeo_IBzldI1Om3_exfZJip58bqh5vnPZDFqAPc31a8LmMJ9IsogrSdw_o5NvFddLOnpLzFO4-zSwCcOz4WhyphenhyphenpKmTZMg8QcLr4mLUeKafWvLYnR0PZ3WcNezOySEdBax-nFAT9V0UidEo6Ui-eUfcpFBuPmptOUAzphCi0rNf-f79ffpO-uLBTCE/s320/Lindsay%20Metcalf%202022%20for%20web.jpeg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn8JOo9frE2g9N6Z3jNxtRiW1K69yZUT-cXD7y-HUOpM6GoPzN2rybeAb6RDhCHBkdu6fKdxzzZUQLO788UWTxZpgfB4eF1wJvPVqlLs043Hn80CyYxeuSzS105VFUg_xRrcZ5Hklvr0hxapVnQ6J7cdGVmVrFgwrqwzajqsU745hQ_25fX8b02YaQlxM" style="font-family: arial;">Lindsay H. Metcalf</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> is a former journalist who writes nonfiction nd poetry for children. Her books include BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, a Mighty Girl Best Book of 2020 and Young People’s Literature Award winner from the Friends of American Writers Chicago; FARMERS UNITE! PLANTING A PROTEST FOR FAIR PRICES, a Kansas Notable Book, Friends of American Writers honoree, NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and Junior Library Guild selection; and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY, a Kirkus and Chicago Public Library Best Book, Notable Social Studies Trade Book, and NCTE Notable Poetry Book. Her latest title, NO WORLD TOO BIG: YOUNG PEOPLE FIGHTING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, is a poetry anthology from the team behind No Voice Too Small (Charlesbridge, 2023). Forthcoming in April 2024 is OUTDOOR FARM, INDOOR FARM, a Junior Library Guild selection illustrated by Xin Li (Astra Young Readers). Lindsay lives in north-central Kansas with her husband, two sons, and a menagerie of pets. Learn more at </span><a href="https://lindsayhmetcalf.com/" style="font-family: arial;">lindsayhmetcalf.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and @lindsayhmetcalf on </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lindsayhmetcalf/" style="font-family: arial;">Instagram</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/lindsayhmetcalf" style="font-family: arial;">X</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, </span><a href="https://www.threads.net/@lindsayhmetcalf" style="font-family: arial;">Threads</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and </span><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/lindsayhmetcalf.bsky.social" style="font-family: arial;">Bluesky</a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-260823446529015872024-02-22T00:30:00.002-05:002024-02-22T01:16:52.295-05:00RECYCLE YOUR RESEARCH <p style="text-align: left;">By <a href="http://www.bonnigoldberg.com">Bonni Goldberg</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve read (so long
ago that I can’t remember who wrote it) that applies to non-fiction kidlit
writers is don’t squander your research on just one project.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">It resonates with me as part of a family that makes it a
mission to use every part of a Thanksgiving turkey (turkey sandwiches; soup
from the bones, cartilage, and marrow; giblets incorporated into the gravy; the
skimmed fat to roast potatoes; and crackling).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">We all know that writing a nonfiction picture book takes a
great deal of research. Imagine a word count or page count comparison between
the research notes and a finished picture book. Most readers would be shocked.
Whereas we non-fiction writers would simply nod.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">For some of us, research is the best part of the writing
process. Others of us set timers for our research sessions to avoid rabbit
holes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Either way, research takes a lot of time. Your time is
valuable. So is your research. And not just for your current book project.
Besides, why would you keep the cool, unused information you found to yourself?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Before bundling your notes away in a drawer or the cloud,
consider publishing some of it in a different format. Here are ten options.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b>Writing Formats</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcoVLNkPVUoXyRYKimelTA9zpaGLF3Ay4s4rzO97KDOGkr5LXRD_USD4odCbbe2sUJNg_Mo7Hk8uuIufRaNkh4N_ATRGibPoq-m-rTmyclvhSYIPtW9u0Z_ctKbu1xeoQXUg-R4dnEoyegIgvR-AHYlCkVQn2seP4TXj1KTmHxOOBHBEcxJyhlNv0LJ8/s500/GraciaCover%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="422" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcoVLNkPVUoXyRYKimelTA9zpaGLF3Ay4s4rzO97KDOGkr5LXRD_USD4odCbbe2sUJNg_Mo7Hk8uuIufRaNkh4N_ATRGibPoq-m-rTmyclvhSYIPtW9u0Z_ctKbu1xeoQXUg-R4dnEoyegIgvR-AHYlCkVQn2seP4TXj1KTmHxOOBHBEcxJyhlNv0LJ8/s320/GraciaCover%20(1).jpg" width="270" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">1. Activity Sheets<br />
Create activity sheets related to your book that further enrich, entertain, or
educate a young reader’s experience and make them available on your website. As
an example, DONA GRACIA SAVED WORLDS includes the fact that Gracia and her
family spoke Ladino. I made an activity sheet introducing young readers to a
few Ladino phrases. The activity is also valuable for Jewish educators.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">2. Articles<br />
Use your research to write an article for a children’s magazine. Write about an
aspect of the topic of your book that you had to leave out or an additional
aspect of something in your book that children would also find fascinating.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">3. Poetry<br />
Write a poem to submit to a children’s magazine. Let the poem speak to a theme,
lesson, or take away from your book. Or write a poem about something you
followed down a research rabbit hole.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">4. Another Book<br />
Write a book for a different audience that incorporates an aspect of your topic
or includes the same topic and focuses on a different theme. I’m working on a
middle grade historical fiction that includes Gracia. In the novel, she isn’t
the main character. Also, the novel’s themes differ from the picture book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">5. Blog Posts<br />
Did you have an unusual experience while pursuing your research? Write a post
about it on your own blog or as a guest blogger on a site related to the topic.
I know a writer whose research included discovering some lesser-known
historical sites in Ireland. He wrote about them for a travel blog.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">6. Activity Book<br />
Compile a group of similar activities, or a mix of different ones, centered on
an aspect of your topic: recipes, jokes, experiments, action steps for social
change, etc. A funny camel appears in an information fiction project of mine.
I’ve collected a lot of camel themed jokes and puns that may find their way
into a camel themed activity book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b>Alternative Formats</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Don’t forget formats other than writing.<br />
<br />
7. Podcast<br />
Did you interview some interesting people? If you have their permission, create
a short podcast interview series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">8. Thematic Calendar<br />
Each month of your calendar could highlight a seasonal habit of the animal you
wrote about. Depending on the topic of your book, you could feature monthly
recipes, environmental actions, etc.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">9. A Poster<br />
This is the best medium to emphasize a statement or to help young readers
remember steps, an affirmation, or important facts. A theme from Doña GRACIA
SAVED WORLDS that could make an engaging poster is, every person is like a
whole world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">10. A Card Deck<br />
There is no set number of cards in a deck. A card deck would be fun for a book
like Tara Lazar’s ABSURD WORDS. In round one each player could pick one word
from the deck to use in a sentence and in subsequent rounds two words, three
words, and so on until only one player is successful.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">Your turn: Pick one format above. Give yourself an hour to
develop it using research from your last or latest research.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">These are just some ways you can further utilize your
research. Please share creative ways you’ve done it or other options you’ve
considered.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1XNVFdp29cbUb1Ai212lGFnip6ibSLPJKX_Pch4kJ4BVtgvBr8T2LYjdjnHQxg02f5GMil68nNOvDPoykE9Smks5rLNz6zKJGxKm4PSjc4SU-D4vtZqeqZTuWlENvoPB7ivmjlIgmcn0Mho0q4xWGBNmq5wAItwZvjLVxzDCkntA__BppHISkjjuuok/s4928/EditedBonni%205%20v3%201200kb.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1XNVFdp29cbUb1Ai212lGFnip6ibSLPJKX_Pch4kJ4BVtgvBr8T2LYjdjnHQxg02f5GMil68nNOvDPoykE9Smks5rLNz6zKJGxKm4PSjc4SU-D4vtZqeqZTuWlENvoPB7ivmjlIgmcn0Mho0q4xWGBNmq5wAItwZvjLVxzDCkntA__BppHISkjjuuok/s320/EditedBonni%205%20v3%201200kb.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">About The Author</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Bonni Goldberg is author of the children’s picture book, </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Gracia-Saved-Worlds-Bonni-Goldberg/dp/1728466997/&source=gmail&ust=1705504627948000&usg=AOvVaw1Cm4UfS8y0AKIPr5C3hUyS" href="https://www.amazon.com/Gracia-Saved-Worlds-Bonni-Goldberg/dp/1728466997/" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Doña Gracia Saved Worlds</span></i></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">, illustrated by Alida Massari. Bonni is an award-winning poet and writer and the author of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P1ZVVS3/&source=gmail&ust=1705504627948000&usg=AOvVaw1-2uLsz0R3ywCy1o_hO6Hr" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P1ZVVS3/" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">The Write Balance: How to Embrace Percolation, Revision & Going Public</span></i></a><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P1ZVVS3/&source=gmail&ust=1705504627948000&usg=AOvVaw1-2uLsz0R3ywCy1o_hO6Hr" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09P1ZVVS3/" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">,</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"> the companion book to the best-seller </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://books2read.com/u/bP9QWj&source=gmail&ust=1705504627948000&usg=AOvVaw1oV5JutO918Sjww0rhQHW3" href="https://books2read.com/u/bP9QWj" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">Room to Write: Daily Invitations to a Writer’s Life</span></i></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">. You can find more about her at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.bonnigoldberg.com&source=gmail&ust=1705504627948000&usg=AOvVaw1sZg23WGCXxeIvzYPCgD-d" href="http://www.bonnigoldberg.com/" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">www.bonnigoldberg.com</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"> and check out all the Gracia related activities. </span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div class="adm" style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div class="ajR h4" id="q_16" style="background-color: #e8eaed; border-radius: 5.5px; border: medium; clear: both; color: #500050; cursor: pointer; font-size: 11px; line-height: 6px; outline: none; position: relative; width: 24px;"></div></div></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-48333040397452632132024-02-21T00:30:00.023-05:002024-02-21T00:30:00.126-05:00FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY: HOW I SURPRISED MYSELF AND BECAME A NONFICTION WRITER<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: center;">By <a href="http://www.thisismarciecolleen.com">Marcie Colleen</a></span></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve never considered myself a nonfiction writer. In fact,
major imposter syndrome has plagued me while sitting down to write this post.
But while I don’t consider myself worthy of blogging for Nonfiction Fest, the
truth is, I am a writer who has always followed her curiosity. And in 2016 my
curiosity led me away from writing funny, pun-filled stories to write a
narrative nonfiction picture book about the 9/11 Survivor Tree.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Never in a million years did I think I would write a story
centered on the events of September 11<sup>th</sup>. For one, it was too
emotionally charged for me. And two…nonfiction was totally out of my comfort
zone. But when I first heard the story of the tree, I knew right away it needed
to be a picture book. <i>Someone </i>needed to write it. And truthfully, I
hoped that someone wasn’t me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I had never written a narrative nonfiction before, and I had
many doubts—mainly about my skills and ability. Did I have the poetic chops I
felt it needed to be told? Was it my story to tell? What right did I have?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">For the better part of a year, I held onto this story. Every
so often it would pop into my mind, and I would quickly squash it. There was no
way I could write it. I simply didn’t know how.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQXf4BOXLhAmGBOcSPOpM0W2Yydbw8nH00zPq-AA-euICy9Z12n3dVNYPEYMzXbpj33EozQPqB68h0AFKUXW0ZneKyez7XMTF02fB5Q0smMALSc7o-oaG3V9ec53-3gJMSlHVmq5hRhhQ-25uldTx-zRU_hBEWm3qtOzYURKXeV54Dey6y9lo3Cv1h3c/s3264/Us%20and%20the%20Survivor%20Tree.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1836" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQXf4BOXLhAmGBOcSPOpM0W2Yydbw8nH00zPq-AA-euICy9Z12n3dVNYPEYMzXbpj33EozQPqB68h0AFKUXW0ZneKyez7XMTF02fB5Q0smMALSc7o-oaG3V9ec53-3gJMSlHVmq5hRhhQ-25uldTx-zRU_hBEWm3qtOzYURKXeV54Dey6y9lo3Cv1h3c/w157-h279/Us%20and%20the%20Survivor%20Tree.jpg" width="157" /></a></span>One day, shortly after I had moved from New York City to San
Diego, I was having lunch in Balboa Park with a writing friend who was in from
out of town. While catching up, the conversation inevitably turned to “What are
you working on?” I shared some of what I had been mulling about in various
stages. And then I found myself sharing the story of the 9/11 Survivor Tree. I
could feel myself getting more and more passionate as I went along telling her
about how this Callery pear tree was the last living thing to be pulled from
the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. How it was taken to the Bronx
for rehabilitation. About how workers laid cinder blocks at the base of the
tree in memoriam of the home the tree once knew. How the Tree didn’t grow or
bloom until a dove nested in it and then it thrived. And how it was replanted
at the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan in time for the 10<sup>th</sup>
anniversary. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">When I finished my friend paused, tears in her eyes, and
said, “You need to write that story.” I think there was a part of me that
agreed but the doubts flooded back in. However, my friend wouldn’t listen to
excuses.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">After we finished our lunch, we exited the café. We paused
to talk for another moment and that’s when I looked to the left of me and
standing proudly was a Callery pear tree. The same kind as the Survivor Tree. I
couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t noticed one here. Only in New York City where
they often lined the sidewalks. My friend insisted it was a sign. And a part of
me wondered, was it? But I shrugged it off and we walked on.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnroeUA7jiqaD6N_jB67MyaAK6_HzKomLUs3UwQalfXKfxI7PiKqPmHi31SLzPpt_xorkIL_udPNV4YIcyLmF8swq34I7a6IK6BGg6wXD6Xol3oRGdecHTLEwKdSVDcLdxJ5tr4ZFzpbuUWGxmtuJCdllzZ_0pbxaTYQoxKJZXfqkzFjaKqjcI5Y13rP4/s682/Cover%20image%20ST.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="484" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnroeUA7jiqaD6N_jB67MyaAK6_HzKomLUs3UwQalfXKfxI7PiKqPmHi31SLzPpt_xorkIL_udPNV4YIcyLmF8swq34I7a6IK6BGg6wXD6Xol3oRGdecHTLEwKdSVDcLdxJ5tr4ZFzpbuUWGxmtuJCdllzZ_0pbxaTYQoxKJZXfqkzFjaKqjcI5Y13rP4/w188-h266/Cover%20image%20ST.png" width="188" /></a></span>Later that night I was once again in Balboa Park on a
nighttime stroll with my husband. We were recapping our day for each other, and
I told him about the conversation with my friend and how she was insistent that
I tell the story of the 9/11 Survivor Tree. Just as I ended my recap, we turned
to head back home and that’s when I saw them. Lining the pathway for as far as
the eye could see—Callery pear trees in full bloom, their white blossoms
shimmering in the moonlight! Why hadn’t I seen them before? Had they waited
until now to reveal themselves? Was the tree choosing me?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">This time I took it as a definite sign.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">From that moment on, I dedicated myself to researching and
drafting a lyrical narrative nonfiction telling of the story of the 9/11
Survivor Tree. I looked for support and
resources where I could, taking classes on poetry and webinars on nonfiction
writing. And through the process I cried a lot.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In 2021, in time
for the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of 9/11, SURVIVOR TREE, illustrated
by Caldecott Honor winning Aaron Becker was published by Little, Brown. It’s a
book I am super proud of. And while I still don’t consider myself a nonfiction
writer, I am sure glad I followed my curiosity along that tree-lined
path. I hope this post encourages you to do the same.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRtRQZnKyYyzkwP0IBY24B3pb1vPsSXbWu84eRyuJvEr5c0-rSlGJ4qVDJjdNXAtKV7BNHjch2tNq9lscwY9kesE6r_3BPwyqn0zlJ58WcW0v2OJ7CdwwgSNj6N2X_2wsYUJUjYyT7qNYSuop8Ni-phTyYZ01UZ8dnFyLZoEL6iGRuRvoC1SdHpx_ZsU/s3600/final.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2403" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRtRQZnKyYyzkwP0IBY24B3pb1vPsSXbWu84eRyuJvEr5c0-rSlGJ4qVDJjdNXAtKV7BNHjch2tNq9lscwY9kesE6r_3BPwyqn0zlJ58WcW0v2OJ7CdwwgSNj6N2X_2wsYUJUjYyT7qNYSuop8Ni-phTyYZ01UZ8dnFyLZoEL6iGRuRvoC1SdHpx_ZsU/w167-h249/final.jpg" width="167" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><b>About the Author:</b> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span>Marcie
Colleen is a multi-published author of picture books, chapter books, and
comics. Her picture book, SURVIVOR TREE, illustrated by Aaron Becker,
was her first foray into non-fiction and garnered many accolades, including <span style="background: white;">starred reviews
from Publisher’s Weekly, the Horn Book, Booklist, and Kirkus. Additionally, SURVIVOR TREE was named a 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Book from the National
Council for Social Studies, a 2022 Children’s Choice book from the Cooperative
Children’s Book Center, a Bank Street College Best Book of 2022, a 2021 Best
Nonfiction Picture Book by the Nerdy Book Club, and a prestigious ALA 2022
Notable Book. Visit </span></span><a href="about:blank"><span style="background: white; color: black;">www.thisismarciecolleen.com</span></a><span style="background: white;"> to learn more.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-72477208903253456012024-02-20T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-20T23:03:54.556-05:00BEYOND THE STOCK PHOTO: Tracking Down and Getting Permission for a Photo of a Rare Animal<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%;">By <a href="https://www.abicushman.com/" target="_blank">Abi Cushman</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYU-ov8cA-9tfzIzuJJNcZAP4Go1aKn3MVR2wzS55yGPl69J0lIMfc44lww8izgTi6ee8x6j_40f5775WusKgHCBRSzn8Ucg7TMFxO9DVaJI9AjSMx1RuUQTOw_FYqD8eeeHSd9vwzAhK1mdCmnOqyVHaJzx3j8BbOADiL3TmxN98hHLovinRy13jqqM/s273/Picture1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="246" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYU-ov8cA-9tfzIzuJJNcZAP4Go1aKn3MVR2wzS55yGPl69J0lIMfc44lww8izgTi6ee8x6j_40f5775WusKgHCBRSzn8Ucg7TMFxO9DVaJI9AjSMx1RuUQTOw_FYqD8eeeHSd9vwzAhK1mdCmnOqyVHaJzx3j8BbOADiL3TmxN98hHLovinRy13jqqM/s1600/Picture1.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">My book, WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD: A [Not So] Serious Guide, is a funny,
illustrated guide to the wonderfully weird marsupial known as the wombat. But
although most of the book is illustrated, I wanted to show photos of actual
wombats in the back matter so kids could see the real thing.</div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">“No problem!” I thought confidently. I’d
worked as a web designer for over fifteen years, so I was used to searching for
images in the public domain or purchasing stock photos for use on my websites. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I just needed one photo of each of the three
wombat species. Easy peasy, right?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stock
Photo Websites</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Right off the bat, I found many fantastic
stock photos of the bare-nosed wombat and the southern hairy-nosed wombat on
<a href="http://iStockPhoto.com">iStockPhoto.com</a>. And they were affordable as well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNXo7xRYZ3z3pqVRGiwkVVyt1YiGuRAX6PIxWFKflonGDrRY7sMCZYNM9PcyYyKAJETypM5pmDWBWkTpwbTupQ0VaUJ9CZHBMEmIC22tbB3uZFQv4yqis2pPyFiLlgCGR8oLi26icf9_OMOJlGzcWoZLXdx1cH1Wsz7dlrVqueuGUivnMxVjyuJsSIpU/s306/Picture2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="306" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNXo7xRYZ3z3pqVRGiwkVVyt1YiGuRAX6PIxWFKflonGDrRY7sMCZYNM9PcyYyKAJETypM5pmDWBWkTpwbTupQ0VaUJ9CZHBMEmIC22tbB3uZFQv4yqis2pPyFiLlgCGR8oLi26icf9_OMOJlGzcWoZLXdx1cH1Wsz7dlrVqueuGUivnMxVjyuJsSIpU/s1600/Picture2.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXneqFuR_M9IA4CmwktYyW0HkrmG5ISgELOKDFp3uONbx_P9dPVpo35sD12hfDaaUYh0FXYS1C88X4FyT2pNwaZU9fzDAfTBs5gitJIX-6cw1_bTnJRgmqNx9aLYq9EHIyGvtSOF1IH8nZRuksAFrojIZltduhY0ZMwSuGMxRP_cDqEf6eJ0Ik1HXpzZQ/s307/Picture3.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="307" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXneqFuR_M9IA4CmwktYyW0HkrmG5ISgELOKDFp3uONbx_P9dPVpo35sD12hfDaaUYh0FXYS1C88X4FyT2pNwaZU9fzDAfTBs5gitJIX-6cw1_bTnJRgmqNx9aLYq9EHIyGvtSOF1IH8nZRuksAFrojIZltduhY0ZMwSuGMxRP_cDqEf6eJ0Ik1HXpzZQ/s1600/Picture3.jpg" width="307" /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bare-nosed wombat Southern
hairy-nosed wombat</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then I did a search for photos of the northern
hairy-nosed wombat, and this is where it got tricky. Northern hairy-nosed
wombats are critically endangered with only 300 alive today. This species of
wombat does not do well in captivity, so there are no northern hairy-nosed
wombats at any zoos. They only live in two protected areas in Queensland,
Australia. Only government officials and a handful of volunteers are allowed
into those areas.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is a video of the elusive northern
hairy-nosed wombat:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CszzMHDlZkU&t=37s"><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CszzMHDlZkU&t=37s</span></a></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Northern hairy-nosed wombats look similar to
southern hairy-nosed wombats, but there are slight differences, such as the
shape and breadth of their snouts, their coloring, their size, and the length
of their ears. After studying lots of images and videos of both hairy-nosed
species, I started becoming adept at picking out the differences. So when I
searched <a href="http://iStockPhoto.com">iStockPhoto </a>for northern hairy-nosed wombats, I could see the results
actually showed southern hairy-nosed wombats.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My next step was to try more expensive stock
photo sites like Getty Images or Alamy. And lo and behold, success! Sort of.
Both of these sites did have photos of the northern hairy-nosed wombat, but two
of the images showed the wombat in a cage, and there was no way to crop it
creatively so you couldn’t see the metal bars around it. Out of context, these
images really didn’t fit in with the photos I had of the other wombat species,
which showed them in a more natural setting, definitely not caged.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">There was one photo where the wombat was not
in a cage, but the image was kind of dark. I decided to save it as a last
resort and keep searching for a better photo.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Public
Domain Photos</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">My next step was to look for images in the
public domain. Sometimes photos that government officials take are released
into the public domain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I looked on the northern hairy-nosed wombat
page on Wikipedia, which often displays public domain images, and I found this:</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMGRV5OBOaVCcvzIptuajI1LuIVvBjL3DQlIgqXDipWKIvc0XyWU__UZgun74evQgsG0pX-bPoqjr8sglMyyrEMlUPwKOS5K6YcOaTDgU3yJTHfO05UflnBRi9ef7JmPs4j44_s3W-49AhEYEW8JlAqVXYKgRYkOCT_aXS8eXUni1yGxel9uUa5DotXw/s420/Picture4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="420" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMGRV5OBOaVCcvzIptuajI1LuIVvBjL3DQlIgqXDipWKIvc0XyWU__UZgun74evQgsG0pX-bPoqjr8sglMyyrEMlUPwKOS5K6YcOaTDgU3yJTHfO05UflnBRi9ef7JmPs4j44_s3W-49AhEYEW8JlAqVXYKgRYkOCT_aXS8eXUni1yGxel9uUa5DotXw/s320/Picture4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span lang="EN">By Eva Hejda http://fotos.naturspot.de/, CC BY-SA 2.0 de,
</span></i><span lang="EN"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=262609"><i><span style="color: #1155cc;">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=262609</span></i></a><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">That looked like a southern hairy-nosed wombat
to me, despite it being labeled otherwise. And there was no further
information, like where the photo was taken, so I did not want to use it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, I looked at the Queensland Government’s
website, and to my delight, they had lots of very adorable photos of northern
hairy-nosed wombats.Yay! Now to get permission!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I used their contact form and attempted to
select the correct department. I mentioned that I’d written a book about
wombats being published by HarperCollins (yes, I name dropped) and asked if I
could use one photo for the back matter of the book. And then I sat back and
waited for their response.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And waited. And waited.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">After a few weeks of waiting, I decided to try
a different tack.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Contact
Photographers</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I emailed a few photographers of northern
hairy-nosed wombat images that I found on Google image search. In my emails, I
name dropped my publisher again, and mentioned I’d be willing to pay them a fee
for use of one of their photos.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And then I waited. And waited.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Get on
the Phone</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, I got tired of waiting, so I decided to
call the Queensland Government. After being passed from department to
department, and becoming increasingly aware of my American accent as I repeated
my query each time to a new person, I was told that someone would get in touch
with me via email.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And then, I got an email! But it wasn’t from
the Queensland Government, it was from one of the photographers I had emailed,
and he was willing to work with me! He had been a volunteer at Epping Forest
National Park and had captured many beautiful photos of northern hairy-nosed
wombats. After negotiating a fee, I was able to choose one from his collection.
Success!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And then, wouldn’t you know, an official from
the Queensland Government got back to me a few days later with an image. They
asked that I credit the Queensland Government Department of Environment and
Science, as well as the photographer. And guess who the photographer was? Yes,
the same one I’d been in contact with.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So did I get double permission to use the
photo? Yes. Could I have perhaps not had to pay the photographer a fee if I had
been more patient? Yes. But did I mind? No, because I think the photographer
deserved to be compensated for his work, and in our correspondence, he shared
some great stories about the wombats living at the park.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">And as a result of my extra effort in tracking
down and getting permission to use the photo, I’m thrilled with the back matter
of WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD. All the photos look great, and I have peace of
mind knowing that they accurately depict each species.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaqgnZj8JwqRQs8AMWAvOcB_U-SEWIro8K0eIWZ3NS7LFovsdifMp6iu05xUbckYflm-TrysRgVUb6oObqU_6APTcl_M3G6ljW69Rv5qTCLnBRjhS0JnBYKF8_bH2MIOUjUIQ7y2s_EB-AdiG9ExgiuFF3ktGgTR6Nr2E1Set3_Qi3EufT911zqkgozA/s378/Picture5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="378" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaqgnZj8JwqRQs8AMWAvOcB_U-SEWIro8K0eIWZ3NS7LFovsdifMp6iu05xUbckYflm-TrysRgVUb6oObqU_6APTcl_M3G6ljW69Rv5qTCLnBRjhS0JnBYKF8_bH2MIOUjUIQ7y2s_EB-AdiG9ExgiuFF3ktGgTR6Nr2E1Set3_Qi3EufT911zqkgozA/s320/Picture5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"><br clear="all" style="break-before: page; mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0A4DQRuivjX8PFYXfZyoN0aKQRwKF59ifpTMyMXv2kIv7WL2dd_3M36X2lMElEzrQZI3QFpOtlsj_JqFazqD8Zbi_wfN81Y2nHIcDALMHjMv-49t0AHpC7HjYWWFIAcmZo76POyxlGkSDfg09OcmWz1WwNYHa3QNeTgTJ_h2D_Y2i6Emgn7S-1CPuNM/s1039/Picture6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="875" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-0A4DQRuivjX8PFYXfZyoN0aKQRwKF59ifpTMyMXv2kIv7WL2dd_3M36X2lMElEzrQZI3QFpOtlsj_JqFazqD8Zbi_wfN81Y2nHIcDALMHjMv-49t0AHpC7HjYWWFIAcmZo76POyxlGkSDfg09OcmWz1WwNYHa3QNeTgTJ_h2D_Y2i6Emgn7S-1CPuNM/w227-h270/Picture6.jpg" width="227" /></a></b><b style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"> </span></b><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>About the Author: </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of
SOAKED!, ANIMALS GO VROOM! and WOMBATS ARE PRETTY WEIRD. Her upcoming books
include THE QUIET FOREST, written by Charlotte Offsay, and FLAMINGOS ARE PRETTY
FUNKY, the second book in the “[Not So] Serious Guide” series. When she’s not
making books, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at
the same time.) She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her family.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">To learn more about Abi and her books, visit
her website at </span><a href="https://www.abicushman.com/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">AbiCushman.com</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">.
If you like secrets, exclusive sneak peeks, wombats, and special giveaways, </span><a href="https://abicushman.com/join-my-email-list/" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #1155cc;">subscribe
to her newsletter</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;">. </span></p></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-8166058435737826742024-02-19T00:30:00.002-05:002024-02-19T00:30:00.138-05:00MARRYING STEM AND SEL TO CREATE BOOKS THAT SOAR<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://www.marianayagam.com/">Maria Marianayagam</a><br /><br /><span style="text-align: left;">STEM and SEL are often designated as two separate categories when authors
consider what type of book they want to write. (For those who aren’t familiar,
STEM refers to “science, technology, engineering, and math,” and SEL is short
for “social-emotional learning.”) When we think of SEL books, we may think of
titles like Lisa Katzenberger’s EVERYTHING WILL BE OK</span><i style="text-align: left;"> </i><span style="text-align: left;">and Cori
Doerrfeld’s THE RABBIT LISTENED</span><i style="text-align: left;">. </i><span style="text-align: left;">When brainstorming STEM titles, books
like Melissa Stewart’s WHALE FALL</span><i style="text-align: left;"> </i><span style="text-align: left;">or Rebecca E. Hirch’s RISE TO THE SKY: HOW THE WORLD'S TALLEST TREES GROW UP</span><i style="text-align: left;"> </i><span style="text-align: left;">may come to mind</span><i style="text-align: left;">. </i><span style="text-align: left;">Today I want
to talk about a different category: one that marries SEL and STEM into powerful
stories for young readers.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;">Before we
do that, I want to touch on how important SEL is in STEM careers. As someone
who worked as an engineer for a decade, the ability to collaborate with others,
deal with frustration, persevere through challenges, and listen to other
people’s opinions, were all critical parts to success. These are skills any
scientist or science-enthusiast needs to hone and I believe introducing these
skills from the start can set kids up for success. So, by combining social
emotional learning with STEM themes in children's books, we can not only create
engaging narratives that spark curiosity about science, technology,
engineering, and math but also delve into the complexities of human emotions
and relationships. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHnYx3oZgK5wxaTwGa5Xl_Tm85MHl_IJXEfNdsXA_BVYRuEdNFABD60kBHiMuzHs3IocWtOEgVg7NOHw39ONgLbAC92GHznh0Vz-Xs9VHGK1V0vsxicM2IXL3A4zYXrx_-s91Stq5wczrt1A3o0p8pdw30sFGfZrZlWCOyV_E8eBY-X5mwfDuMx0QJE0/s500/The%20Amazing%20Power%20of%20Girls%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHnYx3oZgK5wxaTwGa5Xl_Tm85MHl_IJXEfNdsXA_BVYRuEdNFABD60kBHiMuzHs3IocWtOEgVg7NOHw39ONgLbAC92GHznh0Vz-Xs9VHGK1V0vsxicM2IXL3A4zYXrx_-s91Stq5wczrt1A3o0p8pdw30sFGfZrZlWCOyV_E8eBY-X5mwfDuMx0QJE0/w251-h251/The%20Amazing%20Power%20of%20Girls%20Cover.jpg" width="251" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;">I find that
this is already done quite well in picture book biographies. Often, those
stories share the accomplishments of an individual, but the main story grapples
with the journey and the tools these characters used to overcome obstacles. I
believe the same can be true for other science-themed books. For example, in my
debut picture book, THE AMAZING POWER OF GIRLS (releasing in June with
Sourcebooks eXplore), I wanted to explain the forces of physics—gravity,
buoyancy, magnetism, etc. to young readers. But I also wanted girls to feel
empowered to pursue a STEM career since it’s still a very male-dominated field.
So, I personified each girl as a force and I used the text to doubly explain
what the forces do <i>while </i>showcasing the powerful characteristics of a
girl. An example below.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="background: yellow;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq7tEvuNM3E_22KVp9-PAhyphenhyphen25jMTmuwUeEX9zKFqr33pZigSCCkSze-nSuFpdI8dYaDZ4J0FfacHbdv2-pvpr3Wf_0op62EP-fDfQC0s42JuWHNjFG46v1OHzZ8s5saFTN8qc6ItXxg5nfiDr3BZ4Ml0IR72wgbh7IcuRTsxuDV2l7y7j024jg_MUgio/s1367/AMPG%20Spread%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="695" data-original-width="1367" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMq7tEvuNM3E_22KVp9-PAhyphenhyphen25jMTmuwUeEX9zKFqr33pZigSCCkSze-nSuFpdI8dYaDZ4J0FfacHbdv2-pvpr3Wf_0op62EP-fDfQC0s42JuWHNjFG46v1OHzZ8s5saFTN8qc6ItXxg5nfiDr3BZ4Ml0IR72wgbh7IcuRTsxuDV2l7y7j024jg_MUgio/w640-h326/AMPG%20Spread%202.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;">In my next
STEM/SEL picture book, WAIT TILL YOU'RE OLDER, releasing with
Sourcebooks eXplore in 2025, I introduced STEM into what felt like more of an
SEL story about a younger sibling wanting to play with her older brother’s big
toy and being to told to wait till she’s older. Her reaction? Try to build a
time machine. And throughout the story, she tries a variety of time-travel
theories to accomplish this, including: trying to travel faster than light,
looking for wormholes, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NaDQw32ghCvhhFvlYByzgZwfTZSTLazvAvJYX1vhcqurRiY8i35jN1Y4rd8O98PKTccXrSlOGFZ2Mq8KD5c8Mv5UPeW1Nd3dZOWYGmZgHP2qQ_x8EZgxmcOqQ14lXuOaezbMA7M8G8nS4TgwNMG1Eyffr0LpvSCyoJPdCC9VQ6fcnqJPXJXU5PO48b8/s592/Wait%20Till%20You're%20Older%20book%20announcement.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="592" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NaDQw32ghCvhhFvlYByzgZwfTZSTLazvAvJYX1vhcqurRiY8i35jN1Y4rd8O98PKTccXrSlOGFZ2Mq8KD5c8Mv5UPeW1Nd3dZOWYGmZgHP2qQ_x8EZgxmcOqQ14lXuOaezbMA7M8G8nS4TgwNMG1Eyffr0LpvSCyoJPdCC9VQ6fcnqJPXJXU5PO48b8/w640-h198/Wait%20Till%20You're%20Older%20book%20announcement.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Other great
examples that incorporate SEL concepts into STEM themes:</span></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">EXCEPT ANTARCTICA <i> </i></span><span lang="EN-CA">by Todd Surgell<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">THE VERY IMPATIENT CATERPILLAR<i> </i></span><span lang="EN-CA">by Ross Burach<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">FUSSY FLAMINGO <i> </i></span><span lang="EN-CA">by Shelley Vaughan
James and illustrated by Matthew Rivera<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">PLUTO GETS THE CALL </span><span lang="EN-CA">by Adam Rex and
illustrated by Laurie Keller<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">THE QUESTIONEERS </span><span lang="EN-CA"> series by Andrea Beaty
and illustrated by David Roberts<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">THE FIRE OF STARS </span><span lang="EN-CA"> by Kirsten Larson and
illustrated by Katherine Roy <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">CODING TO KINDNESS </span><span lang="EN-CA"> by Valerie Sousa and
illustrated by Jennifer Leban<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">FAIRY SCIENCE </span><span lang="EN-CA"> by Ashely Spires <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">COUNT ON ME </span><span lang="EN-CA"> by Miguel Tanco <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">DO TREES HAVE MOTHERS?</span><span lang="EN-CA"> by Charles Bongers<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;">As an
author, I love creating stories that intertwine the wonders of science and the
nuances of human emotions. I hope this post helps you consider incorporating
SEL elements into your NF stories.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 54.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjcmStaEwpRPmLkmV1aITQDCQPXB6NaRRe4vadk2Iw4tmUtvn6miyzhxDkSlDiVq5C_E8VBrI0lhLP6cz0nWxHeYAvdMA-EDe-zF6wrlAP9gx_M-jGUlua6gglagFuLYEyyDoHST5PH0eLAl_an3d7Ycy8eBa6heO5UWjy_7EVkZagkUUSo4D6K27kkQ/s2515/updated%20headshot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2515" data-original-width="2515" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjcmStaEwpRPmLkmV1aITQDCQPXB6NaRRe4vadk2Iw4tmUtvn6miyzhxDkSlDiVq5C_E8VBrI0lhLP6cz0nWxHeYAvdMA-EDe-zF6wrlAP9gx_M-jGUlua6gglagFuLYEyyDoHST5PH0eLAl_an3d7Ycy8eBa6heO5UWjy_7EVkZagkUUSo4D6K27kkQ/s320/updated%20headshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author:</b> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 54.6pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN-CA">Maria Marianayagam is a
Tamil Sri Lankan-Canadian children's book author. She was born in India and
grew up in Nigeria and four provinces across Canada. Maria is a former
chemical engineer who fell in love with children’s books (again!) after
becoming an Amma (mom). Maria enjoys writing lyrical picture books centered on
STEM, faith, and South Asian culture, as well as high concept middle-grade
grounded in culture. The first two installments of her debut board book series,
BABY HOPE and BABY COURAGE (WorthyKids/Hachette), and her debut picture book
THE AMAZING POWER OF GIRLS (Sourcebooks eXplore) release in 2024. <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-65441421574242066222024-02-16T00:30:00.039-05:002024-02-16T00:30:00.134-05:00JOURNALING MY WAY TO A BOOK<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">by <a href="https://christineliuperkins.com/">Christine Liu-Perkins</a> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">One indispensable writing strategy for me is journaling. Until
I write them down, my thoughts are usually a jumbled, incoherent mess. Processing
them through journaling lets me see what I’m thinking and helps me develop my
ideas. My “Thinking Journals” are plain spiral notebooks that I write in with a
black Parker Jotter pen. Their simplicity frees me to be open and imperfect.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquVi_xz2CXRmu8a4VVaGBQzkL9-LYrfA8UddZ0FpKQ5JpOmbPJiJ7Z2UG6KN5O1xBKkPOvBASlee1GJqDbdVu6bnbc-F5TCAv2S-VYmWcCMyrqJ_f90yiWVpsRMgVFQNYwAbKNgZD32_RnIxpE0r42uXMJglW4AJt6ttiKs5FOpzQ9y0xqBJi8PaMJYw/s500/cover-500x411x24.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="500" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquVi_xz2CXRmu8a4VVaGBQzkL9-LYrfA8UddZ0FpKQ5JpOmbPJiJ7Z2UG6KN5O1xBKkPOvBASlee1GJqDbdVu6bnbc-F5TCAv2S-VYmWcCMyrqJ_f90yiWVpsRMgVFQNYwAbKNgZD32_RnIxpE0r42uXMJglW4AJt6ttiKs5FOpzQ9y0xqBJi8PaMJYw/s320/cover-500x411x24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">What do I write about in my Thinking Journals? <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I record key pieces of information from research that I want to remember. I ponder and analyze them. I consider why they are important and how they frame other pieces of information.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I ask questions and try to answer them. What do I not yet understand? Where am I confused? What else do I need to learn about?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I create lists, concept maps, comparison charts, timelines, and other graphics to organize information and help me see patterns.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I identify themes that I see emerging from the research. At some point I decide which theme will be the center of the book.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I express problems, frustrations, and disappointments and talk myself through ways to solve them. I also take note of progress, insights, and encouraging experiences.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I brainstorm different ways of approaching and structuring parts of the book. What are the pros and cons of each? What best fits what I want the book to be?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ll freewrite several different opening sentences for a chapter or section. Which sentence best leads into the material? Which one is most interest-grabbing? Which one invites me to keep writing?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I consider the audience. What will readers want to know? What background information do they need to understand the book? What do I want them to gain from reading the book?</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">I’ll try whatever helps! I’m no artist, but once I made a sketch with stick figures that turned into the conclusion for my first book. For my upcoming book, I wrote out a song for one of the characters.</span></li></ul><p></p> <span style="font-family: arial;">Like an incubator, a Thinking Journal is where I develop a book. It gives me space to explore and process ideas without feeling pressure to make them presentable to anyone but me. By the time it comes to write, I’m well prepared to turn my thoughts into words for readers. <br /><br />What are your experiences with journaling? How have you found it useful in your writing? <br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP7BLVDRJKn_Ytow_aD_eBuIBEaP8WkpDvyvX2ARuqnTOfqHbNfHwNMwdX1EHZS5zBvlhROTpGSmP8DbhEt-P940sKtJ3u93JiKgNmBa-dbmRfHxFX12zs_7fPUaHQWSKGVzQ2Ml-zLCd2hjGaUrOzfdlaTG9V6jKiuEf90xis0OeXN87BEJ1j8yjphg/s500/400x500%20Christine%20Liu-Perkins.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP7BLVDRJKn_Ytow_aD_eBuIBEaP8WkpDvyvX2ARuqnTOfqHbNfHwNMwdX1EHZS5zBvlhROTpGSmP8DbhEt-P940sKtJ3u93JiKgNmBa-dbmRfHxFX12zs_7fPUaHQWSKGVzQ2Ml-zLCd2hjGaUrOzfdlaTG9V6jKiuEf90xis0OeXN87BEJ1j8yjphg/s320/400x500%20Christine%20Liu-Perkins.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><b>Meet the Author:</b><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Christine Liu-Perkins is a founding member of the Nonfiction
Ninjas. She is the author of AT HOME IN HER TOMB: Lady Dai and the Ancient
Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui, which received starred reviews and appeared on
multiple “best books of the year” lists. She has also written articles for </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Dig
Into History </i><span style="font-family: arial;">and </span><i style="font-family: arial;">Highlights. </i><span style="font-family: arial;">For her upcoming book, THE QUEST FOR A
TANGRAM DRAGON (Bloomsbury, August 2024), she created numerous tangram
configurations that she traced into a Thinking Journal while travelling overseas. Learn more at </span><a href="about:blank" style="font-family: arial;">www.christineliuperkins.com</a><span style="font-family: arial;">
. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5NdUqHaT4dZV6NNIhlm36L_Z2o-DJevMc7F82ojMlp7bobLXANMLfvaJ4wZiU-cZb-_rBZozgkMaPqOkpwZhYrG50Th0J5A80OPCSYdxBIfwGOPT8Cd33RP_2VYfR0dVHXj7Vnx0gEQEpzBtfbGnnDdeGiM-WUahA23Lu-m2G_0rrkabImMFhVhzpuc/s360/9781547608072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5NdUqHaT4dZV6NNIhlm36L_Z2o-DJevMc7F82ojMlp7bobLXANMLfvaJ4wZiU-cZb-_rBZozgkMaPqOkpwZhYrG50Th0J5A80OPCSYdxBIfwGOPT8Cd33RP_2VYfR0dVHXj7Vnx0gEQEpzBtfbGnnDdeGiM-WUahA23Lu-m2G_0rrkabImMFhVhzpuc/w320-h320/9781547608072.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Coming this fall from Bloomsbury </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;">Words by Christine Liu-Perkins and illustrations by Lynn Scurfield </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-88218287987016614922024-02-15T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-15T00:30:00.131-05:005 WAYS TO GET YOUR NONFICTION BOOK NOTICED<p> <span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By
<a href="https://jenniferswansonbooks.com/">Jennifer Swanson</a></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6ZXfND2fdwXKqnTeLZNuOWNgDp96cKeJQG9POXKAZXtMJttwiImXBrlwhWE-_68nkAYqbfwccnmRcB57SVPHXFtNCa-01TbEPPYEUecL88DuMHM5B6RvL5QtIsUTzFyx-uENFCxTJcf6nGUalAA_nXvNeL-1CAq-xawYE8hzczBfnpWXGNLXtG7rK6k/s500/9781728493015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6ZXfND2fdwXKqnTeLZNuOWNgDp96cKeJQG9POXKAZXtMJttwiImXBrlwhWE-_68nkAYqbfwccnmRcB57SVPHXFtNCa-01TbEPPYEUecL88DuMHM5B6RvL5QtIsUTzFyx-uENFCxTJcf6nGUalAA_nXvNeL-1CAq-xawYE8hzczBfnpWXGNLXtG7rK6k/w287-h240/9781728493015.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Publication day! It’s something that all authors look
forward to. It’s the day your amazingly awesome book is out in the world. (Come
on, that’s how we all think of our books, right?) But the real question is, how
do you find readers and get them to feel the same way? It takes work.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are five ways to get notice for your book (and
YOURSELF!)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Canva it up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Videos/graphics/pictures/and more) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">This
is pretty much where everyone starts. You are willing to do anything and
everything to get your book noticed. That includes making videos, cool
graphics, joining a promo group… but YouTube? Sure. Why not give it a try. Here
are a few tips:</span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Canva is your friend! It’s one of the best, and more importantly easiest, ways to create great graphics. You can make all sizes of graphics to fit any social media platform—including blogs. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">You can also use Canva to create and edit videos! Is your book about the ocean and you have some cool video from your vacation of the sea? Use it to create a video with information from your book. Put that video on social media or even upload it to your YouTube channel. </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Canva is also a great place to create Pins for Pinterest (see #2 below) </span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">You can even make a book trailer on Canva if you really want to. There is sooo much you can do with this platform and most of it is FREE!</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2. Pinterest – what’s that?</b></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 4.5pt; tab-stops: .25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You may have heard of Pinterest, but
how many of you are actually on it? Believe it or not, it’s the place to be if
you write nonfiction books. Pinterest is all about promoting topics,
information, and FUN activities. If this sounds like something your book has,
then you should consider getting on Pinterest. Here are a few tips:</span></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;">The first step is learning to make a pin. If you don’t know how, there are tons of great videos to help. Just do a google search and find one.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Create a few boards. That means pick a topic for your board (not your book!) and start adding pins. Be sure to follow others and add their pins to your board.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">It’s all about the tags. Be sure to add tags to your pins so that they will show up in topic searches.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Not sure how to get your information seen? Click on the analytics tab at the top of your page. This has TONS of great information about what topics are hot now, what topics will be hot in the future, and when you should post your pins.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">Pinterest can require a bit of a learning curve, but if you can figure it out and post regularly, you can get a lot in return. My Pinterest page regularly has over 25k views a month. During Earth Day last year, I hit 75k views. <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jenswan1222/">https://www.pinterest.com/jenswan1222/</a></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.</b> <b>Get on a Podcast!</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most
people have done blog tours for their book releases. You answer a few questions
about the book, your writing process, and then maybe offer a giveaway. These
are still done and are a good way to reach an audience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But
podcasts are a much more exciting way to reach a much larger audience. They can
be either video or just audio only, but podcasts are a way to showcase not only
your book, but yourself, too. Here are a few tips for an entertaining and
engaging podcast interview:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Listen
to a few podcasts by this host before going on the show. That way you’ll know
what to expect</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Make
sure the area in the video is neat and showcases your book in the background.
Then have a copy of your book to hold up during the interview.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Keep
your answers informative but not too long. Don’t be afraid of silence. This
allows the host to ask more questions. An engaging exchange is much more fun to
listen to, than having one person go on and on.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Have
FUN! Be prepared with a few fun stories to share—about yourself or your book.
Maybe even have a few books to recommend that aren’t yours, but would pair
nicely with yours.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Podcasts
are growing! Just do a search of your favorite podcast source (iTunes, Spotify,
etc.) Then send an email to the podcast pitching yourself. What have you got to
lose?</span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="font-family: arial;">4.
Promote Yourself</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Instead
of promoting one book, promote yourself. Speaking at an event—library, museum,
organizations, or even at book festivals or corporate events is a great way to
get noticed.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Check
to see if your area does a summer reading program at your library. If they do,
apply to be a presenter. (Check by early February, as many book out that far).
This is usually a paying gig and it gets you out in the community. Plus, the
library will buy your books</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Is
there a local organization that is interested in what you do? Pitch yourself as
a speaker. Come up with a fun (and pertinent) topic. But don’t focus on your
book</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Does
your book fit an event at a museum. Like World Ocean Day? Black History month?
Space week? See if they need someone to speak there.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;">Apply for book festivals— and don’t be
afraid to ask them if they offer small stipends for travel.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">5. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hire Your Own Publicist <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While
this might not be the first choice for everyone, sometimes investing in hiring
a publicist for a short time can be quite helpful. Your book gets exposure to
places you can’t get into by yourself. You gain contacts from the exposure that
you can use for your next book. This exposure can lead to paying gigs. I’ve had
all of these happen. You just never know.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Blue
Slip Media </span><a href="https://www.blueslipmedia.com/" style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">https://www.blueslipmedia.com/</span></a></li><li><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Kidsbuzz
</span><a href="https://www.authorbuzz.com/kids/" style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">https://www.authorbuzz.com/kids/</span></a></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: arial;">So, what do YOU do to promote your book? Tell us below
and share with everyone!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij2X7810ic5A2BxvrLIqOh1WpiLSVzkucop_mUnqephsjQ77d_X6Et23HfPJVc3UbKElQWmL8AErnIAds5M-5bI5xaE-AsslJGh_F2Ymye5gDDQjvP3GW5AQd_E0oq5gyRnRDWr6vA3Br_1NtAPoSjnipvrCw-Em0pH4BIs6q0ou-mBkYG-A__4OIlJc/s5760/Jennifer%20Swanson%20headshot%202022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5760" data-original-width="3840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiij2X7810ic5A2BxvrLIqOh1WpiLSVzkucop_mUnqephsjQ77d_X6Et23HfPJVc3UbKElQWmL8AErnIAds5M-5bI5xaE-AsslJGh_F2Ymye5gDDQjvP3GW5AQd_E0oq5gyRnRDWr6vA3Br_1NtAPoSjnipvrCw-Em0pH4BIs6q0ou-mBkYG-A__4OIlJc/s320/Jennifer%20Swanson%20headshot%202022.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />About the Author:</b><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jennifer Swanson is an award-winning children’s author
and podcaster. A self-professed science geek, she has written 50 books for
kids, mostly about STEAM. Her books have won a Kirkus Best Books for 2021, a
Gold Parent’s Choice Award, multiple NSTA Best STEM awards, and received many
other recognitions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">She is the creator of the </span><a href="https://solveitforkids.com/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Solve It for Kids</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;">
podcast, the </span><a href="https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/stem-tuesday/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">STEM
Tuesday</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"> blog, and </span><a href="https://www.steamteambooks.com/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">STEAMTeam Books</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;">.
Jennifer routinely teaches at the Highlights Foundation and has presented at
the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival and been on NPR’s </span><a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/science-books-for-kids-2023/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Science
Friday</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"> radio show. You can learn more about her here: </span><a href="http://www.jenniferswansonbooks.com/"><span style="line-height: 107%;">www.jenniferswansonbooks.com</span></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-20403824653001046492024-02-14T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-14T00:30:00.127-05:00BUILDING BRILLIANT BOOK PROPOSALS <p><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://stephaniegibeault.com/">Stephanie Gibeault</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">You would only submit
a novel to an editor after completing the entire manuscript, right? But when it
comes to nonfiction for middle grade or YA (and adults too), that’s not
necessary. In fact, three of my upcoming books were only written after the
contracts were signed. Instead, I sold them using book proposals. In case you want
to tackle longer forms of nonfiction, here are four tips for building a
brilliant book proposal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Tip 1) Include Every
Section an Editor or Agent Expects</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unless a publisher’s
or agent’s submission guidelines say otherwise, include the following sections
in your book proposal.</span><span style="font-family: arial; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">1. Overview: Summary of the entire book proposal. The what, how, and who. <br /><br />2. Target Audience: Who will this book appeal to? Are there curriculum connections? <br /><br />3. Competitive Titles: What books will share shelf space with your proposed book? <br /><br />4. Outline: Chapter-by-chapter summary of the book’s intended contents. <br /><br />5. Sample Chapters: Two or three polished chapters from the book. <br /><br />6. Biography: All about you. <br /><br />7. Selected Bibliography: List some of your research sources.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can also include a
format section to share your vision for the final physical product such as the
page count and whether it will have illustrations or photographs. And if you have
the ability to do marketing or research beyond what is expected, such as speaking
at an international conference or spending time in the field with a scientist,
you can include sections about those plans as well.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Tip 2) Start Your Overview
with a Hook</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just as the first
lines of a book need to grab a reader, the opening of your book proposal needs
to grab an agent or editor. Yes, your sample chapters should be dazzling, but you
want to make sure they get that far. I suggest you open with a hook. Consider using
a surprising statistic, fascinating fact, or engaging anecdote.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNp-BFCAp5L_lXqQXTzIagLV88MX3UPIli4eeRenHR18SXPyPrw1d6xikkTbZzH1SDZujGl4pSMJVRU6gJzqws-_I7sOr2NPu5Ke_Z4mDgUmFDa33ssS_f7nax3su9O84lQntqgJx28KIX5q0rN0h5fARgzh0J0qTJN-dDvsvRfneNblxbmIgLPvnlaA/s2560/Calculating%20Chimpanzees%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2028" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNp-BFCAp5L_lXqQXTzIagLV88MX3UPIli4eeRenHR18SXPyPrw1d6xikkTbZzH1SDZujGl4pSMJVRU6gJzqws-_I7sOr2NPu5Ke_Z4mDgUmFDa33ssS_f7nax3su9O84lQntqgJx28KIX5q0rN0h5fARgzh0J0qTJN-dDvsvRfneNblxbmIgLPvnlaA/s320/Calculating%20Chimpanzees%20cover.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br />In the book proposal
for my upcoming STEM middle grade CALCULATING CHIMPANZEES, BRAINY BEES, AND OTHER ANIMALS WITH MIND-BLOWING MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES <span style="font-family: arial;"> (MIT Kids Press,
April 2024, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett), I chose to ask a question – “What
if your pet fish could help you with your math homework?” I hoped editors looking
at the proposal would want to read on to discover the answer.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Tip 3) Choose Comp
Titles with Care</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Your competitive
titles (aka comparative titles) serve multiple purposes. They help define your vision,
demonstrate you understand the publishing business, show where your proposed
book would sit on the library or bookstore shelf, and prove there is a market
for your proposed book. Therefore, choose them with care. Stick to books
published in the last three to five years that share something in common with
your book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRa-kopFe86jcBUKOPGitFv2-vyK_fV1wF1-jlE1dELe9l4KOyE-uejvL9wYEhC_oAqGt1qYxPWx8wPH4zv0U0ahTegVbOi9ftL6ejYSyHcTeC71gsTM03OGx857dP61keF4A2LqrMVRCbNgyTVwXsQhZsuu1Ax_XjsygjwbV5MuV-clxPnix2S4cByc/s2917/Making%20Sense%20Dog%20Senses%20cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="2628" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRa-kopFe86jcBUKOPGitFv2-vyK_fV1wF1-jlE1dELe9l4KOyE-uejvL9wYEhC_oAqGt1qYxPWx8wPH4zv0U0ahTegVbOi9ftL6ejYSyHcTeC71gsTM03OGx857dP61keF4A2LqrMVRCbNgyTVwXsQhZsuu1Ax_XjsygjwbV5MuV-clxPnix2S4cByc/s320/Making%20Sense%20Dog%20Senses%20cover.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br />For my upcoming middle
grade MAKING SENSE OF DOG SENSES: HOW OUR FURRY FRIENDS EXPERIENCE THE WORLD<span style="font-family: arial;"> (Owlkids Books, April 2024, illustrated by Raz Latif), there were plenty of
comp titles to choose from. Dogs are a popular subject! I concentrated on books
that touched on at least one of a dog’s senses. However, for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">CALCULATING CHIMPANZEES, BRAINY BEES, AND OTHER ANIMALS WITH MIND-BLOWING MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> I couldn’t find any other books with an intersection between
math and animals. So, I used comp titles about animal cognition then discussed how
my proposed topic had a unique angle.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Tip 4) Target Your Biography</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Your biography isn’t
just about your writing experience; it also allows you to prove why you’re the
right person to write this book. You don’t have to be an expert but try to
target the biography to your subject matter so an agent or editor can see that
you have a valuable connection. Maybe you have always had an interest in this topic,
or you already wrote a newspaper article about it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">CALCULATING CHIMPANZEES, BRAINY BEES, AND OTHER ANIMALS WITH MIND-BLOWING MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES</span><i style="font-family: arial;"> </i><span style="font-family: arial;">is about animal
cognition, so I was sure to mention my Master of Science degree in animal
behavior in my book proposal’s biography section. And for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">MAKING SENSE OF DOG SENSES: HOW OUR FURRY FRIENDS EXPERIENCE THE WORLD</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, I emphasized my
experience as a certified professional dog trainer. I wanted to prove to
editors that I had what it took to write about those topics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Give It a Try:</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Consider what you’ve
learned about your topic and identify possible hooks for your book proposal’s
overview. Is there a weird fact or mystery you could share? How can you hook an
editor in the first line or two? Then consider possible comp titles. What does
your book do differently from those comps that will set it apart in the market?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0dXYzQAeCENc7oAKEXCSsTOa-3Cr0yipsiL7pGYpke48IFV-7aOQQWVg_o7j9zAt5DG6p0k1KwK2oINa9RpZu09uE1tX58bUVyNgu7ADHA26DKW8SHTOTytwRxwdiEbzXxWKSwPt4MWN_OnKxOaTTb_qGvhNcOOfwNFR6vlxgADOM3D4uhfpZjP4m-U/s3000/Gibeault%20Headshot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2003" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0dXYzQAeCENc7oAKEXCSsTOa-3Cr0yipsiL7pGYpke48IFV-7aOQQWVg_o7j9zAt5DG6p0k1KwK2oINa9RpZu09uE1tX58bUVyNgu7ADHA26DKW8SHTOTytwRxwdiEbzXxWKSwPt4MWN_OnKxOaTTb_qGvhNcOOfwNFR6vlxgADOM3D4uhfpZjP4m-U/s320/Gibeault%20Headshot.JPG" width="214" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />Meet the Author:</b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Stephanie Gibeault is an award-winning
freelance writer and children’s book author. She’s written the funny picture
book <i>Toby Tootles</i> (Sleeping Bear Press, illustrated by Mary Sullivan),
the middle grade <i>Can’t Get Enough Dog Stuff</i> (National Geographic Kids,
co-authored by Moira Donohue), and has four more nonfiction books on the way. She
teaches research and book proposals for the Highlights Foundation and loves doing
math puzzles to relax. Learn more at </span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="about:blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">www.stephaniegibeault.com</span></a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-32585615770319240522024-02-13T00:30:00.002-05:002024-02-13T00:30:00.137-05:00ONE WAY TO BEAT THE BLANK PAGE <p><span style="font-family: arial;">By
<a href="https://stevesheinkin.com/">Steve Sheinkin</a></span></p><p><br /></p>
<span style="font-family: arial;">I’ve got a deep dread of the blank page—who’s with me? Of first drafts, getting started, getting something down. So out of sheer necessity I came up with a technique that works for me. It comes from figure drawing classes I’ve taken, where we always started off with a series of “gesture drawings”—one minute model poses, and the students dash to get down the basics of the form. The lines have to be loose and fast, often with satisfying results. </span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>At some point, I realized I could try the same thing with writing. I gather my notes for a section of the story I’m trying to tell and highlight the key events and info and must-have quotes. Then I open the blank screen or notebook page (either works fine) and then… I just go. I go fast. I scribble or type the basics of what I want to say, not worrying at all about actual sentences, just sketching out the shape. Here’s an example of a “sketch” I did for the opening of my book BOMB, where a spy knows he’s about to be caught:</span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><i><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Morning of May 22, 1950, house in north Philly. Harry Gold in a panic, in pajamas, searching his room, pulling stuff from shelves, shoving stuff in the toilet. FBI agents are coming, and there’s evidence of spying all over the place.</i></span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8ZOAhPvQnscO9cVCfjm_9um46ofP-2YwrKpnxEg2eFsnMIbWODCBTb2yOXbSCToit-qbzMZZTA3aT9ClWrjSyx44fmM-N7k2CuZ4G6OQA1IRHsk5NSxZXblanjySzpaTPv1y9vDsiv-B2zQxkmqK1s-yZFIYH_ONgYP-gmERdoldhP7DW2qhjLgHbpk/s2700/ImpossibleEscape_final_1.26%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8ZOAhPvQnscO9cVCfjm_9um46ofP-2YwrKpnxEg2eFsnMIbWODCBTb2yOXbSCToit-qbzMZZTA3aT9ClWrjSyx44fmM-N7k2CuZ4G6OQA1IRHsk5NSxZXblanjySzpaTPv1y9vDsiv-B2zQxkmqK1s-yZFIYH_ONgYP-gmERdoldhP7DW2qhjLgHbpk/s320/ImpossibleEscape_final_1.26%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>For my newest one, IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE, I decided I wanted to open with the main character, Rudi Vrba, leaving home at 17, setting off on a journey he never could have imagined. I had a quote I knew I wanted to use, so I put that right up front—must-have quotes are a great way to break the spell of the blank page.</span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><i><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Rudi gets in a taxi, mother says: “Take care of yourself. And don’t forget to change your socks.” Car drives away, Rudi tears yellow star from jacket, ducks below window to stay out of sight. He’s 17, heading for border, feels invincible. Has a little cash, a compass, matches, change of clothes—not much for the journey he’s about to attempt…</i></span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>You get the idea. I’ll save this sort of stuff as a “sketch,” because it’s not really a first draft yet. To me, it takes a really hard thing—writing a first draft—and breaks it down into two easier steps: the sketch, and the step of turning the sketch into actual sentences. Want to try it? Here are the steps I’d recommend:</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />1.
Pick a scene or section of the story you want to tell.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2.
Collect notes on the stuff you <i>know</i> you want to get in: facts, quotes,
details. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">3.
Open a blank screen/page—and go! Don’t try to make it good; just get down the
basics</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>I’ll usually rough out an entire book this way before writing a first draft. The “sketch” file may be about half the word count of the full draft. It’s like those gesture drawings from my art classes—they’re messy, and you wouldn’t really show them to anyone, but you’ll know if you’ve got the basic form right. Plus, the page is no longer blank!</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc36Ug5wgmJLxgfz5zGeb_HvEkIuzupavL88WKQhNSV8QqaI5a1QUfzb_quZbEMX_p6-i_5g4CSavpjZy3MdCotjgwc_kVwrOqz2QgzZl2pFezVAQHvMKZkbyI5JhRZN6WYlbOVziHtWDf0WfgZnqV24EXRSRx6uz2sPio0SKeTALOp8mkS47J54Uh-Pw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="110" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc36Ug5wgmJLxgfz5zGeb_HvEkIuzupavL88WKQhNSV8QqaI5a1QUfzb_quZbEMX_p6-i_5g4CSavpjZy3MdCotjgwc_kVwrOqz2QgzZl2pFezVAQHvMKZkbyI5JhRZN6WYlbOVziHtWDf0WfgZnqV24EXRSRx6uz2sPio0SKeTALOp8mkS47J54Uh-Pw=w187-h279" width="187" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />About
the Author <o:p></o:p></span></b><p></p>
<span style="font-family: arial;">Steve Sheinkin is the NYT bestselling author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction for young readers, including IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE, BOMB, FALLOUT, UNDEFEATED, THE PORT CHICAGO 50, BORN TO FLY and THE NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD. Awards include a Newbery Honor and three National Book Award finalist honors. He lives with his family in Saratoga Springs, NY. <br /></span><br /> </div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-6210085976798609552024-02-12T00:30:00.002-05:002024-02-12T00:30:00.127-05:00STEP BY STEP: THE JUNKO TABEI-INSPIRED RESEARCH JOURNEY<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><b>By <a href="https://www.anitayasuda.com/">Anita Yasuda</a> </b></span><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On the morning of May 16,
1975, Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit Mount Everest. How did she
do it? One step at a time: Up, Up, Ever Up! You, too, will succeed in your
research journey one step at a time by setting a course, planning, using the
proper gear, and with a supportive team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;">1. Pick Your Target </span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Junko and the other 14
members of the Japanese all-women team chose Everest after careful
consideration and research. I decided on Junko as my subject using the same
method. As an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, I wanted to write a story
about mountaineering and a female climber. I also have friends involved in
mountain climbing and have always found their stories of high-altitude adventures
thrilling. Likewise, write about a subject that makes your heart sing. If it
has caught your interest, someone else will also be intrigued. Do not worry if
someone else has written on the same subject. Just as there are a variety of
wilderness trails, from short walks to adventures requiring ropes and ice axes,
a unique story angle combined with your voice will help make your manuscript
stand out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;">2. Master The Ropes</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0e101a;">Climbers only plunge into the
wilderness after setting a course. You can avoid becoming tangled in research
through planning, too. Decide on day one how you will collect and organize your
research. Are you team pencil and paper? With this approach, your subject
becomes clearer, sentence by sentence. Do you prefer journaling, which includes
drawing and adding physical materials such as photographs or newspaper articles
into a file? Using this method, visual thinkers will see their story taking
shape. Are you team virtual? When I began researching Junko, I planned on
travelling to Japan and Nepal. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these
plans had to be put aside. So, using Word, I set up a research file that would
include over 100 footnotes to keep track of every source, quote and
statistic. The file had subheadings, including Junko’s childhood, first hike,
and family. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><b>3. Get The Gear </b></span><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When climbing, you need to
dress in layers; in writing, layers are also essential. To better understand
Junko, I researched widely. Secondary sources, including journals and newspaper
articles, gave me a sense of Junko, the team's difficulties, and the period.
Through my local library, I took advantage of interlibrary loans. I was then
able to access more extensive state and international libraries. I accessed
journals, including JSTOR, and newspaper archives in Japan through my university’s
alumni lending program. I watched online interviews and eventually created a
list of experts I contacted, including Junko's best friend and fellow Everest
climber, translator, colleagues, and friends worldwide. They helped me clarify
my information and add details to my manuscript that hadn't appeared in print
before. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;">4. Prepare For The Avalanche </span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Mountaineers learn as much as
they can about avalanche risk before heading out. They study the forecast, take
courses, and venture out prepared with gear such as crampons and helmets. When
you feel overwhelmed by research, take a break. Be kind to yourself. A long
walk or putting away your work for weeks or months will help you achieve
clarity. Another tip is to write down your book's hook and keep it on your
writing desk or your computer. My hook in presenting Junko's life combined her
achievements with her humanitarian and environmental legacy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;">5. Teamwork </span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">All successful mountaineering
expeditions require a solid team. Writing does not have to be a solitary
activity. Share your story with trusted critique partners. Even if you do not
have a draft ready, share your enthusiasm for your project. When you explain
your project aloud, it will remind you why you began the journey. These
critique partners will be essential as you revise and rewrite. Rewriting is a
beautiful way to hone your craft. Feedback that resonates with you can help you
chip away at your manuscript until you have a clear story path from beginning
to end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;">See you at the summit!</span></strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Be kind to yourself.
Researching and drafting a book is a process. There may be obstacles on the
journey, but with each piece of information and revision, you will be closer to
the summit. One day, a child will be happy you did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></strong></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><br /></span></strong></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"></span></strong></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Cw_QOXYwSNxiKokWm9Uazik6soqbfWXIZHz0Iuold4-lygx71ILS74lHlJfjREo8lekdgE920zlumZoxVkXi0dIaE2idH85czoXz58glGueTwyW-VGseNPGMKbIrZVJ7UjrmGmZO8Xh2aMN7hY70SSknXWtuGJVZL5tqTzo_LSUSUlV3ata9E8dWF7A/s783/Anita%20Headshot%202%20(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Cw_QOXYwSNxiKokWm9Uazik6soqbfWXIZHz0Iuold4-lygx71ILS74lHlJfjREo8lekdgE920zlumZoxVkXi0dIaE2idH85czoXz58glGueTwyW-VGseNPGMKbIrZVJ7UjrmGmZO8Xh2aMN7hY70SSknXWtuGJVZL5tqTzo_LSUSUlV3ata9E8dWF7A/s320/Anita%20Headshot%202%20(2).JPG" width="220" /></a></strong></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><br />About the Author </strong><span style="color: #0e101a;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Anita Yasuda is the author of UP, UP, EVER UP! JUNKO TABEI A LIFE IN THE MOUNTAINS , illustrated by Yuko
Shimizu (Clarion, 2024); DIWALI: A FESTIVAL OF JOY , illustrated
by Darshika Varma (Penguin Random House, 2024); and BOLLYWOOD BEAT,
illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan (Kids Can Press, 2025), as well as many
other books for young readers. She has a background in Montessori and early
childhood education. Anita lives in the rolling hills of Ontario with her
family. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span> </span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-32186008728864581082024-02-09T00:30:00.001-05:002024-02-09T00:30:00.140-05:00FINDING THE RIGHT “CONTAINER” FOR YOUR WRITING<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>By <a href="https://www.jolenegutierrez.com/">Jolene Gutiérrez</a></b></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">In addition to writing for kids, I’ve worked as a teacher
librarian at a school for neurodivergent learners for nearly 30 years. Many of
my students are reluctant readers, so I’ve become adept at matching readers
with certain styles of writing that feel more comfortable to them. In print
format, this includes verse novels, Choose Your Own Adventure books, short
stories, and graphic novels. Features like more white space on a page, visual
support, and shorter text lengths all make for books that feel less
intimidating to many readers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So when I start a writing project, I tend to think about my
story and who my intended audience might be. I love picture books—both teaching
them and writing them—so I often start there. Whittling certain concepts down
to 500ish words can be difficult, though, and while I love using picture books
with students of all ages (including my high school students) the picture book
“container” has limitations on depth and quantity of content.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMg1Vv7l4WWtUNQJx5Ssos87-GUm1kkn7DPFV_AfDivNlaz-jUTQCPS7ab3S9MhLpkX6n_l4n01m0l-sJxqnzTS9GQCoD9DYtR1nfevtrQadA7BM5OV-gwKmNei6_ox3P_WU_ee8LjRDwj89NVCLhCt325mKLhhqpJ_LFbKGgVTlUVKjblzLmx9ANICc/s1098/Bionic%20Beasts%20cover%20with%20JLG%20Seal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="886" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMg1Vv7l4WWtUNQJx5Ssos87-GUm1kkn7DPFV_AfDivNlaz-jUTQCPS7ab3S9MhLpkX6n_l4n01m0l-sJxqnzTS9GQCoD9DYtR1nfevtrQadA7BM5OV-gwKmNei6_ox3P_WU_ee8LjRDwj89NVCLhCt325mKLhhqpJ_LFbKGgVTlUVKjblzLmx9ANICc/s320/Bionic%20Beasts%20cover%20with%20JLG%20Seal.png" width="258" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I wrote the first draft of my nonfiction book BIONIC BEASTS: SAVING ANIMAL LIVES WITH ARTIFICIAL FLIPPERS, LEGS, AND BEAKS, it
was a ~1000-word picture book. My editor Carol Hinz saw that picture book format
and realized it might not be the best way to deliver some of the high-level science
concepts, so she suggested trying the manuscript as a ~10,000-word middle grade
book with five chapters, each about a different animal. This was the perfect
fit for our content: I had space to share information about each animal, their
limb differences, and the scientific interventions that helped them. I didn’t
shy away from higher-level content, but by including things like photographs
and hands-on activities and by breaking the content up into 5 short stories,
this book appeals to a wide range of students.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM560yykLuu3gvzTdLfwrrluztnj-9Dkn-CDrg6wx_29i8Nc2OveN-4jrSntnF5X4q5klyFIft9b04qdGQo8a7MnHriHnho3DKWdCmRw8fuADTuiUTa2ggq6kEwpJV4cq_eAxWqYLYKUHbbbMFOnHdql1aAIGasEd-6bohtruOQajAdx7DAzjjZhYntXY/s1280/TOO%20MUCH%20final%20cover%20art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM560yykLuu3gvzTdLfwrrluztnj-9Dkn-CDrg6wx_29i8Nc2OveN-4jrSntnF5X4q5klyFIft9b04qdGQo8a7MnHriHnho3DKWdCmRw8fuADTuiUTa2ggq6kEwpJV4cq_eAxWqYLYKUHbbbMFOnHdql1aAIGasEd-6bohtruOQajAdx7DAzjjZhYntXY/w200-h200/TOO%20MUCH%20final%20cover%20art.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">My recent picture book TOO MUCH! AN OVERWHELMING DAY started as a 50-word board book, but that short story didn’t show enough of the
child’s day to give a full understanding of sensory overwhelm, so after edits,
I ended up with a ~250-word picture book with extensive back matter that walked
us through everything that overwhelmed our main character, Birdy, and gave her
a chance to practice mindfulness and find peace and calm as well. I went from a
small, focused container to a space where I could spread out and tell the story
of Birdy’s day. Readers were better able to understand each of the things that
overwhelmed Birdy, and caregivers were given content they could use and share
with child readers as needed.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />My upcoming picture book UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP, coauthored with Min Tonai, was an
exploration in containers. I started working on what became <i>Unbreakable</i>
in 2016, and at that time, I wrote it as a middle grade nonfiction book that
explored Colorado’s governor Ralph Carr and the Amache incarceration camp in
Colorado. A friend who was incarcerated at Rohwer Incarceration Camp in
Arkansas connected me to Min because he knew Min’s story would add to my
manuscript. After interviewing Min and learning about his experiences in the
Amache incarceration camp, we decided to work together and write his family’s
story. We tried it as a middle grade novel, but layering Min’s story with
information about Governor Carr and other history interrupted and weakened the
story. We wrote it as a graphic novel manuscript, but the graphic novel format
didn’t emphasize the quiet power of the story (although that could’ve been the
fact that it was the first graphic novel manuscript we’d ever written). When we
tried it as a picture book, though, we finally found the right container. A
picture book manuscript was the perfect format to strip the story down to its
heart. This ~1,000-word picture book will have 1,400+ words of backmatter and
hopefully will appeal to readers of all ages.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m also working on a couple of other informational fiction
or nonfiction projects. One is a novel in verse and the other is a graphic
novel manuscript, and I believe these formats fit the topic and their intended
audience. Time will tell, but after my experiences with finding the right
container for my stories, I’m not afraid to try other formats with these
projects as well. I encourage you to take a look at your current project(s) and
think about the story you’re trying to share, who you envision reading it, and
how you might best reach that audience. Testing the fit of different stories in
various containers keeps me on my toes as a writer, but it’s also the perfect
way to help your story reach its readers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoTkAwsRPCblhnsqskc-6shs9gmerX93V2cxihpKOLdG7B7BVh4tGtXWXEn5uu7JemFrVsNhIUoR4OJo9cFbCXhN0J5uEhTXTmllPUolhV3EC3zphkWQDqrtR4BqqNjfuZokr67DwwJP2CVaxoflPyVENPpWnSz2jFxXyv6ipq09O2J4lM_5b7ezGn6w/s3382/Jolene%20library%20headshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3382" data-original-width="2249" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoTkAwsRPCblhnsqskc-6shs9gmerX93V2cxihpKOLdG7B7BVh4tGtXWXEn5uu7JemFrVsNhIUoR4OJo9cFbCXhN0J5uEhTXTmllPUolhV3EC3zphkWQDqrtR4BqqNjfuZokr67DwwJP2CVaxoflPyVENPpWnSz2jFxXyv6ipq09O2J4lM_5b7ezGn6w/s320/Jolene%20library%20headshot.png" width="213" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author: </b>Jolene grew up on a farm and now lives
with her family and a variety of animals in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. A teacher
librarian since 1995, Jolene spends her days sharing children’s books and her
nights writing them. She’s the author of </span><span style="font-family: arial;">UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> (2025), MAMIACHI AND ME<i> </i>(2024), THE OFRENDA THAT WE BUILT (2024), TOO MUCH! AN OVERWHELMING DAY, The Stars of Latin Pop series, </span><span style="font-family: arial;">BIONIC BEASTS: SAVING ANIMAL LIVES WITH ARTIFICIAL FLIPPERS, LEGS, AND BEAKS</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>, </i>and MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER. Find her online: <a href="http://www.jolenegutierrez.com/">www.jolenegutierrez.com</a>.</span><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p> </p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-4919843835056570942024-02-08T00:30:00.010-05:002024-02-08T00:30:00.135-05:00LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: THE SECRET OF WRITING BOOKS ABOUT EVENTS<p><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://www.nancychurnin.com/">NancyChurnin</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first
time I tried to turn a real-life event into a picture book, I struggled.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wD_BrUTUKaHNOuG7aX9zef7toMw3hYfCHgNcvd3zcrdksz17PBS0Jzyx1HMBGwramSumNa_VIm36nzxLsvmhOnbUEOjPBPVca-sbvIB8VaxLOX8Gac5BGlOIYljFtk6Z5hRjyHa7tc9IYX53vOMIsjbcmK-VLgvdNrouYz4cw-xKCxlvSL_41RQtswY/s642/image3.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="502" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wD_BrUTUKaHNOuG7aX9zef7toMw3hYfCHgNcvd3zcrdksz17PBS0Jzyx1HMBGwramSumNa_VIm36nzxLsvmhOnbUEOjPBPVca-sbvIB8VaxLOX8Gac5BGlOIYljFtk6Z5hRjyHa7tc9IYX53vOMIsjbcmK-VLgvdNrouYz4cw-xKCxlvSL_41RQtswY/w199-h255/image3.jpeg" width="199" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Many know
me for my picture book biographies. But if you think about it, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN and DEAR MR. DICKENS, which are often grouped with my biographies,
are actually stories of real events. Manjhi is the story of Dashrath Manjhi, who
spent 22 years chiseling a path through a 300-foot mountain to help his
village. In my first attempts at telling his story, I talked about his
childhood. That didn’t work because this was not really a story about his life,
but about what he had done that had changed his village, the people in it, and
beyond. The book didn’t take shape until I began and ended with the mountain.
Because while Manjhi is my main character, my focus is actually on his action
– moving the mountain.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9CrMr0k8vmYcOnPpHl3wDl7BajntCvB6Ji7RneHRFYFnxa_zkfCOLi6oXSF4PclAvXvGDAA0yCqYDOGz2CbOEhluKnynU_mMsEQpJVhJ3-mBkUzUqq8tIoJXKB7LK9nn0jDkwHCJjPxGTQVLWvFQmv3CXgQL0ZG-2J7FTgXrh5XVXcssi3Y1Puu2OrU/s1280/image1.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1030" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9CrMr0k8vmYcOnPpHl3wDl7BajntCvB6Ji7RneHRFYFnxa_zkfCOLi6oXSF4PclAvXvGDAA0yCqYDOGz2CbOEhluKnynU_mMsEQpJVhJ3-mBkUzUqq8tIoJXKB7LK9nn0jDkwHCJjPxGTQVLWvFQmv3CXgQL0ZG-2J7FTgXrh5XVXcssi3Y1Puu2OrU/w215-h267/image1.jpeg" width="215" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Similarly, DEAR MR. DICKENS is the story of how letters Eliza Davis wrote to
Charles Dickens made him see how ugly, hurtful and unfair Jewish stereotypes in
his novel were. I spent a long time struggling to trace Eliza’s childhood. When
I realized this was not really a biography of Eliza, but the story of how her
words changed Dickens, I started with the question of speaking up, with how
Dickens’ <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: arial;">words stirred readers to compassion and how this woman was determined
to use words to change Dickens in a way that would ultimately change his
readers.<br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a
new book coming out in July, RAINBOW ALLIES: THE TRUE STORY OF KIDS WHO STOOD AGAINST HATE, which is even more obviously a story of a real event. When
a lesbian couple comes home to find their home egged and their rainbow flag
torn down, kids in their neighborhood came up with a wonderful way to make this
family feel safe and loved again. This time I knew that while the kids were the
heroes of the story, this book had to begin and end with a kind neighborhood
that had been sullied by this ugly deed and how the kids loving act made it
beautiful again. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDUfgWzyw-r1l4mDO7jJqNyFk6MjZbZO4f8ftG9pf6uYplrCHizEAjQXf-ayWjrVXEoKDq1_28sEY-Q7Ti2Re5jTDjn0EsYtS7wzk1oAXLx526uTjetPAG3qM9s2orAWuk7G0aGIS_zQ8Ct24wa0ZplD4BV-pgOIKBWtm5P2f1OM-0ng7b5CNTdMgT-Y/s1280/image2.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1088" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDUfgWzyw-r1l4mDO7jJqNyFk6MjZbZO4f8ftG9pf6uYplrCHizEAjQXf-ayWjrVXEoKDq1_28sEY-Q7Ti2Re5jTDjn0EsYtS7wzk1oAXLx526uTjetPAG3qM9s2orAWuk7G0aGIS_zQ8Ct24wa0ZplD4BV-pgOIKBWtm5P2f1OM-0ng7b5CNTdMgT-Y/w185-h218/image2.jpeg" width="185" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">When you write about events, think about framing your
narrative around a place – like a mountain or a neighborhood – and use your
words as Eliza did to reach the hearts of your readers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7A80HxlC_SgPYvpXu2ed_BTuM6Nh2h9gqbEI90ltXoo62Dbx5hyphenhyphenb0JLD-IzpoC2T8LT-uYgptVnQYa1_V9Gxv9meFabIM1LZpmUaczHDP0D-6c0s2KPn3m00JqqVMeR67wljckCnewsC8v1A3W3PoIPD_9DLCqMdROTbBBaLNF3s-M1wI_8AS7KAZvk/s1280/NancyTHUMBNAIL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1280" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7A80HxlC_SgPYvpXu2ed_BTuM6Nh2h9gqbEI90ltXoo62Dbx5hyphenhyphenb0JLD-IzpoC2T8LT-uYgptVnQYa1_V9Gxv9meFabIM1LZpmUaczHDP0D-6c0s2KPn3m00JqqVMeR67wljckCnewsC8v1A3W3PoIPD_9DLCqMdROTbBBaLNF3s-M1wI_8AS7KAZvk/s320/NancyTHUMBNAIL.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author:</b> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of 16 books (and more on the way) that shine a light on heroes that inspire kids to be heroes, too. Her honors include the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor and Notables, South Asia Book Award, Junior Library Guild selections, Silver Eurekas, Kids Choice Awards, multiple state reading lists and starred reviews. She lives in North Texas and is a proud member of KidLitForGrowingMinds and Nonfiction Ninjas, the founders of NFFest.</span></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-87764643708113320292024-02-07T00:30:00.003-05:002024-02-07T00:30:00.137-05:00FREEDOM DREAMING IN NONFICTION WRITING <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="https://rashahamid.com/">Rasha Hamid </a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hot. Ugly. Dry. Dirty. Dusty. These were the
words my second grade students used as we kicked off a unit of study with the
question, “What do you already know about Sudan?”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">I searched for a picture book filled with
images that could inspire pride and joy in Sudan, the Sudanese people and the
Sudanese Arabic. But there weren’t any. There were a few picture books about
Sudan, but almost all of them focused on war and famine. Even atlases included
little to no information about the country we called home.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Inspired by a visit from Christopher Myers and
by his book Black Cat, with the help of photographs from my students’ families,
using artwork and text researched and created by the second graders themselves,
we made a book called KADISA.
Community members translated the text into multiple languages, and it was
shared widely throughout the school and added to our school library.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN">A few years later, I realized that I wanted </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">KADISA</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"> to be more widely available, that every child could see Sudan, in all
its beauty and wonder, reflected from the pages of a book. What started with a
freedom dream, became </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">KADISA</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">كديسة</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, a book that has brought joy, pride, and information to
children and grownups all over the world.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMXkDFTag7KkDAq-W8buzpKveYZKdIkCoK3mPlV7OHPeYpvzgeUyjyPq0eYfGsRCNQ0Magdgtj6GBFporDiGIX5XOvHvh_SwW1MjtMp8Ix2buz2FdVRn2pVCrx5M2OAkmZgorHR2IAXVhlzJKFaFFjqaFDtV5ggqho5svafhliVvDXiVIQ1TSSjQDA0Q/s598/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20114204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="598" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMXkDFTag7KkDAq-W8buzpKveYZKdIkCoK3mPlV7OHPeYpvzgeUyjyPq0eYfGsRCNQ0Magdgtj6GBFporDiGIX5XOvHvh_SwW1MjtMp8Ix2buz2FdVRn2pVCrx5M2OAkmZgorHR2IAXVhlzJKFaFFjqaFDtV5ggqho5svafhliVvDXiVIQ1TSSjQDA0Q/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20114204.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Historian Robin D. G. Kelley coined the term <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freedom dreaming</i> to describe the power
of imagination as a strategy for collective liberation - imagining the world as
it should be so we can make it so.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN">Powerful nonfiction writing at its best stems
from freedom dreams. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">KADISA</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"> </span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA">كديسة</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span> originated in a freedom dream that children could love their
homeland. My second book, HOW TO BIRD was inspired by the dream that Black and brown children would know that
birding, and the public natural spaces where we find birds, belong to them as
much as anyone else. My next nonfiction title, ETERNALLY AUTISTIC, is a freedom dream that autistic children and
their grownups will know that being autistic is just who we are, and who we
will always be.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5TGJZUa9-4kZCejDgPHdaMRxveFXuKmkZTzsqdPeilh2a4YFwxcMsXONT8Pc4W9No2nfArvW5X0BGPvE-Rs7zgEyhhQ20Fl87wbQ3S7qw6k9t2J1c5XcmDPhvCYrkiycpf0hRhTtNHDg56rAYiE10dicZHyyqma_jyH5zPbSYtiQMTMzyVQTp1G86nU/s1178/How%20to%20Bird%20Cover%20-%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1176" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP5TGJZUa9-4kZCejDgPHdaMRxveFXuKmkZTzsqdPeilh2a4YFwxcMsXONT8Pc4W9No2nfArvW5X0BGPvE-Rs7zgEyhhQ20Fl87wbQ3S7qw6k9t2J1c5XcmDPhvCYrkiycpf0hRhTtNHDg56rAYiE10dicZHyyqma_jyH5zPbSYtiQMTMzyVQTp1G86nU/w318-h320/How%20to%20Bird%20Cover%20-%201.jpeg" width="318" /></a></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are a few other impactful nonfiction
titles that I imagine started with an author’s freedom dreams: THE WEDDING PORTRAIT by Innosanto
Nagara; SOMETIMES PEOPLE MARCH by
Tessa Allen; WANGARI'S TREES OF PEACE by Jeannette Winter; and WE ARE PALESTINIAN by Reem Kassis</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">What is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your</i>
freedom dream for the world? Take a moment. Visualize it. What kind of world do
you want for our children? What information, what images, what words are needed
to make that dream a reality?</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let that freedom dream inspire your next
nonfiction book. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF3VlujrejpNU4SwBerqIk4PPj8z7agQp6pQ2UZYgH6BpfFXlBgUIG7Uo7J3X37cBmHwdqranlAdqlcTfGK4LilCw8nRC3SkwIOQGhuu0Xh5s9d3er2N3CatIS_g-BWtU0YS3uTSwUFkWSlSlEuyJHEvuaPzD0SLbffHvS8fO8-5bq6vL77dg89W8nHA/s1800/Author%20Photo%20-%201.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcF3VlujrejpNU4SwBerqIk4PPj8z7agQp6pQ2UZYgH6BpfFXlBgUIG7Uo7J3X37cBmHwdqranlAdqlcTfGK4LilCw8nRC3SkwIOQGhuu0Xh5s9d3er2N3CatIS_g-BWtU0YS3uTSwUFkWSlSlEuyJHEvuaPzD0SLbffHvS8fO8-5bq6vL77dg89W8nHA/s320/Author%20Photo%20-%201.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /></span></span><b style="font-family: arial;">Meet the Author: </b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="EN">Rasha Hamid attended NYC public schools before
earning a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies and Education at Vassar
College, and a master’s degree in Special Education at Bank Street College of
Education. Rasha has developed her practice in classrooms in East Harlem,
Hamilton Heights, Khartoum, and Brooklyn for over 25 years. Rasha is an
educator-activist—someone who works to make the world more joyful, equitable,
and sustainable through education. Rasha is proud to be the autistic mom of an
autistic young adult. Rasha also loves baking, making music, and creating all
kinds of art.<br /></span><span lang="EN"> </span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-92127015691873134862024-02-06T00:30:00.006-05:002024-02-06T00:30:00.131-05:00SEARCHING FOR YOUR STRENGHS<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />By <a href="http://www.sarahglennfortson.com">Sarah Glenn Fortson</a> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEIi65a0ajjqC23eEvKKEgTL6U2X00jTBzNWxIjWzCE16-JR5zn6j5TQVUoB4T8dPK3yLHzK4YVBCLbzXRrcGQgeRMG1Vu38gdsPLH7U0HRNebTjQr8ZgzGH3yqcKPePyXSax0rvD2d6MOIucZwFi3CGSwWw1V0E7pBTxqZNHbveJhBzQrDpp8cPbqZo/s671/91w4h2WvMDL._SY522_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="671" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEIi65a0ajjqC23eEvKKEgTL6U2X00jTBzNWxIjWzCE16-JR5zn6j5TQVUoB4T8dPK3yLHzK4YVBCLbzXRrcGQgeRMG1Vu38gdsPLH7U0HRNebTjQr8ZgzGH3yqcKPePyXSax0rvD2d6MOIucZwFi3CGSwWw1V0E7pBTxqZNHbveJhBzQrDpp8cPbqZo/s320/91w4h2WvMDL._SY522_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Recently, I’ve come across articles on the importance of knowing your strengths as a writer. We humans tend to focus on shortcomings. When we read a critique of a work-in-progress, we most likely come away thinking of the “needs improvement” suggestions.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />Trust me, it’s important to hear shortcomings. For example, my first few drafts of my book, GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE had talking bees in the orchard. At a conference, the presenter who critiqued my work said, “If this is a true story, get rid of the darn talking bees.” Except she didn’t say “darn.” Although a bit harsh, I am forever grateful that she pointed it out. <br /><br />But in this post I want to take a hard look at the Granny Smith story in search of what I did well. <br /><br />On the first page you’ll find imagery in the form of apple related words. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back England’s fog. You see Maria Ann Smith. A woman raised tough to the core.” <br /><br />In several places throughout the story, I employ alliteration. “She will plow or pick or prune. She will shear or shuck or shell.” Before the families voyage to Australia, neighbors warn her of “seasickness, shipwrecks, and seafaring pirates.” <br /><br />I’m proud of the sidebars throughout the book and the research I put into them. I was especially excited to find the actual ship manifest that listed the Smith family as passengers.<br /><br />Lyrical language also stands out in my mind as something I did well. “…husband and son are climbing a ladder to place the beam to give the roof its pitch. Maria is mixing the mud to make the mortar to hold the walls in place.” <br /><br />“She’s clearing the land to plow the rows, to plant the seedlings, to grow the apple trees.” <br /><br />And at the end, I refer back to portions of the language used at the beginning in order to tie the story together in a neat little bow. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back the branches and you will see a gray-haired lady walking between rows of trees heavy with green apples. The crunching sound is Granny Smith--biting into one of the green apples that will soon be named in her honor.” <br /><br />Now, dear reader, I challenge you. Take out your most recent work-in-progress and search for your strengths. Make a list of every aspect of your writing that gives you that sense of pride. Don’t be shy. Is there room to expand any element, or is what you have already enough? <br /><br />Good luck. I bet you find more than you expect. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZskAI4vdIEroG74WuodFFOcXIWECsPpDqfKOyPePRLyJ3M3fPeqoqbqlo4Zdqim4v5nhQa8Zj8ajhK3UGa8CCWAlOvcn88WD46OHzjzFgKu_GX81C0ccRBn5982aDJZAKnF0Q3o_Hm7H4QMhFDqOAZsEC5LFNHqCgPQFQQmG56wUB05_ZvBWspBSBIk/s208/Picture7.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="208" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZskAI4vdIEroG74WuodFFOcXIWECsPpDqfKOyPePRLyJ3M3fPeqoqbqlo4Zdqim4v5nhQa8Zj8ajhK3UGa8CCWAlOvcn88WD46OHzjzFgKu_GX81C0ccRBn5982aDJZAKnF0Q3o_Hm7H4QMhFDqOAZsEC5LFNHqCgPQFQQmG56wUB05_ZvBWspBSBIk/w234-h228/Picture7.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>About the Author:</b><br /><br /><br />GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE is Sarah Glenn Fortson’s second book published by Peter Pauper Press. It was illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod and edited by Mara Conlon. Sarah’s debut is titled THIS COWGIRL AIN’T KIDDIN’ ABOUT THE POTTY, illustrated by Russ Cox. Sarah has a degree in journalism and a Masters in Education. She currently lives in Georgia. Learn more about Sarah at <a href="http://www.sarahglennfortson.com">www.sarahglennfortson.com</a> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-69980780949713262362024-02-05T00:30:00.008-05:002024-02-05T00:30:00.152-05:00WRITING A NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: LEARNING THE RULES<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF-4OYY0DjwmKOgeKvXdlcdtRISeuFvCd1qjJADK3scyTZukySiRzWs8ZY_oU9AKWtq98cL1EuofhpnYdFqanescbaw1aNBfYpdomjcMBIMp7uenv2wIk3MODTix_HvkAYsx33J1TlJrrttSVxPg9aed4P0C_QPdK2RAZLYvTTU9vjcvrq2pBxLw9KDk/s249/Rise%20to%20the%20Sky%20copy.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="210" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF-4OYY0DjwmKOgeKvXdlcdtRISeuFvCd1qjJADK3scyTZukySiRzWs8ZY_oU9AKWtq98cL1EuofhpnYdFqanescbaw1aNBfYpdomjcMBIMp7uenv2wIk3MODTix_HvkAYsx33J1TlJrrttSVxPg9aed4P0C_QPdK2RAZLYvTTU9vjcvrq2pBxLw9KDk/s1600/Rise%20to%20the%20Sky%20copy.png" width="210" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: arial;">By </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.rebeccahirsch.com/">Rebecca E. Hirsch</a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Writing a nonfiction picture book is fun, but tricky. It's
tricky because picture books follow<br /> peculiar rules.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Many beginning writers don't understand these rules. They
think that because picture books are easy to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">read</i>, they must be easy to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">write</i>.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Wrong.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">In truth, knowing the rules is necessary for writing any kind
of nonfiction book. But it's particularly important for picture books.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">There are rules for writing an opening line, creating a
narrative arc, and crafting a satisfying ending. There are rules for how to let
an illustrator tell half the story.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was only after I began to not only read, but seriously <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">study</i>, picture books that I began to
understand these rules.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Eventually, with plenty of study—and plenty of writing
practice—I could put these rules into practice. And then my ability to write
nonfiction picture books took off.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">For more than a decade now, I have undertaken a yearly intensive
study of picture books. This regular study is vital if I want to keep writing picture
books. Here's how I do it.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step one: Keep track<br /></span></b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Every year, I set a goal to study 100 picture books. I buy a
3-ring binder and fill it with blank lined paper. This becomes Command Central
for my picture book study.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">You might prefer to use a blank notebook, or a spreadsheet,
or a Microsoft Word document, or a Scrivener file. Whatever works.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step two: Collect
books<br /></span></b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">I head to the library. Sometimes I browse the shelves for
nonfiction picture books that look interesting. Other times I bring along a list
of picture books that have won a particular award. (Whenever I come across a
list of recommended books that I'd like to check out, I print the list and add
it to my binder.)<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">I mostly choose expository science and nature nonfiction, because
that's what I write. And mostly I choose books published in the last five years.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">But I do include older books, some of which are gems.
Reading older books deepens my understanding of what makes a book stand the
test of time.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes I include a fiction book with a nature theme. Or maybe
a historical nonfiction book that's been winning a lot of awards.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sometimes I'm studying a particular author, so I'll pull
every book of theirs I can find.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step three: Read<br /></span></b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">At home, I pour myself a cup of coffee or tea. I settle into
a comfy chair, select a book from my stack, and read. Slowly. Out loud. (My dog
is a good listener.)<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">When I finish the book, I open my binder and write the date.
Then I write the title, author, publisher, and publication year of the book I
just read. This becomes a running list of the year's books.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step four: Analyze<br /></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <br /></span></span></b><span style="font-family: arial;">Next, I dig into the book critically. Sometimes I simply write
a one-paragraph summary of the book, noting strengths and weaknesses and why I
think an editor bought this book.<br /> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">But I find worksheets to be even more helpful. A worksheet
helps me focus on specific areas of writing craft, like how to write a
compelling first page. Here is a worksheet I like. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:edcf1dd0-3dcd-4f1f-8398-cd6a3b5d91ce">PB WORKSHEET</a><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step four: Copy<br /></span></b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">When I come across a book that I utterly adore, I type it word
for word, in <a href="https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-publish-a-childrens-book/childrens-book-manuscript/">manuscript form.</a><br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Typing the book helps me see how the manuscript looked when
an acquiring editor saw it for the first time. I notice things like:<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">• How many words are on each page? Does this change
throughout the book?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">• How does the author use line breaks?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">• How does the author use page turns?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">• Does the author repeat lines? If so, where and how
often do those repeated lines appear?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">• How much of the story did the author tell versus the
illustrator?<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">I print out the typed manuscript and add it to my binder. As
those typed manuscripts pile up, I can see the kinds of stories, and the styles
of writing, I'm drawn to.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Those typed manuscripts, along with my running book list, become
sources of future mentor texts. They become models I can turn to when I'm struggling
to write my own stories.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Analyzing books this way is slow. It might take me a month
to work through my stack of books.<br /></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Step five: Repeat<br /></span></b><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">When I've gotten to the bottom of my stack, I grab my binder
and return to the library to check out another stack of books.<br /> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Give it a try. </b>Decide
how you will keep track of what you're reading. Go to the library, pick out books,
read them, study them.<br /> </span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once you've analyzed a few books, pull out one of your works–in–progress.
Can you identify ways to revise it using some of the rules you are learning?<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I_M7c1ZFRgyW2sKwLvZrKN5ThJ-A4enD3EQRUL9C1Gz6iw_tXjVldnzU7Xu1T1f_778G5G1qaxUXox-6Wb5xAmbC693j09h_WH5SSx4PTNhSDYjD1SkUxWCiHEdO-ZX3xqOZhGyeOo2wCv31Fp0zXCxnHW9YO4GgAtt9FAse6eSHW_MHa4FBUbMXMoc/s427/2013rhHS-1814c%20RE%20a%20-%20cropped%20square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6I_M7c1ZFRgyW2sKwLvZrKN5ThJ-A4enD3EQRUL9C1Gz6iw_tXjVldnzU7Xu1T1f_778G5G1qaxUXox-6Wb5xAmbC693j09h_WH5SSx4PTNhSDYjD1SkUxWCiHEdO-ZX3xqOZhGyeOo2wCv31Fp0zXCxnHW9YO4GgAtt9FAse6eSHW_MHa4FBUbMXMoc/s320/2013rhHS-1814c%20RE%20a%20-%20cropped%20square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />About the Author:<br /></b></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rebecca E. Hirsch writes science and nature books for
children of all ages. Her books have received numerous starred reviews and
Junior Library Guild designations. Her picture books include PLANTS CAN'T SIT STILL and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>RISE TO THE SKY, both illustrated by
Mia Posada; and NIGHT CREATURES,
illustrated by Sonia Possentini. She has more picture books on the way,
including WONDER WINGS: GUESS WHO'S FLYING, illustrated by Sally Soweol Han, forthcoming in 2025. She offers
resources for children's writers at https://rebeccahirsch.com/writers.<br /></span><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br /><p></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-88060057320332751352024-02-02T00:30:00.000-05:002024-02-02T00:30:00.133-05:00PUTTING THE WOW IN NONFICTION <div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By <span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lolaschaefer.com">Lola M. Schaefer</a></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></p><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The world of nonfiction literature for children has exploded in the last twenty
years. From broad topics such as our solar system to highly specialized
interests such as whale fall, books abound. Some authors write just the facts.
Their books might be browsable nonfiction or biographies or straight-forward
accounts of historical events. These books offer children wonderful reference
material when they want to know more about a particular subject. But there are
also other forms of nonfiction, just as accurate, but with a more narrative or
creative style. Not to say these are better, just another way to share
information.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">So how do some writers add a WOW factor – an element that can add another layer of interest and allure? In the book THE ELEPHANTS COME HOME, the author Kim Tomsic found a real story with an emotional hook for readers. This book of narrative nonfiction shows how a relationship between man and animal can affect the lives of all. As with any strong story, the ending leaves the reader satisfied, but also provides a tug on the heart.</span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2f5496; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosF5FWiPhWSUVIrXrpgF9hUwezDyIpcHXDwe8zYNnRsjiIP4iRJ6xMr_Tr9YsmNZxCVLfNwCJYg0YfgMAc2JJu-CwUktlYxutEY5ogr9KFgTq34dEzjarmXATtxrvKmOPnnjW1qXpyq-URTRsp29yrzKNnYEBKlwHIwvU6vZ8P_EDzbA_ddk_MtH_fF4/s379/A1lBuBvL+bL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="379" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhosF5FWiPhWSUVIrXrpgF9hUwezDyIpcHXDwe8zYNnRsjiIP4iRJ6xMr_Tr9YsmNZxCVLfNwCJYg0YfgMAc2JJu-CwUktlYxutEY5ogr9KFgTq34dEzjarmXATtxrvKmOPnnjW1qXpyq-URTRsp29yrzKNnYEBKlwHIwvU6vZ8P_EDzbA_ddk_MtH_fF4/s320/A1lBuBvL+bL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">By Kim Tomsic, illustrated by Hadley Hooper, Chronicle Books</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p>
<span style="font-family: arial;">In OCTOPUSES HAVE ZERO BONES, Anne Richardson combines specific facts about the natural world with a counting book that begins with zero and ends with 9, but with a fascinating twist and an unusual pattern. Its clever presentation is one that encourages many readings to enjoy all of the information and to digest the large numbers at play.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2f5496; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxFm-G6dWTd5JJuy2sa1Q7qqcEgkVUJXt-8b68uyt1vdSeNf9_I2ohHNsEhPPvI-Q0FHbMBzrVCvcPOVFRVWFwxaEs0u19J6YJTfpT-zj83v3Pr7WGN6-qg7_oXhDVsXJ31IHP-7nMSpdEbcFtpOZzFaaMDP7rAF1IciKA6eCpaeOwHIQvpF-uO9qRWs/s327/71BxiaezOWL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="244" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxFm-G6dWTd5JJuy2sa1Q7qqcEgkVUJXt-8b68uyt1vdSeNf9_I2ohHNsEhPPvI-Q0FHbMBzrVCvcPOVFRVWFwxaEs0u19J6YJTfpT-zj83v3Pr7WGN6-qg7_oXhDVsXJ31IHP-7nMSpdEbcFtpOZzFaaMDP7rAF1IciKA6eCpaeOwHIQvpF-uO9qRWs/s320/71BxiaezOWL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="239" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 27pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Anne Richardson, illustrated by Andrea Antinori, Tra Publishing</span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jill Esbaum has a new nonfiction series with the first title being STINKBIRD HAS A SUPERPOWER. Instead of just listing facts about a baby hoatzin, Papa and the hatchling have a conversation. Both the reader and the new stinkbird don’t know the baby’s superpower. The suspense to find that out keeps building with each spread. The humor and snappy dialogue add to the WOW factor. Highly engaging, yet packed with many facts about these interesting birds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SMVZndIZZgnNX8LETyICCzWX6Go9RcgWKF5dm4auqmlXXnTtd9-hzmO4KUNpFgwU88vxB13AGQB049FJNd1btKNEp4srpVZlQTSPGwhpWtavTcAIoyMmUFqNidUGBA_zTV11VUyU5dmNK3hIiwDo9xA_hqjTatK5z9PKBLgZgrjIA4xOoctdve87ozc/s327/91Q0JD5Ds0L._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0SMVZndIZZgnNX8LETyICCzWX6Go9RcgWKF5dm4auqmlXXnTtd9-hzmO4KUNpFgwU88vxB13AGQB049FJNd1btKNEp4srpVZlQTSPGwhpWtavTcAIoyMmUFqNidUGBA_zTV11VUyU5dmNK3hIiwDo9xA_hqjTatK5z9PKBLgZgrjIA4xOoctdve87ozc/s320/91Q0JD5Ds0L._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">By Jill Esbaum , illustrated by Bob Shea, Putnam</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">There have been many career books written, but Lisa Wheeler does something no author has ever done before in SOMEONE BUILDS THE DREAM<i>.</i> Her information is written in verse and shows all the different designers, tradespeople, engineers, scientists, writers, and contractors whose work is needed to create different buildings, machines, books, or fountains. It’s a deep dive behind the scenes that offers facts about the jobs everyone brings to the table for one collaboration.</span></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gIab7DoZ5t2F7bbnLrjS_3LhWmKwRlgTQgA7GLyzKq7dZRMMg4DyW8LjYeTjUPaeiyvuWICa3Fvun3G1VsHBGCocyAtmCp2dTacGDZjno4fB0z4mzdjPqg8O5yDWxCNmsJUhV_-yqTSYFZq6UgIhzH8Culx17J6NmbUSwQkv5HBxUx1xe7TpbXzB1U0/s416/A1Z-ex9yV4L._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="416" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gIab7DoZ5t2F7bbnLrjS_3LhWmKwRlgTQgA7GLyzKq7dZRMMg4DyW8LjYeTjUPaeiyvuWICa3Fvun3G1VsHBGCocyAtmCp2dTacGDZjno4fB0z4mzdjPqg8O5yDWxCNmsJUhV_-yqTSYFZq6UgIhzH8Culx17J6NmbUSwQkv5HBxUx1xe7TpbXzB1U0/s320/A1Z-ex9yV4L._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">By Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Loren Long, Dial Books</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">When I wrote HANDS-ON SCIENCE, GEOLOGY, I wanted to engage the reader on every spread. This interactive book asks the reader to trace, jump, press, even slide tectonic plates. So far, kids (and many adults) are intrigued and delighted with this active component that helps pull readers into the basic information about Earth and rocks. <br /><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0XDPBCd9q933tucooeCkzqMUAJWNNBSqtX-DxScYofVMjK5RvKSvI0utl78o1XuEc-tLMwRM4BbaKaO8-O8HH55EwgU1RlfbvYitpAUTLPBmJq0IB8wbzP_Wl2dPQLVPBggq2VUNfgxomd6Nj20yaYSy4UEHON1LcAfbXWhHuodIMDnY22rK-NvOOWk/s331/81LZKGxUFQL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="331" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0XDPBCd9q933tucooeCkzqMUAJWNNBSqtX-DxScYofVMjK5RvKSvI0utl78o1XuEc-tLMwRM4BbaKaO8-O8HH55EwgU1RlfbvYitpAUTLPBmJq0IB8wbzP_Wl2dPQLVPBggq2VUNfgxomd6Nj20yaYSy4UEHON1LcAfbXWhHuodIMDnY22rK-NvOOWk/s320/81LZKGxUFQL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago, Charlesbridge</span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Finding a unique structure can be the WOW that brings the information to a whole new level. Think of Kate Messner’s many books in the Over and Under series. Showing what’s happening in two different places at the same time is quite attractive to many readers.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2f5496; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOFoFSsyLqObOv_kND48hQpfbSU-ZihBr3HXrPCIETQ0z2YUX5zZ2Ejx3T9-nT4AgQSSK-vneHa90CF1y1QfYk3bWwtY8pS73MTIftjQU1bhUO4dNtKBMBkDqLaRj5Vf99KMIquH32vQIptysX1_V4NJSc_01j6nwziXL8JHPGNNX57CGHGL69Qe_8mA/s327/81SWf+0fyUL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="218" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitOFoFSsyLqObOv_kND48hQpfbSU-ZihBr3HXrPCIETQ0z2YUX5zZ2Ejx3T9-nT4AgQSSK-vneHa90CF1y1QfYk3bWwtY8pS73MTIftjQU1bhUO4dNtKBMBkDqLaRj5Vf99KMIquH32vQIptysX1_V4NJSc_01j6nwziXL8JHPGNNX57CGHGL69Qe_8mA/s320/81SWf+0fyUL._AC_UY327_FMwebp_QL65_.webp" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white;">By Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, Chronicle</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Art
can add a layer of humor as in A HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR WITH PROFESSOR CHICKEN by Hannah Holt. Chickens wearing everything from
loincloths to thongs, chemises to corsets, definitely adds the WOW factor to
the comprehensive information in this book. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_hiyCh0DTObEE9BxnykbgNZ4ncl1mqPtjy_alNRj5pJTR1lq9OvBTzODQa7wCOdcNH8JyX-ojbjXQPyi_xNAJC7EpyuK7efdFbiZyVSL9sGyWOrGuX2GIVjSeJJR4O0jlO2bbGB5ptFPll36717JzMO8CeZkEd6wi80ESIViQrA2ySMJSzC21aoVTB0/s437/51xXT4nx8OL._SX342_SY445_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_hiyCh0DTObEE9BxnykbgNZ4ncl1mqPtjy_alNRj5pJTR1lq9OvBTzODQa7wCOdcNH8JyX-ojbjXQPyi_xNAJC7EpyuK7efdFbiZyVSL9sGyWOrGuX2GIVjSeJJR4O0jlO2bbGB5ptFPll36717JzMO8CeZkEd6wi80ESIViQrA2ySMJSzC21aoVTB0/s320/51xXT4nx8OL._SX342_SY445_.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: arial; text-align: left;">by Hannah Holt, illustrated by Korwin Briggs, Roaring Brook Press</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">No
matter what form of nonfiction you choose to write, the one element that always
makes a reader say WOW is new information. Depending on the age of reader, this
can vary quite a bit. Today’s child streams information from many sources and
their prior knowledge about most topics is greater than any other generation
before. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So,
how do you find new information that will astound them? From experts. Research
the men and women who devote their lives to your topic. From these experts, you
will learn specific details that you won’t find in books or videos. Sometimes
they reveal new findings that are relevant to your subject matter. If what they
share excites you, it will certainly excite your readers and make them
repeatedly say WOW!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 11.25pt 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUCIcn68JHUFIQgsua55TcyYurADQAvz4oMC9oR4ixWmJe9AsXRYHrIGn-99Aj6ahHik3u4St5Xo1TCC6wQqi5YZFnED-lWg5ICTsZHapzZm4MBBMJFt-D3t1YSTGUpPP6fiyrjTnUZFW4h0HGQczs0ILpiMJ8Hp7NfpKUEKVovbKqP-KcvPCZlVmzas/s3501/Lola%20Pub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3501" data-original-width="2517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUCIcn68JHUFIQgsua55TcyYurADQAvz4oMC9oR4ixWmJe9AsXRYHrIGn-99Aj6ahHik3u4St5Xo1TCC6wQqi5YZFnED-lWg5ICTsZHapzZm4MBBMJFt-D3t1YSTGUpPP6fiyrjTnUZFW4h0HGQczs0ILpiMJ8Hp7NfpKUEKVovbKqP-KcvPCZlVmzas/s320/Lola%20Pub.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br />About
the Author:</b></span></span></span></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 11.25pt 0in 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="color: #545454;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lola’s professional life
centers around children and literacy. She has published more than 280 books in
the past 30 years with trade, school/library, and classroom publishers. She is
a writing consultant in elementary and middle schools, as well as a frequent
presenter at writing conferences and workshops. You can learn more about her
at: www.lolaschaefer.com</span></span></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 27pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 27pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p></div>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-85985177600042616142024-02-01T00:30:00.315-05:002024-02-01T00:30:00.137-05:00 WELCOME and WRITING FACT BY FACT <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By <a href="http://peggythomaswrites.com">Peggy Thomas</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; line-height: 107%;">Welcome to NF FEST 2024! The Ninjas and I are super excited
to celebrate the art and craft of writing nonfiction all this month with you.
Every guest blogger has been incredibly generous sharing their stories and
providing a wealth of information that will help you no matter where you are on
your writing journey. We encourage you to show them some love by following
their social media and reviewing their books on Amazon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We also want you to join the conversation! Tell
us what you think in the comments section and on our </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4732524910949814811/8598517760004261614"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">NF
Fest Facebook page.</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> It helps us plan future
posts. In fact, today’s post comes directly from a comment we had on our
Facebook page. Someone (sorry, I can't remember who) mentioned that
it would be helpful to see how facts from multiple sources can be pieced
together to make a factual scene. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkwumfjMGeX7IJyvkR2FeV7KjOrOecugEj3nwF7DmIcNGr8ijSOgVbL-JdFH6CXuwuzYam-SViyAfTXPi0ANzzNjN28swRqXv_IG4NnDmNca8tMxpGOWs20x0cuebB3Hb5zFUC0JGH96baPIUUQv8usYm7mRDEszhnjNgoJVVCyngXYc09LW71Sz5qbw/s278/6340374_orig.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="250" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkwumfjMGeX7IJyvkR2FeV7KjOrOecugEj3nwF7DmIcNGr8ijSOgVbL-JdFH6CXuwuzYam-SViyAfTXPi0ANzzNjN28swRqXv_IG4NnDmNca8tMxpGOWs20x0cuebB3Hb5zFUC0JGH96baPIUUQv8usYm7mRDEszhnjNgoJVVCyngXYc09LW71Sz5qbw/s1600/6340374_orig.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Before I write a sentence, scene or chapter, I ask
myself, “What do I want this bit of text to do?” Introduce a topic, elicit an emotion,
explain a complex concept…? It is important, especially in picture books, for every</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> part of your story to have a purpose. For example, in
THOMAS JEFFERSON GROWS A NATION I needed to reinforce Jefferson’s ideal of a
nation of farmers, and transition the reader from Jefferson's early days in the
White House to his purchase of the Louisiana territory. Here is what I came up
with: <br /><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">
Through the geraniums growing on the windowsill,
Thomas could watch cattle graze in the distant meadow. How many times did his
imagination look even further west across an entire continent to picture “a
rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land”?</span></i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">It is just two sentences cobbled together with
facts from four primary sources</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">:</span></span></p><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_2" language="JavaScript">
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zW9pKWA4mdWZCBydSaBUYn01Bb1dYoC1X8sfXq9tA7lI6-OsLyr6ThyR-nVE-E-yZ1FuUsc5LUI9CCmqiYzc1BgCUdsnILjmtjTetSjlBfGk6TM5yEo0bW3TyUOtRvwcZspTwDGommza12EZpeEgySYjCcFgL-Tv7bRrOAG4EhYQkvqD2IzWmBuapAk/s1735/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20114321.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1735" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zW9pKWA4mdWZCBydSaBUYn01Bb1dYoC1X8sfXq9tA7lI6-OsLyr6ThyR-nVE-E-yZ1FuUsc5LUI9CCmqiYzc1BgCUdsnILjmtjTetSjlBfGk6TM5yEo0bW3TyUOtRvwcZspTwDGommza12EZpeEgySYjCcFgL-Tv7bRrOAG4EhYQkvqD2IzWmBuapAk/w640-h292/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20114321.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiaxBq3ZnvvZerEpW9rkwPXHJVjI8L-2r9ddnYnLwTW7QXrD8L88YTBVwsqvE-Skq4b1bHbVMEaYov9CttS-Tltjpi4AUe4C1Tgohjacmlb08GlAFUQLWvHUQ5mKJWQsAWA_5XEej9Q1NQ7whp5TRO1Z9fm8rChLlTourGD2s8rynyrYMlY5z-ABDBeM/s1249/hero-for-the-hungry-cover-900w.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiaxBq3ZnvvZerEpW9rkwPXHJVjI8L-2r9ddnYnLwTW7QXrD8L88YTBVwsqvE-Skq4b1bHbVMEaYov9CttS-Tltjpi4AUe4C1Tgohjacmlb08GlAFUQLWvHUQ5mKJWQsAWA_5XEej9Q1NQ7whp5TRO1Z9fm8rChLlTourGD2s8rynyrYMlY5z-ABDBeM/s320/hero-for-the-hungry-cover-900w.jpg" width="231" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br />Here is another example from HERO
FOR THE HUNGRY: THE LIFE AND WORK OF NORMAN BORLAUG. I had never used a
prologue before, but in this mid-grade biography I wanted a brief scene that 1.
showed where much of the action would take place. 2. revealed Norm’s character.
And 3. explained why the reader should care about his story. I chose to write
the scene where Norm learns that he has won the Nobel Peace Prize. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Rather than
write the whole thing out, here is some of the information I used and why I
used it:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">The setting is a Mexican wheat field. But I included certain
details to show that this isn’t a typical farm. The men are Romanian,
Brazilian, Mexican and American. They are standing in a <i>sea of
thigh-high wheat </i>(readers will later learn that prior to Norman’s work
most wheat was very tall).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">I show Norm standing <i>in the middle of a small group of
men, heads bent to hear every word their teacher says.</i> He is <i>sweat-stained
and dirty under the hot Mexican sun.</i> Hopefully, the reader gets a
sense that Norm is important, a leader, but also not afraid to work hard. He
leads by example. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Then Norm's wife shows up. <i>Alarm bells go off in Norm’s
head… Has one of the children been in an accident?</i> He’s a caring
family man.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">When his wife says he won the Nobel Peace Prize, <i>Norm
shakes his head. “That can’t be, Margaret. Someone’s pulling your leg.” He
waves Margaret off, then turns back to his wheat-breeding students. Why on
earth would anyone give him the Nobel Peace Prize? </i>I want the
reader to get the sense that Norm is humble and more interested in the work
than in accolades. Also, he won the Nobel Peace Prize!? Maybe I should keep
reading to find out why. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt;">Each detail from the sweat stains to Norm's thoughts came from
multiple sources: recorded interviews with Norm, old newspaper clippings,
archival photographs, and first-person recollections of the event. But pieced
together they reveal a factual scene that does the job.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.85pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Does every paragraph of <i>your</i> current project have a purpose?
What do you want a particular passage to convey? Once you know that, gather your
research notes and write your scenes fact by fact. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuSD9zpxR7OoKo-Ka76dn1Q3x2d76RmMvvB2ZxpYH-97O66ym2e7hhOiWU40xVtjZzbmhA_cs0UjML3GcG3-vSsleenAh8_F0OPx9PmPeNz5ls7WQu9QW80OnzVdAPLOsiwtHR35dH5uMllORPb_mD4D8EO7Kb4BQEwebQyDd7urHDFVfyoEATzr8-7s/s572/Peggy%20Thomas.%20headshot.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="429" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuSD9zpxR7OoKo-Ka76dn1Q3x2d76RmMvvB2ZxpYH-97O66ym2e7hhOiWU40xVtjZzbmhA_cs0UjML3GcG3-vSsleenAh8_F0OPx9PmPeNz5ls7WQu9QW80OnzVdAPLOsiwtHR35dH5uMllORPb_mD4D8EO7Kb4BQEwebQyDd7urHDFVfyoEATzr8-7s/s320/Peggy%20Thomas.%20headshot.jpg" width="240" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />About the Author:</b></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A co-host of NF FEST, Peggy is the author of 28 award-winning nonfiction titles and co-author of ANATOMY OF NONFICTION: HOW TO WRITE TRUE STORIES FOR CHILDREN. Her newest books, THE SOIL IN JACKIE'S GARDEN (Feeding Minds Press) and A FAMILY OF TREES (Phaidon Press) will be released in May. Peggy loves nature, gardening and helping new writers to grow. For information on critique services and mentorships, visit her website <a href="http://peggythomaswrites.com">peggythomaswrites.com</a>.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-25790402420590152442023-11-07T00:30:00.038-05:002023-11-07T00:30:00.130-05:00BUILDING YOUR MARKETING TOOLKIT<p><span style="font-family: arial;">By Peggy Thomas<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9Btkwx6xB3ZfV5FtC_d5K4UijgipMpnMZgqw1hAD2BnFN5A1fqB7ybBOHN69UaXRR6_a2hOhYFs6TmQeJkcUGvRmHGQrOrbNfi7i9oSAzLqfrXkZrZdNYQBA9eLNK_1EiKxNV4xbgxp2j7Czr9RBSm-YFDwYdjrm7DxdsfXkCjDN0kRTjQJp8OZqLyI/s643/Screenshot%202023-11-06%20110505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="643" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9Btkwx6xB3ZfV5FtC_d5K4UijgipMpnMZgqw1hAD2BnFN5A1fqB7ybBOHN69UaXRR6_a2hOhYFs6TmQeJkcUGvRmHGQrOrbNfi7i9oSAzLqfrXkZrZdNYQBA9eLNK_1EiKxNV4xbgxp2j7Czr9RBSm-YFDwYdjrm7DxdsfXkCjDN0kRTjQJp8OZqLyI/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-06%20110505.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Once you have sold your manuscript, revised, and met
editorial approval, you will inevitably get an author questionnaire from the
marketing department. I dread filling these out because I usually don’t have
the information at my fingertips. Instead, I’m doing google searches for bookstore
contact info and slogging through my files to find the last time I was
interviewed and by what press. So, I suggest building your marketing toolkit
now, so you’ll have all the material in one handy place.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Start with:</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Your bio: I have a short one that is about 50
words, one that is around 100 words, and a fuller bio of about 300 words. Most
people request the short one, but be prepared. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A list of honors, awards, or prizes you have
received: for writing, unless you are a champion pole vaulter and your book is a
how-to. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Academic affiliations: Universities or colleges
you attended, degrees and dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A list of your books: Also keep a list of any
magazines, newspapers, or journals you’ve written for. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A list of blogs where your work has appeared.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Your digital presence: Are you on Facebook, X,
Instagram? List your account names, which hopefully are the same or similar to
keep you “on brand.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A list of media contacts: You don’t have to know
a specific person, but list the names and contact details for local newspapers;
television news; regional magazines, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now comes the tricky part. Marketing departments want to
know <i>who</i> you know. Who might be willing to endorse your book, or write a
blurb? Which “influencers” could help spread the word through social media? This
is where I struggle because I don’t like to bother people. But I know these
folks are vital to a book’s success. So, make a list of your support team. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Author friends. The Ninjas are always
cross-promoting each other. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Experts who helped with research.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The subject’s family if you wrote a biography – Nancy
Churnin says the families are some of her best book cheerleaders. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Teachers and librarians who support your work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Influencers are people on social media who have a large
following. Look for parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone who may have a special
connection to your subject matter. My new title is a board book about forests,
so I am making a list of parent influencers who have a special interest in nature.
Fueled with this information, the marketing department can reach out, provide a
digital review copy in the hopes that the influencer likes it enough to post a
review, recommend, or host a giveaway. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">I am also compiling a list of organizations centered around
trees and forests. According to Tessa Houstoun, marketing manager for Phaidon Press,
she can then ask if they would like to host a giveaway or offer a discount code
to their members. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Last but not least, make a list of holidays related to your subject.
Besides Arbor Day and Earth Day, there is also National Forest Day, National Love
a Tree Day, Plant a Tree Day, International Day of Forests, and National Forest
Product Week. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">So, start making your lists, and when that author
questionnaire comes, you’ll wow the marketing department with your PR prowess. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">For more ideas on marketing check out <a href="https://writersrumpus.com/2023/11/03/why-picture-book-authors-make-the-best-marketers/">Chelsea
Tornetto’s blog post</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Happy Marketing!</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-pjf1Mqp9mUAoHkKbtTLyL0zWF5uu9UtPb427qZKPBfzAsRGNECGcG83DBaSSS4GqGSgIKF0XI7ao7LkIbtD4RTa4rVtmJ-NG4XGy31b20B-lHqK3C6lVhX7AP9yyosNpOnHaV3gTJ3tXSt8RKLNc89Dq1FHC8jzJSySkotICeay1TxrXZ9fTeJpeV2o" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="404" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-pjf1Mqp9mUAoHkKbtTLyL0zWF5uu9UtPb427qZKPBfzAsRGNECGcG83DBaSSS4GqGSgIKF0XI7ao7LkIbtD4RTa4rVtmJ-NG4XGy31b20B-lHqK3C6lVhX7AP9yyosNpOnHaV3gTJ3tXSt8RKLNc89Dq1FHC8jzJSySkotICeay1TxrXZ9fTeJpeV2o=w229-h344" width="229" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;">About the author:</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial;">Peggy Thomas is happiest with her feet in the soil and her head in the trees, and now after dozens of award-winning books she will finally have a book about soil and another about trees. THE SOIL IN JACKIE'S GARDEN (Feeding Minds Press) and A FAMILY OF TREES: MY FIRST BOOK ABOUT FORESTS (Phaidon Press) will be released in May 2024. <br /><br /></span></p>Peggy Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17783764591208338610noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-51461474420851127592023-09-06T09:55:00.001-04:002023-09-06T10:01:42.697-04:00Winners of 2023 NF Ninja PB Contest <p> It was a tough decision!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had over 120 amazing entries. And we read every single one. More than once! That's how hard it was to choose winners from this talented field of contestants. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you to everyone who was brave enough to share their stories. Thank you for being a part of the NF kidlit community. And thank you for being such an amazing group of caring and sharing writers!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now drum roll, please....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XnlhvTyVZ1NpCPzAmNDfkB7BWZAF8RXZ6xTVJpdRy4CAwQvw1rmK3J_OhjOrszoCrvJEqMbIXyfooWxhHFJJl0oHu-QR5ZUeZzoS-DyNh0vH8lsy_n1TykjVJC04tBV8YRZsLRX81rBeThNxDXL0zk2_WKu69WE1t56KAFWdYFbKLTmxwjHlNqZrniia/s2000/Green%20with%20Circles%20Promotion%20Announcement%20(Letterhead)%20(16)%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XnlhvTyVZ1NpCPzAmNDfkB7BWZAF8RXZ6xTVJpdRy4CAwQvw1rmK3J_OhjOrszoCrvJEqMbIXyfooWxhHFJJl0oHu-QR5ZUeZzoS-DyNh0vH8lsy_n1TykjVJC04tBV8YRZsLRX81rBeThNxDXL0zk2_WKu69WE1t56KAFWdYFbKLTmxwjHlNqZrniia/w649-h842/Green%20with%20Circles%20Promotion%20Announcement%20(Letterhead)%20(16)%20(1).jpg" width="649" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Stephanie Bearcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014743232206545023noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-51294280905578510452023-08-01T02:00:00.000-04:002023-08-01T02:00:00.268-04:00Use Your Writing Strengths<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;">By Christine Liu Perkins</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiCV0lKXpqviR5HFUX1R-7O-w7Lo8e_gJOoCMUNi6x0s71qMyVPHnM1tbyhvqGSuaW_YfJ_DNVtISLJEP0LDrIIZkqcCk4Y5UrgBo94Wpl4GG1ZPgf_als4YCMfTVZ827juYG8AT445QLl48xRWPV3Vt57t8IgXyrPzIQo6_exYVlkjTdAFxj9ZFFdQ/s960/woman-with-bible-814163_960_720.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="960" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiCV0lKXpqviR5HFUX1R-7O-w7Lo8e_gJOoCMUNi6x0s71qMyVPHnM1tbyhvqGSuaW_YfJ_DNVtISLJEP0LDrIIZkqcCk4Y5UrgBo94Wpl4GG1ZPgf_als4YCMfTVZ827juYG8AT445QLl48xRWPV3Vt57t8IgXyrPzIQo6_exYVlkjTdAFxj9ZFFdQ/s320/woman-with-bible-814163_960_720.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Being aware of our writing weaknesses is helpful so we can work on them. On the other hand, being aware of our writing <em style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; position: relative;">strengths</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;"> can help guide us to our best creative work — and the joy that comes with it.</span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;">Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould observed, "The problem is that the things you're good at come naturally. And . . . what comes naturally, you </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; position: relative;">don't</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; position: relative;">see</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;"> as a special skill." Gould recommended that we discover and pursue what we're good at, rather than fret over our weaknesses. (</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; position: relative;">Uncommon Genius: How Great Ideas are Born: Interviews with 40 MacArthur Fellows</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px;"> by Denise Shekerjian, p. 3) </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">Over the years I've experimented with writing personal essays, articles, folktales, picture books, rhyme, biography, how-to's, inspirational pieces, historical fiction, contemporary novels, book-length nonfiction, and academic papers. As I experimented, I noticed things about myself:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; list-style-image: initial !important; list-style-position: outside !important; margin: 5px 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.3em !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><li style="background: none; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I dive into research for whatever I'm writing. I revel in the treasure-hunting and unexpected discoveries. I even find myself making excuses to do research!</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; list-style-image: initial !important; list-style-position: outside !important; margin: 5px 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.3em !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><li style="background: none; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I love finding connections between ideas that seem unrelated. It's fun to weave pieces together into a new framework</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; list-style-image: initial !important; list-style-position: outside !important; margin: 5px 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.3em !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><li style="background: none; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">My writing tends to be concise, clear, and logically organized.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; list-style-image: initial !important; list-style-position: outside !important; margin: 5px 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.3em !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><li style="background: none; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I persevere when a project is meaningful to me. Whether or not it gets published, I feel the pursuit is worthwhile because I learn something of value. </li></ul><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">Recognizing my writing strengths helped me figure out that nonfiction is my niche. Knowing my strengths makes it easier to decide which projects to pursue — projects that will keep me happy through the (sometimes years-long) process of working on them.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">What are your writing strengths? How can you use your strengths to bring you joy in your writing?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">For more thoughts on this topic, check out these two blog posts:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">Amy Benson Brown, "The Importance of Recognizing Your Strengths as a Writer"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="https://academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/v-the-importance-of-recognizing-your-strengths-as-a-writer" href="https://academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/v-the-importance-of-recognizing-your-strengths-as-a-writer" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(85, 186, 245) !important; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 300ms ease 0s;" target="_blank">https://academiccoachingandwriting.org/academic-writing/academic-writing-blog/v-the-importance-of-recognizing-your-strengths-as-a-writer</a><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;">Colleen M. Story, "The One Thing Writers Miss When Trying to Improve"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;" /><a data-cke-saved-href="https://writershelpingwriters.net/2019/04/the-one-thing-writers-miss-when-trying-to-improve" href="https://writershelpingwriters.net/2019/04/the-one-thing-writers-miss-when-trying-to-improve" style="background-color: white; color: rgb(85, 186, 245) !important; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 300ms ease 0s;" target="_blank">https://writershelpingwriters.net/2019/04/the-one-thing-writers-miss-when-trying-to-improve</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mxlx713Gjj1nz-yBSzMsSKfFb_JzAxHnvZWY95-HfKKpOviZPMluS71kVQUi3GeTN8-SStBvMa2LR-LWbOjnkYtUQAeJV3AqqUGo0_qRo8ac94f_qe6nebe5KJ0CZGHZEsh4CMSV-EMx3NoLjPSjMTp9LjW66Sgmca1vQePmeJvnhBhswvoeGjk3Zg/s375/Chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mxlx713Gjj1nz-yBSzMsSKfFb_JzAxHnvZWY95-HfKKpOviZPMluS71kVQUi3GeTN8-SStBvMa2LR-LWbOjnkYtUQAeJV3AqqUGo0_qRo8ac94f_qe6nebe5KJ0CZGHZEsh4CMSV-EMx3NoLjPSjMTp9LjW66Sgmca1vQePmeJvnhBhswvoeGjk3Zg/w160-h200/Chris.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #3e3e3e; font-family: Montserrat; font-size: 18px; text-align: justify;"> Learn more about Christine Liu Perkins and her writing strengths at <a href="http://www.christineliuperkins.com">www.christineliuperkins.com</a></span></div>Stephanie Bearcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014743232206545023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4732524910949814811.post-7751547384046953362023-07-16T17:08:00.007-04:002023-07-16T20:03:31.369-04:00NONFICTION NINJA Writing Contest is now OPEN!!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7bv4oW-ew3Q0MAl51Vz7be-5cTtxBMIpRZFwUNCMHy8OaH_aRi1WWcPcNktCgUqKSOYpNtE5fe4haEIg6tgWBXE7kYDo6jBgZirZ3a9oLu48krz4baIYSM7rOUYhUYMuPQddeZ1fUWRBJbW5ps0LBnEMPzS-mo7cDQGY7ltd2UC0xjS7Yh4-V12_8HPT/s2000/Contest%20open!%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7bv4oW-ew3Q0MAl51Vz7be-5cTtxBMIpRZFwUNCMHy8OaH_aRi1WWcPcNktCgUqKSOYpNtE5fe4haEIg6tgWBXE7kYDo6jBgZirZ3a9oLu48krz4baIYSM7rOUYhUYMuPQddeZ1fUWRBJbW5ps0LBnEMPzS-mo7cDQGY7ltd2UC0xjS7Yh4-V12_8HPT/w494-h640/Contest%20open!%20(1).jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br />Stephanie Bearcehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014743232206545023noreply@blogger.com0