In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time: The Problem with Anachronisms

By Stacy Nockowitz

I was disappointed in the final season of Stranger Things. In the four previous seasons, the mid-1980s details in the series were pretty spot on– the shopping mall, the wall phones, the Kate Bush music. I was a teen in the 1980s, and the show really brought me back to those days of cassette tapes and Sam Goody stores. So, the lazy writing exhibited in Season 5 really bummed me out.

The moment that epitomized this uninspired effort happened when one of the main characters exclaimed, “My bad!” as the gang was running amok. When I heard him say those two words, I was sucked out of the story faster than Ms. Pac Man chomps up cherries. No one said, “My bad!” in the 1980s. It wasn’t a thing then. Anachronisms like that in historical pieces take your readers (or viewers) out of the setting you’ve so carefully crafted, slingshotting them back to their present.

Historical accuracy means everything. This is true for literary nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, and, of course, historical fiction. Even the smallest details– especially the smallest details– need to be true to the time and place you’re writing about, lest you ruin your credibility as a writer.

As I wrote my 2022 historical fiction, The Prince of Steel Pier, I had to do meticulous research about what was and was not applicable to the year 1975 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I was eight years old in 1975, but I could only rely on my memories so much. What stores and attractions lined the Atlantic City Boardwalk in 1975? If you’re thinking casinos, you’d be wrong. Gambling wasn’t legal in AC in 1975, and casinos didn’t open on the Boardwalk until later in the decade. In one scene in my book, a truck full of televisions is being offloaded in a parking lot. What brands of televisions would have been on the truck? And what did those TVs look like? For me, researching means finding primary sources and cross-checking information across multiple sources. Televisions in the mid-1970s were not thin, “smart,” or even cable-ready devices from Samsung and LG. They were boxes, even cabinets, of tubes from Zenith, RCA, and Magnavox.

Though I tried to be as accurate as possible, I still made a few mistakes. After I sent an early draft of The Prince of Steel Pier to a friend, she pointed out that supermarkets weren’t using plastic bags in 1975; they only used paper. A grocery bag filled with arcade prize tickets plays a big role in the book, so I was grateful to my friend for finding that anachronism in my draft.

 Avoiding anachronisms requires something called horizontal research, a term I used often when teaching information literacy to students in my years as a school librarian. Horizontal research means opening multiple tabs across your browser so you can check facts from several sources against one another. But what sources should you use and which should you avoid? I taught students to avoid using Wikipedia, or any user-edited site, as a definitive source. Primary sources are always best, but don’t take their veracity for granted either. Whose account are you reading? What are their biases? Are they professionals in their field? Examine photos carefully, especially in these days of AI manipulation. Absolutely anyone can post falsehoods online, so check and double check facts using trusted sources like library-vetted databases and websites.

My next book is a picture book biography of the 18^th century writer Emma Lazarus. Just the other day, as I was working on revisions of the manuscript, I was reminded of just how vulnerable we all are to having anachronisms work their way into our writing. After rechecking my sources, I changed a number from six to five. I know that sounds like a pretty negligible alteration, but if I’m going to put my name on a book, the difference between six and five is monumental.

About the Author: Stacy Nockowitz is a retired middle school librarian and former language arts teacher with 30+ years of experience in middle grade education. She holds Master's Degrees from Columbia University, Kent State University, and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut middle grade novel, The Prince of Steel Pier (Kar-Ben), won the 2022 National Jewish Book Award for Middle Grade Literature. The Prince of Steel Pier was a PJ Our Way selection in October 2022 and March 2025. Stacy has spoken at education and writing conferences all over the country, including as the Keynote Speaker for the Garden State Book Awards in 2024. 

PSSST…Did You Get the Memo About Writing Nonfiction PB Bios?

By Vivian Kirkfield

The word on the street is that editors don’t want nonfiction PB bios. They say the market is saturated.

 

But then I see book deal announcements about Nonfiction PB Bios. And I receive requests from authors for space on my blog to celebrate their upcoming Nonfiction PB bios. 

 

So what’s going on?

 

I’m not sure. But, I think if you want to write a nonfiction PB bio, you should do it! 

 

One of the most important elements will be your topic. Editors are looking for something fresh and relatable. Even if the main character is someone we all know or the event is something we all learned about, we need to  give the story a new focus that hasn’t been explored before. That’s what Lisa Rogers did in Woody's Words: Woodrow Wilson Rawls and Where the Red Fern Grows. I’d heard of Where the Red Fern Grows but didn’t remember reading it – and after reading Lisa’s picture book, I immediately read Where the Red Fern Grows. And isn’t that what we want our books to do? We want them to encourage kids to be curious and seek to learn more.

 

In addition to choosing a topic that captures the editor’s attention, here are the 3 L’s that might lift your submission to the top of the pile and tilt the acquisition scales in your favor.

1.  LANGUAGE: Pay attention to each word because in picture books, as in the #50PreciousWords contest I host, every word counts.

How you structure your sentences and the language of the narrator impacts the emotional connection the reader makes with your story.

Level up the strength of your verbs…and you’ll be able to eliminate some of those adjectives that add to the word count but not to the power of the scene.

You can also use poetic and literary devices such as  simile, metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, and wordplay.

And, speaking about play…lighten your spirits as you write and have fun with your words. Once you get the rough draft done, you can always go back and edit. Even when your manuscript is acquired by an editor, there will probably still be revisions. Of all my published books, only one manuscript was accepted without making any tweaks.

2.  LAYERS: What does an editor or agent mean when they say they are looking for more layers in your story? I always thought it meant creating a story that contained many hooks. For example, Pedal, Balance, Steer: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World is a story that would appeal to readers who are interested in bikes, travel/world geography, and women’s rights.

According to author Irene Lantham, “The reality is that if your story is going to be printed as a picture book, it needs to have enough to it to bring readers back to experience it multiple times.” Lantham wrote a great post to help folks understand how her book, Nine, included layers added, not only by herself, but by the illustrator, Amy Huntington, and the Charlesbridge editor as well. It’s a sibling story and a story about turning nine…with nine nonet poems, each with nine lines…and even the book size is a 9x9 inch square. Here’s link to Irene’s post: https://suebe.wordpress.com/2020/04/29/how-to-add-layers-to-your-picture-book-story/

3.  LOVE: Are you passionate about the person, place, or event you are writing about? I truly feel that a writer needs to have an emotional connection with their manuscript. Are you honoring someone whose accomplishments went unnoticed? Have you uncovered an event that you feel a strong connection to? Is there a place that evokes powerful feelings when you visit it or even think about it? I believe we need to be passionate about our topic in order to accurately research it and then, authentically portray it with our words. During research for my book about Annie Londonderry back in 2018, I came across the name of Lucy Stone--it was unfamiliar even though the information said she had inspired Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to become women’s rights advocates and activists. How had I not heard of her? I had to find out more and had to write the story so that she’d receive the recognition she deserved. I was thrilled when One Girl's Voice became a book.

And that’s the thing. These wonderful narrative nonfictions that we write serve a great purpose. They provide engaging stories about real people, places, or events that may spark curiosity and inspire young readers to imagine a better world…and hopefully, work together to create it.

 

Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. A former educator, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and on her blog where she hosts the #50PreciousWords writing contests for adults and children. Her nonfiction narratives like Making Their Voices Heard, Pedal, Balance, Steer, and One Girl's Voice bring history alive for young readers and have received accolades including the New Hampshire PBS Literary Award of Excellence, CRA Silver Eureka, Social Studies Notable Trade Book, Best STEM Book K-12, Bank Street College of Education Best Book, and Junior Library Guild Selection.

The Power of Creative Non-fiction

By Kathy Kacer

In my non-fiction writing, I am constantly treading a fine and careful line of staying true to history and trying to engage my readers in meaningful stories. It’s a balance that requires both respect for the truth and a storyteller’s instinct for emotional resonance. Creative non-fiction has become essential as a narrative craft in present-day literature. It blends fact and storytelling, turning real events into stories that touch the heart and teach the mind.

Creative non-fiction is built on truth. The people existed. The events happened. The emotions, though interpreted through the writer’s lens, stem from authentic experience. Yet truth alone does not always make a compelling story. What elevates non-fiction into something more meaningful is the way the writer chooses to tell it—through vivid scenes, re-imagined dialogue, character development, and a pace that rises in tension. These tools illuminate the interior lives of individuals and creating a meaningful bond between reader and story.

Creative non-fiction can be especially powerful for younger readers because it blends the emotional pull of a story with the grounding precision of real events. When children encounter history, science, or personal experiences through vivid scenes, engaging characters, and clear narrative arcs, the information becomes easier to understand and far more memorable. This genre helps young readers connect emotionally with people, encouraging empathy and curiosity. At the same time, because the stories are rooted in fact, creative non-fiction builds critical thinking and a deeper awareness of the world. It invites young readers to learn not just by absorbing information, but by experiencing it through the lens of a compelling, true story.

A good example of this genre in action is my latest book, Last Known Address: The Stumbling Stones of Europe. The book uncovers the lives of individuals who were deported or killed during the Holocaust, using small brass stones placed outside former homes. The stories in the book transform historical record into something deeply human, inviting readers to imagine daily routines, family bonds, and the fragile moments before lives were forever altered. It is precisely this blend of truth and narrative craft that makes the book a good example of creative non-fiction’s power.

In a world where facts can feel fractured and attention is fragile, creative non-fiction reminds us that true stories, told expressively, have the power to live on.

About the Author: Kathy is the acclaimed author of more than 30 books for young readers that focus on stories of the Holocaust. They include The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, To Look a Nazi in the Eye, To Hope and Back, and Last Known Address.

 

A winner of the Jewish Book Award (Canada and the U.S.), and the Yad Vashem Award for Children’s Holocaust Literature (Israel), Kathy has written unforgettable stories inspired by real events. Published in 20 countries, she travels the world speaking in schools and libraries about the importance of the Holocaust and keeping its memory alive. Kathy lives in Toronto.