Nonfiction topics may seem straightforward to write: you
pick a topic, research it, and relay what you’ve learned. But those of us
writing nonfiction for kids know the truth; every topic provides infinite
stories within it. As soon as we start drafting our manuscripts, we’re faced
with endless decisions. Where should the
narrative begin? Where should it end? What should be included in the main text,
and what should be left for backmatter?
All of these decisions shape our stories, making them
unique, even if the topic has been well-covered before. This is good news; it
means that there is room for our own story of a familiar topic. This is also challenging
news; it means that writing our manuscript is anything but straightforward.
How can we decide what information to include in our (often
short) manuscripts and what information goes? Here are a few strategies I’ve
used while draft and revising.
Find your “why”
When I begin drafting a nonfiction manuscript—after I’ve
researched the topic and have gotten thoroughly lost in the details—I think
about what themes I want to draw out in the manuscript. I often ask myself why
I care about the topic—why I wanted to write about it in the first place. For
me, these are often emotional themes, such as feelings of wonder, hope, or
community. With this in mind, I start thinking about how the structure of the
story can support those themes.
If you ever feel lost in a topic, asking yourself why you
care about it can be a clarifying way to regain your focus and find your way
into your version of the story.
Think of backmatter
as a “parking lot”
The final version of A
Few Beautiful Minutes did not include a lot of the information that was in
my early drafts. Often, my early drafts contain more facts than I could
possibly include in a final draft, but getting them into the story helps me
shape the narrative as I revise. One trick I love is using my draft backmatter
as a sort of “parking lot.”
If there is information in the main text that I’m unsure is
needed, I will move it to the backmatter. Then, I’ll put the manuscript away
and reread with fresh eyes a few weeks later. If I don’t miss the information
in the main text, I’ll often leave it in the backmatter. If, alternatively, the
text feels incomplete upon rereading, I’ll move the information back into the
main text.
Experiment!
Early in my revision process, I often rewrite my manuscript
from a blank page 3-5 times. I’ll experiment with different nonfiction
structures and narratives until I hit upon one that feels right. This is my
favorite part of the writing process because when I find the best way to tell my story, I feel unbridled joy. It’s the
feeling of finally figuring out a difficult crossword puzzle or of discovering
gold (I imagine, having never actually done that). Sometimes, this moment
reveals itself easily and sometimes it takes years of failed starts, but, no
matter what, it reminds me how much I love writing nonfiction.
Crafting nonfiction that can captivate kids is an iterative
process. One that requires patience, perseverance, and the willingness to fail.
As we try—and try again—to find our way into a topic, we eventually find the
version of the story that’s truest to our authorial voice and intent. The one
that no one else could write.
About the Author:
Kate Allen Fox is an
award-winning children’s author from southern California. After working in
public health, she combined her passions for science and the written word and
began writing picture books that inspire wonder and curiosity about the natural
world. Her works include: Pando, A Living Wonder of Trees (Capstone, 2021), A Few Beautiful
Minutes: Experiencing a Solar Eclipse
(Little, Brown Young Readers, 2023), Winter Solstice Wish (Beaming Books, 2024), and Scratching
the Surface: Exploring Earth's Layers
(Capstone, 2025). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and McSweeney’s. Find her online at kateallenfox.com or on Instagram @kateallenfox.