How I Use Mentor Texts for Craft

By Nell Cross Beckerman

Today I would like to share with you how I have used mentor texts in a granular, practical way: to get your first words on the page. Beginnings (and endings!) are some of the hardest parts of crafting your text, so any hacks to make it easier? I’m in!

I wrote my first three books, Down Under the Pier, When the Sky Glows, and Caves, in my “cloffice”—my closet office, the only place in the house I could close the door. When that got old, we moved to a new house where I fin ally had my own office. Which was great…until I realized when I turned on my computer that something had changed. My fingers felt frozen and my mind was static. I had writer’s block!

Around that time, I had been inspired by walks on my local hiking trail, called the Park to Playa trail. I knew I wanted to write a story about how paths and parks connect communities and bring us closer the nature. But for the first time, I couldn’t figure out how to start.

So, I did what I always do when faced with a new challenge in my publishing career. I thought: What would Kate Messner do?  (WWKMD). Ever since discovering Kate’s book Over and Under the Snow (published by Chronicle, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal), I have followed her as my unofficial mentor-from-afar (although I have been lucky enough for a few personal encounters!)

I love Over and Under the Snow so much I could recite it by heart. It is a lyrical adventure of a father and child as they cross country ski through the wonderland of woods that seem to be in their backyard, observing and learning about the animals over and under the snow (aka the “subnivean zone”) Through this adventure, the family bond deepens, the setting feels intimate and local, and the reader learns some STEM concepts without realizing they are learning at all. Perfection.

What if I used Kate’s introductory text, but swapped my words for hers? Wait…but isn’t that plagiarism? Definitely not what I’m proposing! Not imitating the story, but studying the craft. Let me show you what I mean:

Kate’s opening lines are simple and magical:

 Over the snow I glide.

Into woods frosted fresh and white.

 First, I sat down to pick apart why I liked these lines so much. I never studied creative writing in college and have no background in education (I’m a former documentary TV producer.) I’m still learning terms like “assonance” and “consonance.” But, I have been a reader my whole life, and I know when I like how words sound when I say them out loud.

 In layman’s terms, I noticed:

•   The repeated long sounds of “O” (over, snow)

•   The echoed long “I” sounds in I glide and white.

•   Alliteration of frosted fresh.

•   The inverted sentence structure: Over the snow I glide instead of I glide over the snow.

Here’s what I tried, using Kate’s structure but swapping in my own words.

                               

Kate’s words	My words
Over the snow I glide.	Up the path I climb   (repeating “p” sounds)
Into woods frosted fresh and white.	Stepping from pavement to earth, leaving the river of cars behind.   (Continuing the “p” sounds, repeating “v” sounds, repeating “I” sound in “climb” and “behind”)

 

As you can see, I already have veered off from Kate’s structure in the second line. Turns out, I just needed her to hold my hand for that very first line to get my fingers in action.

Those lines disappeared in revision, so there is no visible trace left of Over and Under the Snow in From Park to Playa: The Trails That Connect Us (published by Abrams, illustrated by Sophie Diao.) But I will always be grateful to Kate’s book for helping with the building blocks of mine.

How to Use This Strategy in Your Own Writing

If you find yourself staring at blank screen with an idea lodged in your head, try this:

•            Choose a mentor text you love, especially one with a tone or structure that fits your project.

•            Copy the text in full, by typing it out or writing it longhand. Follow line breaks and page turns. This will help the style seep into your creativity bank.

•            Study the opening lines closely. Listen for repeated sounds, rhythm, and sentence structure.

•            Swap in your own words, Mad Libs–style, using the same structure. Verb, noun, adjective, etc!

•            Let go of the result. This is a warm-up, not a final draft. Just gets words on the page so you can get your idea out.

I hope it goes without saying that you shouldn’t do this for a full book! That would be creepy, and I’m definitely not advocating anything that smells like plagiarism in any way shape or form.

I’ve only used this method once, but it’s a tool I’m grateful to have in my toolbox. And sometimes that’s all you need—a mentor text to hold your hand just long enough to get you started.

There are so many ways to use mentor texts to help your writing.  I hope you’ll join me and NF authors Laura Purdie Salas (please link to https://laurasalas.com/), Michelle Schaub (please link to https://www.michelleschaub.com), and Jolene Gutiérrez (https://www.jolenegutierrez.com/ ) as we reprise our NCTE panel Writers Inspiring Writers: How Both Authors and Students Use Mentor Texts to Reach Their Writing Dreams, hosted with writing prompt breaks from the Southern Nevada Writing Project (https://snwp.org/), offered for free on Zoom. Visit NellCrossBeckerman.com for details to sign up.

If you’ve tried something like this, I’d love to hear about it. What mentor text helped unlock your writing? 

About the Author: Nell Cross Beckerman is the author of Scholastic’s multi-award-winning series, Adventure Through Nature (Caves, Volcanoes, and Forests) and the forthcoming Coyote & Me (Beach Lane Books, illustrated by Yas Imamura.) Sign up for book, teaching, and event updates at NellCrossBeckerman.com

WRITING A NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: LEARNING THE RULES

By Rebecca E. Hirsch 

Writing a nonfiction picture book is fun, but tricky. It's tricky because picture books follow
peculiar rules.

 
Many beginning writers don't understand these rules. They think that because picture books are easy to read, they must be easy to write.
 
Wrong.
 
In truth, knowing the rules is necessary for writing any kind of nonfiction book. But it's particularly important for picture books.
 
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.
 
It was only after I began to not only read, but seriously study, picture books that I began to understand these rules.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Step one: Keep track
 
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.
 
You might prefer to use a blank notebook, or a spreadsheet, or a Microsoft Word document, or a Scrivener file. Whatever works.
 
Step two: Collect books
 
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.)
 
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.
 
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.
 
Sometimes I include a fiction book with a nature theme. Or maybe a historical nonfiction book that's been winning a lot of awards.
 
Sometimes I'm studying a particular author, so I'll pull every book of theirs I can find.
 
Step three: Read
 
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.)
 
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.
 
Step four: Analyze
 
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.
 
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. 

PB WORKSHEET

 
Step four: Copy
 
When I come across a book that I utterly adore, I type it word for word, in manuscript form.
 
Typing the book helps me see how the manuscript looked when an acquiring editor saw it for the first time. I notice things like:
 
• How many words are on each page? Does this change throughout the book?
• How does the author use line breaks?
• How does the author use page turns?
• Does the author repeat lines? If so, where and how often do those repeated lines appear?
• How much of the story did the author tell versus the illustrator?
 
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.
 
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.
 
Analyzing books this way is slow. It might take me a month to work through my stack of books.
 
Step five: Repeat
 
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.
 
Give it a try. Decide how you will keep track of what you're reading. Go to the library, pick out books, read them, study them.
 
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?
 
 

About the Author:
 
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 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.
 

Kids Connect to Kids

By Linda Skeers 

Tackling a picture book biography can be daunting! You’ve done your research, read books

and articles, taken notes and have stacks of facts. Sometimes too many facts. Way too many! How can you sum up a person’s life for a child?

       One way is to narrow your focus on just one aspect of their life – their childhood. Children love to know what people were like when they were their age. It makes an instant connection between your subject and your reader.   

       As you research, look for anecdotes, stories and incidents from your subject’s childhood.
Keep these questions in mind --What inspired their future endeavors? Was their skill, talent or aptitude apparent in their early years? Did they have a defining moment that led them down a particular path? Was their future success or achievement hinted at years before they discovered their life’s purpose?

     Here are a few outstanding mentor texts that focus on a person’s childhood:

Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim
     An inspirational story highlighting Civil Rights leader John Lewis’s desire to encourage people to think, feel and act. But who can he practice his empowering speeches on when he’s just a young farm boy?
     The flock of chickens he’s tending!

Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglas by Lesa Cline-Ransom
     As a child, Frederick Douglas dreamed of a future where everyone was treated equal. He knew he had to do one important thing before that could happen – learn to read. No matter how difficult or how many obstacles he faced, he knew he MUST succeed.

Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
       Almost all children have a favorite stuffed animal. So did Jane Goodall. She adored her stuffed chimpanzee which led her to a life devoted to studying, living among and helping animals.

Before He Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane by Carole Boston Weatherford
       John Coltrane LOVED all the sounds of his childhood. And what he heard as a young boy helped shape his amazing musical career.

       Dig deep and search for those special childhood moments in a person’s life that have shaped their future. Having a child read about someone’s younger days and CONNECT to them is an amazing accomplishment. Imagine them closing a biography and thinking, “Hey, they are just like me!” or “I’ve done that, too” or “I know how that feels.”

     Not only will your reader gain a deeper understanding into someone else’s life, they will believe that they too, can do amazing things in their life.
           
     Because after all, we all started out as kids.