Voices From Our Past, Stories For Our Future

By Lesa Cline-Ransome

As a child, I was not a fan of history.  For me, history was battles, dates and old white men.  What I loved was English.  Words.  Language.  Stories.  I even looked forward to Friday spelling tests.  But when my teachers pulled down the oversized map at the front of the room or asked us to open our social studies textbooks, my eyes glazed over.  It would be years before I realized that stories are the foundation of both history and English. 

In the early 1970’s, I stood out in my class.  Not because of my academic abilities, but because as the often only African American in my class, there were topics that would cause noticeable discomfort among my classmates and ultimately myself. The discussions of slavery painted my entire ancestry with one broad brush of victimhood and were portrayed in stark contrast to the narrative of the kindly white abolitionists and Union soldiers and a tall bearded President who did all of the work in navigating the freedoms of their black brethren.  

Our textbooks noted only a smattering of African Americans who made contributions to the country throughout the hundreds of years of American history--Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman--notable figures who were painted as rare exceptions, a credit to their race, among a host of whites who seemingly built this country, unaided, from the ground up by their sheer ingenuity, tenacity, intellect, and perseverance.  

The more I began to read outside of my classroom textbooks, the more I learned about my own history and the history of other marginalized and underrepresented groups.  And it was then that I started writing.  I began writing picture book biographies to fill in the gaps where my history belonged.  I wrote stories of athletes in  Satchel Paige, Game Changers:  The Story of Venus and Serena Williams, Major Taylor:  Champion Cyclist, and Young Pele:  Soccer’s First Star, and how their struggles to compete, to be recognized, to overcome racism and segregation in sports meant I never saw their names alongside those of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio.  I wrote stories of freedom fighters Frederick Douglass, Ethel Payne and Harriet Tubman, whose quest for freedom, equity and truth meant they left behind a legacy of courage. 

I write of artistic legends Louis Armstrong, Teddy Wilson, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de Saint George, whose authentic words and music refused to be silenced and forever altered our cultural landscape.

Diving into history to uncover the stories of the vital roles people of color have played in the shaping and building of this country has led me across the political, cultural, educational, and religious spectrum.  It has at times filled me with frustration, exhilaration, contemplation, and nearly always led me to the question, “How did I not know this?”  The answer is so simple and abundantly clear--These stories were never there for me to read.  

But the beauty of writing comes in discovering your subjects anew, and introducing them to the world.  By allowing their voices to be heard on the pages of each book we write, we hear their struggle and sacrifice, their hopes and dreams.  Placing them in historic context links together moments in history like connecting the pieces of a puzzle. 

In my elementary classrooms, the history that centered on the role of African Americans was focused in slavery or in the Civil Rights movement.  But the richness of our experience didn’t begin and end with those milestones.  We can’t begin to discuss the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s without discussions that include Jamestown, the role of resistance throughout slavery, Reconstruction, Westward Expansion, The Great Migration, African Americans in the military, and The Harlem Renaissance.  

Textbooks today are seeing modest changes in their attempts to provide a more balanced, less Eurocentric view of history, but there is a long way to go.  In the recent New York Times article, “Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories,” Albert S. Broussard, author of the Texas and California edition of McGraw Hill textbooks stated, “American history is not anymore the story of great white men.” 

As a nonfiction author, the job I have is to tell the truth. The sometimes very ugly, hurtful, painful truth. While textbooks have, and often still do, omit the crucial stories that provide a complete, unabridged version of events, my history cannot be erased. 

 Non-fiction biographies help to bridge the gap by revealing the crucial role of African Americans in the building of this country and demonstrate how the lessons from a troubled history can provide a roadmap for a better future.  They give young readers a broader understanding of our shared history, our culture and our strengths.  

These stories hold value not only for the underrepresented children sitting in classrooms, but for all children. 

 When I look back to find voices from the past, I am looking forward, too, into a future that remembers that a history that tells the honest, balanced, authentic, stories of everyone, is a history that belongs to all of us.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lesa Cline-Ransome’s first book was the biography Satchel Paige, an ALA Notable Book and a Bank Street College “Best Children’s Book of the Year.  She later created Major Taylor: Champion Cyclist, Young Pele, Words Set Me Free,  Light in the Darkness, Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson, Light in the Darkness, Freedom’s School, My Story, My Dance, Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis Armstrong and Germs: Fact and Fiction, Friends and Foes, and Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams.  Her verse biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet received five starred reviews, was nominated for an NAACP image award, and received a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration.  Her debut middle grade novel, Finding Langston, was the 2019 winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor.  The sequel, Leaving Lymon will be released in Spring 2020.  

Lesa’s books have received numerous honors and awards including NAACP Awards, Kirkus Best Books, ALA Notable, CBC Choice Awards, two Top 10 Sports Books for Youth, and an Orbis Pictus Recommended Book. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband, and frequent collaborator, James Ransome and their family.  Visit her at www.lesaclineransome.com.

 

ABOUT THE PRIZE

One lucky winner will receive an autographed copy of Before She Was Harriet.

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The Power of Repetition

By Rob Sanders

As a teacher, I know the power of repetition. Let me say that again, repetition. Yes. repetition. Don’t believe me? Consider what others have to say on the subject:

• “Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.” —Oliver Napoleon Hill
• “The eight laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition.” —John Wooden
• “Repetition is the mother of education.” —Jean Paul

If repetition is such a powerful teaching tool, then it stands to reason that repetition is also an important tool for nonfiction writers to keep in their toolboxes. Let’s explore some ways to incorporate repetition into your manuscript.

THE RULE OF THREE

It seems that good things come in threes in picture books. A triad of words, phrases, names, adjectives, and so on can be pleasing to the ear and can also provide a feeling of completeness or wholeness in a manuscript. These triads are known as the Rule of Three. Things that come in threes are thought to be more persuasive. In addition, three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern, and patterns can make content more memorable. One less and you feel unsatisfied, one more and it feels overdone. You can find the rule of three in familiar phrases such as:

·         We came. We saw. We conquered.

·         Tora! Tora! Tora!

·         Stop! Look! Listen!

·         Blood, sweat, and tears.

·         Cool, calm, and collected.

Of course, the rule of three isn’t limited to three words strung together. Consider this use of the Rule of Three by Winston Churchill:

            We shall go on to the end,

            we shall fight in France,

            we shall fight on the seas and oceans,

            we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air,

            we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be,

            we shall fight on the beaches,

            we shall fight on the landing grounds,

            we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,

            we shall fight in the hills;

            we shall never surrender.

The use of the Rule of Three usually slows the pacing of a story since it causes the reader to emphasize each word or phrase. So, this crafting technique is both visual (how it appears on the page), aural (how it sounds when read aloud), and oral (how it is spoken).

A GOLDEN THREAD

Politicians, preachers, and other public speakers often use Golden Threads in their speeches and sermons. Phrases such as I have a dream; Now is the time; Together we can. Together we will. Together we must.—are woven through a presentation to evoke emotions, provide continuity, and leave a lasting impression with listeners. Most of these speakers may not use the term Golden Thread. Instead, they may call the approach they’re using anaphora—a Greek term meaning repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of several sentences. Whatever you call it, it’s a powerful tool to engage listeners and readers.

Often found in fictional texts, a Golden Thread is a technique where a recurring phrase or set of words is woven throughout a piece of writing. My students discovered a Golden Thread in the historical fiction novel Winnie’s Great War by Lindsay Mattick and Josh Greenhut. The phrase “You’ll always be my bear,” is uttered by almost every character who comes in contact with Winnie. So prevalent is the Golden Thread that the fourth graders I was teaching could sense when the dramatic moment was coming (usually when the character was about to say goodbye to Winnie) and they would join in speaking the phrase together. The primary functions of the Golden Thread are to “tie” together the writing and to provide a feeling of completeness. But Golden Threads can do much more heavy lifting than that.

In her book, I Could Do That! Ester Morris Gets Women the Vote, Linda Arms White uses the phrase I could do that throughout the story. The Golden Thread not only holds the story together, but it gives insight into the main character, Ester Morris. Ester’s confidence and competence grows over time as she faces small challenges (learning to sew and make tea, for instance) to larger tasks (opening her own business and moving West to Wyoming) to monumental undertakings (convincing politicians to grant the women of Wyoming the right to vote and running for office herself). With each endeavor, Ester’s character is revealed with the Golden Thread, I could do that.

In Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag, I use a heftier Golden Thread to communicate the theme of the book. My Golden Thread morphs, using stronger verbs in each of its three uses, and then is summarized in a simpler fashion at the close of the book. Take a look . . .

     Harvey dreamed that everyone—even gay people—would have equality.

     He dreamed that he and his friends would be treated like everyone else.

     He dreamed that one day, people would be able to live and love as they pleased.

                        ***

     Harvey and the people asked for equality.

     They asked to be treated like everyone else.

     They asked to live and love as they pleased.

     They hoped the march would make a difference.

                        ***

     The people demanded equality.

     They demanded to be treated like everyone else.

     They demanded to live and love as they pleased.

     They were proud. They had hope. They would make a difference.

          ***

     Equality.

     Pride.

     Hope.

     Love.

     Harvey’s dream became a flag for us all.

REPETITION, REPETITION, REPETITION

      

Forms of repetition aren’t limited to the Rule of Three and Golden Threads. As you read and analyze nonfiction texts, be on the lookout for other ways repetition is used. Then analyze your own writing to see where repetition might help you emphasize a point, create pacing, give insight into a character, establish a theme, and more. You’ll be glad you did. Glad, I tell you. Glad.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes. He is known for his fierce and funny nonfiction and fiction. His 2020 releases will include The Fighting Infantryman: The Story of Albert D. J. Cashier, Transgender Civil War Soldier (Little Bee); Mayor Pete: The Story of Pete Buttigieg (Henry Holt): and Bling Blaine: Throw Glitter not Shade (Sterling). Visit Rob’s website at www.robsanderswrites.com and follow him on Facebook (RobSandersWrites) and Twitter (@RobSandersWrite).

ABOUT THE PRIZE  

One participant will win an autographed copy of Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag.

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Finding Untold Stories in Your Hometown

By Alice Faye Duncan

Schools and libraries require a great supply of nonfiction books to support academic instruction. That is GOOD NEWS for the nonfiction writer.

Conflict arises when writers find the nonfiction market glutted with books related to their special interests. Consider the Holocaust and the American Civil Rights Movement as two examples. Annual publishing catalogs are replete with books that provide pathways for young readers to explore these two historical events. Your book on either one of these topics might be unique and needed, but it is likely a publisher will say, “We have one of those--already.”

I propose that nonfiction writers enter the market by exploring important, but seldom told histories and biographies found in their city or town. It is my opinion that writing about the significant, but obscure, improves a writer’s chance in landing a book contract. I also suggest that you draw from local history because you were shaped by that community. This shaping equips you with a ready voice and perspective, suited to bear witness on the living page.

Where do you find important, but unexplored histories connected to your city? I have three suggestions:

(1) Visit local history and art museums.

(2) Explore special archive collections at the local public and academic libraries.

(3) During family fellowship and reunions, interview senior family members concerning their personal histories and life experiences in your city or town.

When you find a local history or hero that inspires your writing interest, let me suggest three online resources to stoke your research for photographs, video and biographical facts. These sources include:

(1) the Library of Congress--www.loc.gov

(2) the American National Archives— www.archives.gov

(3) newspaper coverage—www.newspapers.com.

When it comes to my writing journey, I live in the city of Memphis. If anybody is going to write about the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968, it should be me. Many of the striking workers lived in my South Memphis neighborhood and went to my local church.

What is your city?  What is your town? What local histories require your perspective and voice? The dead talk. The dead want to be heard. Are you listening? Resurrect untold histories. Educate the children.

Furthermore, authors are urged to use primary sources and up-to-date scholarly works in their bibliography.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alice Faye Duncan is the author of Honey Baby Sugar Child, Just Like a Mama, A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks, and Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop—which received a 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor medal. For more information about Alice Faye, her books, and current research, she can be found at www.alicefayeduncan.com.



ABOUT THE PRIZE

One lucky winner will receive two prizes from Alice Faye! She is giving away a digital copy AND an autographed copy of her picture book, A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks. 

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You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered NF Fest participant and you have contributed one comment below. 

Threading the Needle: Discovering the Author/Subject Overlap

By Bethany Hegedus

When crafting a biography—you aren’t just telling your subject’s life story—you are sharing a part of your heart. Yours. The authors. And you are working to connect that heart—your heart, your subject’s heart—to the reader’s heart. How can we do that?

By being in tune with your story, as much as the subjects, and tying that to the reader takeaway. We need to prick our own hearts. We need to bleed—just a little. We need to be sharing our own personal beliefs, hopes and pains.

Uh-oh, I hear you grumbling. Bethany, wait a second. Doesn’t that break all the rules?

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe, it’s all a fine dance, where the steps laid in drafting and revision, do eventually become invisible. But that doesn’t mean, that we as the “dancers,” didn’t take them intentionally, planning every footstep and movement. We think about what the reader needs to know—and when? We change scenes with the move of a page turn. With pacing and sentence structure, we can weave story threads together. To be drawn to a subject there has to be a “why”—a deep “why” for ourselves and our readers.

And we must do all this AND stay true to the facts. Creative nonfiction, which almost all nonfiction these days is, simply means we writers can use the tools that all writers have at their disposal: voice, character, setting, pacing, repetition, refrain, subtext. We must consult our primary and secondary sources, listen to speeches, and read books, taking deep notes. But the real magic begins to happen, when we are able to connect the subject’s narrative through line to our own, and then to a deep need our readers may have. When that happens, feelings are felt. In us. In our readers.

How?

Subtext! And what do I mean by connecting the subject’s narrative through line to our own?
In biography—for me—a phrase to describe that subtext is a phrase I heard Libba Bray, the YA wunderkind, use when she was teaching a YA intensive with us at The Writing Barn, in thinking about character development—to “thread the needle” tying together your writer heart, the character heart, and then the heart of the reader.

So how does that work in nonfiction?

For me, I start with a deep connection to the subjects I am drawn to. Harper Lee. Mahatma Gandhi. Maya Angelou. Jimmy Carter. Each of these figures shaped the “me” I am. Their books. Their words. Their life’s work lived inside me and beside me, long before I decided to attempt to write a picture book biography of their lives. So, whose life and life’s work has always meant much to you? Some would call these figures personal heroes. Or maybe they were “influencers” before the term got attached to products and Instagram. Who are the scientists, artists, social justice figures that made you YOU? Start there, with a personal connection.


Next, dig in and do the research. We can’t decide the through line ahead of time. Through the research, we must discover and unearth it. How did they become who they became? What obstacles did they face? How did they distinctly persevere? And in doing so we must think about those things for ourselves—what obstacles have we faced, or are we facing? Where do we share the same beliefs? And as much of ourselves as we are investing, our blood, sweat, and tears--we must think of the reader. The child reader. What do they need in their lives—what about your subject’s life will speak to them, inspire them? What is the impact—the reader takeaway—the emotional “ah-ha” you want to leave the readers with. Perhaps it is even something you need. That you too have struggled with.

Grandfather Gandhi did not come together until I embraced that the book was about anger and shame. Arun was angry and ashamed about that anger. As a child I was often angry and made to feel ashamed of that anger—instead of learning how to transform that anger into action—as the Mahatma does for his grandson, Arun. In schools, I have powerful conversations with students about anger, about what happens when we don’t express it, among the learning about life at the Sevagram ashram and the work of Gandhi and its impact on our country through the work of Dr. Martin Luther King. Lightning or lamp? The book asks. Kid readers get to answer that for themselves.

Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird is not just the telling of how young Nelle Harper Lee wrote America’s most beloved book. It is a story about why childhood matters. Nelle’s childhood? Yes. My childhood? Where I merged Scout and Ramona into the same spitfire girl I wanted to be? Yes. But more than that, it’s a story for the reader, of how and why what is happening to them in their lives right now might be used in their futures as they work to “live a life of their own design.”

Rise: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People, Maya Angelou is more than a birth to death narrative about the great Maya Angelou’s resilience and ability to process trauma. It is about discovering one’s voice, using it in times of deep despair. It is about community. The healing power of the written and spoken word. For me, the key takeaway is, “there is no safety in silence.” Maya Angelou’s books, her activism, her performances told us this—and today’s readers need to hear it. As a truth teller myself, I need to hear it.

Hard Work But It’s Worth It, The Life of Jimmy Carter's central through line embodies a question. Why does hard work yield strong results only for some people? When this realization dawns on young Jimmy Carter, as a favored white man in the deep South, he sets about to make changes in the statehouse and eventually the White House, working for justice and equality because it is “right and fair.” And in his continued humanitarian work—former President Carter continues to define what it is to be an ally—long before that word was a part of our society’s lexicon. Discussions about white privilege and allyship need to be had. By me. By our teachers. By today’s readers. We all need to do what is right and what is fair—and not just for ourselves but for our communities—large and small.

I have a few more biographies in the publishing pipeline—and though I can’t reveal the subjects—I can reveal that what I believe, what my heart needs to hear, and to heal—is threaded into each and every biography I write.

Not at the expense of the subject.

Or at the expense of the reader.

Or to glorify my own journey.

But as a way to connect us—to pull tight the thread of human suffering, human dignity, human change, human hope.

So go thread that needle!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bethany Hegedus is a novelist and picture book author who lives and works in Austin, Texas. A graduate of VCFA, Bethany is the founder and creative director of The Writing Barn, a writing workshop and retreat center, where writers study online and in-person. She speaks and teaches widely and is the host of the Courage to Create Podcast. Find her online at bethanyhegedus.com

ABOUT THE PRIZE

One winner will receive a signed copy of Hard Work But It's Worth It and another will receive free admission to Bethany's class on picture book range:https://www.thewritingbarn.com/class/picture-book-range-with-author-bethany-hegedus/ 

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What Makes a Winning Nonfiction Proposal?

By Stacey Graham

You have the idea, you’ve got the chops, and you’re ready to write a nonfiction book that blows their socks off—but where do you start on a proposal for an agent or editor that will make your idea stand out? Like all good adventures, we begin with a plan.

A nonfiction proposal is essentially a business roadmap. It details what the book is about, why you’re the best person to write it, shows that you’re cognizant of what goes into marketing and promotion, and can discuss comparative titles. By giving this information to an agent, and later an editor, you’re helping your book to advance to the next round in what I like to call Thunderdome—the acquisitions board meetings. The more information an editor has, the better prepared they are to fight for your book to become one of their titles that year.

So, let’s break down the format.

• First page: Title: 20 pt Arial | Your name: 16 pt Arial
• Font: Arial, 12 pt in body of proposal/sample chapters
• Heading 3 for sections: Overview, About the Author, Marketing, Promotion, Competition, and Chapter Summaries

1. Overview: Write a 1-2-page overview of your book and how it is needed in the marketplace. Why is this book needed now, who will read it, and why is it relevant? Write tight. This area is where you convince the agent or editor to keep reading and we have very short attention spans. 

2. Author bio: A 1-page bio of why you're the best person to write this book. Include publishing credentials and sales figures, your involvement in this subject, and what organizations you are involved in that are relevant to your book.  

• Include a recent headshot.
• Keep it professional. Family may be mentioned but it can’t be a focal point.
• Flaunt your platform. How many people come to your website a month? Twitter followers? School visits? Guest posts? Podcast guest? Academic papers? Is your work related to this topic? Professional organizations you’ve been involved with surrounding that subject?
• If you do not have extensive professional experience in this subject, what made this project perfect for you? What research have you done that makes you the right person at the right time for this book? 

3. Marketing: Include ideas on how you plan to reach them, then list how you plan to do it by using your established platform. Mention website hits, speaking engagements, appearances on radio or television, social media followers if substantial—give them solid numbers to back up why you're the best person for this project. If writing for children, include why your book is important for them to read. If targeting an adult market, how do you reach those readers? 
  

• Include gift-giving, specialty groups, etc. Think outside of the norm for whom your book will reach.
• Who will buy this book? Break it down into groups. Get specific.
• How will they get it? Gifts? Park bench? Impulse buy?
• Once your target market has bought the book, think of who they will recommend it to or give as a gift.

4. Format of the book for nonfiction: How long (word count) will it be? When is the estimated completion date after signing the contract? (Usually 3-6 months.)

5. Promotion: Include website, trailers (I'd love to see more trailers for nonfiction), upcoming conferences or conventions, plus other ways you'll promote your work. Make it conversational, not a list of things you’re planning to do.

• Add conferences that you have been to/will be planning to attend. National conferences add heft to your proposal so if you’re going, be sure to include which ones, especially if you’ll be presenting or having a table.
• Contests, social media (add links), how your website (add link) will promote the book.
• Which podcasters/media contacts/ television/radio/bloggers will you reach out to for promotional opportunities? Have you been on their programs before?
• What bookstores will you be approaching for signings? Include national and regional chains as well as indie stores. Don’t restrict yourself to a 100-mile radius. Local stores are a fantastic resource but publishers would like to see that you’re willing to do the footwork often needed in promotion as well.
• Are you able to be a part of local author events or festivals? There are festivals for everything out there, get involved and be a part of their community!
• Don’t forget to look at conferences or conventions that don’t immediately spring to mind. Go outside your comfort zone when looking for locales to promote your work.
• Dig a little. Get creative!

6. Competition: Include 3-4 recently published (within five years) books that compare with your project. List the title, author, year it was published, and publisher. Write a brief summary of the book and how yours would be different. Include a book cover with each comp title.

7. Chapter outline: List the chapters with titles and a short description of each.

8. Sample chapters: Introduction plus two chapters. Present as a separate document, formatted with title page and then chapters to follow.

Tips

• Please edit thoroughly for grammar, links, flow, and substance.
• Add page numbers (not first page).
• Use page breaks between sections to prevent overflow.
• Agents and editors often read on e-readers or their phone so test your proposal in those formats to make sure they are easy to read.

A nonfiction proposal is an excellent tool to help writers focus on the bigger picture for their book as well as broadening a readership you may not have thought of at first glance. Get creative, think out of the box for your marketing and promotional ideas, and have fun!

About the Author

Stacey Graham is an agent with Red Sofa Literary, specializing in middle grade, romance, and nonfiction (though usually not all at the same time). She loves to read about weird kids and even weirder nonfiction. Please visit her website at www.agenstaceygraham.com or on Twitter: @staceyigraham. 

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