I have a confession to make. Normally I read every book before I post about it here, but–just this once–I was going to cheat. As much as I’ve been dying to read PURE GRIT by Mary Cronk Farrell, my to-do list is huge right now: writing new books (I’m currently working on EIGHT separate manuscripts and/or proposals!), promoting BE A CHANGEMAKER, volunteer projects (SCBWI Western Washington conference anyone? There are still a few spaces!), critiques (three full-length novels await!), family, pets, home… and let’s not forget, TAXES! To top it off, I was still recovering from the flu when I came down with this most recent cold. I’m months behind on a few things, with many other deadlines looming dead ahead. So, I sat down planning to just skim it for the time being, write the post, and come back later when I had time to settle in, read it in more detail, and take it all in.
Today I’m thrilled to welcome back author Deborah Hopkinson. I interviewed Deborah here previously in a more general sense, but this time I’d like to talk specifics about her latest book, KNIT YOUR BIT, coming from Putnam Juvenile on February 21, 2013.
KNIT YOUR BIT is a fictionalized account of the real “Knit-In” event at Central Park in 1918. Despite being fiction, it was heavily researched to get the historical details right, and readers can learn a lot about the time, World War I, and the people who lived then.
Please help me welcome back Deborah!
LT: Hi, Deborah. It’s great to have you back. I love KNIT YOUR BIT and how it melds a fictional story with a nonfiction event. How did you first become interested in writing about this topic? Where did the seed of the story come from?
DH: The seed of this story actually dates back some years, to my first professional job. After graduate school I stumbled into a career in fundraising, which I have pursued ever since, in addition to being a writer. My first position was Staff Writer for the American Red Cross in Honolulu. DH: As part of a history celebration, I wrote some articles for the organization’s newsletter and stumbled upon one of firemen knitting in World War I. I loved that image. As a writer interested in history, I collect books on a wide variety of topics. At some point, thinking about the upcoming anniversary of WWI, I remembered that photo and began reading about the history of knitting. Eventually, in Anne L. Macdonald’s NO IDLE HANDS, THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN KNITTING, I found a reference to the 1918 Central Park Knitting Bee, and that’s where the story began. LT: What kind of reader do you think this book will appeal to? DH: I think that my editor, Shauna Rossano, and the illustrator, Steven Guanaccia, have done wonders to make this story appealing to young readers. I hope people who love crafts and knitting will be interested. I know that I often sign copies of my picture book, SWEET CLARA AND THE FREEDOM QUILT, which are being given as gifts to adults. I hope folks will give KNIT YOUR BIT to friends (women and men, as well as boys and girls) who knit. LT: What was your research process like for this book?
DH: Like many of my picture books, KNIT YOUR BIT is historical fiction inspired by real people or events, and includes an author’s note about knitting for soldiers during World War I.
DH: The New York Times published an article on the knitting bee back in 1918, and some of the details of the prizes awarded are pulled directly from that piece. I also researched and got permission for the historic photos on the endpapers, which include one of sheep grazing during World War I on the White House lawn. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to track down permissions for the Makiki fire station photograph, but I have added to my Pinterest Board for KNIT YOUR BIT: http://pinterest.com/DAhopkinson/knit-your-bit-a-world-war-i-story/
KNIT YOUR BIT by Deborah Hopkinson LT: What was your favorite part of the book to research and/or write? What was the hardest part of the research and/or writing for you? How did you deal with that?
DH: I actually love doing research of any kind. The hardest part is not having enough time, or not being able to travel to do research on-site. For KNIT YOUR BIT, the fact that I couldn’t actually find any first-person accounts of children who participated in the knitting bee meant that I felt the story, although based on real events, needed to be historical fiction to be appealing to readers. I always tell kids that when authors put words in character’s mouths the story becomes fiction. LT: How have your research and writing processes evolved over the course of your career?
DH: I think my processes have improved over the years. I’m writing a nonfiction book now on World War II, and I’m being careful to cite each source meticulously as I go along. DH: This is something I learned the hard way, especially with longer nonfiction. The vetting and research process for my 2012 book, TITANIC, VOICES FROM THE DISASTER (a YALSA Nonfiction Award finalist) was incredibly detailed and time-consuming, because of the wealth of information and the sheer complexity of the story. So even though it might be tedious, I have learned to take my time and carefully track information and sources. It definitely saves time later!
LT: I think every book teaches us something new, about the world, about ourselves, or about the craft of writing. What have you learned as a result of writing this book?
DH: I tend to write for older readers, especially since both my kids are now in their twenties. I like to do author visits and talk with first and second graders and imagine how the book will sound if I’m sharing it with them. That was especially helpful in paring down this story to be as kid-friendly as possible. LT: Besides promoting your new book, what are you working on now? DH: Right now, I’m finishing the proofreading for my fall middle grade novel, THE GREAT TROUBLE, A MYSTERY OF LONDON, THE BLUE DEATH, AND A BOY CALLED EEL. I’m very excited about it because 2013 is the bicentennial of the birth of Dr. John Snow, whose work in the 1854 cholera epidemic changed medical history. With the recent outbreaks of cholera in Haiti, this topic is especially relevant today. LT: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about?
DH: I have several knitter friends who helped with this book, including Robin Smith, who knits hats for premature babies with her second graders.
DH: I, on the other hand, am an extremely poor knitter and I’m not very good at hats – or socks. I knit scarves for relaxation only, and only dare give my handiwork to people who don’t knit at all. I am lucky enough to live near Portland, Oregon, where there are many wonderful yarn stores and enthusiastic knitters.
DH: I’m also delighted that the tradition of knitting for soldiers continues today. I hope that KNIT YOUR BIT inspires readers to learn a new skill or share one with others. LT: Thanks so much for sharing with us, Deborah. And best of luck with KNIT YOUR BIT!
Today I’m thrilled to introduce a longtime friend of mine and fellow nonfiction writer, Loralee Leavitt. I first met Loralee many years ago through an online critique group put together by SCBWI Western Washington. We were an assorted mix of beginning writers, writing everything from picture books to novels, both fiction and nonfiction. The group eventually dissolved, but Loralee and I still run into one another from time to time at in-person SCBWI events, and we always enjoy keeping up with one another’s careers. Now, I couldn’t be more excited to help Loralee launch her exciting new book, CANDY EXPERIMENTS!
LT: Welcome, Loralee, and congratulations! How did you get started with science experiments using candy? What was your inspiration?
LL: It actually started with my four-year-old daughter, who one day after Halloween asked to put her Nerds in water. The next time she asked, I realized it was a chance to get rid of all the Halloween candy I hadn’t wanted my children to eat. We covered the table in bowls of water and started throwing in candy to see what would happen. Soon we discovered crazy things, like the floating M&M m’s or lollipop sticks that unrolled when they were wet. LT: How did you get from that initial inspiration to developing the actual experiments in the book?
LL: When we started doing candy experiments, I saw that we could teach real science with them, and drew from my own science background to create experiments. I also asked other experts for ideas, and read books like The Science of Sugar Confectionery, in which I learned things that led to new experiments. Other experiments came straight from what my children were trying: for instance, my son’s attempts to sink a marshmallow by jamming M&Ms into it became one of my density lessons. LT: How much time did you spend researching overall, and how long did it take to write the book?
LL: I spent about two years developing and researching experiments and writing rough drafts. (This was an on-and-off process, since I was also very busy raising children.) After I found my publisher, I had about five more months to finish writing and researching, check my science, and take photos. LT: The design of the book, the photos and layout, is gorgeous. Did you supply the photos, too? Can you tell us about that process?
LL: After the publisher saw the photos I’d taken for my website and magazine articles, they decided I’d be able to provide photos for the book. Luckily my husband is an excellent photographer, and was able both to take some photos and teach me what I needed to know. I’m also grateful to a friend of mine who brought a professional photographer to my home to give me some tips, such as using a roll of white paper to create a smooth background.
LL: To take most of the photos, I set everything up on my kitchen table by a north-facing window, and set the camera on a tripod so I could take long exposures for good lighting. Other photos were more challenging, like microwaving a marshmallow on a paper background and opening the microwave fast enough to snap a photo before the marshmallow collapsed. I assigned one of the hardest photos to my parents: a series of pictures of a Mentos/Diet Coke geyser, which they took in a floodit backyard one dark summer night. LT: Fun! During your research, did anything surprise you, catch you off guard, or make you change your planned course for the book?
LL: The book is full of experiments that surprised us, many of them coming from things we tried that had crazy results. I had no idea when I put gummi worms in water that they’d absorb enough water to double in length, or that opaque Smarties would melt into clear puddles, or that conversation hearts would bob up and down in soda. LT: What was the hardest part of the research and/or writing for you? How did you deal with that?
LL: One of the hardest parts was finding answers to really weird questions. For instance, I asked several experts why, when I dropped M&M’s into water and they dissolved, the resulting pools of color didn’t mix together on their own. At last I found a similar experiment on the ACS website and contacted them to see if they could provide me with a good explanation. And they did. LT: What kind of reader do you think CANDY EXPERIMENTS will appeal to?
LL: I targeted the book at 7- to 10-year-olds, but older and younger people should enjoy it as well. Even adults love learning that the m’s from M&Ms float in water. LT: I think every book teaches us something new: about the world, about ourselves, or about the craft of writing. What have you learned as a result of writing this book? What surprised you the most during the process?
LL: I loved learning about the ingredients and science of candy. For instance, I learned that taffy pulling is what makes taffy soft by incorporating air bubbles–without the air bubbles, the taffy would be as hard as lollipops.
LL: I also had to think hard about what made these experiments so interesting to me, and try to share my amazement with my readers. LT: I love that answer! I’ve found that focusing on what makes the subject so interesting to me is the key to my successful nonfiction writing as well. And it’s not nearly as easy to do as it sounds! Are there any other tips you would like to share with aspiring children’s book writers, especially those writing nonfiction for kids?
LL: Write about what you love. For me, writing about the science of candy captured my sense of childlike discovery/explored things I’d loved since I was a child: science, writing, candy, and family. I was excited to share my discoveries with others. Also, I spent so much time on this book that I couldn’t have stuck with it if I wasn’t really interested. LT: That’s definitely good advice. What are you working on now?
LL: Right now, I’m mostly working on publicity for my book, arranging reviews, guest blog posts, and book signings. I’m finishing up an ebook about car trips for Familius.com, since everybody always asks me how we manage our kids on long driving trips. I’m collecting more candy ideas in case I get the opportunity to do another book, and I have a historical novel that I’d like to polish up and submit. LT: Good luck with those! What would you most like people to know about you?
LL: When I became a mother, I worried that I’d have to put my writing aside. Little did I know that my kids would lead me to my big break! I’m so thankful for the way that my family, my love for science, and my love of writing have combined to make this project a success. LT: It is a great story, and a good reminder to just go with the flow sometimes. Thanks so much for stopping by, Loralee, and much success with your fantastic new book! Loralee Leavitt destroys candy for the sake of science at www.candyexperiments.com. Her new book, CANDY EXPERIMENTS, contains dozens of amazing experiments including creating giant gummi worms, turning M&Ms into comets, and growing candy crystals.
LT: Hi, Darcy! I’m so excited to have you visit. Can you tell me how you first become interested in writing about Wisdom?
DP: I have been interested in writing more nature/science related books, so a couple times a month, I read the Fish and Wildlife Service blog at http://www.fws.gov/news/blog/, just trolling for topics. After the earthquake and tsunami last year, I saw information on the oldest wild bird in the world, who survived the tsunami and had to learn more. LT: Although you’re traditionally published many times over, this book is published by your own independent publishing company. Congratulations on what must have been a huge effort to pull everything together! Can you talk about your decision to go that route with this book?
DP: I created the Mims House publisher to address timely stories like that of Wisdom. Traditional publishers work on a very long lead time, often taking two or three or four years to bring a picture book to the marketplace. With print-on-demand technology, I can do it much quicker. For marketing, I can shout very loud online, ‘Read all about it.’ Traditional publishers will always hold the lion’s share of the marketplace, but there’s also room for niche publishers, supported by new technologies. LT: Can you tell us about Kitty Harvill’s illustration process? How did she capture Wisdom in her art?
DP: The Fish and Wildlife service makes photos available as public domain material at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/, so it was very easy to find images for Kitty to use as photo references as she did her watercolors. LT: I think every book teaches us something new, about the world, about ourselves, or about the craft of writing. What have you learned as a result of writing this book? What surprised you the most during the process?
DP: I was totally surprised that birds could still be laying eggs at the age of 61. But Wisdom just laid a new egg in December, 2011. LT: Are there any tips you would like to share with aspiring children’s book writers, especially those writing nonfiction for kids?
DP: Talk to the source. When I realized I wanted to write about Wisdom, I went directly to the biologist who lives and works on Midway Atoll, Pete Leary. He was invaluable in giving me information and vetting the manuscript. The other tip is to dig deeper. This story is exciting partly because of Wisdom’s longevity. I did a timeline of her life and times to understand what she has lived through. If I had only told the story of the tsunami, it wouldn’t have been as powerful as the story of over 60 years of survival. LT: I’ve always said that I will know I’ve made it when I receive one letter from one child saying that something I wrote made a positive difference in his or her life. How do you define success? Do you feel like you’ve achieved it? If not, what’s left on your to-do list?
DP: I have loved every part of Wisdom’s story and chronicling it for children. I take it one project at a time, and if I can say that I did the best job possible, then I am happy. On my to-do list? Finding more equally stirring tales about nature. LT: What are you working on now?
DP: My new book, DESERT BATHS (Sylvan Dell) comes out in August 2012. It’s a story about how desert animals take a bath–lots of fun! LT: What would you most like people to know about you?
DP: I love to write. LT: And it shows! It’s always inspiring and helpful to get a “peak behind the curtain” of the writers I admire. Thanks again, Darcy!
And, if you’d like to read an interview with the illustrator of WISDOM, Kitty Harvill, please click on over to this post at Archimedes Notebook.
A few weeks ago I posted this review of Cynthia Levinson’s amazing middle-grade nonfiction book, WE’VE GOT A JOB. Now, I’m thrilled to welcome Cynthia herself here to talk about it! LT: Hi Cynthia! One of the first things I noticed about WE’VE GOT A JOB was how thoroughly researched it is. What was the hardest part of the research and/or writing for you?
CL: The hardest part, one which historians and researchers on many matters face, was figuring out what to do about contradictory information. One person remembered that the events of the Children’s March in Birmingham, Alabama started on one day; another was sure it was a different day. One person knew that Dr. King spoke to him at the church; others said King was elsewhere. A third person was definite that she was arrested for picketing on a particular day when other sources indicated that no arrests occurred that day. LT: How did you deal with that?
CL: I don’t at all blame my respondents! The events I was asking them about took place nearly 50 years ago at a time when they were both young and frightened. Determining the facts required so much effort that I wrote an entire Author’s Note about it. LT: How complete was the book when you sent it out?
CL: Because this was my first book, I went overboard what I submitted to my agent! At the same time, because this was a work of nonfiction, which, unlike fiction, doesn’t need to be complete, I submitted a proposal, rather than a full manuscript. But, what a proposal!
CL: It consisted of five complete draft chapters, a narrative outline with almost half a page of text for each unwritten chapter, a four-page bibliography, many pages of footnotes, sources and costs of photographs, and, probably, a partridge in a pear tree. I’ve since learned that this much prep is not necessary. But, I wasn’t sorry that I had done so much work in advance of submission. The outline was solid enough that it structured the final book, even after many textual edits. And, the proposal sold the book—eventually. LT: What else have you learned as a result of writing this book?
CL: As a seasoned writer for quality nonfiction children’s magazines, I was used to doing mammoth amounts of research that never make it into the final product, organizing reams of material, writing succinctly, etc. What turned out to be new with this book is the human element.
CL: Not that I hadn’t written about people before. I had—William Kamkwamba, for instance, who brought electricity to his village in Malawi; Martina Zurschmiede, the youngest member of the Swiss Lace Making Association; Nathan Wolfe, who is searching for and trying to prevent the next pandemic. But, with short pieces of 500–800 words, you’re looking at the facts of what people are doing. With a book, I discovered that I also needed to delve into people’s motivations, into the passions or fears that propel them to do what they do.
CL: Ferreting out these factors entailed asking probing, intimate questions. “How did your mother beat you?” “Why did you lie to your parents?” Invariably, I learned, when my respondents lowered their voices, when they whispered to me, even though we were the only ones talking, they were reaching deep inside themselves. LT: What surprised you the most during the process?
CL: Because I had never written a nonfiction book for children before—or, any book—the entire process surprised me. The time that I was most taken aback occurred when one of my interviewees, James, questioned me! He wanted to know why I was interested in writing this book, what I would do with the information he shared, would I pay him. These are perfectly reasonable and understandable questions. But, I thought I was the question-asker! LT: I’ve always said that I will know I’ve made it when I receive one letter from one child saying that something I wrote made a positive difference in his or her life. How do you define success?
CL: I love this definition, Laurie. I hope this happens to me—because, like you, I hope it happens to a child who reads our work. My definition of success is very particular to this book.
CL: When people who have even passing knowledge of the civil rights movement hear “Birmingham,” they generally and immediately think of the church bombing in which four girls were murdered. I hope that We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March will change their perception. I would like for readers to associate “Birmingham” not just with the tragedy of victimized children but also with children who took a stand, changing America with their determination and fortitude. LT: And I’m sure they will! It’s impossible to read WE’VE GOT A JOB and not be touched both by what those children went through and what they accomplished. Thank you for writing such an important, powerful book, Cynthia, and thanks so much for sharing this behind-the-scenes view of it with me!
Today’s Nonfiction Monday Round-up is being hosted at The Children’s War.
A few weeks ago, I posted this review of Kelly Milner Halls’ most recent book, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH. Kelly was kind enough to follow up that review with an incredible interview about the book and her writing career. Please help me welcome author Kelly Milner Halls! LT: Hi Kelly, and thank for coming! I guess I have to start with the obvious, though I’m fairly confident I know the answer from reading the book: Do you believe in Sasquatch?
KMH: I do not believe, 100%, that Sasquatch is real. I tend to be skeptical by nature—the journalist in me. But I believe there are some very convincing bits of evidence that suggest SOMETHING is out there—an animal we haven’t yet defined and don’t really understand. Too many reliable people have witnessed too many amazing things to ignore them. LT: What was/were the hardest things about researching and/or writing this book? How did you deal with that?
KMH: I wanted to be sure my witnesses and experts were serious people, not people who wanted fame or glory. There is nothing wrong with fame or glory, but I wanted people who were fact-centered, so that required some hard work. I think I found good interview subjects to meet that standard. Hope so. LT: During your research, did anything surprise you, catch you off guard, or make you change your planned course for the book?
KMH: The fact that Scott Nelson believes Sasquatch may have its own language absolutely blew my socks off. His reasoning is so clear and logical, it almost make my head explode. If that’s true, that’s a reason to protect the “maybe” primate. LT: Did you do all the photo research for the book too? Can you tell us about that process?
KMH: I took a number of the photos, but a wonderful Sasquatch investigator named Paul Graves from Yakima, WA, was extremely generous about sharing his field photographs for the book. He is also a musician who writes Sasquatch songs, and he’s featured in the book. But he was very generous, and I’m grateful. LT: How do you manage all of your research for a book like this? What’s your organizational system? Does it evolve over the course of a project?
KMH: I keep elaborate, well-backed up computer files about each subject, each topic, each chapter, so I can find my notes with ease. And there are so many notes. I read a dozen books, did more than two dozen interviews and collected dozens of images for this book. It was hard but amazing work. It’s what I love to do. LT: How have your research and writing processes evolved over the course of your career?
KMH: As my children have grown into adulthood, I have been able to travel more to get my information first-hand, rather than on the telephone. Having both field and phone time really adds richness to the books I write and the presentations I give. LT: How much time did you spend researching this particular book overall, and how long did it take to write the book? Is that typical?
KMH: Most of my books take between three and five years to research, then another year to write. I don’t like to rehash material that already exists. I like to present new information whenever possible and that takes time and effort. LT: How do you know when a book is “done” and ready to send to your agent or editor?
KMH: The book isn’t even close to done when I send it to my editors or agent. It’s a proposal. It maps out how I see the book once it’s complete and gives us all a place to start. But the book evolves considerably as we work together as a time. I’m selling a concept that will change and improve as we all work on it, and that’s the magic of the editorial process. LT: Are there any other tips you would like to share with aspiring children’s book writers, especially those writing nonfiction for kids?
KMH: Watch for the topics that YOU find most engaging and consider offering them up to young readers. Your excitement, your sense of wonder will show through every word you write and the kids will feel the human connection. If you are not excited about your topic, that lack of enthusiasm will be just as clear to the young readers. So write about things the excite you. You’ll give the kids a reason to be excited, too. LT: I think every book teaches us something new, about the world, about ourselves, or about the craft of writing. What have you learned as a result of writing this book? What surprised you the most during the process?
KMH: I have learned that we forget our humanity when it comes to animals at times. But we can also renew it. The more you know about even an unknown creature, the harder it is to simply disregard or disrespect it. It’s like my pet chickens. I can eat grilled chicken without a blink of an eye. I love chicken dinner. But I could never even consider eating my pet chickens. You work harder not to hurt the things you understand well. Knowledge, exploration, is the key to more love, less hate. That is confirmed every time I write a book and share it with kids. LT: I’ve always said that I will know I’ve made it when I receive one letter from one child saying that something I wrote made a positive difference in his or her life. How do you define success? Do you feel like you’ve achieved it? If not, what’s left on your to-do list?
KMH: I used to yearn for the day when I’d win a major nonfiction book award. Years went by, and it didn’t happen. Then I started meeting kids—many of them boys, but girls too—who loved my books, kids who said I was their favorite author. I started hearing stories about kids who clung to my books like life jackets—kids who drew comfort from MY books, award-winning or not. After that starts to happen regularly, you realize awards are lovely, but the real measure of success are those readers and their ability to feel a little less alone because of something you’ve given them. That’s how I measure success. If I have made your child’s life a little kinder, a little safer, I am the luckiest writer on earth. LT: What do you like to do when you’re not researching and/or writing?
KMH: I am always writing, so that’s a hard question. I do a LOT of school visits, which I love. I paint, I meet with friends, I work for my friend Chris Crutcher, I walk my dog and take care of my lizard. I sleep now and then, when time permits. : ) Life is crazy busy, but good. LT: What are you working on now?
KMH: I’m finishing a book on animal rescues for National Geographic called TIGER IN TROUBLE. I’m putting together another YA anthology for Chronicle Books—just got that news yesterday. I am researching the history of video games for a new book project. And I’m going to write a book on ghosts for Millbrook. I have two other proposals under consideration at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, too, but they aren’t firm yet, so I better not talk about them. LT: What would you most like people to know about you?
KMH: That I don’t have a mean bone in my body, that I live to make life a little easier and kinder for the people I meet. I’d like them to know that I am exactly who I say I am, with no need for deceit or animus. Life is too short for cruelty and anger. Like the Beatles said, all we REALLY need is love. I hope my humanity shows, even in my quirky works of nonfiction for kids. Kids need love, most of all. LT: Well, Kelly, I have LOVED interviewing you! Thank you so much for so generously sharing your expertise and heart with us, in your books as well as on this blog.
Stay tuned for an upcoming review of Kelly’s new book, ALIEN INVESTIGATION, coming from Lerner Publishing on April 1, 2012 (no fooling!).
I’m still pinching myself about signing with Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary Agency. I’ve always known Joan and Erin are amazing, but I wasn’t expecting the close-knit, ultra-supportive group of EMLA clients who totally sweeten the pot. I set about trying to read all of their books and was thrilled to discover fellow nonfiction (and fiction!) author Audrey Vernick. I knew I wanted to get to know her better as well as pick her brain a little, so I’m excited to be the 3rd stop on her summer 2011 blog tour!
Audrey Vernick Laurie: Welcome, Audrey! Thanks for stopping by. Your first book, IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN, was a light-hearted, hilariously funny book for the preschool set. Your second, SHE LOVED BASEBALL: THE EFFA MANLEY STORY, was a serious, passionate picture book biography. Now, here we are celebrating your return to young fiction with the release of TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS. (Congratulations!)
Laurie: One of the things that jumps out at me about all of your books is what a strong and unique voice they have, yet they’re totally different! As authors, we’re told, and often struggle, to find our own one true voice… but you’ve found two! How did you develop them? How do you switch back and forth between your BUFFALO voice and your nonfiction voice?
Audrey: I struggled with this question, because before I was published, I found it maddening the way people, especially editors, talked about voice. “It’s hard to define, but I know it when I see it.” THAT IS NOT HELPFUL! I want to give an informative answer, but the truth is that voice is the one part of the writing process that’s just there for me. I’m not at all conscious of developing voice or switching between voices. I write and it’s there.
Audrey: But as I think more about it, my brain keeps me pulling me back to the truly dreadful picture books I used to write, which had no voice at all. Before writing for kids, I wrote literary short fiction for adults (which makes writing for kids seem like a lucrative business decision). My voice was always in the short stories, but it did take me some time to get it into my children’s writing. A lot of time, actually. Something clicked into place with the buffalo books, and the best explanation I can give is that I learned to get out of my own way. I used to waste a lot of my narrative space explaining the world I created and why characters acted as they did. Now I state it and move on. And that, somehow, cleared out the room my voice had been waiting for.
Audrey: Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about voice in nonfiction. I really admire some voice-heavy nonfiction books, and I’m playing around with that, at least in my head, for the nonfiction project I’ve been working on for years. The examples that come to mind are both baseball books–Kadir Nelson’s WE ARE THE SHIP, about as perfect as a book could be (though maybe more for adult readers of children’s books than for children), and the wonderful YOU NEVER HEARD OF SANDY KOUFAX? by Jonah Winter (illustrated by Andre Carrilho). Those books deliver on three fronts, where I was only expecting two–information about a subject in which I was interested, gorgeous art, and the bonus: a really interesting voice to tell the story. Laurie: You also have a novel coming out this fall. How did you find that voice, and how is it like or unlike the two we’ve already seen?
Audrey: The voice in WATER BALLOON is truest to… me. To who I am. Not necessarily who I was at thirteen, the age of the book’s narrator/protagonist, but who I am now, distilled back to a younger age.
Audrey: I started this book seven years ago and the voice was the exact same in the first sentence of the first draft as it was when I completed the final revision. But man alive, did I need to work on plot. If my characters had their way, they would lounge and emote for 300 pages. Laurie: Another multi-talented author of both fiction and nonfiction (and fellow EMLA client) Chris Barton wrote in a guest post on Rasco from RIF, “I slide back and forth between fiction and nonfiction without really thinking much about it, my experiences with one building on the other. I suspect the youngest readers approach the two genres pretty much the same way—when you’ve explored only a smidge of the world, all books are about exploring more of it. It’s as we get older, as both readers and writers, that our tastes divide.” Laurie: I guess, for some of us, our tastes never did divide. (Perhaps because we never grew up?) Do you have a preference? Which creative process do you enjoy more: fiction or nonfiction?
Audrey: I think writing funny comes more naturally and is more fun. Writing nonfiction is harder. But sometimes there’s a greater satisfaction in successfully completing a difficult task. And I feel something that’s found at the crossroads of pride and delight at sharing someone else’s story with a wide audience.
Audrey: I wouldn’t say I’m drawn to nonfiction as a whole, though. Some individual stories just call me. And while it’s obvious that some of them are baseball–in the case of my first book, BARK & TIM, it was a painting. I have likened seeing Tim Brown’s painting to the human-interest story I once read about a woman who saw a news story about an orphan in another country and had this immediate, strong knowledge: That’s my son. It was that strong when I saw “Feeding Bark.” That’s MY painting. My art. My story. For the playful, fiction books, I’m simply drawn in by the strong pull/desire to write something funny. Laurie: Chris also wrote, “based on my own experiences slipping back and forth between genres, I believe they might even find inspiration for their next fiction project.” Laurie: Do you also find that one informs the other? Do you need to do both to stay balanced? Where do you pull such different ideas from? Do you think they come from the same place somehow?
Audrey: Both kinds of stories—fiction and nonfiction—call to me. I don’t go seeking story ideas. I find myself wondering about something or someone (nonfiction) and wanting to explore to find out more. Usually in the case of fiction picture books, I say something, though sometimes I just think it, and it echoes until I start looking at it for story potential. The closest I’ve come to one informing the other was when reading a particular kind of nonfiction picture book—the spate of inter-species friendship books—led to writing a fiction spoof of the genre, the upcoming BOGART & VINNIE. Laurie: Do you tend to work on fiction projects and nonfiction projects at the same time? Or do you keep them completely separate?
Audrey: I work on them simultaneously. I don’t have any trouble switching gears, for the most part. Laurie: How is your process different for something like TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS and SHE LOVED BASEBALL?
Audrey: I just need an idea to start writing fiction picture books. A title, a premise, a character–those have all been my starting points for different fiction picture books. For nonfiction, I need a lot of information. I need interviews, background information, etc. And I need time for the story to boil down enough that I can envision an opening scene, where an opening scene almost always naturally emerges for me when writing fiction picture books.
Audrey: When I get stuck writing nonfiction, it’s usually a good hint that I need to do more research. When I’m stuck writing fiction, it’s kind of my own problem to fix. After waiting a few days to see if an answer comes to me, I’ll sometimes try to sit down and write five possible ways out. This usually works. One thing I’ve done when stuck writing both fiction and nonfiction, with success, is talk it through with smart people.
Audrey: The editing process is similar in that both are almost always about stripping away to find the essential story. With nonfiction, it’s wrenching, because you’re cutting away parts of a life. I still mourn for a scene in SHE LOVED BASEBALL. I find it more satisfying with fiction, because for me, my humor usually comes through best when it’s in a stark, brief form. But that’s not how I write it–that happens in revision.
Laurie: What are you working on now?
Audrey: I am revising a recently acquired picture book entitled BOGART & VINNIE, A COMPLETELY MADE-UP STORY OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP. I find myself in the new-to-me situation of turning a character from a potbellied pig into a rhinoceros.
Audrey: I’m also planning to start a new upper middle-grade novel this summer, which scares me more than any other kind of writing. Novels are so consuming and, for me, really hard! I know a lot about my main character and her situation, about where she starts and where she’ll end up, but getting her to move and do things has proven to be a challenge.
Audrey: Mixed in there are a couple of other picture book projects–mostly fiction, with one nonfiction–that I return to every now and then. And one new one that’s just starting to scratch its way to the surface. Laurie: What do you most want people to know about you as an author and as a person?
Audrey: That is a big question.
Audrey: I’m a big reader. The moments I love best as a reader are the ones that make me laugh, or the ones I HAVE to read aloud or paste into an email for someone else whom I know will get it exactly as I do, or stumbling upon phrasing that pleases me to my core. Most recently, it was this sentence in Ann Patchett’s STATE OF WONDER, when a character receives bad news: “There was inside of her a very modest physical collapse, not a faint but a sort of folding, as if she were an extension ruler and her ankles and knees and hips were all being brought together at closer angles.” It’s not an especially important moment in the book, but those words evoked something in me. I reread them several times, with great satisfaction and pleasure.
Audrey: As a writer, I don’t think there’s any way to consciously strive for such moments in our own writing. But I think that’s why I write–in the hope that I might provide that kind of moment for a reader.
Audrey: As a person, boy that’s hard. When my sisters and I describe people, we always find ourselves falling upon the same rubric of funny, smart, and nice. They claim they haven’t, but I believe they have, more than once, subtly suggested that I might want to work a bit on the nice part. I am a strange combination of misanthrope and someone exceedingly fond of and loyal to the core of people I adore. Laurie: Thanks so much, Audrey! I can’t wait to see TEACH YOUR BUFFALO TO PLAY DRUMS and all of your other upcoming projects.
Read on about Audrey, the buffalo, and more on the rest of her summer 2011 blog tour:
I first met Riley Carney on Twitter. As you can see in her profile, she’s 18, has published 3 books (so far), and founded a nonprofit organization for children’s literacy. Pretty amazing, huh? I knew right away she was somebody I wanted to follow! Loads of other people do, too, so today we’re getting together to throw a SURPRISE Twitter graduation party for her! Everybody say,
“Happy Graduation, Riley!”
In just four years, Riley’s nonprofit has raised over $100,000 and built three schools and water purification systems for villages in Africa along with a children’s literacy center in a woman’s shelter in Colorado. Currently, they are focusing on their Bookin’It program, which is putting books into classrooms in low-literacy/underfunded schools in the United States. Riley donates some of the proceeds from her own books to the organization, also.
A true hero, Riley has won a number of national and local awards, including T.A. Barron’s Young Heroes Award Distinguished Finalist, Prudential Spirit of Community National Award for Colorado, NBC Colorado Affiliate 9News Kids Who Care, and Skipping Stones Multicultural Magazine Top Youth Writer Award, to name a few.
Despite being a published author, founder and CEO of Breaking the Chain, in-demand speaker, not to mention busy high-school senior, Riley was kind enough to answer some interview questions to tell us a little more about herself and her literacy organization, which fights right in with the youth empowerment theme of this blog! Laurie: Hi Riley! Thanks so much for playing along and sharing your wisdom and vision with us. First, how old were you when you launched your nonprofit? And how did you decide what problem or issue to address? Riley: When I was fourteen years old, I learned some startling statistics about children’s literacy: over 120 million children around the world are denied access to a basic education; 1.3 million children drop out of school each year in the U.S.; and 1 in every 2 children lives in poverty. I realized that there was a direct correlation between illiteracy and poverty. I wanted to do something to change those statistics, so I decided to start my own nonprofit organization, Breaking the Chain, to break the chains of illiteracy and poverty through education. Laurie:Who or what helped you figure out how to do it? Riley: When I first started Breaking the Chain, my initial goal was to build a school in Kenya. I partnered with an organization called Free the Children so that I could raise the money and they would build the school. They had many helpful fundraising tips that gave me ideas of how to raise money. My family and friends were very supportive from the very beginning, and I used my school as a way to raise awareness and funds. Laurie: What was the easiest aspect of launching and/or maintaining it? Riley: The easiest aspect was staying passionate about the cause. I deliver books to many classrooms in high-need middle and elementary schools and I often have the opportunity to speak with the students who receive the books. It is impossible to adequately convey the joy and excitement expressed by the children when they see the books. As soon as their teacher allows them to, they run to the boxes and grab as many books as they can to take back to their desks. They smile, they laugh, they dance around. It’s better than a birthday party. Often, they’ll ask if they can take a book home to keep. Many have never owned a book of their own. The need and the impact are so tangible, and the experience only drives me to do as much as I can to help. Laurie:What was the most challenging aspect of launching and/or maintaining it? Riley: Fundraising can be difficult and frustrating, especially during a recession. It’s difficult to secure a constant source of funds and it’s often challenging to find new ways of fundraising after other methods fall short. Laurie:What keeps you going when things get tough? Riley: I just remind myself of the children who we are helping and the impact that our efforts have on their lives. There is nothing more valuable that teaching a child how to read and the gift of education is a right that should be afforded to everyone. The ability to read profoundly affects every minute of our lives; literacy is the single-most important component of becoming a functioning adult. That knowledge propels me forward. Laurie: What do you feel like you, personally, have gained from being involved with it? What have you learned that you’ll take with you to your next phase of your life? Riley: Creating Breaking the Chain, maintaining our programs, and interacting with the kids has been an amazing and formative experience. I have learned so much about myself and I have been awed by the incredible optimism and enthusiasm of children in even the most difficult of situations. I am so grateful that I have had this experience and had the honor of meeting so many fantastic kids. Laurie: What would you say to other teens considering launching their own nonprofit? What do you wish someone had said to you when you were just starting out? Riley: You’re never too young to make a difference. When I first started my nonprofit, I was terrified that I would fail, that I would embarrass myself in front of my peers, but I realized that the only way I could make a difference in my own life or in someone else’s life is if I faced that fear of failure. Laurie: Thank you, Riley! I think your answers remind us all, youth and adults alike, to face that fear of failure and make a difference in whatever areas we feel passionate about. I know we’ll be hearing much more from you in the years to come, and I’m so looking forward to it. Congratulations on your graduation, Riley, and best wishes for a stellar future!
If you’d like to support Breaking the Chain (a 501(c)(3) organization), you can sends funds via PayPal to breakingthechain@linkbylink.org,
or mail donations to:
Breaking the Chain
P.O. Box 100644
Denver, CO 80250–0644
You may remember back in February when I reviewed TOM THUMB: THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF A MAN IN MINIATURE by George Sullivan.
Sullivan has written more than 100 nonfiction books for children and young adults, and he was kind enough to email me directly after the review! Isn’t that sweet? I was so tickled, I decided to take advantage of the situation to ask him a few questions and get to know him a little better. And he agreed to let me share his answers with you, so you can get to know him better, too!
LT: At this point in your career, what does a typical workday look like ? GS: I’ve always done my writing early in the morning, beginning at least by 5:30 am, and continuing until my wife and I have breakfast around 8:30 or so. After breakfast, I put what I’ve written on my computer. The next morning, I begin by carefully editing the previous day’s work.
LT: What kinds of things do you like to do when you’re not writing?
GS: I like to play tennis in New York’s Central Park and to ride my bicycle into the different city neighborhoods—Soho, Tribeca, Nolita, etc. I like to shop for food in local markets. I like to cook. I also like to dine at nice restaurants. I like to visit the Metropolitan Museum and art galleries that feature photographs. There’s always something to do.
LT: How did you first become interested in writing about Tom Thumb?
GS: I’ve been very much interested in 19th century photographs for many years, the work of Mathew Brady, the preeminent Civil War photographer in particular. (My book, MATHEW BRADY, HIS LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHS, was published by Dutton/Cobblehill in 1994.) I collect these photographs; I buy and sell them. Several years ago, I began to notice that small Brady card photographs taken in connection with the wedding of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren were always available for purchase on eBay, and for modest amounts of money. After doing some research, I learned that Tom’s wedding, which took place in New York City in October 1863, was an absolutely spectacular event, and vied with the Civil War for attention in newspapers of the day. The little card photographs of Tom, Lavinia, and other members of the wedding party were sold by the tens of thousands. No wonder they’re still easy to obtain. I began to think that Tom, as America’s first celebrity, would make a good subject for a biography—and he was.
LT: Did you do all the photo research for the book too? Can you tell us about that process? GS: I did do the photo research for the book. I was aided enormously by the photograph curators at the Bridgeport Public Library and the Barnum Museum, also in Bridgeport (where Tom was born and brought up). Besides photographs, these institutions had large collections of illustrations–engravings from Harper’s Weekly and other publications of the time—that I was able to draw upon.
LT: Thank you so much, George. It was wonderful to hear some of the story behind this great book and “meet” the author!
If you haven’t checked out George’s TOM THUMB book yet, do! You can read more about it here.
I recently signed up for NetGalley.com, which lets publishers connect their upcoming books with reviewers, media, librarians, booksellers, bloggers, and educators. It’s easy to use, helps me keep up with what’s happening in the market, and—lucky for you!—it allows me to share these new works I love with my blog readers!
The first book I downloaded was one I’d heard about the NFforKids Yahoo group for nonfiction children’s book writers. THE MANY FACES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON: REMAKING A PRESIDENTIAL ICON, a middle-grade available on 4/1/2011 from Carolrhoda Books, was written by friend and former SCBWI regional advisor Carla Killough McClafferty. I found the unique concept to be extremely intriguing. The following is excerpted from the front flap copy:
“George Washington’s face has been painted, printed, and engraved more than a billion times since his birth in 1732. And yet even in his lifetime, no picture seemed to capture the likeness of the man who is now the most iconic of all our presidents… In 2005 a team of historians, scientists, and artisans at Mount Vernon… tapped into skills as diverse as eighteenth-century leatherworking and cutting-edge computer programming to assemble truer likenesses.”
I was not to be disappointed, and gobbled this 120-page book up in a single afternoon. Equal parts history and technological thriller, THE MANY FACES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON brilliantly alternates between the historical context of the man and the modern-day techniques used to rediscover his real appearance. Below, Carla graciously shares some insights and behind-the-scenes information on how this amazing book came to be.
LT: How did you find out about this fascinating story of recreating George Washington’s likeness, and what made you decide to pursue it as a middle-grade nonfiction book?
CKM: I love to watch The History Channel—which comes as no surprise since I write nonfiction books about historical topics. One day in 2007, I watched a documentary titled The Search for George Washington. It showed how Mount Vernon brought together a team of experts from the fields of science, history, and art in order to find out what George Washington really looked like. Their work resulted in three life-sized representations of Washington at the ages of 19, 45, and 57, which are exhibited at Mount Vernon. I was fascinated by the project. The 3D scanner images of the Houdon bust made me sit up and take notice—probably because my first career is as a radiologic technologist. The idea for THE MANY FACES OF GEORGE WASHINGTON: REMAKING A PRESIDENTIAL ICON was born as I watched that documentary. I recognized immediately that this new information discovered by the Mount Vernon team would provide a fresh look at George Washington that would perfect for a book. I love to write for a middle-grade audience because they already have a general knowledge of many things, but they are willing to add deeper layers to their understanding.
LT: What kind of reader do you think this book will appeal to?
CKM: I work hard to make sure my books can be read, understood and (hopefully) enjoyed by readers from ten years old through adulthood. I write simply and explain everything—but I write about complex topics. What I hope is that a ten year old reader understands the text without a struggle—and an adult reader does not feel they are reading a kid’s book. Regardless of the age of my readers, my goal is to interest them in a topic they didn’t know they would be fascinated by, and write it in such a way that the information will stay with them.
LT: I think you’ve definitely achieved that here, through both the way the book is written and the wide variety of subject areas it covers: art, history, science, technology. What was your favorite part to research and write? What was the hardest part for you? How did you deal with that?
CKM: Every part of this book was enjoyable for me. But if I had to say, it would be that I loved getting to know George Washington as I researched his life. I began this project with very little knowledge of Washington or the American Revolution. As I studied, I began to understand how amazing this man was, and how astonishing it is that America won independence. I’ve even come to think that without George Washington—the war might have NOT have been won.
CKM: My favorite part relating to the creation of the Washington figures was getting to know many incredible people involved in the project. I absolutely love the folks at Mount Vernon. Diana Cordray, the education center manager/special projects coordinator, has helped me in a thousand ways. It was also a treat to get to know the artists Steven Horak, Sue Day and Stuart Williamson and watch them work. I now count these amazing people among my friends.
CKM: The hardest part was locating many of the people who contributed to the project in various ways in order to interview them. I kept asking questions and searching around until I found them.
LT: During your research, what surprised you the most?
CKM: The most surprising thing was the man, George Washington. He was handsome, dashing, and brave. He was the best horseman AND the best dancer in Virginia. Today we would say he was a “man’s man”. And the ladies liked him too.
LT: How much time did you spend researching overall, and how long did it take to write the book? How much time did you spend researching “on location?”
CKM: This book has taken three years from the time I really determined this is the book I just HAD to write until it was released. I’ve spent three weeks in Virginia, at Mount Vernon, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg. I also spent a week in New York City doing research.
LT: How do you manage all of the research for a book like this? What’s your organizational system? Does it evolve over the course of a project?
CKM: My organizational system is constantly changing, and I’m always looking for better ways to work. For this book I read more than fifty books about George Washington. I bought most of them off of Ebay and Amazon so I could mark them up and make notes in the margins. In this way, I didn’t have to write massive notes; I could just refer back to the books themselves. Plus I have three huge Rubbermaid containers where I file notes and research from places other than books.
LT: Did you do all the photo research for the book too? Can you tell us about that process?
CKM: From the very beginning of my research on a book, I’m looking for the right images. It all happens at the same time, yet I understand that in the end some images must be deleted for space considerations in the end. I’m thrilled with the way the book looks. The design team at Carolrhoda did an amazing job.
LT: I agree. The end result is gorgeous! Another thing I love is the way the book is structured, with the buildup of the problem and their approach to solving it, followed by alternating historical chapters and modern-day re-creation chapters. I think this approach really serves to engage both types of readers, those more interested in the history as well as those more interested in technology, to keep reading and learn new things in both areas. Rather than stick to chronological order or present both stories separately, how did you arrive at this particular structure?
CKM: How to structure the book was one of the most difficult issues of this project because the scientific investigation went backwards in time, from older Washington to younger Washington. I considered doing it countless ways, but each way presented challenges and problems. In the end, Andrew Karre, my wonderful editor at Carolrhoda, felt it would be best to go back and forth between the figures and the biographic material. From there, I had to figure out how to make it work. It was a challenge because I had to figure out how to deal with the reverse order of the de-aging process, start the bio section with young George Washington, and not backtrack to the science.
LT: What did you learn from this book, as a writer, that you’ll be able to apply on future projects?
CKM: For my last book, In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry, I researched and wrote at the same time—and I finished that book faster than any of my other books. With this George Washington book, I spent months reading book after book without writing any text. In the end, this gave me a good foundation about Washington and the Revolution, but it slowed down the whole process. I won’t make that mistake again. In the future, I’ll research and work on the text at the same time.
LT: What was your revision process like, including how many times you revised and at what stage(s) of the process?
CKM: When I get a good rough draft and I go through the entire thing again and again and again until I think it is right. I revise it keeping the entire book in mind since what I write on one page influences what comes later and before. I don’t keep track of how many times I revise the entire manuscript before sending it out—I just keep working until it is done.
LT: Tell us about the pitch and sales process you went through with this book. How much did you have researched and written when you pitched your agent (Susan Cohen at Writer’s House)? And when she then pitched it to editors?
CKM: I talked to my agent Susan Cohen about it and she suggested I write a proposal. She read the proposal and suggested some changes. I did a lot of research before I was able to write the proposal in a way that would reflect what I wanted to do in the book. My previous books were with FSG, but my editor was no longer with FSG, so Susan began sending the proposal out about end of 2008 to other houses.
LT: You mentioned Andrew Karre at Carolrhoda was very supportive of the book’s concept and also had some input into the structure of the information. Can you tell us what it was like working with Carolrhoda, and how it might have differed from other publishers for your previous books?
CKM: Andrew Karre is an excellent editor and has been wonderful and. From the first day, he was enthusiastic about the book and saw the project the way I did. During revisions, he had suggestions on adding or omitting material. I considered his edits carefully, but in the end he would give me the final say on what to do with it. He trusted me as the author, and I trusted him as the editor. It must work both ways.
CKM: My other books have been with FSG. I worked with two different editors there through the years, Robbie Mayes and Beverly Reingold. Both of them were excellent editors. I’d say the biggest difference between working with FSG and with Carolrhoda is that at FSG we worked on a physical hard copy of a manuscript and with Carolrhoda, Andrew and I worked on an electronic manuscript.
LT: What are you working on next?
I’ve always had to finish one project completely before I move on to the next one. Now that The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon is out, I need to decide. But it seems I’m not quite ready to let go of George Washington—maybe there is another book there somewhere.
LT: Carla, thanks so much for sharing such detailed and honest answers with us!
CKM: Thank you! It is always so much fun to talk about my books when they finally come out.
I encourage you to find out more about Carla and The Many Faces of George Washington here!
Candy Experiments by Loralee Leavitt
