Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

Once in a great while a title jumps onto the page. But mostly, titles are tough! Seldom is the title you start with the final one. It evolves with the writing and story. Here’s a post from Gretchen Woelfle about her quest for just the right title and how it became A TAKE-CHARGE GIRL BLAZES A TRAIL TO CONGRESS: THE STORY OF JEANNETTE RANKIN. 

Along with the post – A GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment below to get in the drawing for a copy of the book!

Searching for Just the Right Title: 

A Take-Charge Girl Blazes A Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin

by Gretchen Woelfle

Biographers have written eloquently about their creative process – finding a subject, drowning in research, deciding on structure, story arc, narrative voice. (I attended a biographer’s conference where I made immediate friends by simply asking, “Who are you writing about?” They responded with the same passion as if I had asked about their children.)

Choosing a title doesn’t get discussed as often as story arcs, but it can be important in developing a story. And it’s even more important to the end product. I’m often prompted to open a book, or just pass on by, because of a title. I expect I’m not alone.

Sometimes the perfect title comes to me before I’ve written a word. Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence did. Sometimes I write the whole book without finding the right title. Full disclosure: editors have done the job for me more than once (twice).

Usually my title changes as I write and rewrite the book. But discards can guide me toward the heart of the story. So it was for A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin.

I published a middle grade cradle-to-grave biography, Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer, back in 2007, my first book with editor Carolyn Yoder. The title simply described the narrative arc of her long life (1880-1973). Years later the book went out of print. There were no other children’s books about Rankin, and that bothered me a lot. Carolyn Yoder agreed to consider a picture book biography of her.

If people know anything about Jeannette Rankin, it’s probably her life-long pacifism and her votes in Congress opposing the U.S. entry into World War I and World War II, and her opposition to the Vietnam War. But that issue was too complex and advanced for younger readers. This time I chose a slice-of-life story, from her childhood to April 2, 1917, the day she walked up the Capitol steps as the first ever congresswoman.

My computer files indicate that the first two drafts of the story were written in December 2016, with two different titles: Jeannette Rankin Just Doesn’t Give Up, and Jeannette Rankin Blazes A Trail to Congress. The first title referenced Jeannette’s personality, the second, her biggest accomplishment. I might have nailed the best title early on.

But no, years passed and revised versions of the story piled up. I changed the opening scene several times, wrote long, cut the story in half, then added more words. Titles came and went.

To wit:

v1 Jeannette Rankin Just Doesn’t Give Up

v2 Jeannette Rankin Blazes A Trail to Congress

v3 Jeannette Rankin’s Rocky Road to Congress

v4 Jeannette Rankin xxxxxxxxxxx

v5 Jeannette Rankin’s Road to Congress

v6, v 7, v8 Jeannette Rankin Blazes A Trail to Congress

v9, 10 Jeannette Rankin and Her Big Ideas  or What’s the Big Idea, Jeannette Rankin?

V11 Jeannette Rankin and Her Big Ideas

V12 Jeannette Rankin: How a take-charge girl from Montana made her way to the U.S. Congress

In August, 2019 I signed a contract using the bland title of version 12. Editor Carolyn Yoder soon declared she wanted “a zippier title.”

Part of the challenge of a picture book biography is what to leave out. The focus is much narrower than in a longer biography. I chose to focus on Rankin’s commitment to improving the lives of women and children, something young readers could relate to. She became a social worker, but saw that without political action, she could have little impact. She joined the suffrage movement to empower women to elect leaders to address “women’s issues” – the welfare of children and families. She advanced that cause even further by running for Congress herself.

In the end, that story became A Take-Charge Girl Blazes a Trail to Congress: The Story of Jeannette Rankin. The main title was my idea, the sub-title came from my editor.

Does it work? Let’s parse it. A Take-Charge Girl: This phrase implies confidence and perseverance. Several scenes show Rankin displaying this trait from girlhood.

Blazes a Trail: This picturesque metaphor suggests the adventure of discovering a route through unknown territory, and marking the path for others to follow.

to Congress: Women, not girls, enter Congress. But the take-charge woman used her girlhood grit to get there.

The title captures character and accomplishments. But who was she? The subtitle tells the rest.

The Story of Jeannette Rankin: Now we learn her name.

The concepts of the discarded titles – didn’t give up, big ideas, rocky road – are woven into the story.

And the final title?  I believe I got it right.

*****

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A TAKE-CHARGE GIRL BLAZES A TRAIL TO CONGRESS: THE STORY OF JEANNETTE RANKIN! (Continental US addresses only, please. Winner announced 2/17/23)

And…Check out these links!
discussion guide  

book trailer

BIO: Gretchen Woelfle is most curious – some would say nosy – about people who do extraordinary things. Her award-winning biographies include Answering the Cry for Freedom: African Americans and the American Revolution; Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence; and How Benjamin Franklin Became a Revolutionary in Seven Not-So-Easy Steps. When not traveling the world looking for new stories, Gretchen lives in Los Angeles, California. http://www.gretchenwoelfle.com