Ah yes, the conundrum of TMI (too much information). I know it well. It’s like you’re a kid in a candy store and can only choose one of the many varieties tempting you. Here’s a wonderful post from Julie Winterbottom on how she drilled down for her focus in MAGIC IN A DROP OF WATER: … More Behind the Scenes: “Using Poetry to Get Unstuck” by Julie Winterbottom
Ah, the fun of mud! But how does one create a viable manuscript with this topic and a pile of information? Like a mudpie, it takes some squishing and slopping and playing around. Here’s a post from author Tanya Konerman detailing her path to MUD TO THE RESCUE! And don’t miss the GIVEAWAY! Leave a … More Behind the Scenes: “Organizing Facts for the Audience and Current Market” by Tanya Konerman
Ah, the HOOK! How can you grab the readers’ attention? Snag their interest? And pull them in to read your work? Hooks are key, but sometimes hard to come up with. Take a read through Ann McCallum’s post to learn four specific ways to create hooks. And then leave a comment to be in the … More Behind the Scenes: “Crafting an Enticing Opening in Nonfiction” by Ann McCallum Staats
“Finding a way in” is one of the challenges for an author. But it was also the challenge for the subject of author Jeanne Walker Harvey’s biography of architect I.M. Pei which focuses on his process of creating a way into the Louvre in Paris. You’ll be fascinated by this story behind the story of … More Behind the Scenes: “Finding a Way into the Story” by Jeanne Walker Harvey
When author Marsha Diane Arnold discovered a tale of a steam engine that seemed to have a ready-made story arc, she still had to find a way to embed “heart” to emotionally connect readers to the story. How do you do that with a huge steel machine? Check out Marsha Diane Arnold’s post and… Be … More Mining for Heart: “Finding the Heart of a Locomotive in BIG BOY 4014” by Marsha Diane Arnold
People often ask authors where book ideas come from. The answers can be wide ranging. While some ideas require tons of research, others are right in front of us. How do you dig into the familiar and see it in new ways, with new eyes? Here, Nancy Castaldo shares how two new books came from … More Behind the Scenes: “Write What You Know” by Nancy Castaldo
Here’s a great writing activity for the classroom from author Lisa Rogers! Bringing emotion to the page can be a challenge for any writer, but it’s that emotion that connects a reader. Springboarding from her latest book, JOAN MITCHELL PAINTS A SYMPHONY: LA GRANDE VALLÉE SUITE, young writers use sensory imagery to bring emotion to … More Especially for Educators: “’Riding a Bike with No Hands:’ Using Sensory Imagery to Infuse Writing With Emotion” by Lisa Rogers
Ideas for books are everywhere, and sometimes arise from a question. In this post, author/illustrator Janice Hechter shares her process of gathering information, which ended up stretching her beyond what she’d anticipated. GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below to get in the drawing for a copy of WHERE ARE THE WOMEN by Janice Hechter. You’ve got … More Behind the Scenes: “Going Off Script” by Janice Hechter
Don’t you wonder sometimes if historical figures in the same time period knew each other? or knew about each other? I thought about that a lot when I was working on stories of Prudence Wright and Deborah Sampson. They lived in the same colony, at the same time, both animated by the revolutionary spirit. With … More Especially for Educators: “Trading Places: Connecting Story Elements Across Texts and Time” from Beth Anderson and Vivian Kirkfield
I’m a fan of Selene Castrovilla’s writing…and the ways she finds to tell stories. I know how hard it is to take a snippet of history, dig out the information, and create a story that’s engaging and meaningful! Her new book, GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES: THE GLASSES THAT SAVED AMERICA is fabulous! Here Selene shares … More Behind the Scenes: “Telling Your Story” by Selene Castrovilla
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 