Tag: children’s nonfiction

Writing

Embracing the Evolution: Why Nonfiction PB Word Counts Grow in Editing

Kirsten W. Larson

As writers of nonfiction picture books, we often find ourselves grappling with the question of word count. In the early stages of crafting our manuscripts, we strive to adhere to the industry-recommended range of 800 to 1,000 words, fearful of exceeding the limits. Yet once books are acquired, they most frequently grow longer. This is what I discovered in my word count survey of debut, nonfiction picture book authors. You can read the survey results here.

I dug into the data to see how frequently debut word counts increased and by how much.

Expository NonfictionPB biographies
% of manuscripts whose word counts increased during editing58% of the books50% of the books
Average word count increase99 words201 words
Range of word count increase5 to 400 words22 to 500 words
Results of the Nonfiction Picture Book Word Count Survey for Debut Authors conducted by Kirsten W. Larson (kirstenwlarson.com)

Adding Depth to Nonfiction

Why the surprising results? Last month, I mused that when we initially submit our nonfiction manuscripts, we may have unconsciously stripped away some of the vivid scenes, the emotional resonance, and the juicy details in an effort to conform to the perceived word count constraints. However, during the editing process, these crucial elements are often reintroduced, deepening our manuscripts.

Editors nudge us to add kid-friendly details, context, and emotion and stakes, allowing our stories to truly shine. This naturally expands our word counts, but in doing so, we create a more engaging experience for our readers. 

I invited authors (some debut, others experienced) to chime in on why their manuscripts grew longer during editing.

Reintroducing the Juicy Details

As author Kelly Rice Schmitt shared about her book I Fuel, “Although my forthcoming book I Fuel is infofic, the whole book is 100% true except for the fact that the narrator is oil. This was expanded after acquisitions to add more detail on some of the science behind certain parts of the processes. It went from 280 words to 380 words.”

“The same thing happened with Deep, Deep Down,” Lydia Lukidis said. “It got longer through the editing process as they wanted me to add in fact boxes and expand on certain parts. I try not to obsess over word count but also, to stay within reasonable parameters.”

Deepening the Emotional Connection

For narrative nonfiction, emotional depth is paramount, and editors often encourage us to delve deeper into the motivations, struggles, and triumphs of our protagonists. As Jilanne Hoffmann shared about her book A River of Dust, “My editor wanted me to emphasize the relationship/friendship between the two continents a little more. I sat with that comment for bit and figured out that the structure of the book hadn’t quite come full circle. It was “almost” there, so I added a couple of lines at the beginning and the end to make the circle feel satisfying. And voila! A longer word count, and a more satisfying feeling of connection – separation – connection.”

I had a similar experience with Wood, Wire, Wings, my first narrative nonfiction manuscript. My editor, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, wanted me to dig in to reveal more of Lilian Todd’s motivation to tinker (from her childhood) and the stakes, as well as to heighten her emotional arc from spark through struggle and final success. Many of these moments required crafting mini scenes, which took more words than summarizing.

Making New Craft Decisions

Author and editor craft choices like structure and voice can result in books growing longer too. Amanda Davis said, “I know for me, my (unannounced) nonfiction title grew longer after acquisition and during the editing process because we made it a dual narrative, which added a lot more biographical elements to the story. The thought was that this could be helpful to the school and library market.”

Heather Montgomery’s experience with What’s in Your Pocket illustrates how voice choices can also influence word count: “My NF PB What’s In Your Pocket lengthened significantly after acquisition because we realized the need for a refrain which increased both page number and word count.”

Tailoring to the Publisher’s Vision

Sometimes, the growth in word count stems from specific publisher preferences or stylistic choices. As Linda Rose Zajac shared about her book Robo-Motion, “My editor requested a short intro and summary at the beginning and end of the text because all books in the series were set up that way.”

Tziporah Cohen said, “My PB bio, ON THE CORNER OF CHOCOLATE AVENUE: HOW MILTON HERSHEY BROUGHT MILK CHOCOLATE TO AMERICA was 748 words on submission and 1088 on publication (40 pages), not counting side bars. I would say it grew mostly because my editor was not a fan of backmatter, and we ended up putting a lot of the backmatter info into the text, though we still kept a timeline at the end.”

Publisher requirements also drove the growth of Christine Van Zandt’s A Brief History of Underpants. “It was 1113 on submittal but at 32 pages. The publisher wanted it to be a 48-page book with fewer words per page. … I was to have a max of 60 words per two-page spread, so 20 x 60 = 1200 words. …it came in at 1185 words.”

Story First and Foremost

My tried and true advice? Don’t get so caught up in cutting your story to 800 or 1,000 words, especially in the early stages. Take the words you need to tell the story you need to tell. As we learned last month, nonfiction picture books weigh in at a variety of word counts. And their length is often more a function of the age of their target reader.

Are you ready to revise your nonfiction picture book, to add emotional resonance, and up the kid appeal? I’ve got a book for that. Check out Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A step-by-step revision guide.

Books, Writing

Reblog: Evolution of an Opening: Tracing the Revisions of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Kirsten W. Larson

Have you ever wondered how many tries it takes to nail the just-right opening for a book? The answer is — many!

Lea Maryanow recently asked me to contribute to her “Spot the Difference” series where she featured authors and their various attempts at their picture book beginnings. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the evolution of the opening for Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane. I encourage you to read the rest of the entries in Lea’s blog series, here. Here’s my contribution:

This is the book cover for WOOD, WIRE, WINGS.

As writers, we all know that opening lines are crucial for hooking the reader. But crafting the perfect opening often takes numerous revisions and rewrites. This was truly the case with my first picture book biography, Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek, 2020). I learned so much about writing these books from editor Carolyn Yoder.

I began this book in February 2014 in Susanna Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic Class. One of my earliest drafts from March 2014 opened by establishing Lilian’s innate curiosity and tinkering spirit from a young age. Starting with a character trait is a common technique in picture book biographies:

Even as a child, Emma Lilian Todd couldn’t hold a bit of wire or scrap of tin without twisting and turning them, tinkering until she had something new. While most girls in 1860s played with dolls, Lilian transformed a toy and a Christmas tree topper into a working weather vane, her first practical invention.”

I sent my draft through my critique group soon thereafter. The opening of my next draft (May 2014) keeps this childhood anecdote but tightens the writing and adds more context contrasting Lilian with other girls of her era:

While many girls in the 1860s played with dolls, Lilian Todd toyed with bits of wire and scraps of tin. She couldn’t hold them without twisting and turning them, tinkering until she had something new. In her hands, a toy and a Christmas tree topper became a working weather vane. It was her first useful invention.”

I got my agent, Lara Perkins at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, with this draft. We then rolled up our sleeves and began to work on the manuscript together. During that process, I came up with a different opening in May 2016 (shown below). It drops the idea of Lilian being different from other girls, which could apply to almost any barrier-breaking woman of the time. Instead, I really leaned into what made Lilian unique, introducing her as a prolific tinkerer surrounded by her tools and materials:

Toolbox by her side, Emma Lilian Todd whacked and snapped and snipped. In her hands, wood, wire, and tin transformed into tiny airplanes. When she ran out of metal, Lilian saved tin cans from her supper. Ta-da! Propellers. But building model airplanes wasn’t enough for Lilian. She dreamed big…”

We went out on submission with the manuscript and got interest from Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek. But the manuscript wasn’t quite there. Carolyn asked for a revise and resubmit, which led to the opening below in January 2017. This time I pulled back, using a broad premise to frame the story as one about problem-solving:

When Emma Lilian Todd saw problems, she sought solutions. Some problems were small, like where to find tin to make her machines (Answer: She saved tin cans from her supper.) Other problems were huge. This is the story of how Lilian solved the biggest problem of her life — how to fly.”

Calkins Creek acquired the manuscript in early 2017, but there was still work to do. In April 2017 I submitted the final opening, which was accepted. It combines pieces from the previous versions into an evocative metaphor. I also improved the voice with some flight-related language. The final opening highlights Lilian’s problem-solving nature, captures the idea of her as a maker and tinkerer, and establishes her problem/goal.:

For Emma Lilian Todd, problems were like gusts of wind: they set her mind soaring. Sometimes the problems seemed small, like where to find metal to craft her inventions (Answer: She saved tin cans from her supper.) But soon Lilian’s challenges ballooned. This is the story of how Lilian puzzled out the most exciting problem of her day — flight.”

As you can see, it can take many years, lots of input, and many revisions to hit on that “just

right” opening. It’s a process. But if you stay flexible and open, you’ll hit on that

beginning that makes your story sparkle.

Writing

Authors Who Offer Nonfiction Critiques

Kirsten W. Larson

Recently, two different writers in two different Facebook groups posted in search of nonfiction critique services for picture books. I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list and make it available to everyone.

One caveat: This is a crowdsourced list. I don’t personally have experience with these authors and services (except my own, of course), so this is in no way an endorsement.

If you are an author offering nonfiction critiques or a nonfiction author who has used a critique service not on this list, please leave a comment below. I’m happy to add others to this list.

Writing

Now Available: Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book

Kirsten W. Larson
Cover of Reaimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book

My latest book is here! “Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book” is slowly rolling out to retailers, but it’s already available on Amazon, where it’s been a #1 new release in three categories! The book captures everything I know and teach about publishing nonfiction picture books all in one place. If you are a writer or interested in exploring the craft of writing, I hope you’ll find it helpful. You can get your copy here. 


Reimagining Book Clubs

To celebrate the book’s release, I’m launching a series of book clubs where we study each of the book’s sections together over six weeks, meeting over Zoom. The first session, which starts in January is full, but you can follow my page to be alerted about new sessions. Or, sign up for Reimagine Insiders below to be the first to learn about new classes and offerings and to receive discounts. I will be adding a number of new classes.

Join Reimagine Insiders

The Reimagine Insiders community will be my new hub for writing-related video content and most of my writing blog posts. And it will be a key place I interact with writers including in quarterly, “ask me anything” Zooms. I am starting to migrate some of my blog and Youtube content over and will release new content in the New Year. Learn more here.

I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Writing

Using Scrivener for Picture Books

Kirsten W. Larson

I use Scrivener for all of my writing projects from picture books to graphic novel scripts and novel-length projects.

Scrivener makes it easy to keep all of your drafts in one place and to reference research as needed. I’ve uploaded a tutorial video covering the basics of using Scrivener for picture books (particularly nonfiction).

Contents:

  • Launching a new project
  • Importing research
  • Splitting your screen to better refer to research or previous drafts
  • Using the snapshot function to capture previous drafts (or just creating additional documents in the binder)
  • Footnoting and leaving comments
  • Using composition mode to prevent distractions
  • Using the compile function to export your work to MS Word.

Happy drafting!

research, Writing

Regarding Research: Selecting Secondary Sources

Kirsten W. Larson

Welcome to part two of our series on research. Last month, we discussed primary sources. Today we dive into secondary sources.

To recap: to conduct thorough research, you need a mix of both primary and secondary sources. Editors consider the depth of your research when deciding whether to acquire your book. In fact, one of my editors, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, says she skims an author’s bibliography BEFORE she even invests time reading the manuscript.

Defining secondary sources

What’s a secondary source? You’ll find lots of definitions on the internet, but here is one I like: The University of Massachusetts Healey Library says secondary sources are “one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or otherwise use primary sources. They can cover the same topic, but add a layer of interpretation and analysis.” Secondary sources include biographies and histories, scholarly or magazine articles written after the fact by people who are not eyewitnesses, and documentaries.

This is the book cover for THE FIRE OF STARS

Why use secondary sources

To write a great nonfiction book requires context, and context comes from secondary sources. Cecilia Payne’s groundbreaking discovery of what made the stars is more impressive when you realize how few women working in astronomy during her day. That’s information I get from secondary sources. Cecilia’s contributions and legacy are clear when I can understand what people knew about the stars at the time. Again, I need secondary sources for that information. (In fact, Dava Sobel’s Glass Universe was a wonderful source for all of this.)

Secondary sources also are critical for fact-checking primary sources. People, even eye-witnesses to history, can make mistakes in their accounts since memory can be fallible. Authors of secondary sources have sifted through and analyzed mountains of evidence from a variety of sources. The names, dates, and other facts they include are often more accurate than those found in primary sources. (Note: Ensure you are using credible secondary sources. Always check the author’s credentials. I also look at professional reviews for books I use in journals.)

Finally, secondary sources with great bibliographies can lead you to primary sources. They’re a shortcut for learning where a person’s papers are housed, for example, especially when archives are scattered across the country. That doesn’t mean you’ll rely on the bibliography exclusively, but they’ll give you a start.

An example

THE FIRE OF STARS ends with a series of questions:

If this is what stars are made of, how do they form? How do they create such enormous energy? Whose will the next discovery be?”

–THE FIRE OF STARS

To make those statements, I had to understand how Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin’s research paved the way for future discoveries. And that required pulling secondary sources like astronomy websites and college textbooks in astronomy.

To see what kind of secondary sources authors use, look at the bibliographies of their books. I often begin research on a project with a book written for adults — a secondary source. While my sources change with every project, here are some I use frequently.

Before you pay to access any archive or database, check with your local library or local academic institution to see what they provide. Many offer free access for students or patrons.

Do you have a favorite secondary research resource? Let me know.

research, Writing

Regarding Research: Picking Primary Sources

Kirsten W. Larson

To conduct thorough research, you need a mix of primary and secondary sources. Editors consider the depth of your research when deciding whether to acquire your book. In fact, one of my editors, Carolyn Yoder at Calkins Creek, says she skims an author’s bibliography BEFORE she even invests time reading the manuscript.

Over the next couple of months, we’ll dive into primary and secondary sources.

Defining primary sources

What’s a primary source? You’ll find lots of definitions on the internet, but here is one I like: The University of Massachusetts Healey Library defines primary sources as “immediate, first-hand accounts of a topic, from people who had a direct connection with it.” These include things like letters, diaries, newspaper articles, videos (raw footage), photos, interviews with experts, and articles from scientific journals that are based on original research. 

Why use primary sources

Captivating nonfiction relies on writing in scenes. To write strong scenes, you need first- hand information, especially sensory details like how things looked, sounded, smelled, felt, and tasted. No matter whether you are writing a biography, a nature book, or something else, primary sources give the reader a sense of “being there.”

If you are writing a biography, scene-writing requires insight into your main character’s thoughts and emotions, as well as snippets of authentic dialog. These can only come from primary sources.

This is the book cover for THE FIRE OF STARS

An example

I wrote THE FIRE OF STARS in close third-person perspective, putting the reader inside the mind of Cecilia Payne. Here is a formative scene from Cecilia’s childhood in the book.

Cecilia realizes all by herself why an orchid has a petal like a bee’s belly.

To trick the bees, of course!

They buzz over to say hello to their pretend friend,

then fly off with pollen-stuffed pockets—the start of new seeds.

Cecilia buzzes, too—her body humming with that lightning bolt of discovery.

She wants to feel that way forever.

–THE FIRE OF STARS

This eureka moment comes directly from Cecilia’s autobiography where she explained what it felt like to make a discovery for the first time. I had insight into her thoughts and emotions, but only because I had her own words in her book, as well as an oral history.

Meanwhile, for other parts of the book, I relied on Cecilia’s doctoral dissertation and other research papers (available online) to help me understand her research into star composition. Those are primary sources. To craft the star narrative, I interviewed an astronomer with first-hand knowledge of how stars form. (And better yet, she agreed to check my facts!)

To see what kind of primary sources authors use, look at the bibliographies of their books. My primary sources change with every project. For example, WOOD, WIRE, WINGS led me to the U.S. Patent Office to sift through patent applications, while and A TRUE WONDER had me delving into comic book archives. Still, a few of my favorite places to research no matter the topic are:

All of the above are free resources, but there are many amazing paid resources, from Ancestry.com to Newspapers.com and EBSCOHost. Before you pay to access any archive or database, check with your local library or local academic institution to see what they provide. Many offer free access for students or patrons.

Do you have a favorite primary research resource? Let me know.

#MentorTextMoment, Writing

Talking About Takeaways

Kirsten W. Larson

Last month, I encouraged writers of all ages to ask themselves, “What’s your point?” This question comes from Lisa Cron in STORY GENIUS. Asking yourself this question is a great way to arrive at the takeaway for your story (which others may call the message or moral of a story). You can read more about finding your takeaway here.

This month I want to focus on how different takeaways influence choices we make as writers in terms of structure, voice, point of view (POV), and more. For an example, let’s look a three different bee books.

This image group shows three different book covers of bee books -- GIVE BEES A CHANCE, HONEYBEE, and IF BEES DISAPPEARED

A Tale of Three Bee Books

Cover to GIVE BEES A CHANCE by Bethany Barton

In GIVE BEES A CHANCE by Bethany Barton, Barton’s point (or takeaway) is that we should all give bees a chance. Bees are helpful, and mostly not harmful to humans. Because Barton is upending our usual notions of bees as pests, she takes a humorous approach and adopts a humorous voice. Her text is persuasive versus simply informative. The book is set up as a conversation between a child who hates bees and a narrator working to convince the child that bees aren’t all bad. Each spread gives a reason why the child should give bees a chance and value them. By the end, the child is mostly convinced, meaning there’s a bit of a narrative arc, but I wouldn’t classify this as a narrative book per se.

This is the cover to HONEYBEE by Candace Fleming illustrated by Eric Rohmann.

HONEYBEE by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann makes the point that brief lives can have great value. Fleming focuses on the busy life of one particular bee from birth to death. You could think of this book as a cradle to grave biography of a bee following the narrative structure most biographies adopt. In the beginning, the bee is waiting for the day it can fly, but as the book moves on, the bee realizes the role it has to play in the hive and its life’s work. This powerful message is supported by Fleming’s choice to use a lyrical voice and close third-person POV from the perspective of the bee.

This is the cover of IF BEES DISAPPEARED by Lily Williams.

In IF BEES DISAPPEARED, Lily Williams makes the point that small changes (like the disappearance of bees) can have huge and catastrophic consequences in our environment. To support this takeaway, she adopts a cause and effect text structure. She spends a few spreads giving readers a sense of bees and their importance in our world. Then she shows us what would happen if bees disappeared in a smooth cause/effect chain. For example, if bees disappeared, then flowers would disappear, then foods requiring flowers disappear, then animals that eat those foods would disappear. The catastrophic results grow. Williams’s structure is a perfect match for her takeaway.

Stories as unique as fingerprints

The way a writer tells their story is as unique as their fingerprints. Every author comes to their story with their own life experiences and values. That means each author will likely make a different point, even when writing about the same exact topic. In turn, those unique takeaways influence other craft choices like structure, voice, point of view, and so much more. The result? Three books on the same topic can be completely different.

Your turn

Fellow writers, what’s your takeaway? How might it influence your structure, voice, point of view, and other craft elements of your story?

Writing

Killer Concepts: What’s Your Point?

Kirsten W. Larson

Welcome to the second installment in the “Killer Concepts” series where we’re exploring:

  • What makes a killer concept when it comes to a nonfiction (or any) book?
  • What makes an idea jump out from a writer’s notebook and demand to be written?
  • What makes editors snap it up?
  • And what makes readers flock to the book and keep turning the pages?

(NOTE: If you want to explore these ideas in detail in a workshop environment, I invite you to join me for “Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book” beginning June 8 at online The Writing Barn. Learn more and sign up here.)

Last month we looked at the first test: the logine test from Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT. It’s a test focused on the external elements of the story — the character, basic plot, and the hooks that will pull readers (and editors) in. Today, we are going to shift focus to the internal and universal.

The Story Genius Approach

Many authors have read Lisa Cron’s books, STORY GENIUS and WIRED FOR STORY. This test comes from STORY GENIUS, and it’s simple indeed. Cron encourages us to ask “What’s Your Point?” It’s a question she asks even the youngest writers as they work to squeeze meaning from simple story prompts. She argues that writers must begin making their point on the very first page.

Cron’s question forces us to look at two things: the universal theme (or takeaway, as I like to call it) and the protagonist’s internal conflict and arc.

The Takeaway (your point)

The best nonfiction books aren’t simply collections of interesting facts. That’s for newspapers or magazines or even the internet. There has to be a larger meaning or takeaway for young readers. What message will resonate with them when they close the book? What will they take to heart in the process of reading the story? This is the takeaway.

The best way I know to get to the takeaway is to ask Cron’s question: “What’s your point?” Here’s “the point” for some of my books:

  • Failure is to be expected, and perseverance pays off — WOOD, WIRE, WINGS, illus. Tracy Subisak
  • Anyone can be a hero and change the world —A TRUE WONDER, illus. Katy Wu
  • Discovering something new takes curiosity, hard work, and perseverance. — THE FIRE OF STARS, illus. Katherine Roy
This is the book cover for THE FIRE OF STARS, illus. Katherine Roy

All of my books are narrative. Yet, “what’s the point?” works for expository books too. One of my favorite expository books is Melissa Stewart’s PIPSQUEAKS, SLOWPOKES, AND STINKERS, illus. Stephanie Laberis. Stewart’s point is that sometimes what we see as weaknesses are really strengths. What a powerful point for kids!

This is the cover for Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

Your point, your plot

Once you have your “point” in place, it becomes the endpoint for the book. That’s where your character’s journey winds up. So who is your character at the beginning? Where do they start? It should be as far away as possible from where they wind up. That way, their journey can be long and difficult and filled with ups and downs (plot events) that will help them learn the point.

In nonfiction, we don’t make things up, but it’s all about choices. We choose where to start the journey and where it ends. We choose what plot events contribute to the point we are trying to make. If you don’t know your point, you can’t know your plot.

Expository books may not have a plot, but they do have readers who change and come to a new understanding through reading the book. Your “point” (takeaway) is still an endpoint and likely makes up the last spread of your picture book. So where is your reader at the beginning? What assumptions or misbeliefs are they toiling under? What examples will best make your point and change your reader’s thinking? What order should they be arranged for maximum effect?

Talking about takeaway is something we do in the very first week of my nonfiction revision class, because I truly believe the point we are trying to make as writers influences every choice we make in terms of structure, voice, and more. You may not know your point in your first draft. Drafting may even help you find your point, but it’s critical to lock it down in revision.