Let's Ask - Question #12

This week's Let's Ask question

is for the wonderful, Kirsten Larson

Jennifer: Your children’s stories tend to have an environmental and earth science theme, where does your inspiration come from?

Kirsten: Thanks so much for having me, Jennifer. Like any writer, my inspiration comes from a variety of sources: my children, books I read, places I visit. I read lots of nonfiction myself, and I'm a museum junkie. Plus my children are always asking me to explain things them, which forces me to rely on analogies that sometimes result in book ideas. For example, a recent zoo visit with my family had me explaining how a zebra's stripes, African wild dogs' patterns and a spectacled bear's "spectacles" are like a human's fingerprints. Each pattern is unique to the individual animal. I added it to my ever-growing list of book ideas.

Because I have a business degree, I often think of marketability first when I decide which ideas to pursue. In nonfiction, just because an story has been written once doesn't mean it can't be written again. Think of how many children's books there are about George Washington or dinosaurs. The key is to offer a fresh take or a unique hook that makes your book marketable. When vetting ideas, I search Amazon and library card catalogs to see what angles have already been pursued and to make sure I'm offering something unique and salable.

Jennifer: While creating nonfiction stories for children, what does your writing process look like? Do you research information first and then invent the story?

Kirsten: Sometimes my book ideas are fully formed: I begin with the hook, for example the animal pattern/fingerprint idea, and then it's just a matter of doing the research to find the examples that support the idea. Those are the easier books to write. Other times, the content comes through first. I do lots of research, and then search for the hook. Should it be an alphabet book? Free verse? Is the book for a budding reader or a fifth-grader? This is often harder because I end up writing the manuscript a number of different ways. For example, I read Dava Sobel's LONGITUDE about John Harrison, who invented a sea-worthy clock allowing sailors to calculate their east/west position at sea. My children love maps, so I thought a navigation book for early elementary students might be fun. I did a lot of research, wrote it as a second-person narrative, and it's still in the file waiting for a rewrite.

In terms of research, I normally check out a host of adult and children's books on a topic I'm researching. That helps me see how the story's been treated in the past, plus I can flip to the bibliography to discover additional sources. I also use my public library's online databases extensively since I can research from home. This is a lifesaver with two small children under foot. Often, I try to talk to an expert in the field as well for information and to review my work. Generally, I try to find a fact in two to three sources before using it.

Jennifer: Can you share some tips on how to craft a nonfiction story into picture book that informs and entertains children without being too “wordy?”

Kirsten: That's the hard part. Generally, nonfiction picture books can be longer than fiction (up to 1,500 words), and target audiences can be 10 or 11 years old. Even though these books are longer, the information has to be interesting and age-appropriate. I use THE CHILDREN'S WRITER'S WORD BOOK and Okapi! (http://www.lefthandlogic.com/htmdocs/tools/okapi/okapi.php) to check readability for my target audience, especially if the book is aimed at students who are reading on their own. I use analogies that children can relate. I often imagine myself explaining the ideas to my boys and write the piece that way. For example, a child might not understand how cold it is in Antarctica. But, if you compare the temperature to the freezer in her kitchen, she'll understand.

Outside readers are invaluable for providing feedback about whether what I'm writing makes sense and holds interest. I have a fantastic critique group I've met through Julie Hedlund's 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge. I've also attended critique events through the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. And I was even lucky enough to receive a critique from a published children's author once, which was invaluable for finalizing the draft.

Thanks so much for having me Jennifer! Children's nonfiction writing is a challenge, but it offers endless opportunities for creativity.

Jennifer: Thank you for all your help Kirsten!

 

Bio: Kirsten W. Larson is a former NASA PR princess turned college instructor, freelance children's writer and mom to two curious boys. She blogs at CreatingCuriousKids.Wordpress.com

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