Interview With Author Kirsten Larson

Please welcome, my amazing and creative critique partner Kirsten Larson. Find out what she's been up to and don't forget to check out all her links below. Before we start the interview, did you know Kirsten recently had two articles for kids published? One in ASK Magazine and the other in ODYSSEY.  “Adventures in Extreme Recycling” (ASK) and “Calling All Martians” (ODYSSEY).
So proud of her!!!
                                                                                                 

 



Kirsten's Article "Adventures in Extreme Recycling"

JY- What was your experience like working with ASK?
KL- Working with ASK Magazine was a wonderful experience. It was so good in fact, that I'm working on another article for the magazine as we speak. The editor helped me shape the manuscript, and was very exacting when it came to fact checking. As a beginner, I found the editor to be very patient.




JY- How long did it take for your article to be published from start to finish?
KL- I submitted a proposal to the magazine in January. The proposal included a bibliography, outline, and my opening paragraph. I received the go-ahead for the article in late May. I had about a month to write the rough draft, and then we worked on final edits in early July. It was about five more months before the issue was published. So, it takes about a year from start -- the proposal -- to holding the magazine in your hand.

JY- What was the most exciting part of getting published?
KL- It's been a long time since I had a byline! I worked for newspapers in college, but that was years ago. For me, it was exciting to have something tangible to show my family. My kids talk about my books "in my computer," but they really want something they can touch. When the piece was published, I was eager to show them something more than text on my computer screen.

JY- What is your article about? And did you have to do much research for it? If so, what type of research?
KL- The article explores a way astronauts might stay alive on a future trip to Mars. It's way to expensive to pack all the water they would need for a year-long trip. This system recycles water over and over again, making drinking water from the moisture in the air and even astronauts' pee.
I did several hours of research about the system, called WaterWalls. I looked at newspaper articles, powerpoint presentations, and conference presentations. I read technical papers. But the best way for me to research is always to talk to people. I interviewed two experts, Michael Flynn and Dr. Sherwin Gormly, who are developing the system.

JY- Do you have anymore articles coming out soon? If so, is it with the same magazine? I
KL- I got really lucky with my magazine queries for 2013. I have another Mars article in January 2014's ODYSSEY that explores whether life ever existed on Mars. I have seven more articles in ASK, ODYSSEY, Boys' Quest, and AppleSeeds that will appear throughout the year.
Any current wips/projects you're working on? Right now I'm working on two science books for the educational market, as well as an article about Vikings for ASK that will come out this summer. I also have a historical picture book I'm trying to get down on paper. The research has been extensive, including reading letters and autobiographies from the 1800s.

JY- Where can we buy your work?
KL- You can check your local bookstore for issues of the magazines. Sadly, many bookstores carry fewer and fewer kids magazines. You can order individual issues from the publishers at their Web sites. Or better yet, get a subscription! Each issue is designed around a theme that explores one concept in depth.

Fun questions:

JY- Do you have a favorite museum?
KL- I am a museum junky, so that's a really difficult question for me. I get some of my best story ideas from museum visits. The California Science Center, which is home to Space Shuttle Endeavour, is a family favorite. I used to work at NASA and worked with news media during many Space Shuttle launches. And my husband flew a plane that escorted Endeavour to Los Angeles International Airport, where it began its journey through the streets of LA to the museum. Whenever we watch the movies of the event at the museum, my five-year-old yells, "There's Daddy!"

JY- If you were to pack for Mars what is one thing you couldn't leave without?
KL- Chocolate! It would be fun to float M&Ms and then gobble them up.

More about Kirsten:

Kirsten is a  children’s science writer and book author. She freelances for BirdBrain Science, a computer-based science curriculum that marries literacy and science, as well as children’s magazines. She currently is at work on her first two book projects.

Kirsten spent six years at NASA, where she represented the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs, as well as a number of aviation programs. She also has worked as a nonprofit fundraiser, grant writer, and college instructor.
Faced with the prospect of two school-age children, Kirsten pondered what to do when she grew up. Then she decided not to grow up and write books for children and parents instead.
Kirsten enjoys swimming, walking, and traveling. When not at work, she’s a volunteer school librarian and book fair coordinator. She coaches a Jr. FIRST LEGO League team of five- through eight-year-olds.
Kirsten graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in English Language and Literature and History. Her undergraduate thesis on American portraiture in the Early Republic was published in the journal, Essays in History. Her writing also has appeared in The Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), The Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star (Virginia Beach, Va.), The Cavalier Daily (Charlottesville, Va.) and Aviation Illustrated. She is the winner of a Virginia Press Association Award (3rd Place) for a series she co-wrote called, Thomas Jefferson’s Vision of UVa.  She holds an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Kirsten is a member of the SCBWI and the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge

Kirsten's Website: http://kirsten-w-larson.com/
Kirsten's Blog: http://kirsten-w-larson.com/updates/

Look for Kirsten's work in these magazines:
Boys Quest- http://funforkidzmagazines.com/boysquest
Ask- http://www.askmagkids.com/
Odyssey- http://www.odysseymagazine.com/
AppleSeeds- http://www.cricketmag.com/APP-APPLESEEDS-Magazine-for-Kids-ages-6-9

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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