Find Yourself a Group
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Nancy Churnin Sometimes a writer gets stuck on a particular manuscript that just won’t seem to work no matter how much you prod, push, pull or tweak it. It is tempting in those cases to reach out to an experienced author or editor for help. And sometimes that can be just what you need. But when people come to me for advice, the first thing I ask is: Did you show it to your group? And if they tell me that they don’t have a group, I say, ever so gently: Find one. Why does a writer need a group? Let me count the ways. Well, a few of the ways. Here are some of the reasons I treasure being part ..read more
Visit website
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS VS TRAVEL
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Peggy Thomas ​ I love when I get to travel for research. When I’m writing a biography, I’ll visit the person’s home, walk the streets, and collect sounds and smells that I can weave into the narrative. I like to get the lay of the land -- How far did George W. Carver walk to school? What was Lincoln’s view from his White House window? But Covid hit just as I was starting to research Nobel laureate, Norman Borlaug, an agricultural scientist who saved millions of lives from starvation. I couldn’t get to Mexico where Norm worked for decades, or even Cresco, Iowa where he grew up. Just readin ..read more
Visit website
The Rewards of Awards
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Stephanie Bearce What is one of the best ways to get your book into the hands of LOTS of young readers? Get your book nominated for one of the State reading awards. Children's choice award programs are held each year and in every state in the nation. Books that are selected for the nomination list are purchased by every school and public library and read by thousands of children who then vote for their favorite. It's an incredible honor to win, but just being a nominee is a boost every writer would love. So how do you get your book on one of these magical lists? Nominations are taken for ..read more
Visit website
Defining Nonfiction
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Lisa Amstutz   Every now and then, I see discussions pop up online about terminology related to nonfiction. It’s easy to get confused! So I thought I’d take the opportunity to provide some definitions that are fairly standard in the industry. First, what is nonfiction? This one’s simple: it is 100% verifiable fact. No invented dialogue or made-up characters or events. Anything else falls into the fiction category. As a note, nonfiction is not superior to fiction or vice versa—these labels are simply a way of communicating with the reader what to expect. As writers, we owe it to our re ..read more
Visit website
Emotional Resonance in Nonfiction, Part 1
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
by Christine Liu-Perkins   When I first heard about emotional resonance in nonfiction, I wondered what that meant. As a nonfiction writer, I thought about research, accuracy, and interesting details. I learned to develop a focus, experiment with structure, and seek creative ways to hook young readers’ attention. But emotional resonance? What is it? Is it important in nonfiction?   Editors look for manuscripts that touch the emotions of readers—nonfiction as well as fiction. Anna Sargeant of Sourcebooks eXplore said, “When I read a nonfiction manuscript, the first thing I gauge ..read more
Visit website
​WRITER TO WRITER – Writing leveled readers
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Linda Skeers   I tend to ramble on when I write so I’m incredibly impressed with books for young readers that pack a punch in few words. I turned to my friend Debbie to get the inside scoop on how she does this so brilliantly! Debbie Moeller writes leveled readers for children in grades K-2. She’s a former educator and Reading Specialist. She is devoted to writing high-interest books for young readers on engaging topics that spark their passion for reading. Visit her website at www.debbiemoeller.com.  What's your background and how did you get started writing books for kids? &nbs ..read more
Visit website
MENTORED BY A PICTURE BOOK
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Pat Miller Writers often say theirs is a lonely job. It’s true that when it comes to putting words on the screen or paper, it’s just you. But before that, accomplished authors will visit your home, stay for weeks, and show you exactly how it is done. No need to feed them or put fresh sheets on the guest beds. You will invite them through their published works. Their books have successfully survived the journey you want to send yours on.  You can take theirs apart and figure out how they did it. Then you have a recipe for your own work. This process is called using mentor texts. The wo ..read more
Visit website
​Writing Biographies - How to Maintain Focus
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Peggy Thomas How do you include everything in a person’s life when writing a children’s biography? The answer is: you don’t. No matter what your word count, it is impossible to tell the whole story. Your job is to reveal the essence of a person. But some biography subjects are overachievers with too many fingers in too many pies. That’s what I found out with Norman Borlaug who earned the Nobel Peace Prize for feeding millions of people. His work took him around the world. He had interests in forestry, patents in industry, and revolutionized plant breeding. He also was a teacher, had a fa ..read more
Visit website
The Beauty of WHY
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Nancy Churnin One of the questions I get asked most frequently is: Where do you get your ideas? The truth is I find them everywhere, but there’s one place in particular that never fails me. Since I write for children, I go back to my inner child which is always asking, as kids still do, Why? Why? Why? It turns out that this is one of the best questions an author can ask. Because the best children’s book ideas often come from looking at something that seems familiar and asking Why? Why do we have this? Where did it come from? Why do we have signs in baseball? I found out that it was becaus ..read more
Visit website
Writer to Writer with Peggy Thomas
NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook
by
1y ago
By Susan Kralovansky Are you a dreamer? A planner? From childhood, have you known exactly what you wanted to do with your life? If so, you will love Hero for the Hungry: The Life and Work of Norman Borlaug, a soon-to-be-released biography from Feeding Minds Press written by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Sam Kalda. Hero for the Hungry is an engaging biography about a quiet Iowa farm boy who grew up to change the world with his crop innovations, feeding hundreds of millions of people around the world. Today, fellow Ninja Peggy Thomas joins us on The Ninja Notebook to tal ..read more
Visit website

Follow NonFiction Ninjas | Ninja Notebook on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR