Narrative Nonfiction: Making Facts into a Story

By Guest Author

by Natasha Wing

 

When editors say they are looking for narrative nonfiction, what does that mean?

 

Narrative nonfiction is creative nonfiction yet while both are fact-based, narrative nonfiction is also about storytelling, not just presenting facts in a clever way. It gives people, places and events meaning and emotional content – without making anything up. If you make up dialog or alter facts, then it becomes fiction.

 

The primary goal of the narrative nonfiction writer is to communicate information, like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads like fiction.

 

So how do you do that?

 

– Set the tone with opening images or word usage or even a juicy quote. My book, An Eye for Color, starts out: “Josef Albers saw art in the simplest things.” I wanted to set the tone that this story was about art, but simple art that kids could relate to. As the story unfolded, I connected to that idea of keeping it simple.

 

– Voice. Avoid the dull, droning textbook voice that makes you feel like you’re reading a reference book. Perky, fast-paced and humorous works better to capture your reader right from the start.

 

– Don’t give away the point you’re trying to make, build up to it. Use obstacles and rising stakes. Ask yourself, if this thing doesn’t happen, then what?

 

– Use poetic language rather than dry statements. Using my new biography, When Jackie Saved Grand Central, as an example, I wanted to say that Jackie was mad and she wanted to join the protestors so I wrote: “Like a powerful locomotive, Jackie led the charge to preserve the landmark she and New York City loved.” This language ties into the train theme.

 

– Use active verbs! Trim out phrases like: decided to. For example, She decided to build another model. Change to: She built another model.

 

– Build your world or era. But do it quickly! Don’t spend a lot of opening text on setting up the year, the location, or the era. Here’s how the Jackie story starts out: “When Jackie became First Lady of the United States in 1961, she moved into the White House with President John F. Kennedy and their children.” Nuff said. I didn’t have to tell you when Jackie was born, or how many kids she had and their names, or what number president John Kennedy was, or that the White House was in Washington, D.C.

 

– Find tension. Does your main character have a competitor who is trying to beat your guy to the patent office? Is the event something that could change the world? Is the main character full of doubt which could sabotage everything?

 

– Find “aha” moments. Did your character have a breakthrough on her invention? Did the artist discover something he’d never seen before in his paintings that made him follow a new path? Did your character get an idea while observing ladybugs that helped solve his problem?

 

– Is there an emotional journey for the main character? How does she succeed or grow? This works great for inventor stories. Why did the person want to invent something in the first place? Did he have a sick mother? Was a machine too cumbersome? During his journey did he ever want to give up? Did he have a breakthrough, or a break down? Did he get the recognition he wanted, or choose to live alone in a cabin instead?

 

– Is there a kid-friendly or universal theme? Historic preservation is a tough theme to sell to younger kids, so I had to make it about saving buildings people love to use rather than pontificating about the value of restoring the architectural integrity of a landmark. See the difference?

 

– Make us care about the person or object or invention. In my Jackie book, the biggest breakthrough in my revisions came when I started looking at the object that Jackie was trying to save – Grand Central Terminal – as something people cared about. Rather than just describing the building, I showed examples where people attended dances there, where politicians gave speeches, and friends met for lunch. That way the reader could have an emotional attachment to the building and therefore care if it was going to be destroyed or not.

 

– Limit use of facts. This sounds odd when you’re writing nonfiction, but too many facts can drag down the poetic flow of the text. Choose the facts that support your theme or opinion about the topic. Interesting nuggets that are visual or help children relate to the topic are keepers.

 

And don’t pile them up in one giant paragraph. Sprinkle them throughout the story, and use quotes to break up stretches of text. Visually, quotes give the eye something different to see, therefore re-investing the reader in your story.

 

If you still think some facts are pertinent, put them in the endnotes instead.

 

When you’re writing narrative nonfiction, always keep in mind, is it kid friendly and am I telling a story? Then weave those facts into your story so that readers will learn while also being entertained.

 

Before you start writing keep these things in mind:

 

How can you connect kids to your topic? For example, how does an invention affect their lives today?

 

Does your story have an unusual slant?

 

Is your biography of someone not heard about or someone kids should know about?

 

Check to see what other books have been done on that topic and how the author treated the telling and incorporated the information. Check out their sidebars and endnotes, too.

 

Is yours different and fresh?

 

Has new information come out on that topic to warrant a new book? Such as when a new president is elected. Or a new technology invented. How does this new bit of information make what’s out there obsolete – the topic could use a freshening up.

 

Has the publisher you work with already published that topic? Then don’t submit to them.

 

Did you publish a chapter book on a topic that would make a good picture book? If so, choose one through line and simplify and use poetic language. Choose one thing the person did and focus on that.

 

Is there an anniversary coming up in 4-5 years that you can hook your topic to? Start gathering research now.

 

Make sure you document where every fact is from so you can easily find it when you need to revise with an editor, or when you need proof where you got a quote.

 

Keep a list of experts you contacted so they can vet your manuscript before you submit it.

 

Natasha Wing is a best-selling author who has been writing for 25 years. She is best known for her Night Before series, but also has written several narrative nonfictions. When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy’s Fight for an American Icon (HMH Books for Young Readers) received starred reviews from Booklist and Kirkus.

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Narrative Nonfiction: Making Facts into a Story

Get Started Writing Science Articles for Kids

By Guest Author

by Suzanne Henshon

 

Do you love being outdoors? Have you ever considered combining your love of nature with writing? Many writers never consider writing nonfiction for young readers, yet there are many places to publish science-related articles for kids. It can be a great way to break into print.

 

So, how do you write about science in a way that is fun to read and accessible for young children? You need to think about including details that are interesting, provide accurate information, and bring a complex subject to life. It’s critical that you also think like an artist and make it visually appealing while presenting scientific facts in an accurate and compelling manner. Does it sound challenging? It is! Here are a few tips:

 

1. Pick an appropriate subject. Young children are fascinated by the outdoors, so it isn’t hard to find a subject of interest. But you want to make sure this subject is also appropriate for the publication where you will submit your piece. Read issues of the magazine to see how other writers handle scientific subjects before deciding what you will write about. When you are confident that your subject is appropriate, you can progress with researching and writing your article.

 

2. Research carefully. Go the library and find recently-published books on your topic. Peruse related websites as a starting point in your research, but don’t rely on them exclusively unless you can verify the information in at least two other sources. Read recent articles for adults on the subject and make a note of which experts are quoted. Then try to contact these people for an interview. If you can’t find scientists in the field of your topic, look for university professors to interview, or authors who have written extensively on the subject. You’ll be taking a different slant on the material than they did, and these authors may be open to being a source for your article.

 

3. Consider how to present this subject to young readers. The youngest readers will have no knowledge of the topic. Don’t overwhelm them with details—zero in on one fascinating aspect and explore it in an entertaining way. Older readers will want to build on what they already know. Think carefully about the reading audience and the best way to present your information; remember that you need to be age appropriate and accurate concurrently.

 

4. Read comparable articles and pieces. Have you read articles for children? Have you purchased books about comparable subjects? When you read articles and books, you learn how to write for this age group; you develop a sense of how to present a subject in an interesting and compelling way for your particular age group.

 

5. Plan out how your piece will appear on the page. Will your piece appear on a single page, or will it appear on several pages? How much text will appear on each page? Will you be providing photographs to go with the article? Think carefully about these issues as you write your piece, and be cognizant of how many words are in most science articles.

 

6. Write beyond facts. Your job isn’t to write an encyclopedia entry; your responsibility is to tell a true story about the natural world. So don’t just present facts and figures; focus on specific facts that children can connect to directly, and find a way to make the information relevant to the reader’s life.

 

7. Focus on bringing science to life. No matter what you are writing about, your first responsibility is to make your text interesting. Generally science pieces for young readers are short and to the point; you will find yourself emphasizing some factual information while having to omit other things. Don’t feel guilty about this; maybe you are tantalizing the interest of the young reader and encouraging her to explore further on her own.

 

8. Edit and revise. When you have finished writing your piece, sit down and read it over carefully. Compare your piece to other science pieces that have been published by this publication. Is yours comparable in length, style, and word choice? Have you stretched the imagination of young readers in an appropriate and meaningful way?

 

When you write a science piece for young readers, you have the capacity to change their lives forever; you might inspire the next Jane Goodall or Neil Armstrong. You could be the spark that encourages a child to reach for the stars. So take this responsibility seriously, and enjoy writing your science article. With a little luck, you might get a publication— and change a young reader’s life forever.

This is a post from writeforkids.org. Read the original post: Get Started Writing Science Articles for Kids