NONFICTION NINJAS
  • Home
  • Meet the Ninjas
    • Lisa Amstutz
    • Stephanie Bearce
    • Nancy Churnin
    • Susie Kralovansky
    • Pat Miller
    • Christine Liu Perkins
    • Linda Skeers
    • Peggy Thomas
  • Ninja Notebook
  • NF Fest
  • Contact

​Dig Wells of Information

5/12/2021

2 Comments

 
By Nancy Churnin
 
There’s no getting around it. Research is required for any kind of nonfiction you want to do. It takes a lot of reading and often interviewing to assemble and understand the facts you need to get the story right.
 
Sometimes the research you do is just enough to support one book. But if you dig deeply enough, you may find you’ve found a well that will sustain other books and projects.
 
When I’m researching subjects for informational nonfiction, I’ve learned to stay alert for ideas that might be worthy of another story. I keep contact information for the experts I use and stay in touch with them, too. It’s already happened, more than once, that the experts I consulted for one project have provided invaluable help and guidance on others.
 
When I’m doing narrative biographies, it’s hard not to come across other, related great subjects. In fact,  one of my most biggest struggles in writing picture books is maintaining the discipline to discard other characters and themes that fascinate me. The good news, I’ve come to realize, is that I don’t have to discard them! Well, maybe I have to let them go for the book I’m currently working on. But I keep files now on other people of interest and ideas for when I’m ready. The bonus is that if the person is deeply connected to my original subject, chances are some of the resources I already know can help me again.
 
Another option I have on my to-do list to try is to tackle a middle grade on a subject similar to some of my picture books. As our Nonfiction Ninja middle grade expert, Stephanie Mowry Bearce, likes to remind me, middle grade gives you more room to tell more stories. I’ve dug deep wells of research and resources for my picture book. I’m looking forward to going back to some of these wells to gather up some loved ideas I left behind. I bet you’ll enjoy digging some wells, too.

2 Comments
Kathy Halsey
5/13/2021 05:27:49 am

Good advice, Nancy.

Reply
susan Twiggs
5/13/2021 10:23:03 am

Nancy,
What you are saying makes sense. I already have a book for new ideas and here's another source to add to it.
thank you.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    We are nonfiction authors who support readers and writers through our writing, author visits, and workshops.

    RSS Feed

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All
    Agent
    Andrea Somberg
    Back Matter
    Bibliography
    Biographies
    Book Dummy
    Book Promotion
    Bookstore
    Breaking Writers Block
    Deadlines
    Editing
    Editors
    Ghostwriting
    Hidden History
    Holidays
    Holiday Stories
    Humor
    Inspiration
    Linda Skeers
    Magazines
    Market Analysis
    Mentoring
    Mentor Texts
    Middle Grade NF
    Nancy Churnin
    Nonfiction
    Open For Submissions
    Organization
    Pat Miller
    Peggy Thomas
    Picture Books
    Primary-sources
    Publishers
    Questions
    Reluctant Writer
    Research
    Rhyme
    Seasonal Stories
    Selling Books
    Stephanie Bearce
    Submissions
    Twitter Pitches
    Why
    Word Count
    Work For Hire
    Writing Ideas
    Writing In Sprints
    Writing Protocol
    Writing Strengths
    Writing Tips

    Disclaimer: The Nonfiction Ninjas are a group of writers with diverse ideas . The views expressed in each post are those of the author and may differ from others in the group.​
Copyright @2022
  • Home
  • Meet the Ninjas
    • Lisa Amstutz
    • Stephanie Bearce
    • Nancy Churnin
    • Susie Kralovansky
    • Pat Miller
    • Christine Liu Perkins
    • Linda Skeers
    • Peggy Thomas
  • Ninja Notebook
  • NF Fest
  • Contact