Stellar Sidebars

​by Christine Liu-Perkins
 
 
Sidebars can add to a main text in many different ways from expanding  comprehension to injecting fun to inviting participation. Here's some things I've learned from writing sidebars for various nonfiction projects: 
 

• Plan ahead. While you research, keep track of ideas and information for possible sidebars. Include these ideas in your proposal outline along with the synopsis and photos for each chapter.
• Make the sidebars stand on their own. If readers view the sidebar without reading the main text, would they understand it? Would they learn something new that's not in the main text?
• Think about what can be moved from the main text into a sidebar. If something seems necessary but detracts from the flow of the main text, could it be formatted as a sidebar?
• Answer questions that readers may be asking about something introduced in the main text.
• Consider providing context information in sidebars such as parallel historical events, customs, related ideas, or definitions.
• Let photo captions function like sidebars. Beyond describing the photo as a whole, point out significant details, add context information, or make an insightful connection.
• Consider fun facts, unusual information, or quotes that you think readers will enjoy or find memorable.
• Experiment with different formats: short paragraphs, quotes, lists, Q&A, activities, charts, diagrams, anecdotes, timelines, quizzes, puzzles, humor, etc. What format best accomplishes your purpose for the sidebar?
• Although they are often brief, sidebars can be challenging to research. Allow enough time to dig and sift for essential information and intriguing details.

 
For more tips, here's a good article on creating sidebars for magazine articles (useful for books, too): "Preparing a Sidebar Feast: Planning, Writing, and Submitting Sidebars" by Carolyn Short.
 

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