New Year’s Plan, Revisited

The end of January looms nearer and across the nation, New Year’s Resolutions (or goals or plans or whatever you like to call them) are dropping like flies. How are yours going? Are you still in the race, or did you trip coming out of the starting gate and never quite find your feet again?

I shared my New Year’s Plan at the beginning of the month: to cultivate the habit of rising early to write by getting up 15 minutes earlier each week. By this week, I’m supposed to be getting up at 6:15. This is a very achievable goal, especially since ideally, I’d be getting up at 6:00 am already. And yet…it’s not happening.

What do you do when your ambitious plans for change don’t seem to be working? Experts claim that fewer than half of‘people who make New Year Resolutions stick with them longer than six months, and it’s oh-so-easy for one stumble to lead to another and another, until you’re ready to call it quits.

Read more >>

Rocky Mountain Chapter SCBWI Fall Conference: Bruce Coville Wows and Inspires

I have a special place in my heart for Bruce Coville’s books. It’s not just that they’re lots of fun—which they are—or that they’re great examples of craft, plotting, and storytelling—which they are. His book Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher saved my life.

This happened a few years ago, when I made one of my overly optimistic cross-country drives from Colorado to Pennsylvania with two kids in tow. Just before Christmas. In horrendous weather.*

After three days of driving and too many hairy moments to recount, we made it to PA late at night, in the middle of a snow storm. We were supposed to spend the night at my sister’s house with her husband and kids because my parents were at the hospital, where my dad had just had surgery. I’ve been to my sister’s house. It’s a large white farmhouse with a red barn only just off the road and, theoretically, it’s not that hard to find. At least, it’s not that hard to find in the daylight. At night, in a snowstorm, in one of the darkest counties in PA, when one’s brain is theoretically addled from WAAAY too many hours on the road, it’s another story. I drove up and down that road without seeing it.

Meanwhile, the snow is getting heavier, my eyelids are dragging, and both kids are awake and pathetic in the back seat.

What does this have to do with Bruce Coville, you ask? Well, it was his story, performed by his audio book company Full Cast Audio, that kept me awake and kept the kids and I sane for much of the cross-country drive and for ALL of that stressful night. We listened to it as we searched for my sister’s house. We listened when I finally gave up and headed to my parent’s house, even though I knew it was empty. We listened to it as we slipped and slid our way down their very long, very snowy driveway and I left it on for the kids while I stomped through snow drifts trying to find an open door and, when there wasn’t one, breaking into the house. We listened to it over the next week every time we drove from one house to another, because this was rural PA, where the minimum driving time between any two locations is 25 minutes. We listened to it when the cousins joined us in the car and we needed entertainment (so that I didn’t go crazy in my stressed-out, overtired state.)

So: it was with great interest that I sat down Saturday morning for Coville’s Keynote address. I came to the conference seeking inspiration and encouragement—and he didn’t disappoint. But more on that in a few days…

:) Cheryl

*Yes, I know. The weather is BOUND to be horrendous somewhere along a cross-country drive at that time of year. See overly optimistic, above…

On Beginnings: WAKE by Lisa McMann

Yesterday, I blazed through Lisa McMann’s YA paranormal, WAKE (Simon Pulse, 2008). It’s a fun, fast-paced, gripping read about a girl who gets sucked into others’ dreams—which turns out to be problematic when students nap during classes.  

This book is worth checking out, though, because of the author’s unique (and successful) approach to the book’s beginning. Know how you’re “not supposed” to dump backstory in the opening chapters? McMann does exactly that—and makes the reader love every second of it.

The book opens with a scene in the present:

December 9, 2005, 12:55 p.m.

Janie Hannagan’s math book slips from her fingers. She grips the edge of the table in the school library. Everything goes black and silent. She sighs and rests her head on the table. Tries to pull herself out of it, but fails miserably. She’s too tired today. Too hungry. She really doesn’t have time for this.

And then. 

And then we’re pulled into the dream with Janie. The first chapter covers six minutes in just over two pages of text.

The next chapter is titled “Where It Begins” and it takes us through Janie’s dream experiences from age eight to the present. Backstory, presented in a series of scenes titled with dates and times. Twenty-four pages of it before we return to present-day Janie on the first day of school, August 30, 2004.

Why does it work? I think it’s because McMann adopts a style that reads almost like a series of incident reports: terse, but so packed with compelling information that it draws you ever onward. She writes in present tense, lending immediacy to every page. The third person narrator feels just distant enough to add to the incident-report feel of the book.

This style choice lets McMann pack key stories from Janie’s past into a relatively short amount of space. Sure, she presents a ton of backstory in the second chapter, but she does so by flashing the reader through one intense scene after another. The short scenes continue, resulting in a book that (for me) was surprisingly difficult to put down.

Check it out!

:) Cheryl

Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: a Woman’s Guide to Unblocking Creativity

For us creative types, feeling creatively “stuck” is one of the worst sensations in the world—and definitely no way to start off the new year. In previous posts and on Twitter, I talk quite a bit about ways to pull yourself out a rut, generate new story ideas, and inspire creativity. And most of the time, for most people, that’s enough to jump-start your writing and get you moving.

When you’re in a rut too deep to climb out of, though, it might be time to bring in the tow truck—and that’s what Susan O’Doherty does in her book Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued.

O’Doherty doesn’t offer a list of writing exercises or “creativity sparkers” in her guide. Instead, she draws on her background as a psychotherapist to explain what’s know about creativity and it’s development. She uses this information to craft a series of writing exercises designed to help the reader figure out the source of her own creative blocks—and how to overcome them. 

I didn’t come to this book as someone who feels creatively blocked, but as someone interested in the art and science of creativity. In fact, I often have the opposite problem: too many projects that I want to pursue simultaneously. Nevertheless, I found that I benefited immensely from the book’s exercises. They might be designed for women who feel stuck in their creative lives, but I believe they can provide anyone—male or female—with insight into their creativity and insight into areas where they might feel stuck.

Wherever you are on your writing journey, Getting Unstuck has something to offer you. And if you *do* feel stuck, in writing or elsewhere in life, it’s a must-read!

:-) Cheryl

Reading With an Eye for Craft: Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

I just tore through a terrific fantasy novel, Ballad: a Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater. This tale touches on two of my favorite fantasy concepts: the world of Faerie in the modern day and how music might interweave with magic. I expected to love this book. What I didn’t expect was that I loved it so much I had to go through it a second time, taking notes.

I’m embarking on the first rewrite of my own most recent fantasy novel, and Ballad turns out to be a perfect book for me to study. In it, Stiefvater weaves together a remarkably complex plot using three different point-of-view characters. One of those characters “narrates” only in the form of unsent text messages—a few pages of thoughts sprinkled through the novel that lets the reader know what’s happening in her world. It’s a terrific idea, and absolutely perfect in this book. The other two characters have such distinct voices that I never lost track of who was narrating. 

She manages to take the reader through two fully developed character arcs while methodically unfolding a plot that would be difficult to follow in less skilled hands. She doles out clues and information piece by piece, until everything comes together at the story’s end into that delightful “ah-ha!” moment when it all makes sense.

If you love contemporary fantasy such as Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, Emma Bull's War for the Oaks or Charles de Lint’s novels (Jack the Giant Killer is a personal fave), you’ll find Ballad a delightful read.

And if you’re a fellow fantasy writer, you’ll love checking out the details of her world-building, story pacing, and character creation. This book definitely merits two reads, because the first time through you’ll be too caught up in the story to pay attention to craft—and her craft is worth studying.

:) Cheryl

P.S. She has a pretty fun website, too. Check it out!

P.P.S. Back to that rewrite….

Gift Ideas: Books, Books, Books!

This year, as last, Moonratty over at Editorial Ass has compiled her list of books for a variety of different gift-ees. Looking for a book that will appeal to your 10-year-old niece? Your dad? Your English teacher? Yourself? Visit the Mischief Book List 2009 and enjoy!

Building a Platform a la Christina Katz

I finally got around to reading Christina Katz’s latest offering, Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform…and yep, it’s just as good as her last book, which I discuss here.

It answers some of my long-standing questions about platform, such as:

1. What the heck is platform, exactly? In practical terms.
2. What does platform mean for a fiction writer—and is it still important?
3. If I write for kids, does it make sense to build a platform that’s read primarily by other adults? And not just adults—adult writers.

For the answers, you have to read the book for yourself.

Although much of this book is targeted for writers of nonfiction, this book is also a great resource for the fiction writer. It discusses how to identify your niche as a writer; how to identify your audience; and, most important, how to get yourself in gear and start building a platform that works for you.

This is the kind of book to buy and put on your shelf for reference. Full of practical advice and questions (yes, you have to do some work to get the most out of this book), Get Known takes you from platform novice to platform savvy in a fun, fast-paced read.

:) Cheryl

Theory and Practice

As I write this, my younger son sits upstairs taking his fifth chess lesson. The lessons were a birthday gift, one he's been asking for for more than a year. Finally we succumbed. This very nice chess champion (Paul) now comes to our home once a week to discuss the theory and practice of chess with our ten-year-old (who can whup the pants off everyone else in the house!)

I've been sitting in on some of these lessons. The idea is that I'll learn some of my son's tricks, so I'll be able give him a bit more of a challenge when we play. It's kind of fun, learning about chess tactics, discovered attacks, pinning and forking pieces, how to calculate force...there's this whole other language for chess and how to think about the game. But Paul's first and most important lesson didn't involve any special chess language, but rather, the theory of learning:

To become a better chess player, you need two things. You need to know tactics (learned by doing chess puzzles and practicing the different techniques) and you need to practice. Practice one without the other and your game will improve slowly, if at all.

Wow. That's wisdom that applies to writing or, no doubt, to any kind of learning. The practice of writing is important--it helps me become more fluent at putting words to the page. But sometimes, especially as we become more advanced as writers, I think we forget that we need to keep honing our technical skills as well.

Practice and theory: how do you put the idea into practice? Well, if you want to use simile or metaphor in your writing, spend a week doing simile or metaphor exercises. If you want to hone your ability to vary sentence structure, rewrite a passage from your work using a passage from someone else's work (one that displays great variety in sentence structure) as an example. If you want to improve your ability to write dialog, work through the exercises in Tom Chiarella's Writing Dialog.

Right now, I'm absorbing a great book about writing techniques, Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style, by Arthur Plotnik. I say "absorbing" because this isn't the kind of book you plow straight through. It's the kind of book that you peruse slowly, trying out the techniques along the way.

It reminds me of my son's book of chess exercises, only for writers. So if you feel your writing might benefit from improvements in tactics as well as straightforward practice, pick up Spunk & Bite, Writing Dialog, or one of the other great writing books out there. And brush up on your writing skills as a foundation for improving your overall writing game!

:) Cheryl

Book Thoughts: Writer Mama (How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids)

I've been reading a fun book this week: Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids, by Christina Katz. It's a good enough resource that I'm going to purchase my own copy ASAP.

At first glance, Writer Mama is geared more toward writers who are just starting their freelance careers--but it contains plenty of inspiration and information no matter where you are in your writing career. With ideas for everything from gathering ideas, audience identification, contract negotiation, finding time to write, and dealing with home life, it's the kind of read you can pick up whenever you need a little motivation boost or a handful of ideas to tackle the latest obstacle in your writing life.

Plus, Katz relays all this information with humor and sympathy for the ups and downs faced by writing mothers.

I don't have little kids underfoot anymore, but each stage of parenting brings its own unique challenges. Christina Katz's book is a dense package of tools to help me integrate my parent and writer selves, so I'm better at both. I'm glad I picked this one up!

:) Cheryl

Warning: Take care with book lists!

In an effort to do my part to help the publishing industry, almost everyone on my Christmas list is getting a book this year. I took advantage of the many bloggers' book lists to pick both familiar and unfamiliar titles for friends and family. Check out:

• Moonrat's Best-Ever Suggestions for Books as Gifts


• Mother Reader (for multiple lists, such as the Holidays Around the World list and several lists of creative book gift ideas here, here, here, and here.
  
• Chicken Spaghetti's The Best of the Best: Kids' Books '08 (a list of booklists)

Great idea, right?

Mostly. Somewhere along the way, I ended up on a list that recommended Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S. Sounds funny, a nonfiction book full of oddball facts perfect for one of the middle-school age readers on my list--so I ordered it. And had it sent to my in-laws.

Somehow, I missed reading the book reviews before I bought it from Amazon. Let's just say it's not really kid-appropo.

So check out those lists--buy books for your friends, neighbors, teachers, milkman. But make sure you read more than one review before purchasing books on another's recommendation!

! Cheryl

What is Cheryl doing right now?

Who all out there is on Facebook or MySpace or some other networking site? I'm on Facebook, and it's cool in some ways and a huge time sink in others. Man! I turn around for a few minutes, and I'm kidnapped or poked or tagged in a photo or someone wants me to send a flower to save the rain forest...

I haven't decided how much of it is a "useful" use of my time, but it's definitely fun. And it lets me keep in touch with people I might not otherwise contact quite so frequently--like the folks from the writing retreat I just attended. Pretty cool.

But back to what I'm doing right now--I'm READING! And rewriting, but in between rewriting binges, I now have a pile of books to devour. Yesterday I raced through R.A. Nelson's Breathe My Name. Today, I'm reading it again, to absorb the great voice and language use. Here's a taste:

"See?" Momma says, holding up the jar with the crawdads. "Everything knows about fear."

And it's true. I've seen spiders, the smallest spider you can see, little bitty red ones smaller than a freckle--they run like crazy if you put your finger down next to them. Their fear is as big as any fear in the whole world.

...Momma is good at scaring things.

And here's another favorite passage, a spider metaphor that R.A. Nelson carries and develops through the entire story:

Maybe that's what she always was. Only none of us knew, because she kept it hidden. And through everything, all the times she was kissing us or playing games with us or being the queen of our pretend kingdom, really she was a spider underneath everything, just itching to break free. And every night the stiff little spidery hairs were coming to the surface, and she had to be careful to pluck them off each morning so that no one would suspect she was really a spider.

As a writer, I sometimes forget to let my characters see the world through metaphor and whimsy. That's my assignment for tonight: to take a passage and rewrite, letting my character make sense of her world with a type of understanding that moves beyond the ordinary.

Thanks for the inspiration, R.A.Nelson!

:) Cheryl

Thought for the day: CREEP

I finally discovered the writer’s worst enemy: Creep. Cheryl’s unofficial definition? Life’s insidious encroachment onto the writer’s zone.

Heather Sellers introduced me to the concept in her book Chapter after Chapter. (Great writing inspiration book, BTW. If you haven’t read it—do!) In it, she writes:

…most people, especially on their first book, struggle with a terrible insidious mental weed called Creep. If you don’t surround yourself with your book, you risk it creeping away from you—or you unintentionally creeping away from it. Creep is bad, and it’s as common as the common cold.

Keeping up writing momentum can be tough, especially for those who have other jobs (you know, raising kids, making sure the house passes minimum health standards; plus whatever you do to bring in cash.) Somehow, the rest of life tends to…well…creep into writing time and energy. Since writing time can be somewhat flexible, I find that it gets pushed aside too often for things like doctor appointments, editing jobs, even (horror) laundry.

So what’s a writer to do? Must we succumb to the inevitability of entropy as applied to the writing life? ;) Nah. My point is—be aware of Creep. Identify it when it begins, nip it ASAP, and set some ground rules to counter its effects. Learn to keep writing a priority. Practice saying “no” to inessentials. And most important, when life creeps into writing time, pay yourself back the lost hours.

Let’s root out Creep!

~Cheryl

Staying Motivated: Writing Books

As a writer with a full life (and schedule) one of my favorite ways to fill my motivational tank is to read a particularly inspiring writing book. Here are a few inspirational favorites:

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott: This is one of those books I read over and over. I love Anne Lamott. She's real. She talks about good writing days and bad writing days and about writing piles of exceptionally mediocre melodrama in a way that makes me feel like I'm doing okay. Her thoughts on the writing life encourage and inspire and leave me feeling warm and thankful for the gift of writing.

Take Joy! by Jane Yolen: Jane Yolen is an inspiration in her own right. I mean, look at the breadth of styles and stories she's crafted over the years! This collection of essays gives us a glimpse into her creative life. Some tackle writing craft; most tackle the hows and whys of writing. It's a fun read, and so encouraging that it's another I read and re-read.

On Writing, by Stephen King: This book is a combination writing memoir/writing craft book. I love hearing the story of Stephen King's pursuit of the writing life--it makes my obstacles seem like mere roadbumps. This book left me inspired to write, but also inspired to write whatever the heck I feel like writing. I probably won't edge into the horror genre, though. I'd get nightmares from my own stories....

Gotta go--I've developed a sudden, urgent need to reread some books!

~Cheryl

Book Recommendations

Have you read any great books lately? Send me your favorite titles, either for children's and YA books or writing-craft related, and I'll add them to my rotating list.

:) Cheryl

Colorado Book Awards, Revisited

Remember how I was going to the Colorado Book Awards banquet day before last? Well, the bad news it that my friend, Hilari Bell, didn't win. (Although she's still a winner even to reach the banquet--she was one of the top 3 YA authors in the state this year.) The good news is that the woman who did win, Laura Resau, read a passage from her winning book What the Moon Saw and I have a new have-to-read book. I'm not sure how the judges choose between such excellent entries. Laura's writing was beautiful, evocative of another world and culture. Hilari's book, Forging the Sword, is the culmination of a fantasy trilogy in which the world, culture, and story are exquisitely drawn.

Personally, I bet I would have chosen Forging the Sword--but I'm a sucker for fantasy, and Hilari is one of my favorite fantasy authors.

If you're looking for a fun read, check out The Farsala Trilogy by Hilari Bell (Fall of a Kingdom, Rise of a Hero, and Forging the Sword.) The books are filled with surprising plot twists--the kind that you think about later and laugh aloud--and a believable clash between cultures. The three main characters come from different worlds of existence: one is the haughty daughter of the ruling class, one is common peddlar wounded in body and spirit, one is a noble's bastard son and trusted man-at-arms. When their country is invaded by a the mightiest military nation in the world, each of the three is challenged to do their best for their people. When they disagree about what, exactly, "best" means, things get interesting! Their stories intertwine as the story progresses, bringing together three very different people for a common purpose. Sort of.

Okies, I'm off to polish some pages!

~Cheryl

Thursday's thing to love about being a writer (a bit late!)

Sorry for delay--but I have a new thought on what's to love as you start your week. This week's thing to love: dreams, especially dreams that relate to story.

I cultivate story-inspired dreams. I'm not the first to do so--Nancy Lamb espouses "creativity naps" in her book The Writers Guide to Crafting Stories for Children. When I'm stuck on a plot point; when my writing becomes stiff; when my characters stop sounding real--I'll find a cozy spot in the sun and lie down with pen and notebook in hand. (Well, okay, sometimes I hug the notebook like a teddy bear. To each their own....) The I close my eyes and daydream. I "play the movie" of the story I'm writing, backing up the scene a little and watching events unfold.

It's a wonderful tool. As I reach that magical place between sleeping and waking, I start to hear the characters take off on real conversations. That's when inspiration always hits, too: I'll be just about to drift off and I'll realize that, of course, Chirp shouldn't return to the stable but should wander the streets all night. Or--of course, Alex has tell Tad that the bear is real, which opens up that new subplot I needed.

Even if I don't get some grand plot revelation, I usually glean details about the scene's setting, its flow, and the the characters' movements and voices.

Of course, the best ones come just as I'm most relaxed, ready to melt into the sunny patch on my carpet--but writing is worth waking up. Usually!

~Cheryl

More on Interviews from Liz Rusch

Elizabeth Rusch, nonfiction writer extraordinaire (http://www.elizabethrusch.com/), spoke at my SCBWI 2007 Fall Conference a few weeks ago. Two of her most recent books, Will It Blow? (Sasquatch Books, May 2007) and The Planet Hunter (Rising Moon Books, Fall 2007) draw extensively from interviews with scientists. She uses the first-hand information from the individuals who do the science to draw readers into the world of science. Liz gave a wonderful talk on the benefits and how-to's of using interviews to round out your writing at our conference. Here are a few of the tips she shared:

1. For ANY subject, there is at least one expert. Her example? Ketchup. There is an expert in the field of ketchup. I kid you not. She read the article to us--from The New Yorker or Harpers Magazine.




2. Why is this important? Because the expert will keep current in the subject. The expert can provide information that you can't find in books. The expert can answer questions, helping you learn about a topic more quickly and thoroughly than you could through book research. And (my favorite) the expert can give you unexpected information, bonus material that you can't find anywhere else.




3. How do you find an expert? Google is an obvious starting point. Other sources include authors of recent books on the topic; authors of recent articles on the topic; university professors; and sources cited by other references you might find.




4. Do your research first. The more you know about the subject, the better research questions you can ask.




5. Include "The Most" questions in your interview. These are the questions that give you good stories for your book or article. What was most important? most surprising? most difficult? most fun? I used her advice in my most recent interview and asked for "the funniest" things that had happened during the research--with some wonderful results. And no, I'm not going to share the answers here: they're for the article :).

Interviews are a great way to add life to a book or article. They can provide quotes, anecdotes, new perspective, greater understanding, personal insight. They connect the writer to other people, other lives. Give it a try!

:) Cheryl

PS--No, that's not Liz Rusch. Since the emus inspired this thread on interviews, I thought they rated another picture....

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor by Gail McMeekin

If you're looking for inspiration along the writer's road, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women is a great source.

Author Gail McMeekin interviewed 45 highly creative women from a variety of fields--artists, painters, CEO's, writers, small business owners, designers--to discover twelve traits they held in common. She dives into each secret in detail, using examples from the lives of these very different and inspiring women.

What I like about it:

• The wonderful women she interviews have inspiring stories to share!


• ...and these 45 different women harness creativity and integrate it into their lives in many different, personal ways. This isn't a "one-size-fits-all" solution manual


• McMeekin uses a series of "Challenges" in each chapter to help the reader explore the topic as it applies to her own life


• It goes beyond the standard inspirational book, in that the ideas and exercises can help a writer out of many different ruts along the road

I borrowed the book through interlibrary loan several months ago, and have referred to my notes so many times since then that I should just buy the book. When I'm stuck, I look back at the "Mastering Challenges" section; when my writing feels flat, I pick up an exercise from the "Engaging Your Creativity" section. McMeekin calls the book a portable mentor. It doesn't quite measure up to my local critique group, but it's as great a mentor as a book can be.

Maybe I'll promise it to myself as a reward for the next risk I take--like sending my book out again!

~Cheryl

Thursday's thing to love...other writers!

Sticking to the conference theme, one of my favorite speakers at this year's RMC-SCBWI conference was Elizabeth Rusch (http://www.elizabethrusch.com/.) She gave talks on writing for magazines, on using interviews to craft terrific nonfiction, on marketing books through magazine articles, on the editor/author collaboration and on obtaining meaningful feedback from child audiences. I enjoyed her first talk so much that I rearranged my schedule to come back for more!

Liz's recently-published nonfiction book Will it Blow? Become a volcano detective on Mount St. Helens (Sasquatch Books, 2007) was a must-have addition to my collection of great nf books. She takes a unique twist on the standard volcano book, opening with a memo from the Department of Volcanic Investigation:

"Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to predict a Mount St. Helens eruption. It's not enough to catch Mount St. Helens red-handed. To protect the public, you must sniff out what kind of volcanic trouble is brewing...."

The book is chock-full of information collected under fun headings, such as YOUR MISSION, THE SUSPECT, PRIOR OFFENSES, and KNOWN DISGUISES.

My goal, as a nonfiction writer, is to find those incredibly cool, unique twists on subject and presentation. Creative nonfiction is the art of crafting story from facts. If you want to read a great example of creative nonfiction, check out this book. It's a great book for the nonfiction writer to study--not to mention a downright fun read. Thanks, Liz!

Thursday's thing to love...

...about being a writer: great books. Have I mentioned that I love books? I love the way they feel, the way they smell, the way they make me race through to find out the end of a great story (a la Harry Potter) or read slowly to savor the beautiful writing (a la The Bookthief.) I love....


Ahem. Sorry. Didn't mean to get carried away there.


Today, I want to tell you about a particular book: By the Sword, a nonfiction picture book written by Selene Castrovilla. It tells the story of Benjamin Tallmadge, a not particularly famous young man who lived and served during the Revolutionary War. Castrovilla's book paints a picture of the war through one man's story: the story of Benjamin Tallmadge and his beloved horse, Highlander.


I read this book because I am currently working on a project I hope to sell to the publisher, Calkins Creek, the history imprint of Boyds Mills Press. Carolyn Yoder, also history editor for Highlights for Children, is editor for the imprint.


In this book, Castrovilla does exactly what I want to do in my writing. She draws a fascinating story out of a primary source--Benjamin Tallmadge's personal memoir--and brings the story to life without compromising historical accuracy. I'm also trying to draw an exciting story out of a rambling journal and a few other primary sources. She takes the story of someone who isn't particularly famous, and uses it to tell a larger truth about the Revolutionary War. I'm also trying to tell the story of an ordinary young man in such a way that it tells a larger truth about life in frontier America.

How does she do it? First, she tells a very specific story with a beginning, middle, end, and specific events in between. That sounds simple--but it's not always that easy, especially when you have a pile of research material six feet deep! It took a great deal of artistry--and discernment--to choose exactly what scenes to portray in a story that spans several days (with several weeks' worth of backstory.)


Second, she brings each scene to life with vivid sensory detail: the feel of the musket against Benjamin's shoulder, the boom of cannon fire, the flash of muskets. Since present nonfiction-writing frowns on creating quotes for historical characters, she doesn't invent dialog; instead, she writes Benjamin's thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in such a way that it reads like dialog. She writes questions that seem to create a window into Benjamin's mind, questions like "How could they even survive?"


If you're a writer of nonfiction for children, this is a great book to check out. Castrovilla sifts through her own six-foot-deep pile of research material (I'm guessing at the 6-foot part, but she definitely did her research!) to tell an exciting story that gives a snapshot of life during the Revolutionary War--in 32 pages. Besides, it's a great read!


:) Cheryl