CCBC-Net Archives
Writing and Editing Simple Science
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Pamela Turner <pstrst>
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 18:32:31 -0700
I don't find the research side of science writing difficult, in fact I really enjoy it. Either you can track down an answer to a question or you discover nobody knows the answer, and what scientists don't know is often at least as interesting as what scientists know. As for fact-checking, I always send editors 2 versions of my book or article manuscript, one with every fact footnoted.
I think the hardest things about science writing are 1) doing a creative job with "plot" and "characters" while keeping everything accurate 2) determining what to throw out and what to leave in, since my motto is
"anything worth researching is worth over-researching" and 3) cajoling very dry scientific types to speak in normal sentences so I can glean some good direct quotes!
Pamela S. Turner www.pamelasturner.com pstrst at pacbell.net
Author of "Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes" Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 2005
*Horn Book starred review
*Kirkus starred review
*School Library Journal starred review
*Junior Library Guild Selection
Author of "Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog." Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2004
*Golden Kite Honor Award
*Henry Bergh Honor Award, ASPCA
*Junior Library Guild Selection
*2004 Silver Parent's Choice Award
*Booklist starred review
----- Original Message ----- From: "Megan Schliesman" To: "Subscribers of ccbc-net" Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 2:40 PM Subject: [ccbc-net] Writing and Editing Simple Science
We've heard from Lisa Westberg Peters, as well as Pamela Turner and Kelly Milner Halls, about approaches to writing about science for younger children.
Lisa and others, I'm wondering what you see as the greatest challenges in tackling science topics for children? Is it the fact-gathering, or the actual writing/shaping of the text? Or do the challenges change from book to book? Do you ever worry that in crafting a narrative the line between science and art will blur? (As a reader, for example, I know I find it potentially problematic in an informational book about animals when they are imbued with human emotions.)
Several days ago Norma Jean Sawicki talked about her experience as an editor working with Seymour Simon and Patricia Lauber, two other terrific creators of science books for children. I appreciated Norma Jean's perspective on having to trust Pat Lauber on thee "hard-core science" in a book for older children (that she couldn't comprehend) while applying her editing skills in other ways. But this makes me wonder--do editors approach editing non-fiction differently from fiction? Obviously there is the issue of factual accuracy to address (although that is certainly an issue in fiction as well). How do editors and publishers make sure the science is accurate in a simple science book? And do they approach editing a simple science book differently than a picture book or novel, beyond the issue of fact-checking? Are there special challenges to editing non-fiction, or non-fiction for younger children? (I'm not assuming there is only one answer to this question--but I'm curious!)
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ To post to the list, send the message to...
ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
To leave the list, send the TEXT-ONLY message...
To: listserv at lists.education.wisc.edu
Body: signoff ccbc-net
Received on Thu 07 Jul 2005 08:32:31 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 18:32:31 -0700
I don't find the research side of science writing difficult, in fact I really enjoy it. Either you can track down an answer to a question or you discover nobody knows the answer, and what scientists don't know is often at least as interesting as what scientists know. As for fact-checking, I always send editors 2 versions of my book or article manuscript, one with every fact footnoted.
I think the hardest things about science writing are 1) doing a creative job with "plot" and "characters" while keeping everything accurate 2) determining what to throw out and what to leave in, since my motto is
"anything worth researching is worth over-researching" and 3) cajoling very dry scientific types to speak in normal sentences so I can glean some good direct quotes!
Pamela S. Turner www.pamelasturner.com pstrst at pacbell.net
Author of "Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes" Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 2005
*Horn Book starred review
*Kirkus starred review
*School Library Journal starred review
*Junior Library Guild Selection
Author of "Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog." Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2004
*Golden Kite Honor Award
*Henry Bergh Honor Award, ASPCA
*Junior Library Guild Selection
*2004 Silver Parent's Choice Award
*Booklist starred review
----- Original Message ----- From: "Megan Schliesman" To: "Subscribers of ccbc-net" Sent: Thursday, July 07, 2005 2:40 PM Subject: [ccbc-net] Writing and Editing Simple Science
We've heard from Lisa Westberg Peters, as well as Pamela Turner and Kelly Milner Halls, about approaches to writing about science for younger children.
Lisa and others, I'm wondering what you see as the greatest challenges in tackling science topics for children? Is it the fact-gathering, or the actual writing/shaping of the text? Or do the challenges change from book to book? Do you ever worry that in crafting a narrative the line between science and art will blur? (As a reader, for example, I know I find it potentially problematic in an informational book about animals when they are imbued with human emotions.)
Several days ago Norma Jean Sawicki talked about her experience as an editor working with Seymour Simon and Patricia Lauber, two other terrific creators of science books for children. I appreciated Norma Jean's perspective on having to trust Pat Lauber on thee "hard-core science" in a book for older children (that she couldn't comprehend) while applying her editing skills in other ways. But this makes me wonder--do editors approach editing non-fiction differently from fiction? Obviously there is the issue of factual accuracy to address (although that is certainly an issue in fiction as well). How do editors and publishers make sure the science is accurate in a simple science book? And do they approach editing a simple science book differently than a picture book or novel, beyond the issue of fact-checking? Are there special challenges to editing non-fiction, or non-fiction for younger children? (I'm not assuming there is only one answer to this question--but I'm curious!)
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education, UW-Madison 600 N. Park St., Room 4290 Madison, WI 53706
ph: 608&2?03 fax: 608&2I33 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ To post to the list, send the message to...
ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
To leave the list, send the TEXT-ONLY message...
To: listserv at lists.education.wisc.edu
Body: signoff ccbc-net
Received on Thu 07 Jul 2005 08:32:31 PM CDT
