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Re: Source Notes and Nonfiction
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From: Susanna Reich <reichgolio_at_verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:12:40 -0400
I've been following this discussion with great interest and would like to chime in. I agree with Allison Angell, who wrote that "children's nonfiction should be held to the same standard as good adult nonfiction." Whether I'm writing a picture book or a book for young adults, I bend over backwards to do thorough research, take meticulous notes, and cite my sources. Children deserve no less. I want my books to model good research and good writing. Hopefully the kids who read my biographies get not just facts but also an experience of nonfiction as literature, with all the qualities of good fiction--interesting characters, compelling narrative, intriguing settings, drama and suspense, etc.
A children's author doesn't need a PhD--in fact I suspect that most people with PhD's wouldn't be able to write about their subject in a way that a child could relate to--but I strive for PhD-level research, even when writing a picture book. I suppose that's why I only publish a book every few years. It's a very time-consuming process. I might also add that with this approach to writing nonfiction, it's extremely difficult to make a living. Susanna Reich Children's Book Author Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin (Clarion, 2008) Jose! Born to Dance (Simon & Schuster, 2005) Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso (Clarion, 1999)
Received on Fri 22 Oct 2010 03:12:40 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:12:40 -0400
I've been following this discussion with great interest and would like to chime in. I agree with Allison Angell, who wrote that "children's nonfiction should be held to the same standard as good adult nonfiction." Whether I'm writing a picture book or a book for young adults, I bend over backwards to do thorough research, take meticulous notes, and cite my sources. Children deserve no less. I want my books to model good research and good writing. Hopefully the kids who read my biographies get not just facts but also an experience of nonfiction as literature, with all the qualities of good fiction--interesting characters, compelling narrative, intriguing settings, drama and suspense, etc.
A children's author doesn't need a PhD--in fact I suspect that most people with PhD's wouldn't be able to write about their subject in a way that a child could relate to--but I strive for PhD-level research, even when writing a picture book. I suppose that's why I only publish a book every few years. It's a very time-consuming process. I might also add that with this approach to writing nonfiction, it's extremely difficult to make a living. Susanna Reich Children's Book Author Painting the Wild Frontier: The Art and Adventures of George Catlin (Clarion, 2008) Jose! Born to Dance (Simon & Schuster, 2005) Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso (Clarion, 1999)
Received on Fri 22 Oct 2010 03:12:40 PM CDT
