Some of the most common questions I hear from picture book biography writers: Q: Do I need permission to write about somebody, living or dead? A: Permission is technically not required if the biography subject is/was a public figure, unless their estate has created a kind of legal fortress. There are rare cases in… Read more »
11/10/22 ADDED NOTE TO PROVE THE VALUE OF ORGANIZED RESEARCH: In 2020, four years after Step Right Up published (even longer than that since I was in active research mode), I was contacted by a Hollywood producer who wanted to chat about the story. And this year, 2022, I have given two interviews to BBC… Read more »
There’s a common belief among new nonfiction writers that primary sources are the only way to find absolute facts. Secondary sources are assumed to be inferior, less trustworthy, less valuable. I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I get a rush when I find primary sources. As kids in my school visits can attest,… Read more »
They are short and for kids, but nonfiction picture books can require the sleuthing skills of Veronica Mars, the puzzling wizardry of Sherlock Holmes, and the science chops of Bill Nye. When I set out to write about how The Great Blondin engineered his tightrope across the Niagara Gorge in 1859, I hoped to find… Read more »
We’re working to re-establish the blog archives and categories that got tangled up in the recent website import. For now, if you’re looking for past posts about nonfiction picture books or picture book biography (or ies), simply type those terms into the blog search box. You can also find the most-viewed posts below. *DISCLAIMER: These posts were… Read more »
Every once in a while, a nugget of smiley goodness appears in my inbox. That’s how I’d describe being asked by author F.A. Michaels to participate in an ongoing blog tour about the writing process by answering four related questions. F.A. Michaels, or Mic, is the author of some amazing novels for middle grade and… Read more »
Whew! Time flies. The hustle and bustle of spring seemed to arrive early here and with it came the SCBWI grant deadlines of March 31st. Last year, in 2012, I was awarded an Honorable Mention for my nonfiction submission. It was indeed an honor, especially after learning that only six of the 500 entries received… Read more »
In my last post, I brought up the idea of inspired moments; those rare, unexpected factoids or details that grab us by the throat. Such experiences inevitably enrich our current works-in-progress or inspire brand-spanking-new ideas. Just that sort of event hit me recently while watching a PBS program. The briefest mention of this man sucked… Read more »
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