Guest post: The Power of Imagery by Beth Anderson

Beth Anderson is back with us this time with another new picture book biography--Revolutionary Prudence Wright: Leading the Minute Women in the Fight for Independence, published by Calkins Creek, February 1, 2022. Beth shares her expertise, this time, in the area of imagery. 

I’m a big fan of imagery – as a teacher, reader, and writer! Imagery elevates the narrative, invites lyricism, strengthens theme, and enhances heart. It’s a much used tool in my writer’s toolbox.

 

What exactly is imagery? Literarydevices.net defines it this way:

 

Imagery is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. By utilizing effective descriptive language and figures of speech, writers appeal to a reader’s senses of sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound, as well as internal emotion and feelings. Therefore, imagery is not limited to visual representations or mental images, but also includes physical sensations and internal emotions.

 

Wow! Makes you just want to pour it on! But…imagery should be subtle and not waste words. It should flow naturally and not feel contrived. It should be sprinkled, like spices or herbs, to enrich what’s already there. 

 

In AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET, I placed “battle” words throughout to reinforce the idea that a revolution is more than a military battle. “Breaking free of old ways” involves many areas of our lives.

 

The imagery in TAD LINCOLN’S RESTLESS WRIGGLE was also in word choice. I powered the story with his wriggle as an irrepressible force of energy. This doesn’t rob him of his dignity or impose a negative judgement for the reader. 

 

In SMELLY KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES, I interwove super-hero imagery with details, words, and phrases. Sensory images abound for this character with super senses.

 

In LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT!, imagery went deeper than word choice. Footsteps echo through the story—a ticking clock, heartbeats, a stranger’s approach, and, in the culmination of the heart thread, others stepping up to carry forward social justice.

 

I think everything I write uses alliteration, onomatopoeia, and sensory language. But when a story lends itself to using a metaphor, that’s something special! And REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT invited the opportunity…  

 

When I dive into a story, I try to think about the different angles I might tell it from, or look for something in the setting that might ring through the story. Then I consider those ideas along with themes and the heart thread, and I start generating word lists that I can draw from as I write. This preps my brain and frames my thinking.  

 

As I researched Prudence Wright, I collected words and phrases in my spiral, beginning with those related to revolution and independence.  One of the first items I wrote was the Thomas Paine quote that starts the story: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” I saw it as a truth, but also as leaving out women. Thus, the addition of “and women’s” seemed to fit Prudence and her story perfectly. That’s where her voice first emerged.

I created a word bank of military and revolution words. I wanted to show that the women’s actions were as powerful as the men’s.

 

Since the main event occurs in April, one of my first ideas for the “big picture” imagery of a metaphor was that of spring, gardens, and planting the seeds of independence. But, though it fit the home front idea, I knew immediately that it didn’t fit the concepts and had the wrong tone.

 

One of my Pepperell contacts had shared photos of a few artifacts from Prudence’s life, including her love box and lantern that could easily be used in the story. Prudence designed and created beautiful quilts, but there were no pictures available. Learning about and seeing personal items from my subject’s hands connected me in a special way. Could I use them in the story?

 

I listed words associated with a lantern and fire, and I also jotted down words about quilts. Could either serve as a metaphor? The idea of quilts really fit the story, not only because Prudence made them, but because they are from the hands, often involve a community of women, are made from remnants of lives, and handed down as family history.

 

Metaphors fall into place as I write. Lizzie’s footsteps came through during the revision process when I realized I had the pieces and just needed to connect them better. Prudence’s story was about women bound together as community and breaking old patterns. And as I worked to transition scenes, I realized that their boycott actions were like scraps for a quilt, of little consequence until joined with others. Organizing the pattern of resistance was like the larger design of a quilt. Suddenly the quilt idea popped and became powerful! And paired with the scene of the women quilting, it emphasizes that this rebellion is coming from homes. Yahoo! Don’t you just love it when it all comes together!

Illustrator Susan Reagan brought back the quilt image in the art at the end, reflecting the simile on the page, “The women weren’t organized and trained like the men, but they were bound together, like blocks of a quilt.” Use of imagery also opens up potential with illustration, and the merging of art and text tightens and strengthens the story.

 The image of a quilt fit every aspect of the story. The metaphor brought abstract concepts “home,” comprehensible in a concrete and beautiful way.

 

Though we think of imagery as evoking images, as the definition above says, imagery is more than visual or sensory. It touches us internally, emotionally. No wonder it’s so powerful! 

Thank you, Beth! I love this new story and the image of the quilt since my mom quilts. I love how you find unique angles on all your picture book subjects.

You can find more about Beth here! And more blog posts from Beth here and here.

Bio: Beth Anderson, a former English as a Second Language teacher, has always marveled at the power of books. With linguistics and reading degrees, a fascination with language, and a penchant for untold tales, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story. Beth lives in Loveland, Colorado where she laughs, ponders, and questions; and hopes to inspire kids to do the same. She’s the award-winning author of TAD LINCOLN’S RESTLESS WRIGGLE, “SMELLY” KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES, LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT!, and AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET. Beth has two more picture books on the way in 2022: FRANZ’S PHANTASMAGORICAL MACHINE, illustrated by Caroline Hamel, and CLOAKED IN COURAGE: THE STORY OF DEBORAH SAMPSON, PATRIOT SOLDIER, illustrated by Anne Lambelet.

 

The Intentional Emotional Roller-Coaster--Guest Post by Beth Anderson

Author Beth Anderson is no stranger to the Grog Blog. In celebration of her latest picture book, Tad Lincoln's Restless Wriggle, that published October 5th from Calkins Creek, she's here with more expertise about writing narrative nonfiction. 

Take it away, Beth!

Last year I did a presentation at an SCBWI conference about navigating the author’s journey. It focused on being intentional in one’s choices, and to do that you have to self-reflect, identify your needs, seek opportunities, and choose the path that will move you forward. As I write and revise new manuscripts, learning more with each one, I find a similar intentional process creates a story journey for the reader.

I write historical fiction or narrative nonfiction, so I’m working with pieces of a puzzle. I seek out my “heart” thread first, choose scenes that will build an arc, attempt to craft an opening that invites and an ending that resonates. All very intentional. Yes, I’m a “plotter.” But there are also “pantser” elements as the story flows onto the page. Well, actually it’s more herky-jerky and a very long process of revising and crafting. Eventually, if I’m lucky, revisions smooth it into a story that looks and sounds pretty good, maybe even submittable. But wait! This is the make or break point.

 While a story needs to unfold seamlessly, it also has key emotional points that need to pop—spots that need to be recognized and sharpened. Sometimes I have so much backstory in my head that it all seems obvious. Confession: I tend to leave more to the reader, and that’s why I’ve had to learn to be intentional about strengthening and clarifying these points. It’s not enough to let it fall on the page. (And it’s too much to be didactic.)

From critiquing others and myself, I’ve learned that most of us tend to focus on the physical plot. The physical plot is interesting. But it’s the emotional arc that’s compelling and resonates in the end—the reader connection. Because the emotion runs beneath the surface and isn’t as explicit as the physical conflict, it helps to be intentional to ensure that we provide the depth needed for a reader to become invested in the story, to feel the pull, and to go vicariously on the journey.

As I get closer to final revisions, I print off the manuscript, lay it across my desk, and attack it with colored highlighters. Here are some of the elements I’ve learned to look for in the emotional arc and a few examples from TAD LINCOLN’S RESTLESS WRIGGLE: PANDEMONIUM AND PATIENCE IN THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE.

 middle of revision 19 (subbed rev 25), looking at push back, learning differences challenges, emotional rewards

First and foremost is my “heart” thread, also referred to as the “so what?” or vital idea (Thank you, Barb Rosenstock and Candace Fleming!). It’s not theme, but my unique take, why I had to write the story. Every scene, every action has to serve and support that idea. This creates a tight, meaningful focus.

 

Tad and Abraham Lincoln each provided what the other desperately needed. I loved that a boy sustained a president! One way I threaded this through was the twinkle in Abe’s eyes when he’s lifted by Tad’s joy. I made sure that the twinkle appeared in key spots to help carry that idea.

 

Motivation is key to understanding characters. [And…besides character motivation, what’s the writer’s motivation for each scene?]

 

Tad’s learning difficulties motivate him to seek positive experiences, like a hug from Papa. “But letters didn’t make sense to Tad. Lessons launched him down the hall and out the door.”

 

Abe’s twinkle also serves as a motivating factor for Tad. “But Tad had seen the twinkle in Papa’s eyes…” 

 

For every action, there’s a reaction. Reactions keep the main character front and center, and connect to motivation.

 

Tad is very reactive throughout, but in one of the beginning spreads where Papa is the active character, “Tad watched and listened and learned.”

 

Stakes are huge and provide the pull for the reader. Unique traits or issues of the main character can be used to enhance stakes.

 

From the start, with Tad’s unintelligible speech and learning difficulties, he is faced with failure and rejection. His ability to be a child and the comfort of “home” are at stake. Towards the end, his pet turkey’s life is on the line.

 

I sharpened a few spots to show how his disabilities further threatened his success and also show his strengths. “Though numbers on a slate confused him, Tad understood business.”

 

Enhance turning points. These are the height of inner conflict that steer the story. Slow the pace a bit and dig in.

 

“Papa’s shoulders slumped lower, and his face sagged sadder” is motivation for Tad and also a turning point where he takes action.

 

Another turning point where Tad uses his voice came through loud and clear when I finally found the right words. “When the cook protested—this was the President’s House!—Tad persisted. But this was his home!”

 

After discussing editorial revisions for my latest manuscript under contract, it’s clear that this is a learning process, that each story presents unique challenges, and I have a long way to go!  :)  Intentional crafting of the emotional journey allows the reader to experience the bumps and potholes, the depth of conflict, the pull around the curves, and the intersections where choices must be made. So let’s get out our highlighters and sharpen the heart thread, motivation, reactions, stakes, and turning points. Take the reader for a ride on an emotional roller coaster!

Thank you, Beth!

Beth Anderson, a former English as a Second Language teacher, has always marveled at the power of books. With linguistics and reading degrees, a fascination with language, and a penchant for untold tales, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story. Beth lives in Loveland, Colorado where she laughs, ponders, and questions; and hopes to inspire kids to do the same. She’s the award-winning author of TAD LINCOLN’S RESTLESS WRIGGLE, “SMELLY” KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES, LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT!, and AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET. Beth has more coming in 2022: REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT: LEADING THE MINUTE WOMEN IN THE FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE, illustrated by Susan Reagan; FRANZ’S PHANTASMAGORICAL MACHINE, illustrated by Caroline Hamel, and CLOAKED IN COURAGE: THE STORY OF DEBORAH SAMPSON, PATRIOT SOLDIER, illustrated by Anne Lambelet.

You can visit her at BethAndersonWriter.com; @BAndersonWriter on IG, Twitter, and Pinterest; and on FaceBook. 

Figurative Langauge, The "Author's Tool Belt" & 5th Grade Writers by Kathy Halsey

I have been co-teaching/volunteering as a "Writer-in Residence" with Lydia Tokarz, 5th grade gifted E/LA teacher and her class for 3 months now. Lydia and I hope to turn this experience into a professional book for educators and writers alike. We work together in a language arts block Mondays and Fridays. Today is a sneak peek into the fun 5th graders have writing picture book biographies. Yes, they study mentor texts like us in our project #Write4Real, crafting their own PB bios. 

We have dumped our info into rough drafts and are letting our writing "rise" by revising. Two weeks ago we focused on Figurative Language, a CC standard. ( We ARE fitting Common Core into this project. Our advice: teach from your passion and work the standards around it.) Lydia is so creative, and she made up this chant for her kiddos about Figurative Language. They've recited it for me, acted it out, can identify it in others' work. NOW they are making it real in their OWN writing.

Figurative Langauge Chant

by Lydia Tokarz

An author wears a tool belt of figurative language. 

Figurative language helps a reader visualize.

I say simile, you say..."like or as" 

(right hand, left hand)

I say metaphor, you say..."is" 

(hands on hips)

I say personification, you say..."person"

(motion head to toes-Vanna White style)

I say hyperbole, you say "exaggeration" 

(spirit fingers)

I say idiom, you say "funny expression"

(thumb on nose waving fingers)

I say onomatopoeia, you say "pow, pow!!" 

(Comic character double punch) 

Together in our Readers' Circle we read Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle (Pura Belpre Award, Illustrator) twice and discussed its evocative use of language. 

We always read aloud, and strive to use diverse, recent mentor texts. Next, students paired up, we divvied out books, and dove into language, recording our results on a class poster which delineated poetic devices. Each pair shared their findings, and finally we gathered into critique groups to discover/add these elements to  our manuscripts.

Here are a few of our texts and findings:

Firebird  is filled with great text: exaggeration - "The space  between you and me is longer than forever;" simile - "like the dying sun over the horizon;" metaphor - "You are the sky and clouds and air."

In Shooting for the Moon: The Amazing Life and Times of Annie Oakley they discovered onomatopoeia - "BANG!" and consonance - "the fierce wind whipped."

 

And suddenly, after another group noted that Balloons Over Broadway's title was itself figurative language, kids began pointing to titles that flanked the room shooting out, "Mrs. Halsey, Mrs. Tokarz, look, Star Stuff, Earmuffs for Everyone! Figurative language is everywhere." What a great "aha" moment for us all. 

Two fun craft books for student writers we'd also like to recommend that our kids enjoy were If You Were Alliteration by Trisha Speed Shakan and her companion book, If You Were Onomatopoeia. 

#Write4Real continues until spring break. We'll keep you informed of our progress. Other amazing moments on our journey thus far include:

•  a Skype visit with author friend Miranda Paul, One Plastic Bag
•  student writers receiving email from Walter O'Brien, founder of Scorpion Computer Services and executive producer of the TV series Scorpion. Two fifth grade boys emailed questions to fill in their research holes. 
• sharing our impressions of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast with author Josh Funk. We may Skype with him this coming Friday. 

My "aha" moment so far: Make writing real, share your passion and your work with students. You teach them and they teach you. It's a win-win for all even if you are still not published.You have so much to share about the TRUE process of writing.

Friday Finds Two Mentor Picture Book Biographies by Kathy Halsey

As promised from Monday's post, I found two great picture book biographies as my mentor texts for my rough draft on Mary Colter, architect of the Grand Canyon and other Southwest buildings. I've been following the wonderful Nancy I Sanders' Blogzone with her step-by-step directions to crafting a biography in one week. (Nancy also has other series for three weeks and longer. Check it out.) She recommended basing our plot on a published book to emulate pacing, conflicts, and resolution. I was lucky enough to find Jabari Asim's Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington and Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter.

Why I Chose These Two Mentor Texts

Since I am writing about a "minority," a woman who broke the glass ceiling as an architect, I wanted to see how other diverse figures broke through to their successes. Sonia Sotomayor is our first Latina Supreme Court Jutice while Booker T. Washington's journey to the Hampton Institute on foot with just fifty cents in his pocket breaks barriers of color and poverty.

Metaphors for Life

The other two themes that unified my mentor texts were the glorious way the authors and illustrators chose defining images that illuminated the lives of their subjects. Sonia was seen as a lovely flower that grew and blossomed. From the biography, "Sometimes the most beautiful moonflower blossoms in an unexpected place-on a chain link fence, near broken glass, next to an abandoned building watered by someone whose name you might not even know."  

In Fifty Cents and a Dream, Asim focused on four pages in Washington's second autobiography that talked about his journey to be educated. Illustrator Bryan Collier reiterates the journey motif by depicting Washington's shirt as a map. Illustration is married to text in this slice of life biography as Asim writes in one beautiful two page spread,"He walked most of the five hundred miles to Hampton Institute. It was a journey of many days through the mountains of Virginia to reach the sea. The wind nipped at his weary bones, and the hard ground made his feet ache. But he walked on."  

Poetry in Biography

I chose wisely for my mentor texts and really learned so much more about two amazing people, Sonia and Booker. The inspiration of creating a metaphor, an overarching image of a person, is so strong in these books, it makes for enjoyable reading. These poetic picture books do not sound like the boring biographies I was forced to read in school! Writers, readers, and teachers rejoice- there is a new way to write non-fiction and I plan to master this technique by reading these two books each time I write more of my rough draft on Mary Colter, architect of the Grand Canyon. 

Nonfiction Archaeology: An Interview of Kristen Fulton by Tina Cho

I recently took an awesome online nonfiction picture book class that I just have to share with you all! It's called Nonfiction Archaeology, taught by author Kristen Fulton. She coached us from book idea to the submitted product. For this one month online class, lessons are delivered on weekdays to your email, and every Monday night there's a live webinar. (It's also recorded.) I even participated live from the other side of the world! Kristen is wonderful, flexible, and can really help you find the essence of your story. So I decided to interview Kristen for the Grog blog.

1. How did you get started in writing for children? 
The idea was always in the back of my head, but I had a career that I loved and short on time. I will never forget the moment, June 23, 2011 at exactly 5:10 pm, my phone rang, and my world turned upside down. The simple words, “You have breast cancer, it appears to be aggressive stage 3.”

My youngest had graduated that May. My husband and I were entering a new time in our lives, and I was leaving behind my career. Due to the amount of lymph nodes removed from my left arm, I had pretty much lost control of my left hand. I am left-handed.

After a long battle, my wonderful husband asked me in December 2012, “Now What?” My answer, “I’ve always wanted to write for children.” He discovered the SCBWI and made me come out of my pity party. 

January 2013- I attended my very first conference.

June 2013- I entered remission.

July 2013- I signed with my agent Kendra Marcus.

October 2013- I sold my first story.

2. How did you find an agent and sell two of your stories? 

Carefully :-) I am a plotter; I write outlines before I type. I research before I speak, and I calculate my decisions. Sounds boring, huh? I laughingly say that I have CDO, (OCD in the proper alphabetical order).

I researched agents and kept a spreadsheet on each one that interested me. I thought of it like a marriage; I wanted it to last forever. When I found my top 3 favorites, I started submitting. My agent compliments me perfectly; her strengths are my weaknesses.

My first story was purchased after a critique with Margaret Minks, Editor for Spider Magazine. She asked for the story right then and there. My second story which will be a picture book has been on a roller coaster. First, it was being edited for Beach Lane books after Andrea Welch wanted the story; then they decided it needed to be fictionalized. I was against that. So, then Grace Kendall at Scholastic acquired the story. It doesn’t stop there. Grace left and went to FSG and wanted to take my story with her, but after speaking with Scholastic they still wanted to retain my story and contract. I am not sure who the editor will be yet, hopefully I will find out soon. My third book is with Laura Whitaker at Bloomsbury and that is also the same editor that has asked for me to write a minimum two book MG series.

So, that is where I am.

3. How did you get the idea to start the class Nonfiction Archaeology? 

I love nonfiction and this summer as I was researching a story, I had to really dig deep. Hence the name- Archaeology. Truthfully, I didn’t think that I should teach a class. I am not even published yet. After several people asked, “How,” I decided to create a class that shared my steps/techniques. 

I absolutely LOVED how Susanna Hill's class for picture books was presented, and I LOVED the webinars from the Picture Book Academy. So, I combined both. Four-week class, Mondays are a webinar, and Tuesday-Friday are daily e-mail lessons. We have a lot of activity in the class Facebook group so everyone always learns from each other as well.

4. You're also hosting a retreat in July. Can you tell us a little about that? 

Our retreat is called WOW (Week of Writing) and will be held July 7-13 just outside Atlanta, Georgia. We have a stellar line-up of agents, editors and authors attending to help everyone have a hands-on education. It is dedicated to Picture Books and extremely well-priced. All workshops, meals and lodging for $800. This is for an entire week working with a stellar staff.

We currently have 4 spots left. For more information, click here.

Thanks so much, Kristen, for joining us today! Now all of you who want to write a nonfiction picture book, check out her class here! 

You can find Kristen Fulton at her blog Explore Nonfiction with Kristen Fulton.

And if you're interested in joining a nonfiction Facebook group that she administers, let us know! 

Kristen Fulton is represented by Kendra Marcus of Book Stop Literary. She writes from her RV in Florida where she travels with her rocket scientist husband and a small herd of dogs. To find out more about her, check out her blog.