Writing Like a Gardener: Staggered Planting for a Continual Manuscript Harvest

by Sue Heavenrich

When I'm planning my garden, I think about how much room there is, what I want to grow, and how much time I have to devote to tending the plants. This involves drawing a rough garden map and a time table noting which vegetables go where, and when to plant the seeds.

I do the same thing with my writing. During January I collect ideas I might want to plant by participating in StoryStorm or other idea-gathering activities. Then it's time to get organized.

As with garden planning, I map out my writing season. How many story ideas can I realistically work on over the next year? Then I create both a digital folder and a paper file folder for each idea I want to explore. That file is where I toss in notes from preliminary research. For example, I check World Catalog to see whether there are books already published on my topic, and how many there are.

Before planting a crop, gardeners check their first frost date. In writing lingo, that's a "hard deadline", a definite harvest-by date. Writers have magazine deadlines, call-for-submission deadlines, or plans for extended leave from the desk. Once you know the deadline for a project, you can count backwards and determine that idea's "planting date".

Gardeners don't plant an entire season's-worth of salad greens all at once. We plant seeds for lettuce and beet greens and spinach every two or three weeks, so some seeds are germinating while others are growing and the oldest are being harvested.

Why not use this same strategy with our manuscripts? Begin with one idea, outline or map the story, and dive into research. Then write. As one gets to the point where it's ready to share with critique partners, plant the seeds for the next writing project. At any one time my writing garden (disguised as a semi-organized desk) has manuscripts at different growth stages: fleshing out the idea; actively researching; writing (flowering); feedback and comments; revising (ripening); and submitting.

Another thing I have learned from gardening: at the end of the season it's time to let the soil recover. That means covering beds with compost and a layer of leaves and letting it rest and restore. How can we do this with our writing? We could head out for regular "artist dates" to refill our creative cups (here are some ideas). Or maybe take a writing vacation - which works for a few days until my fingers itch to start scribbling in my notebook again.

If you're taking a mid-summer "get organized" break, check out this post from earlier this year. Here's another post from a couple years ago that presents more ideas on organizing writing goals.

Suzanne Slade Talks Picture Book Biographies (and a Giveaway!) ~ by Patricia Toht

Kidlit friends, are you familiar with Suzanne Slade? If not, it's time you've met!

Suzanne is the award-winning author of over 100 books! Her picture book biographies are mainstays in schools and libraries. Her newest is DANGEROUS JANE, a lovely and lyrical look at Jane Addams, who devoted her life to social reform and helping the poorest in society. She was co-founder of Hull House, the first settlement house in the US, and won a Noble Peace Prize in 1931.

Suzanne began writing this book in prose form in May 2013. Her files are filled with 82 revisions of that early piece, titled "Unstoppable Jane." She then decided to change the main theme to "dangerous," and created 18 different versions of DANGEROUS JANE. In August 2014 (after 15 months of revisions), she decided to try the story in free verse. After 26 more revisions in free verse, it found a publishing home at Peachtree Books. Now THAT'S dedication to a project!

I love picture book biographies, and I fancy writing one some day. But I admit that I am completely intimidated by the research! Well, since we have an expert in our midst today, let's pose a few questions to Suzanne:

Q: Hi, Suzanne! Thanks for stopping by! My first question is, what inspired you to write about Jane Addams?

S: For as long as I can remember, I've admired Jane Addams and how she helped found Hull House in Chicago to help struggling immigrant families. Several years ago, I stumbled upon the fact that she was the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and I was surprised I didn't know anything about Jane's important peace work. Curious, I began researching in earnest. When I mentioned my discoveries about her tireless work for peace to my friends, not one was aware of her peace work either. 

So I decided I needed to share her tumultuous, true story with young readers -- how Jane went from being a beloved humanitarian, to the FBI's "Most Dangerous Woman in America," to the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope her fascinating story inspires a new generation to be kind to all people, regardless of their backgrounds, and to never stop striving for peace. 

Q: As a nonfiction writer, how do you organize your research? Do you use a program like Scrivener? Or do you use notecards or binders?

S: My organization "system" is rather old school. It consists of three items for each book:

1. Email folder - This contains all the email correspondence with experts/historians, permissions to use photos/artwork, etc.
2. Paper folder - I fill this with hand-written notes from telephone interviews, brochures or papers from museums, photocopies of research materials, and various story drafts.
3. Source doc - This is a lengthy, ever-growing computer document I'm continually updating which contains website links (below each link I copy significant paragraphs from that site), book sources (below each book title I note page numbers with specific facts found on each page), links to online books I couldn't get in hard copy from library, and a list of sources where I found pertinent quotes. This document also has a photo sources list, along with a small copy of each photo for reference. Since Sources docs often become rather long and unwieldy, I bold the facts that end up in the story so I know exactly where I found each one. The length and size of Sources docs for different projects varies greatly. The last story I wrote had a 14-page Sources doc. Another for a space project was 35 pages and had so many hi-res photos that the file was too large to email!

Suzanne's DANGEROUS JANE folder contains a brochure
from her Hull House visit, hand written notes from that visit,
copies of 1917 newspaper articles, a 'book dummy',
various story drafts, and more.

Q: At what point in your research do you conduct interviews?

S: I generally do interviews after I've finished a fair amount of research and have a completed rough draft. That way, I'm asking somewhat educated questions and will hopefully gather the facts and details really needed for the story. Of course, I also note extra information the expert may expound upon so I have that background info. But I don't want to waste the expert's time, so I try to think of all the questions I may need answered before we talk. For DANGEROUS JANE, I interviewed several Hull House staff, and conducted email interviews with Jane Addams experts from the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, the Cedarville Historical Society, and a few notable historical authors, and others.

Now if the subject of my story idea is alive, I will try to contact him or her earlier in the draft process -- after creating a story outline, but before writing a complete first draft. For example, when I proposed a leveled reader project to one publisher about Alan Bean, the fourth man on the moon, I knew we'd want to include photos of his artwork (he now paints moon scenes). So I contacted astronaut Bean early on to see if he'd be willing to participate in the project. Fortunately, he said yes, and I had the privilege of chatting with one of the twelve brave explorers who has walked on the moon. Definitely an out-of-the-world experience for me!

Q: You juggle so many different projects, sometimes releasing multiple books a year. How do you do it all? One book at a time, or multiple projects? (And do you ever sleep?!)

S: If things are going well, I'm generally juggling several books which have been acquired and are at various stages in the publishing process. (I have six books-in-the-works right now with five publishers.) I only work on one or two brand new stories at a time. Meaning, I may have one I'm fine-tweaking and/or submitting and another that's in the earlier researching/writing phase.

Before I begin a new story, I make sure I have at least two weeks without author events or any other interruptions, so that I can really get into the research and writing, and stay immersed until I have a full rough draft. As an aside, it's a scary sight when I'm wrestling down a first draft of a story. I pace around my house with uncombed hair, talking out loud, and asking myself questions. I hand write my first drafts, so handwritten pages with scribbly sentences and huge crossed-out sections are strewn everywhere, along with thick books filled with hundreds of sticky notes. 

I usually get a fair amount of sleep. I do lose sleep, though, when a story is not quite working and I can't figure out why. I keep a pad of paper and pen by my bed because sometimes I suddenly wake up with an idea to "fix" a story. Actually, some of my best ideas strike in the middle of the night. I also don't sleep particularly well before a school visit. But that's okay because the night after a visit, I sleep like a log!

Q: How much backmatter is the right amount? What do you think of sidebars? Do they distract from the telling of a story?

S: This is a tough question because the amount of backmatter depends on several things: the topic of the story, the amount of information covered in the main text, the personal preferences of the editor and publisher, and the length of the book (number of pages). For DANGEROUS JANE's backmatter, we included a great quote by Jane, two outstanding photos of Jane doing what she did best (caring for children and fighting for peace), an Author's Note with more details about her peace work, a Timeline, Selected Bibliography, Sources for quotes, and Acknowledgments of those who graciously helped with the research.

Backmatter from DANGEROUS JANE

Sometimes the amount of backmatter isn't decided until the book designer lays out the book to see what fits. Even then, things can change. For example, my book THE INVENTOR'S SECRET was originally slated for 40 pages (I think), then was bumped out to 48 pages so it would have 9 (yes, NINE!) pages of backmatter. There was so much cool science content in the story that we knew curious readers would enjoy -- like early car models, inventions, patents, etc. -- that we ended up sharing more than we originally planned.

As far as what backmatter to include in a story submission, I suggest a writer simply provide the content he or she thinks is extremely interesting and pertinent to the main topic(s) of the story, knowing that the publisher may or may not decide to include it all in the book. 

Regarding sidebars, personally I'm not a big fan of sidebars in a picture book. But for some topics and layout styles, they work extremely well. Again, it depends on the topic and vision of the publisher. If an author thinks that sidebars would be great with a story, there's no harm in including them. Then just see what the publisher thinks of them and edit accordingly.

Q: Do you share your research with the illustrator? Or does the illustrator do his or her own research?

S: I always email my Sources doc to the editor after acquisition so he or she has the option of sharing it with the illustrator.  So far, every editor has forwarded my sources to the illustrator. I also ask the editor to let the illustrator know I'm happy to answer any questions as best I can.

Illustration of the interior of Hull House with period details
in clothing, home decorations, etc.

Of course, illustrators do their own research to learn about settings, buildings, clothing, and hair styles, etc., but at least my notes give them a list of reliable sources (and experts) to start with, which hopefully saves them time. Alice Ratterree, who illustrated DANGEROUS JANE, did a great deal of her own research, which really shows in her gorgeously detailed and accurate illustrations.

Wow, Suzanne! Thank you so much for shedding light on the research process, as well as tips on writing and organizing a picture book biography.

And now, readers, I have a special treat! 

It's time for a 

GIVEAWAY!

For your chance to win a copy of DANGEROUS JANE, please  comment below and tell us the best way to reach you. 

Good luck!

To find out more about Suzanne Slade, visit her website.

Some Tips for Organizing Your Writing and Research

By Leslie Colin Tribble

Many of us are writing nonfiction, whether for picture books, middle grades or even lengthier YA books. Nonfiction involves research and lots of it, even for a 1000 word picture book. I've been trying to organize all the research for all my stories and realize I'm probably not doing a very good job. An old manila folder with scraps of paper hanging out might make me "feel" like I'm doing all this fabulous research, but when I go to find that little tidbit that'll make the story sing it takes me forever and I get frustrated. There must be a better way.

Since I'm not the most clever or creative individual, I reached out to others who are.

I asked, "How do you organize your research? Do you primarily use computer files? Hard copy files? Manila envelopes in a filing cabinet or boxes under the bed? What do you do with hard copy pages of critiques? Do you use Evernote or Scrivener or just MS Word? How do you keep track of your bibliography - Easy Bib, or your own technique? Do use you a hard drive backup for your computer/writing? How often do you backup?" 

Writers are nothing if not generous and helpful and the replies were just as instructive as I hoped. And I realized what a total slacker I am when it comes to research. Good thing I'm writing this post, because I need the help! But maybe you will also find a nugget of wisdom to help organize your writing life.

In response to my query, most writers responded that they use a mixture of paper plus computer files. I do prefer pen and paper except for actual composition, so that made me feel better.

When it comes to research, several writers said they use index cards. I loved this - let's hear it for the lowly 3x5 index card in our modern age! Make sure to put the resource title, page number and URL if appropriate on the cards. Some writers then store these cards in a box while others often type the info into a computer file. Others lay them on the floor and rearrange the information according to the flow of the story. My dogs and cats love when I work on the floor, so this probably won't work for me!

Index cards were also mentioned being used when writing manuscript drafts. Each card is a page of a picture book that can be easily arranged and moved about on the floor. I thought this was a good way to improvise a picture book dummy.

One writer said she takes the information from her index cards and then types, cuts and pastes them into a Word document so all the information from one source is in the same file. Then these separate resources are again cut and pasted into another document according to subject or topic.

For my research, I lean more toward spiral notebooks. At first all research, notes for webinars, classes, and conferences went into one notebook but that became unmanageable. Now I've got a spiral for each manuscript. If I copy pages from websites or books I staple the pages into the spiral so everything stays together. And yes, I'm first in line at back to school sales when the spirals cost a mere quarter!

Scrivener was mentioned as one way of recording research, as was Evernote. Both these resources are used by many writers, but I am not familiar with either. Maybe that's a topic for another post.

Research can also involve other resources that don't fit onto an index card or in a computer file. Pamphlets from places you've visited, photos, and memorabilia all need to be kept somewhere and it seems that many writers use cardboard or plastic filing boxes. Magazine holders were often mentioned as well - one holder per work in progress. Clear plastic sleeves are handy for organizing information within the magazine holder.

Right now I keep my info in manila folders organized in hanging files in my file cabinet. But I don't see them - out of sight, out of mind. Maybe magazine holders lined up like writing soldiers on a shelf on my bookcase would prompt me to continue working on my manuscripts. One writer mentioned she keeps colorful file folders which are then kept in a wicker tote. There isn't any reason why organization has to be dull and utilitarian!

Easy Bib got several mentions as a way to keep a bibliography, others simply use a Word document. Footnotes are easily created in Scrivener.

I found that many writers make hard copies of critiques which then go into the manuscript folder or within a plastic sleeve to be filed inside the magazine holder. One writer merges all her critiques into one document which is printed out on a legal size piece of paper to be filed with the story. Few writers it seemed keep critique comments on their computers.

For keeping track of submissions and responses, one writer keeps dated copies of the submission, dated revisions and dated correspondence. Rejection letters are printed out (accompanied by heavy sighs) and filed with the story. Another writer notes submission information on the inside of the manila folder. She creates a grid with where she's sent the manuscript, the date and any responses. This information is also cross-referenced with an index card file. Whew! Now that's organization!

I fail abysmally with backing up my computer files - especially seeing how religiously others complete this task. Several responders said they back up weekly, another said every two weeks, while others do it whenever their computer tells them to. Many folks use an external hard drive, others back up to dedicated flash drives (one for magazine articles, one for books, etc.). Other options mentioned included Scrivener which frequently and automatically backs up, Drop Box (also self-maintaining) and Carbonite "for constant effortless backup." I really have to get better at this especially since I have thousands of photos which I use in much of my writing. I'd also be horrified if I lost any of my writing so backing up on a regular basis must become habit.

The art of organization is as individual as the writer. It's a trial and error process to see what will eventually work for you. Let us know what tips and tricks help you stay organized.

Please note: The GROG is taking a break from December 19 to January 2 in order to celebrate with family and friends. We wish each of our wonderful readers the gifts of magic, beauty, love and laughter.  See you in 2017!

Pamela Turner Gets Organized

by Sue Heavenrich

Pamela S. Turner has written a whole bunch of books, from picture books to biographies and science for middle-grade readers and older. Her most recent book in the Scientists in the Field series is Crow Smarts: Inside the Brain of the World's Brightest Bird. A few months earlier her book, Samurai Rising hit the shelves.

Whether it’s a tale about samurai or science, Pam loves to delve in and dig up cool facts – especially when it means getting out into the field to do research (she talks about that here). Then she works her word-magic, creating page-turning nonfiction that’s hard to put down (she reveals her secrets here).

Having two books hit the shelves in one year must take a lot of organization. How does she do it?

I try to work on one primary project,” says Pam. “I might have three or four projects in various stages. For example, I’ll be doing background research for a picture book manuscript while writing a fiction story.”

Pam also keeps an ongoing list of “interesting” topics. It’s not very long, she says – maybe ten ideas that she reviews periodically whenever she adds a new topic. “If I see an idea it as a picture book, I’ll do enough research to decide whether I want to go whole hog.”

Pam does outlines. Extensive outlines. Detailed outlines. For Crow Smarts, she wrote a narrative outline prior to heading to New Caledonia to join the scientists in the field. “But…” and you can hear the shrug in her voice, “when you’re in the field, nothing goes as planned.” So out came the pencil and Pam got busy scribbling notes for a different narrative.

“Organization,” she says, “has to be tempered with flexibility.”

With all this wonderful advice, is there anything Pam wishes she’d known when she began writing?

Absolutely, she says. “If there’s a certain thing you want to do, but you’re afraid you won’t be good at it – try it anyway. At the very least you’ll learn something and it’s a good way to explore your voice. You don’t want to have regrets.”

In the normal life of a nonfiction manuscript, the author submits a proposal and then, when the book is accepted, finishes the research and the writing. Samurai Rising took a more circuitous route. Pam had written two sample chapters and a proposal, but couldn’t sell the idea. One editor even asked her why people would be interested. (Ahem! Samurai!)

This is the point at which many writers file the incomplete story in the bottom desk drawer. But not Pam. She decided to write the whole book. Then she sent it back to an editor she’d worked with before. They had rejected the proposal but loved the completed book.

“Sometimes,” says Pam, “you have to commit to something you believe in.” You can find out more about Pam and her books over at her website.

Confessions of a Bullet Journaler by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

What to Do, What to Do

I’ve always been a to-do list maniac. I use lists in every aspect of my life, but I especially use them in my writing. I have written about my incessant list making here.

My problem has always been lots of to-do lists running around on different pieces of paper, but somehow I needed a way to keep them all together. Then I heard about the bullet journal. 

Bullet Journaling 101

First, go watch the official bullet journal video. 

Then, read Kate Messner’s post about her Children’s Author version of the bullet journal. 

After almost a year of using my bullet journal, it really does work with how my mind thinks. I like being able to flip back to the beginning and see my goals for the year. 

Planning Ahead

The downside of the bullet journal is that is doesn’t let you plan far ahead, like a traditional pre-printed planner does. I typically keep my planning ahead on Google Calendar and then transfer the writing aspects into my journal every month. However, in 2016, I’m going to try to put these calendars in the front of the bullet journal for the whole year. 

Bullet Journal Contents

I do not keep my "day job" to-do’s in my bullet journal. I have a separate planner for that at school. Here are the features of my writing bullet journal. 

• Table of Contents
• 12x12 page. I list the titles of books that I wrote and the titles of books that I revised.
• Writing goals for the whole year. I break these down by picture books, middle grade, business, professional reading 
• Month by month goals
• Lists of mentor texts by category. I have found this is the best way for me to keep up with my mentor texts lists without losing them. At the end of the year, when I fill up my book, I will transfer them to a Google Sheet. In bullet journaling speak these are called “collections”.

• Monthly to do list. This usually just includes big projects I’m working on. 
• A book of stars. This is a list of celebrations—no matter how small. Last year I posted about my “book of stars.” I just did a monthly page in my bullet journal. When I am discouraged, I can look at those pages and see that I’m making progress, little by little. 

• Picture books read

• Books and Audiobooks read
• Writing project to-do lists. I break up a larger project into chunks and write down the list of to do’s. 
• Weekly or daily to-do lists. 

I moved this year and changed jobs. While I didn’t come anywhere close to meeting all of my writing goals for 2015, I did keep my sanity. I was able to make lists of places I’d applied for jobs, dates they followed up, lists for what needed to be done for our move, and important phone numbers. It was all together. I was also able to keep writing.

Nitty Gritty Supply Details

I prefer the Leuchtturm 1917 with dots. The pages are already numbered, it has a built-in ribbon bookmark, and elastic closure where I clip my pen. The downside is that is expensive, but it’s lasted me a whole year. So, in my opinion, it was worth the money. 

I use Paper Mate Flair Pens.  

I am a member of the Bullet Journal Junkie Facebook group. This group is great about posting pictures of their bullet journals. Almost all of them are more artistic than mine. My book is more function and less frill. But it works. And this group is a great resource for finding out where to get deals on supplies and how to think of to-do lists in different ways. 

How Do You Bullet Journal?

Are you a bullet journal junkie?

If so, please let me know how you use yours. What types of lists do you make? 

Organize Your Writing Space by Sherri Jones Rivers and Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Today, Marcie Flinchum Atkins is going to tell us how she has organized her office/writing space. You'll find a lot of helpful ideas here, so here's Marcie!
______________________________________________________________

Every person’s writing journey is unique, every situation is unique, and you have to design your writing space based on what you have and the way your mind works. 

Everyone needs a space to write. But everyone’s space looks different. I know that I’m super lucky to have my own office. I know many writers who just have a bag as their space.

Examine Your Space

What do you have access to? A bag? The dining room table? A desk in a closet? Or a whole room? The space you have determines what you will do. However, if you have no space to call your own, it’s okay. I do some of my best writing out of a bag on the go. 

A mindset that you can write no matter what you situation will help you. If we we wait for the right set of circumstances, the perfect space, we may never write. And the PLACE you write doesn’t determine your success. 

If you have to share a space with family members, it’s good to talk to your family about your priorities and really establish that you are serious about your writing life. Even my kids know that I’m serious about writing. If you have to be in a room with others, consider getting noise-canceling headphones. I’m also not above locking myself in the bathroom with my laptop. 

Up front, determine what supplies and space you will need. Here are the spaces I have:

Bookshelves

This is where I keep my writing books, mentor texts, and children’s literature textbooks. Because I have two young kids, this is not the only place we keep books. We have children’s books in every room—both of their bedrooms, our family room, and my office. I keep the ones in my office that I refer to often or use for teaching classes. I also get loads of books from the library, so I always have piles of books on the floor. This is one advantage of being able to close the door. I’m organized but not always neat. 

Desk

I actually have two desks. One desk holds my computer. One is for writing by hand and holding files. They are parallel and my chair is in the middle. These are cheap $30 tables that fold up. I’d love my desk to be set up like this, but I can never keep it this neat. 

Computer and printer

My computer and printer are staples that I can’t do without. Mine are sitting on a extra sturdy bookshelf that used to be a changing table when our kids were babies. 

Office Supplies

I do keep file folders, post-it notes, pens, etc. Most things are above my desk in boxes I purchased at The Container Store. 

If you don’t want to do stackable boxes, I’d recommend getting baskets from the Dollar Store. I tend to hoard office supplies. If you can make do with a less, then I’d recommend just putting a few supplies in a pencil bag, kind of like these ones that fellow picture book writers, Sarah Davis Maynard makes.

Files

I have three spaces for files: 1) stories/books on submission 2) research 3) in-progress. I tend to like to have things out for me to visually see them. This does take up a lot of space, but since my filing cabinet is in a closet and is a bit hard to access, this works for me. 

One of the best books I’ve read about organizing is Julie Morgenstern’s ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. 

She talks about ways to organize files. I’d personally love to transition to digital files ONLY, but I find printing out and marking on paper to be a useful revision strategy. I wrote a post about my files here.  

I do have files in very organized files on my computer, backed up by Dropbox. I date revisions by the title and date. Example: PERFECT PICTURE BOOK 11.15.15. 

Inspiration

I often have things around my desk that inspire me. I actually made vision board based after I read this post.  I created it using fabric I bought in Thailand wrapped around a cork board. Most of the items on the board mean something to me or provide me of a reminder of why I'm doing this writing thing. 

I also have small, tangible items that are representative of books that I’m working on or have worked on. I have Carrara marble, a signed baseball and baseball rule book, fairy stones, and more. These are all things that are tangible reminders of my projects. 

Other Storage

I have file boxes (banker boxes) for my novels and research and a filing cabinet which stores both personal and business files. 

When I’m working on a novel revision, as I am now, I tend to need binders available. For example, I keep one binder as my “bible.” This is all of the “off the page” work I do for the novel. It holds research, histories of characters and their backstories, maps I’ve drawn of the settings in the book, calendar for the timeline in the story, and more. I also have a binder with my latest version of that book and my notes for revision. 

Comfort Station

We writers are a quirky bunch. Sometimes we need weird routines that summon the muse. My writing day begins at 5:00am where I write before I go to my day job. Part of that involves coaxing myself out of bed. Because my office has always been on a floor away from my kitchen, and I have zero desire to wake up the pattering feet in my house that might keep me from writing, so I brought my comfort station to my office. I keep a covered glass pitcher of water there, pour it into my hot pot, and I boil water for tea every morning. My favorite is Yogi Green Tea Kombucha, which I buy in bulk. I also have a KIND or LUNA bar with it. I bring it to my desk and don't make noise or waste time in the morning. It's completely unnecessary, but it makes me very happy. 

Sherri first asked me to do this post because she wanted to redo her office. My biggest piece of advice is do what works for YOU. Organize the places in your office that make sense for your projects, your space, and your habits. 

But most importantly, make it a place that you want to go to often. 

Stay tuned, because coming up next will be a post about how to organize all those things you have to do!