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<\/a><\/figure>\nThis is a great biography on Ursula Marvin. How hard was it to sell a nonfiction biography? We often hear this market is saturated.<\/strong>
In my experience, pitching picture book biographies is consistently difficult and manuscripts get rejected. Yet the path to publication is not closed. Educators continue to seek out stories to share with young readers about history makers who have been overlooked. For me, forging partnerships with editors and developing a shared and valued history together is vital.<\/p>\nWhat is your research\/writing process like for nonfiction?<\/strong><\/p>\nEach picture book biography is a bit different, but typically I immerse myself in research material until I find a rhythm or a throughline to the story. At that point, I then pause the research and spend time nurturing the creative writing part of the manuscript. After that it becomes a dance between research time to support or enhance the text and writing time to accentuate what I\u2019ve uncovered and how to tell it in a compelling way that stays true to the story.<\/p>\n
How difficult was it to write a biography on a deceased person? How did you conduct your research and were you able to interview anyone?<\/strong><\/p>\nOne of the ways I determine if writing a picture book biography on a specific trailblazer or changemaker will do justice to that person\u2019s legacy\u2014no matter how passionate I am about that person, their life, and their accomplishments\u2014is if there is a trail of that person\u2019s voice that I can follow and get access to. Ursula wrote beautiful, poignant ice journals that had, fortunately for me, been digitized. In them, she pours out her hopes and fears and documents her discoveries while becoming the first woman to search for meteorites in Antarctica. I also conducted interviews with family members, including with Ursula\u2019s niece, who gave invaluable insight on Ursula and lent me childhood photos. Interviews with Ursula\u2019s scientist and explorer colleagues confirmed Ursula\u2019s seismic impact on space science\u2014from uncovering how the moon was once an ocean of magma, to its craters being caused by impact events. Her discoveries are so significant they continue to serve as building blocks for ongoing research on the solar system.<\/p>\n
Please share your favorite books from the last 5 years that inspired you.<\/strong><\/p>\nOh, there are so many picture book biographies that I love! Some recent titles include The People\u2019s Painter<\/em> by Cynthia Levinson and illustrated by Evan Turk; The Fire of Stars<\/em> by Kirsten W. Larson and illustrated by Katherine Roy; Fighting with Love<\/em> by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James Ransome; and RESPECT<\/em> by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Frank Morrison. Each of these titles are powerful, beautifully written true stories that stay with you. They are well researched and unfold in a fresh, new way. That\u2019s what I strive for as a creative.<\/p>\nWhat is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?<\/strong><\/p>\nWhen you have your final draft, read your work aloud. Wherever you stumble or come across something that gives you pause, mark it but keep reading. When you\u2019ve finished reading your entire manuscript out loud, go back and examine what caused the stumbles and pauses. Was it a confusing sentence? Was it perhaps a poorly chosen word? I\u2019ve found this action to be very helpful before sending a manuscript to an agent or editor.<\/p>\n
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