Writers Wednesday

Rewriting is the art of shifting your focus from the words you love to the story that inspired you in the first place.

I keep asking myself if these words are conveying the story I'm trying to tell. At first I needed a profound sense of ruthlessness in order to cut those beloved words, but repetition made the process easier. 

 

The question for me now isn't "Do I love it?" or even "Is it well written?"  For me the question is "Does my reader need that word or phrase or will their experience be the same or better without that bit of verbiage.

At the suggestion of an editor interested in my latest submission, I'm currently turning one book into two. 

It's all about the rewrite.

Here are a couple of thoughts on the subject from two authors you will recognize.

“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain

“By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.” — Roald Dahl

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today at Perogies and Gyoza.

My selection is " So, You Want To Be A Comic Book Artist?: the ultimate guide on how to break into comics!" by Philip Amara

 

 

Amara provides aspiring young comic artists with an entertaining guide to developing their writing an drawing skills.  Among the self-help chapters are the following titles:

 

Starting a studio and the tools of the trade

Draw, partner? Illustration tips and tricks

Character creation: from superheroes to villains

Creating stellar stories: comic book scripts

Layout: putting it all together

Writers Wednesday

Historical Fiction Writers -- this post is for you!

I'd like to direct your attention to an article at the Writing Historical Novels website titled: On The Use Of Politically Correct Terms In Historical Fiction, by Jane Kirkpatrick.

Jane Kirkpatrick is a very talented and generous writer and always has thoughtful suggestions to offer.

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today at Stacking Books.

For Nonfiction Monday  --  "Team Moon How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 OnThe Moon" by Catherine Thimmesh.

 

Everyone knows about the Apollo 11 mission and the names Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins.  But it took a team of four hundred thousand people to make that historic flight a success.  From flight directors, rocket designers, software experts, engineers, geologists, doctors and aerospace technicians to builders, programmers, electricians, painters, welders, and seamstresses (who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit) -- each contribution was essential in landing the first human on the moon.

Thimmesh creates a compelling narrative woven throughout with direct quotes and vintage photographs that bring the story to life with the drama that captured the attention of the world.  Beginning with "The Dream . . .  And the Challenge" she takes readers from  imagination, through development, creation, and testing of the command module, lunar module and rockets.

She shares little known facts: the top-secret "Fate Has Ordained" speech written for President Nixon in the event that the astronauts died in the moon landing, the emergencies that the astronauts and the mission control staff on earth faced and solved and the extraordinary focus that went into every phase of the project.  

The book's rich detail is supported with an appendix with sections titled: Sources, Chapter Notes, Additional Sources, Photo Credits, For Further Exploration and Index.

Common Core recommended.

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday is hosted today by The Poem Farm.

Just for fun, today's selection is "Shrinking Days, Frosty Nights: poems about fall" from the very talented Laura Purdie Salas.

 

Children in grades K-3 will enjoy the variety of poetry styles and delight in the boldly colored photographs that celebrate the beauty and joy of this special season.

Common Core: A School Library Perspective

As a library media specialist, it is my responsibility to purchase materials to build and maintain a library collection.

My mission is to make age-appropriate materials available that meet the individual educational and recreational reading needs of the students.  That mission includes developing a collection supportive of the state curriculum for grades K-6 that also reflects the diversity of humanity both globally and within the local community.

With Common Core now on the horizon, I have another component to consider as I'm evaluating materials, both fiction and nonfiction for the collection.

My conversations with other library staff both locally and nationally indicate that we are all struggling with the issue of interpreting and incorporating Common Core Standards into our collection development strategy.

My selection criteria focuses equally on: 1. Age-appropriate and relevant materials to support the teaching of the curriculum (which will now include common core) and 2. The varied personal interests of the students. 

The following are also considered and are no less important:

•              collection depth and breadth

•              accuracy of information and balanced presentation of issues

•              importance (educational, literary, cultural, topical, popular)

•              prior selection (i.e. series continuation or author’s previous works)

•              attractive presentation and varied reading levels

•              cost and durability

 

I'll be posting on this topic periodically and invite your comments and discussion.

In addition, my reviews will now indicate books that fit the Common Core Standards.

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today at Sally's Bookshelf.

My selection is  "The Elephant Scientist" by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson with photographs by Caitlin O'Connell and Timothy Rodwell.

 

O'Connell and Jackson provide readers with an opportunity to view scientific inquiry first hand as they follow researcher O'Connell in the field.  Her observations of African elephant behavior lead her to hypothesize that elephants have the ability to listen to and communicate via vibrations they "hear" through their feet in much the same way as the insects she studied for her master thesis. 

An overview of elephant behaviors ground students in the basics and set the stage for a deeper examination of elephant communication that includes experiments in the lab and studies in the field.

 

The science is balanced by information about O'Connell's life, her early fascination with animal behavioral studies and the support from  family and educators.

The photography does a beautiful job of providing readers with insight into the lives of these remarkable animals and bringing the experience of working in the field to life.

A section titled "Explorations" provides additional  reading, DVDs, web links and opportunities to view O'Connell's experiments.  Pachyderm Terms, Selected Source Notes, and an Index conclude the book.

Future scientists in upper grades will find a wealth of experience and encouragement here.  Although the book is written at an 8th grade level, my 4th-6th graders  were fascinated.

Common Core recommended.