MOWMT Day #1: Lydia Lukidis Digs Deeper In Nonfiction
By Lydia Lukidis
So you’ve decided to write a nonfiction picture book and you found an awesome topic with kid appeal. Great! Now what? Sure, sinking your teeth into primary and secondary sources is a solid start, but throughout the years, I learned that you need to DIG DEEPER. The gems, those juicy nougats of inspiration that inform your hook, may not be apparent at first and will require digging. Here are four mentor texts written by authors who continually dig deeper.
As a pioneer of nonfiction, Melissa Stewart is an expert at writing engaging expository literature. Sure, she heads to the library for her research, but she also consults experts. This is critical. Experts devote their lives to a specific subject and are often brimming with more knowledge and facts than any book.
Melissa says, “Our understanding of prehistoric life is changing so rapidly that the only way to get the most accurate and up-to-date information is by speaking directly to the scientists doing the research.”
In fact, she interviewed a whopping TEN experts for Mega-Predators of the Past. Talk about dedication!
Patricia Newman is another author who takes her research to the next level. She states, “I usually travel for research. Being on site enriches the details, especially sensory details.”
As Patricia researched and wrote the manuscript A River’s Gifts, she visited the river. She also spoke with a host of experts on site. The experts knew the subject matter better than any book and being on site helped her infuse the text with sensorial details. It definitely comes through in the writing.
Check out Patricia’s powerful first lines:
Mountain snow melts. Plip . . . plop . . . plip.
The drops flow together as trickling streams,
and then unite as one river.
For thousands of years the roar and thunder of this river
tumbled through steep canyons,
carrying rocks, branches, gravel
and winding a twisting path through the forest.
What if you’re writing narrative nonfiction and your book features a person? Your best bet is to interview them. Miranda Paul took it to the next level and travelled to Gambia, Africa FIVE times to research her book and interview Isatou Ceesay.
Here’s what Miranda has to say: “Researching a children's book is pretty much the same process as researching anything. Just because the end product may be shorter doesn't mean the process is shorter. Same standards when it comes to bibliography, quote sources, documentation, etc. Get as close to your subject as you can if you want to make nonfiction come alive for your reader.”
What happens if you’re writing narrative nonfiction but the subject of your book isn’t alive? That’s what happened to Nancy Churnin but that didn’t stop her from digging deeper. Since Nancy couldn’t speak to Laura herself, she did the next best thing by interviewing family members and friends. It was extremely helpful in giving her a deeper perspective.
For example, Nancy interviewed Madeline Murphy Rabb, an artist and the granddaughter of Laura's brother. Madeline shared a personal story about how Laura bribed her sister and brothers with peppermints to sit still so she could paint them. This detail wasn’t included in any book and ended becoming most children's favorite part.
Lastly, I wanted to briefly mention my latest book. Not because it’s a mentor text, but because it illustrates my point about digging deeper so well.
In 2019, I felt compelled to write a book about the Mariana Trench and I began my research. There weren’t many books on the subject so I mostly researched what I thought were reputable websites. Then I got in touch with experts who researched the Mariana Trench including one who journeyed to its depths. And guess what? A lot of the information on the internet was false and most of the creatures I had been writing about didn’t live anywhere near the trench. I had to rewrite my manuscript 60 times and consulted with eight experts to get the facts right.
All this to say- as you do your research, DIG DEEPER. The deeper, the better, and watch as your story comes alive. Good luck!
BIO for Lydia Lukidis
Lydia Lukidis is the author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023), THE BROKEN BEES’ NEST (Kane Press, 2019) which was nominated for a Cybils Award, and NO BEARS ALLOWED (Clear Fork Media, 2019). A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.
Lydia is very involved in the kidlit community. She volunteers as a judge on Rate your Story, co-hosts the annual Fall Writing Frenzy competition, and is an active member of SCBWI, CANSCAIP, 12 x 12, and The Authors Guild. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program.
Lydia is represented by Miranda Paul from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Social Media Links:
Web: www.lydialukidis.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis
Prize:
Lydia is happy to give away a PB nonfiction critique <1000 words or a 30 minute ask me anything session.
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