Writing

What Would Abe Read?

By on February 12, 2016   /   Book Lists, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Nonfiction, Writing  

AbeReadsHis neighbors used to say that Abraham Lincoln loved to read, and would walk for miles to borrow a book. For having so little formal education, our 16th president was eloquent in both his writing and speeches, no doubt partly due to being such a fervent reader. We know Abraham Lincoln was a lover of great literature. But which books entertained him? What did he read for “fun?”

Abe’s own words show how much value he placed on reading: “A capacity, and taste, for reading, gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others. It is the key, or one of the keys, to the already solved problems. And not only so. It gives a relish, and facility, for successfully pursuing the [yet] unsolved ones.”

So without further ado, lets take a look into Abe’s library.  How many of these books have you read? (I was thrilled to see Jane Austen listed, since in my opinion, no library is complete without her.) This list is only a small sampling of popular works the president is believed to have enjoyed, extracted from Robert Bray’s What Abraham Lincoln Read. Lincoln also loved poetry, plays, humorous sketches, history, biographies, and philosophical works.

pride-and-prejudice-1946Aesop’s Fables

The Arabian Nights

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

Artemus Ward, His Book  by Charles F. Brown

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

The Lascover1t of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (another of my favorites)

Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

“The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I ain’t read.” Abe Lincoln

Can’t get enough of literary-loving Lincoln? Check out this list of the 25 best books about his life. Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Looking for more ways to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday? Check out this MUF post, Living Lincoln’s Words, by Katherine Schlick Noe.

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Finding Writing Inspiration through the Five Senses

By on January 20, 2016   /   Fiction, For Writers, Writing  

I’m starting to think about a new book. It’s hazy now, like shapes in the fog, but it’s getting closer. I am not an outliner, so I have to feel my way through that fog, stumbling in a direction that I hope is right. I find that the more I can immerse myself in the world of the story, the quicker it comes. Here are some of the tricks I’ve used; I would love to hear yours.

tree trunk

  1. Sight

Like many writers, I gather images to inspire me. I’ve got a framed photo of a giant tree on my writing desk, a remnant of my first book. I have pictures of people who look like the people in my books saved in my Scrivener files, as well as pictures of the settings, animals, even particular pieces of furniture. Pinterest is great for this. For those on Twitter, the hashtag #novelaesthetics is really fun.

rufus wainwright

  1. Sound

I know that a book is coming closer when I start gathering songs for a new playlist. Rufus Wainwright’s Hallelujah instantly transports me to the world of my first book. I don’t listen to the playlist when I’m actually writing (too distracting), but when I’m thinking about the book, on a run or on a drive, it helps me get in the zone.

big red

  1. Smell

Much of my first book takes place in the woods, so when I was hiking, I would try to note and hold onto the smells—the pine, the earth, the dew. I also, though, am an inveterate gum chewer, and I have assigned a different type of gum to my different works in progress. I’m chewing a lot of Big Red these days. If I open a pack anywhere in the world, I immediately think about my work in progress.

biscuit dough

  1. Taste

The taste of the gum also helps me. The fiery, cinnamon taste of Big Red puts me in the right frame of mind for the quick and snappy soccer players I’m writing. The inspiration goes the other way, too. I remember writing one biscuit-baking scene and getting so hungry that I had to go bake some myself. The kids were thrilled to wake up to fresh biscuits on a school day.

oysters

  1. Touch

Going to the woods also helped me get into the tactile nature of the woods. I would feel the bumpy bark, shuffle through the pine needles, note the hot sun on the back of my neck. For the book that is coming, I recently brought an oyster shell home from a canoeing trip. Something about the sleek, iridescent ridges spoke to me. It feels right in my hands, though I don’t know yet how it fits in with my forming story. I can’t wait to find out.

Katharine Manning is a middle grade writer. Her books are fueled by cherry blow pops, as well as Big Red. She had six cavities the first time she went to the dentist, but has since learned much better dental hygiene. You can find her online at www.katharinemanning.com or through her book blog, www.kidbooklist.com. On Twitter, she’s @SuperKate.

 

 

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Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

By on January 11, 2016   /   For Kids, For Librarians, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

It’s a question kids ask all the time. Sometimes I think they expect you to answer: “Oh, I just consult The Big Book of Book Ideas,” or maybe “I shop online at the Idea Store. All authors do.”

Once the playwright David Mamet was asked that question, and he answered: “I think of them.”

But that’s a bit snarky as an answer to kids who are genuinely curious about the writing process.

So here’s what I say instead. I tell kids I get my ideas from three main sources:

1) Random Things Around Me. I look at people. I pay special attention to body language. (That’s where the first chapter of TRAUMA QUEEN came from: observing one girl’s self-protective posture when she showed up to her middle school school for Pajama Day). I also eavesdrop a lot–at Starbucks, on trains. I listen in on phone conversations (Hey, if a cellphone conversation occurs in public–loudly–it’s fair game!) I even keep a small notebook in my pocket, so I can jot down snatches of conversation. I’m a big fan of dialogue, so much of my writing I get through my ears.

2) Emotional memories. Kids often suspect fiction is autobiographical. I explain that while my characters usually reflect something of my own temperament and interests, I never merely transcribe events from my own life. (My life isn’t that interesting, truth be told.) But what I do use is memories of how I felt as a kid–when I was bullied. When I developed a crush. When my mom embarrassed me. When my friends made me laugh. Sometimes it’s painful to revisit certain middle school emotions, but doing this helps me create relatable characters.

3) My imagination. I write realistic fiction. It drives me crazy when I hear kids saying that they prefer fantasy “because it’s more imaginative.” I tell them that actually, realistic fiction requires MORE imagination than fantasy, because if your characters are in trouble, you can’t just summon a dragon or chant an incantation or transport your character to another dimension. You have to solve their problems in a way that obeys the laws of the real world–a world that’s basically a triangle, with Family, School and Friends as its three points. And here’s the tricky part: you have to create a triangle that’s somehow fresh and surprising, because otherwise, why would your reader bother to read your story?

Creating a fresh, surprising, emotionally resonant narrative within the confines of that triangle isn’t easy. Sometimes it take several imaginative leaps before you get it right.

But you know how you tell that you’ve done it? When the reader assumes your story is really just autobiography.

Barbara Dee’s sixth novel, TRUTH OR DARE, will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in September 2016.

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