Instititute of Children's Literature

Rx for Writers

Transcripts

"If You Love History..." with Idella Bodie

Thursday, March 28, 2002

Moderator: is Kristi Holl, Web Editor for the Institute's web site. Kristi is author of 24 juvenile novels and 150+ articles and has taught writing at the Institute of Children's Literature for l5 years.

Idella is Idella Bodie, author eighteen books for young readers that deal with history. Some are biographies (Carolina Girl); others, fiction interwoven with history (Ghost in the Capitol, Stranded!, Trouble at Star Fort, Mystery of Edisto Island). Currently Ms. Bodie is working on a series of heroes and heroines of the Revolutionary War.

Names color coded in blue are audience members who had questions.

Interviews are scheduled for Thursday evenings: 8 Eastern, 7 Central, 6 Mountain, and 5 Pacific.

Moderator: Good evening, everyone! I'm Kristi Holl, your moderator, and tonight I have with me Idella Bodie who will be talking on the topic "If You Love History..." Idella says that if you love history, you'll never run out of ideas or enthusiasm in writing for middle readers. Idella's eighteen books for young readers certainly show that! And tonight she's going to share with us some ways we can turn that love of the past into publishable writing, both fiction and nonfiction, for children. Welcome, Idella!

Idella: Hi, everyone! I'm delighted to be with you this evening to talk about writing related to history.

Moderator: Idella, has history always fascinated you?

Idella: My love of history began in 5th grade. My teacher had us act out scenes from history. I've had a keen interest since that time.

Moderator: For our purposes tonight, could you define what "historical fiction" is?

Idella: It is setting a book in a period of time that has passed.

Moderator: Are your books considered historical fiction?

Idella: One manuscript, Sacred Vision, is YA historical fiction. It's set in 1716 among the Creek Indians.

Moderator: How do you get your characters to sound like they actually lived in the past?

Idella: Children of all times have the same hopes, dreams, and fears. Inner monologues sound the same unless there is dialect.

Moderator: What part does history play in your six books of fiction for intermediate readers?

Idella: The characters are contemporary children. They learn history of a particular location while solving a mystery.

Moderator: How do you get your ideas for these books?

Idella: I select a location steeped in history. I have used Charleston, SC, National Parks, the Statehouse in Columbia, SC, and others. While I research it, I create characters and plan the mystery. For example, in the Secret of Telfair Inn, students learn about history while trying to find out what old Mr. Crowe is hiding in the Inn.

Moderator: Idella, any tips on including dialect since it is hard to read and to write?

Idella: Use it sparingly or just enough to give the flavor or authenticity. I depend on idioms and speech patterns of the region. Otherwise it's too hard to read and detracts from the story.

Moderator: What about the use of a foreign language?

Idella: Again, I say sparingly. I obtained a Creek language dictionary from Oklahoma through interlibrary loan. I added a glossary for the words used. I did that too for Mystery of Edisto Island. Black Gabe speaks gullah, a mixture of languages spoken by slaves.

Moderator: How important is it to visit the historical place you are writing about?

Idella: Extremely important. In Mystery of the Pirate's Treasure, set in Charleston, SC, I used the exact locations. I needed the smells, sounds, etc., of the real place. Readers actually make trips there to follow the footsteps of the characters.

Moderator: That's neat! Do you include the historical details in your rough draft, or just write the story and put in the details during revisions? (There's so much to remember!)

Idella: I make a rough outline of the book. Then I know where the history will be used, and I can weave it in as I write.

Moderator: Do you let someone (like a professor or historian) read your manuscript for accuracy before sending it to the publisher?

Idella: I do not on my fiction. I did on my Indian manuscript and continue to do so with my Revolutionary War series.

SaraJ: How far in the past does your story have to be set to be considered historical fiction?

Idella: I am not sure that there is any definite time length required, just an occurrence that has happened before the writer's time.

DellaRF: How strong is the historical fiction market for younger readers, say for picture books or early chapter books?

Idella: Today the market is strong...and is getting stronger. Global events have made people more aware and more interested in history.

SaraJ: If you don't live in a particular setting, how can you find out the speech patterns and idioms of the region so you sound authentic?

Idella: Research or travel to the region, and listen to the people authentic to that region speak.

martys: If a writer is not a Native American, I've heard it's hard to get a book published that includes Native Americans. Is this true?

Idella: I, too, have heard this, but I believe if the book sounds realistic and is well researched, there is a market for it. I also believe the Native American market is getting ready to cycle again.

Moderator: Idella, for your nonfiction biographies, how do you go about choosing a person to write about?

Idella: Fortunately, my publisher and educators feed me ideas. My publisher requested the biography of SC's first poet laureate; our state librarian, my collective biography of SC Women; and elementary teachers the Revolutionary War series.

SaraJ: When we're just starting out and we don't have a publisher suggesting people to write about, what are some criteria we could use for choosing people to do biographies on?

Idella: Choose a worthy person you would enjoy writing about. For example, I have a student in ICL who did a profile on a Coast Guard hero and now has decided to do a book on Coast Guard heroes.

Moderator: Neat! What are you trying to accomplish when you write a biography?

Idella: I want to present a worthy person, to show his contributions, often against great odds. I also look for role models. Most of all, I try to "catch the spirit" of the real person in a storytelling style.

martys: How do you "catch the spirit." What do you include to demonstrate this spirit?

Idella: I try to give the character heart in his words and actions; in showing the poet laureate's love of nature, I felt I made readers identify with him. It must have worked. His son told me that I was now a member of their family because I had caught his father's spirit.

Moderator: Do you avoid anything that makes the person look bad?

Idella: No, I show their failures as well as their achievements. That way readers can identify.

Moderator: Is it better to write about a well-known person or a lesser-known one?

Idella: My collection of 52 SC Women includes each type. Researchers look for the well-known, but I feel they need to know of others also.

Moderator: Do you interview people when writing your biographies?

Idella: Yes, and I ask permission to use a recorder. That way I get their expressions and manner of speaking. If the person is no longer living, I often interview relatives if they are available.

Moderator: Should you start with a person's birth and go in chronological order through his/her life?

Idella: For young readers, yes, but I try to begin with a "grabber" episode from the subject's youth.

Moderator: Could you give a brief example?

Idella: In my poet laureate biography, I opened with Archie and his black friend rescuing a mother cow from quicksand.

Moderator: That would grab me! Idella, do you make an outline? What type? How detailed is it?

Idella: Yes, after I complete my research, I block out time periods in my subject's life and decide where my findings will go. I tentatively plan my chapter content and sort out what will go in each chapter. I put each chapter's material in separate folders.

Moderator: Do you start writing right away or do ALL the research first?

Idella: I do all the research first. I do keep referring to it to assure accuracy.

Moderator: Do you use other biographies for research?

Idella: Yes, I use many adult and scholarly works. I acknowledge the best ones and put them all in my bibliography.

Moderator: How do you know you won't repeat errors written by other biographers?

Idella: Perpetuation of an error is the dread of every writer. I use as many primary sources as I can find: letters, diaries, etc. I also rely on authors with good reputations.

PaulPlqn: Where are these primary resources located? Are most in private libraries?

Idella: Chiefly, my primary sources such as diaries and letters are from the Manuscript Dept. of the library from the University of SC.

PaulPlqn: Are the manuscripts (sources, diaries, etc.) donated to the library?

Idella: Some have been purchased; others are donated. These manuscript departments in universities and archives are primarily for researchers.

PaulPlqn: What is necessary to get into a university manuscript department?

Idella: All you need to do is go to the library and register as a user; however, no material can be removed from the library.

Moderator: What do you do if you find that sources disagree?

Idella: In some cases I work that into the content. In my Revolutionary War series, I include it in the teacher's guide.

Moderator: What takes longer, the writing or the research?

Idella: The research. I'm never quite willing to stop.

Douglas DeVries: How or when do you decide you've done enough research and it's time to write?

Idella: When I have exhausted all resources.

Moderator: Can you elaborate on that? Some subjects have been written about so much that I think you could research and double and triple check facts till you turned gray!

Idella: When I find the material I am reading is a repeat of what I have already done, I am through with my research.

Moderator: Do you ever make up conversations?

Idella: There are two schools of thought on that. The publisher makes that decision. My publisher allows it as long as it sounds authentic. I prefaced the history series with "conversation as it might have occurred based on facts."

Moderator: How long are your biographies?

Idella: Lengths vary. The poet laureate is 176 pages; the SC Women, 200; Revolutionary War series, less than 100.

Valentine: How do you find someone who will review your manuscript for historical accuracy?

Idella: Curators in museums have critiqued mine. I give a donation to the museum. You might write to organizations in your field of research. I wrote to the Indian Council in Billings, Montana, to get someone to critique my Native American manuscript.

Moderator: Do you have to find photos, etc. and pay for them?

Idella: Yes, it is the author's responsibility. I did that for SC Women through the manuscript department of the University of South Carolina. The good part is the photos are mine. I can use them again, but with permission each time and credit given.

Moderator: Can you write biographies for magazines?

Idella: Yes, I often do short profiles on persons I have included in books.

Moderator: How does a magazine article differ from a book other than in length?

Idella: It is not a chronological showing of a life. It is based on a particular incident or an episode in the person's life that has a "take-away" message for the reader. It also relies heavily on storytelling.

Moderator: When you are doing a profile on an author, do you read that writer's work?

Idella: Absolutely. It helps me to know the person better. My profile of Julia Peterkin would not be complete without bringing in her book Scarlet Sister Mary about blacks on the plantation.

Moderator: How do you end a biography? With the subject's death?

Idella: Yes, if deceased. Also with honors and remembrances.

Becky Siders: What age group do you aim for when writing a biography?

Idella: My Revolutionary War biographies are aimed toward upper elementary. My other biographies are advertised as 9 and up.

martys: About how long does it take you to write a biography, from research to being ready for publication?

Idella: It takes me at least a year for a single biography--that is not to say that I work every day on it.

PaulPlqn: Are the biographies long articles or short books?

Idella: I have a collection of biographies and a longer book. The Revolutionary War heroes and heroines are less than a 100 pages.

nell: What is the ratio of research to writing that needs to be done to write a magazine article profile? Is it worth the effort?

Idella: It depends on what you think is too much effort. I think it is worth it.

Moderator: The research for both biographies and historical fiction seems daunting. How do you begin?

Idella: I begin with basic encyclopedias to get an overall view. Then I branch out from general to specific with histories and textbooks. I use sources cited in other biographies, the Internet, manuscript departments, the Library of Congress, and primary sources.

Moderator: What is the best way to research the food and clothes worn at the time period you are writing about, especially if the time is not popular and well known?

Idella: Almost all time periods have books written about them, such as Life in Colonial America, a Writer's Digest book.

Moderator: How do you research little-known facts?

Idella: In atlases or on the Internet. For example, in the Native American manuscript, I had to locate rivers by use of an atlas.

Moderator: How many sources do you find before you consider a fact valid?

Idella: Three.

Moderator: When you are building a plot around an historical period, what kinds of things need to be researched?

Idella: When I researched the Creek Indians, I needed to know about their daily living: food, clothing, buildings, customs, superstitions, government, burial rites, games played, festivals, hunting practices, relationship with other Indians and the British, etc.

Moderator: When you are writing historical fiction, do you use footnotes to document your facts?

Idella: No, I want it to feel like fiction.

Moderator: What is the importance of a narrative in historical pieces?

Idella: Nothing can replace a good story with a beginning, middle and end (narrative, meaning a story). If you find the story in your research, you'll hook the reader.

Moderator: You have written a memoir of growing up during the Depression and World War II. Is research necessary for a memoir?

Idella: Yes, it is. I researched what was going on in the nation and the world at that time. I looked at specifics like the use of the iron lung in a polio epidemic. Just memories are not sufficient.

Moderator: Do you try to gear your writing for use in schools?

Idella: Yes, I do. Schools are the biggest market. They have put my books on their Accelerated Reader Program and made interdisciplinary study guides for teaching units. They even take trips based on my books.

Moderator: What suggestions do you have for writers who want to write supplementary material for classrooms?

Idella: Talk to teachers. Ask them what they need. Borrow classroom books to see what material would blend with their curriculum.

Moderator: Idella, based on your experiences, what would you say are requirements for writing based on history?

Idella: A love of research and storytelling.

Moderator: What are the rewards of writing about history for young readers?

Idella: Seeing excitement over learning history. Visiting schools as Author for the Day and meeting the kids who read your books.

PaulPlqn: How helpful to your research are reenactment sites? In Massachusetts we have the 1860's at Old Sturbridge Village & the 1640's in Plymouth Plantation.

Idella: I have not actually used a reenactment site in my research, but I can see how they can be helpful.

NMS2888: Do you have any favorite web sites to do your research?

Idella: I use various websites, but I prefer those that are recommended by the Library of Congress.

Douglas DeVries: Do you add any notes at the end of your historical fiction, like a bibliography, to direct readers to your sources?

Idella: Yes, I do.

DellaRF: Do you research/write different projects at the same time?

Idella: Yes, I have up to three or four projects going at the same time.

Valentine: Do you use your research for more than one project? Maybe a book as well as some magazine articles?

Idella: I certainly do. That is an added bonus.

Connie Heckert: Idella, do you have any suggestions about how to research social life in the mid-1880s in say, Vermont?

Idella: I would write to museums and libraries in that area and request information.

Moderator: I'm sorry to have to stop now, but we're out of time. Idella, thank you so much for coming and sharing tonight. I have such a love of history myself, especially certain periods, and you've sparked some ideas for me tonight on how I can use it!

Idella: Thank you so much for joining me tonight. It was a pleasure to be with you.

Moderator: Do come back in two weeks on April 11 when Margaret Springer will be here to talk about "Dealing with Rejection: the Long Fall to the Top." Returned manuscripts and other "rejections" are part of every writer's life. Beyond learning our craft, the most important element of success as a writer is learning how to deal with failure! Too many writers give up too soon. We'll explore how to take the sting out of rejection, get out of our own way, and deal with those inevitable bumps along the road to success. Margaret Springer is author of three books and dozens of magazine stories and articles. She has won four Pewter Plate awards from Highlights for Children magazine, and teaches local courses and workshops. Along the way she has developed an extensive collection of rejections slips! Join Margaret on April 11 for a lively discussion and tips on how you can deal with that "long fall to the top." And now, good night, everyone!

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