researching & writing factual books & articles

I've researched and written a number of factual books and articles. There are many "right" ways to do this. Here's the general plan I follow for a factual book aimed at children.

1. Say the topic is sharks. I go to the Internet and discover all I can about sharks. I don't print everything out—only things that look particularly useful and reliable. If a website doesn't have much useful content, I just make handwritten notes.

2. I go to the library and look for children's books on sharks. (Whether I'm writing for children or adults, I always go to children's books first because they give the basics in a way that's easily grasped.) Then I look at encyclopedias, then books intended for adults. I may not find an adult book devoted entirely to sharks, but may find some on inclusive topics such as fish, fishing, and marine biology. I also look at the library's vertical files (which contain magazine articles and other non-book sources).

3. I take out of the library any relevant materials that I can. In the case of materials that may not be taken out, I make notes and/or photocopy useful pages.

4. When I get home, I make a pot of tea and take stock of what I have. On any pages I've printed out or photocopied, I use a color coding system to highlight information on the various subtopics I plan to write about; for example, the appearance of sharks, where sharks live, what sharks eat, their lifecycle, different types of sharks, human interaction with sharks. I use crayons for color coding because there are more colors and they don't run dry like felt pens. Also crayons aren't smelly like felt pens.

5. For materials that I can't write in, for example, books from the library, I make notes either on the computer or by hand. Many of these notes consist simply of page numbers relating to the various subtopics. For example, I may note that pages 33-45 of the book Large Fish of the Atlantic gives useful information on human interaction with sharks. I color code these notes in the same way as I did the other information.

6. Once I finish all my color coding, I sort my papers according to color. Some have several colors on them. I put these in a pile designated multi-informational sources.

7. Then I start to write the book based on the information I've gathered. As I write I find I need further information here and there. I look for this on the Internet or at the library, or by sending e-mail queries to addresses given on websites, or by phoning relevant people, etc.

8. Once I have a draft I'm fairly happy with, I find suitable experts to read it. When I get feedback from them, I revise accordingly. Then I often run it past them again, just to make sure I have it right.

talking to your computer

People sometimes ask me about the speech recognition software I use, so I thought I'd share some of my experiences. I use a particular, well-known brand, but haven't mentioned it by name because I don't want this blog to be construed as an advertisement. I hope the following helps if you're interested in the topic.

I bought my speech recognition software at an office supply store for about $200. Installation is straightforward. One has to train it to recognize one's voice and it takes awhile to get used to using the different commands. But the support offered is pretty good.

Speech recognition software works with most other software, and also works for filling in online forms, etc. When using it, one wears a microphone, headset type. The microphone that comes with it isn't great but better ones are available. One can search the Internet to identify possibilities, then order by mail. In my experience the chances of buying a suitable microphone in a regular office-supply store are slim.

The software isn't error-free, i.e., it doesn't always recognize what one says. It recognizes things best when they're said in whole sentences or even paragraphs, not a word or two at a time. One can correct errors with the keyboard. Alternatively, one can correct them by voice. The advantage of doing them by voice is that the software learns from these corrections, and is less likely to make the same mistake again. One can even teach the software words from other languages.

I'm not sure I would have had the patience to bring this software up to speed if I hadn't had repetitive strain injury. But now I use it even though the RSI isn't bothering me because it's faster for some things, especially answering e-mails.

how I got into writing

People sometimes ask how I got into writing and how long I've been doing it. Here's a short answer. I've been writing since I was eight years old. At school I loved any writing assignments we had, and entered whatever writing competitions I could, also speaking competitions. In university I majored in English and psychology— both relevant fields for a writer. Then I became a teacher and sort of lost the writing thing. Mostly I just wrote lesson plans. But after a couple of years teaching, I realized I'd rather be in publishing. So I moved to Toronto, which is more or less the center of publishing in Canada. While working for a magazine as a "go-for," I applied for jobs with book-publishing companies and eventually got one. What a great job. I was officially an editor but most of what I did was write. I loved it so much, I could hardly believe they would pay me to do it. After eight years with that company, writing and editing, I went freelance. I've been doing freelance editing and writing ever since. Some of my writing has been "to order." Like a company might want a series of children's books on various cities, and would contract me to write them. But some of my writing has been "on spec," i.e., I write what I want and try to get it published. I've had a measure of success along that line, e.g. a middle-grade novel, a picture book, stories and articles for adults. What I haven't tried till recent years is writing novels for adults. It's a challenge and a I love challenges.

one-sentence funnies

Here's a bit of light summer reading. Enjoy. Maybe some of these will inspire you in your writing.

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

3. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

4. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

5. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

6. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

10. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

11. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

12. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

13. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

14. What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

15. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

fiction flaws A: cloud without gravy

In seeking to improve your fiction writing, it's helpful to watch for common fiction flaws and learn how to fix them. Here's the first in a series of blogs on this topic.

Fiction flaw 1. Mixed metaphors, e.g. HER LOVE WAS A CLOUD WITHOUT GRAVY, A SONG WITHOUT SUSPENDERS. HE WISHED HE COULD BOWL HER OFF THE COMPUTER SCREEN OF HIS LIFE. This example contains three metaphors [implied comparisons]. Her love is compared to a cloud. Her love is also compared to a song. His life is compared to a computer screen. Trouble is, the author expanded the metaphors by introducing ideas that don't fit. Clouds don't provide gravy. A song doesn't have suspenders. A person doesn't bowl things off a computer screen. All three are mixed metaphors. How could the example be rewritten using metaphors expanded in a more logical way? Ideas?

Fiction flaw 2. Missing information, e.g. SHE WANDERED ALONG THE ALLEY SEARCHING FOR HER RED CHEVROLET. SHE LOOKED IN DRIVEWAYS AND BEHIND HEDGES, AND PEERED INTO GARAGES. AS SHE BRUSHED A COBWEB OFF THE CHEVY'S DUSTY WINDSHIELD, SOMEONE CALLED HER NAME. There's a disconnect between the second and third sentences of this example. The reader needs to know that she found the car before seeing her brush off the cobweb. How could the missing information be inserted? Ideas?

Fiction flaw 3. Lack of conflict, e.g. CAT SAT ON A MAT. DOG SAID, "I WANT TO SIT BESIDE YOU." "OK," CAT SAID AND MOVED OVER. This example has some elements of a story. It has action, characters, and dialogue. However, it's just an incident, not a story, because there's no conflict. How could the author use conflict to turn it into a story? Ideas?

appreciate comments & seeking Amy

I appreciate comments left by readers of this blog. They make me feel less like I'm throwing my words into a well. Often I thank people by e-mail, but can't thank Amy because I don't have an address. Amy, if you're there, e-mail me if you feel like it, elmams@shaw.ca. Sounds like we'd have things to talk about.

the writer's life: Shuswap Lake and beyond

I recently attended the Shuswap Lake International Writers' Festival in Salmon Arm, BC. Interesting thoughts on the writer's life emerged from the presentations. I'll share some below:

-Almost all writing is desire. Writers are climbing a mountain in the fog. The more driven writers will find a way to get to the top.

-Words mean what they mean, not what you want them to mean [which is one reason most writers need to revise for clarity].

-A blank sheet of paper is God's way of telling you how hard it is to be God.

-Literary nonfiction is nonfiction that uses the devices of a fiction writer; e.g. narrative arc, flashbacks, characterization, dialogue, figurative language.

-Writing involves both art and engineering. The right side of the brain is the artist, the left the engineer. Give both their due. Sometimes it's a good idea to free-write for half an hour or other suitable period of time, i.e., simply write whatever comes to mind—no stopping. The left brain isn't involved in free-writing, only the right. Later you use your left brain/engineer to revise and shape what you wrote.

-If you need to shorten a piece of writing, generally cut only about 10% each time you work your way through it. Otherwise you run the risk of cutting things that should remain.

-When querying an editor or agent about one's writing, use their MOST RECENT submissions guidelines. The publisher's or agency's website is often a good place to find these.

-To be a successful book writer, you need to live the lifestyle. Become part of the writing community in whatever ways you can, e.g., by joining writing groups online and/or in person, taking writing classes online and/or in person, attending writing-related events, submitting articles to periodicals. Publishers and agents like to see that you're not a "cave dweller." Once your book is published, people in the writing community are more likely to support you if you cultivated them earlier. Some ways they can help promote your book: by buying it, talking to others about it, writing reviews, interviewing you, inviting you to be a guest speaker or guest blogger.