Breakout Session #1 - Telling the Truth: How to Combine Research and Storytelling Strategies to Craft Compelling Narrative Nonfiction with Paula Yoo

Author Paula Yoo  talks about all genres from picture book, middle grade, and young adult nonfiction for today's session focusing on 'narrative' nonfiction. For clarification she offers Melissa Stewart's wonderful essay (and her book out about it!) that explains the differences between the five established types of nonfiction: active, browsable, traditional, expository literature and narrative nonfiction.

Paula shares fascinating details and backstory about the subjects of her books in this session with tons of detail that will make you want to read the full stories. She gives us examples of how she turned facts on a timeline that read like a Wikipedia entry into emotionally resonant stories built around life-changing moments that make for compelling kid nonfiction reads. Information plus evidence (wikipedia facts) plus an emotional reaction give Paula 'the truth' the emotional core of what gets readers into the story. Paula gives examples from her own books as well as authors like Don Tate and Christina Soontornvat on how they combine biographical truths and emotional reactions to make great narrative nonfiction picture books.

Paula gives behind the scenes details of the making of her books including Rising from the Ashes: Los Angeles, 1992. Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire and From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement sharing her experiences speaking to first hand witnesses, survivors, and family members touched by these events and gives session attendees tons of great advice on ways to research the best primary sources.

Paula's time spent working writing for Hollywood has also informed how she writes narrative nonfiction and she shares additional tips particularly on how screenwriting and storyboarding techniques can help authors build up, among other things, better dialogue within narrative nonfiction.

Paula went on to share her actual nonfiction book proposals showing attendees all the ways in which these initial sales documents must sell not just the subject of the book but the emotion in it as well. Even if you are not interested in writing nonfiction this whole session is an incredibly thoughtful and fascinating talk for anyone remotely interested in civil rights issues and American history.