Research & Nesting: Bringing Books and Babies into the World

Special thanks to Candy Wellins for this incredible reflection on a pivotal time in her life of which The Writing Barn was honored to have had a part! To read more about Candy, check out her Success Story Spotlight published earlier this year. 

Last summer I was in full nesting mode, preparing for the impending arrival of my third baby.  But along with stocking my freezer with casseroles and rewashing baby clothes, I had writing tasks on my to-do list.

Months earlier, I had stumbled upon an article about Edward White, the first American astronaut to walk in space. He was quoted as saying  “the saddest moment of (his) life” was when his spacewalk ended and he had to return to his ship. My six-year-old gives the same melodramatic response whenever I ask him to get out of the pool so immediately my picture book brain saw the appeal of White’s story to young readers.  The idea began to germinate in my mind, but I wasn’t sure if I was the person to write it. After all, I had just discovered White’s story myself.

Fast-forward a few months to a family vacation in Florida.  Bad weather forced us off the beach so we improvised by heading to NASA for the day.  We bought our tickets, followed the crowds and walked into the first door we found where we were greeted by a larger-than-life-sized photo of none other than Edward White.  As we explored the exhibit, I was amazed by all his accomplishments and knew his story needed to be shared. This, I realized, was the universe’s way of telling me to write this story.

I signed up for the Writing Barn’s Picture Book Biography Retreat last fall to help me bring White’s story to life.

At the retreat I learned from mentor authors like Patricia Valdez (Joan Proctor, Animal Doctor) who encouraged us to dig deep in our research and locate primary resources.  Afterward, I used her tips to locate the transcripts of White’s Gemini IV mission, which I read to get a better understanding of the spacewalk.

At the retreat’s next lecture, agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin instructed us on finding the childlike entry into a subject’s story.  The NASA transcripts showed Mission Control was counting down White’s time on his spacewalk, but he kept ignoring them as he kept his attention firmly focused on the wonder around him. Finally, Mission Control begged the ship’s pilot, Jim McDivitt to coax him back inside and White reluctantly relented.  I knew this heel-dragging reentry would ring true with any kid who’d ever been called in after a fun day of play and I set about writing the outline for my story.

Lee and Low editor Jessica Echevrria guided us on finding our story’s heartline and helped us navigate through real situations that are tough to address with young readers.  While White led an exemplary life, I knew that his untimely death just eighteen months after his spacewalk in the Apollo 1 fire would need to be presented in just the right way.

In addition to these fabulous lectures, there was plenty of time for writing exercises, mingling with the other writers in attendance, reading mentor texts and unstructured writing time where I honed White’s story.

I left the retreat feeling ready to burst with both story and baby.  Three weeks later, I gave birth to a sweet little girl named Emery Jay.  But my laboring was not complete as I still had a story to finish. I wrote and revised over the next few months and the hard work paid off.  Early this year, my agent called with good news. Philomel Books was buying the manuscript to THE STARS BECKONED: EDWARD WHITE AND HIS SPACEWALK.

Writing a picture book biography is no easy task.  It requires tons of research, attention to detail and consolidating a lifetime of achievements down to a picture book length.  I am grateful for my experience at the Picture Book Biography Retreat. I gained the confidence to tell the stories I want to tell and the tools to tell them well.

From Publishers Weekly:

“Talia Benamy at Philomel has acquired world rights to The Stars Beckoned, a picture book biography about astronaut Edward White, the first American to walk in space, by Saturdays with Stella author Candy Wellins (l.). Courtney Dawson will illustrate; a summer 2021 publication is planned. Erzsi Deak at Hen&ink Literary represented the author, and Nicole Tugeau at Tugeau 2 represented the illustrator.”

More About Candy:

Candy Wellins is a lifelong writer and book lover. A former elementary school teacher, Candy has a BA in journalism and an M.Ed. in literacy education. She’s now a full-time mom to three wonderful children who keep her up-to-date and immersed in kid’s literature. When she’s not reading, writing or mothering, Candy loves running, traveling and naps! Her debut picture book SATURDAYS ARE FOR STELLA (Illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan, PAGE STREET KIDS) comes out in 2020 and her debut picture book biography THE STARS BECKONED: EDWARD WHITE AND HIS SPACEWALK (Illustrated by Courtney Dawson, PHILOMEL) comes out in 2021.  You can follow her at www.candywellins.com or on Instagram @candywellins.