“Write as the Birds Sing” Nature & Writing Historical Fiction
“I write as the birds sing, because I must, and usually from the same source of inspiration.” — Gene Stratton-Porter
Hello, folks! Welcome back to the blog. I’m back with another post about my process of writing historical fiction, especially for young readers.
This week, I’m continuing a series on my research process as a historical fiction author: this week, I’m focusing on Nature.
For me, time in Nature is integral to my creative writing process. It fuels my creativity and never fails to lift my spirits. And understanding that Nature is the one thing we have all had in common throughout history feeds my historical fiction writing. No matter where we have come from, we’ve all seen the same sun and moon. We all know the feel of the wind on our faces and the power of a rainstorm. Nature is what connects us through time.
For one of my books in particular, time in Nature was especially crucial to my research:
“A Little Bird Woman”
My middle-grade novel-in-verse, Little Bird Woman, tells the story of a childhood experience of author and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter. To write a story that truly honored her, I needed an even deeper understanding of the natural world. Gene was truly connected and devoted to Nature her entire life, but she especially loved birds. Her mother called her “a little bird woman” when she was little, and she later wrote herself into her novels as the character “The Bird Woman.”
And so to write Little Bird Woman, I researched Gene’s writing and life story, but I also spent plenty of time in Nature. I tried to get to know her better through Nature, to see it through her eyes, and to channel that perspective into my writing. Gene was born and lived in my home state of Indiana for most of her life, so luckily, the natural world around me is very similar to hers.
I read Gene’s book Friends in Feathers (1917), an in-depth study of native birds in Indiana. I learned the ways she cared for birds as a child, and how she braved the deep woods and swamps to observe them as a woman. I spent intentional time watching these same native birds in my modern world. From flocks of robins to pairs of cardinals to solitary red-tailed hawks, I tried to see all of them through Gene’s eyes. Now when a cardinal sings, I still hear what she heard: “What-cheer! What-cheer!”
When my editor said that this book was like a love letter from Gene to Nature, I knew I’d done my job.
The Cardinal on the Cover
Nature was also important for Little Bird Woman’s cover artist, Shelley Wallace. She and I collaborated closely on the book’s cover for months. The tree on the cover reflected the bare trees in the middle of an Indiana winter. We later realized that her model tree looks just like a chinkapin oak on my block. It seems as if Shelley and I have “twin trees.”
Shelley spent time birdwatching and researching to illustrate the cardinal on the cover, too. I sent her photographs of cardinals that Gene herself took. In a moment of synchronicity, Shelley had drawn the cardinal with its mouth open, and then saw that reflected in Gene’s photos.
In the end, Shelley brought the vision to life in such a beautiful and profound way.
For more on Shelley and her art, check out my interview with her!
Read Little Bird Woman
Set in one day in February 1875, Little Bird Woman follows 11-year-old Geneva on the day of her mother’s funeral. She explores the woods of her old family farm, reflecting on memories, grief, and communing with the natural world around her. The book also includes biographical notes on Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924).
Find Little Bird Woman at Amazon and Bookshop. You can also find it at a number of local bookstores and public libraries in central Indiana. If your local library doesn’t hold it, you can always request it be added to circulation!
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I’ll be back on the blog soon with more of the goodness that is writing historical fiction!
Katie
