A Race Around the World

A Race Around the World | books and reading | the writing life
Writing and Reading Links
ByCaroline May 1, 2026April 29, 2026
Any other Survivor fans out there? “You would think the premise would have run its course after more than a quarter-century, but in each season, new dynamics emerge, and strategies must be defined and re-defined.”
Sophie Newman on the craft lessons of Survivor :: The Craft of Writing
“However it’s defined, backlists are gold IMO. They are the unsung heroes of the publishing industry. It’s the time when a book settles into the possibilities of consistency and longevity. They are the titles that sell steadily (we hope!) and generate revenue for publishers and authors. They are also those titles that, at any moment, could find a new life.”
Which Author Are You? (And What That Means for Backlist) :: Publishing Confidential
“What does the quest to be published cost you? What does it give you?”
A Question on Whether to Publish :: Story Club with George Saunders
I really appreciate how candid Erin Bowman is. I’ve had my fair share of books die on sub, and her words are supportive and encouraging.
What to expect when a book dies on sub :: Erin Bowman
“…some guidelines on when and when not to follow up with an agent based on different stages in the publishing process.”
How often to follow up with a literary agent :: Nathan Bransford
Lovely to see A Race Around the World included here, alongside my dear friend Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s Bad News for Outlaws.
Nineteenth-Century Picture Book Biographies :: Literacious
It was so fun to record this podcast with Serenity Bohon. We met online years ago (and once in person at the Albuquerque Sunport). Listen in to hear about reading, writing, Books Up the Mountain, and a whole lotta L. M. Montgomery.
Read Widely, Be a Human Sponge, and Embrace the Seasons with Caroline Starr Rose :: I Do This for a Living podcast
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A Race Around the World | books and reading | picture books | publication | the writing life
Writing and Reading Links
ByCaroline January 2, 2024December 6, 2023
Emily Dickinson’s poetry was much more fluid than I realized. She left alternate word choices in some poems that entirely changed their meanings. Fascinating!
Deciphering Emily Dickinson’s Notes :: Noted
Since I examine both of these things every month on the blog through quotes, I found this especially interesting.
Why do we read and write? :: Nathan Bransford
Demystifying one small part of a book contract, the competitive works clause.
What is a competitive works clause? :: Kate McKean
“People in publishing often talk about ‘child-friendly’ books, which suggests something consoling, sweet and kind of nostalgic. But that’s a smokescreen, because those qualities attract parents and teachers more than children,” says Natalia O’Hara… “Children like sweet and safe stories but they also like dark, bleak, unsettling or horrible stories. Children are like everyone else, they want stories that reflect the whole contradictory tangle of their lives.”
Let the Kids Get Weird: The Adult Problem With Children’s Books :: Lit Hub
“What does this mean for you? Even a saturated category needs fresh, new books. This is why you need to know your category. You can NOT read every book, but you should be familiar with the ones “everyone” is talking about, the ones that win awards, the ones with 1000 reviews on Amazon or other online review sites. You should know what’s a tired trope and have an idea about how to do something different.”
Why Is YA No Longer Booming? :: Janet Reid, Literary Agent
“We all have them. Our peculiar, individual tics. And no, they’re not the same as a ‘voice.’ They’re scamps that sneak into our writing and weaken it.”
Quelling Those Writerly Quirks :: Writer Unboxed
Nellie Bly’s daring race around the world happened 134 years ago. And let’s not forget Elizabeth Bisland, Nellie’s competitor. If you’re looking to learn more about the adventure, I’ve got just the book for you.
Newspaper reporter Nellie Bly sets out from New York to travel around the world in 80 days. :: Lit Hub
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A Race Around the World | books and reading | The Notebook Series | the writing life
The Notebook Series: A Race Around the World
ByCaroline September 28, 2021August 24, 2021
I keep a notebook for each book I write. I thought it might be fun to share some of those pages with readers through a series of posts. Today’s post, the sixth in the series, will focus on my third picture book, A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland.
A confession: most of the work I did for this book didn’t end up in these notebook pages.
Most of it ended up here, on an enormous chart I hung on my wall.
This chart was the simplified, at-a-glance version of the more detailed copy I kept on my computer.
Long-time readers here might remember I grew up with my own Nellie Bly book. As I started my research, I wasn’t sure where my story would land, but I knew I wanted to write about Nellie. When I decided to focus on her around-the-world race (for weeks she had no idea she was in competition against rival lady journalist Elizabeth Bisland), it was crucial I knew where each woman was each day of her journey. This chart helped me keep track of weather and steamships, train routes and landmarks, delays and adventures and mishaps. It helped me see, for example, that the day Nellie, in Hong Kong, learned she wasn’t just racing against time but also Elizabeth (day 39, if you’re curious) was the same day Elizabeth, in Singapore, was convinced she’d be a tiger’s dinner.
The chart helped me track each woman’s highs and lows and compare and contrast their different experiences. I shared it with my editor who shared it with my illustrator. Below you see Nellie in Ceylon, where she savored the setting and her fortuitous speed (but eventually became frustrated and headachey) contrasted with Elizabeth’s wanderings in Japan, a place where she wished she could linger.
I don’t know if I would have been able to see the story’s big picture as well as all its moving parts if it hadn’t been for this approach.
While working on this book, I came across a Nellie quote that fit her journey to a tee and paralleled my own writing experience: Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything. Thank you, Nellie and Elizabeth, for your brave, bold energy! I’m so glad I’ve gotten to share your adventures with a new generation of readers.
Read the post about May B. here.
Read about Over in the Wetlands here.
Read about Blue Birds here.
Read about Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine here.
Read about Ride On, Will Cody! here.
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