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WORKING TOGETHER
We've been asked many times, "Where do you work?" Our office is in our home, yet we "go to work" every morning—downstairs.
We are totally electronic, but when the power goes off, a pencil and pad still works.
We set daily writing chores for ourselves and work until we finish. Sometimes to complete a project we have to work until ten or eleven at
night. At other times we are finished by noon and have the rest of the day to "play." That doesn't happen often though.
"Why do you write?" is another question. As with any partnership, there must be a shared goal and a commitment to that purpose.
Since we are African Americans, we share an interest in subjects about our culture and the people who contributed to the growth and development of this nation. Often their stories have been left out, forgotten,
misrepresented, or minimized by mainstream history texts. Our shared goal is to help set the record straight.
The question we are asked most often is, "How do you work together?" Rather than tell you the answer, we will show you. Most of
our projects begin with ideas that are generated by our senses, our emotions, and/or our experiences. The idea for BLACK HANDS; WHITE SAILS came from a history channel program entitled "The Age of
Sail." One segment was about the 19th century New England whaling ships. We were surprised to learn that a over thirty percent of whale men were men of color, including Africans, Cape Verdeans, West
Indians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, Asians, and African Americans—both free and fugitive slaves.
As soon as we could, we traveled to New Bedford, Massachusetts and visited the Whaling Museum. There we gathered enough information to prepare a
proposal for our publisher. Once the project was approved, Fred began the long process of research. Meanwhile, Pat finished writing a picture book that didn't require Fred's help
After spending two summers visiting Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Mystic Seaport, Sag Harbor in New York, Boston, Plymouth, and the
Whaling Museum in Sharon, Massachusetts, San Francisco, Mobile, and Barbados, we were ready to begin writing the first draft of the book. Meanwhile, Fred continued to gather information from old ships'
logs, letters, journals, maps, charts, and folklore from that time period. He searched for pictures and documents that we could use inside the book.
One of the best discoveries Fred made was the connection between the whaling industry and the Underground Railroad—an organized escape route
runaway slaves used to reach freedom. The abolitionist movement was strongest in the Northeast, especially on Nantucket Island—the center of the whaling industry. Well-known abolitionist, Frederick Douglass was
a former slave who was helped by a black seaman to escape slavery in Maryland. Once he reached freedom, he worked as a ship caulker in New Bedford. Douglass was then embraced by the abolitionist leaders
who encouraged him to speak out against slavery. Douglass agreed and made his first anti-slavery speech on Nantucket.
This expanded the content and gave or book a new focus. Many whale men—both black and white—were abolitionists and sometimes even conductors on the Underground railroad.
Once the book was completed, we read and re-read it again and then again. (Writing is 90% rewriting.) Fred made corrections and additions based
on the new information he had found. Pat edited for readability and interest. Working on a computer makes these kinds of changes easier. We can work on the book at the same time or separately. Fred can move
things around, save versions and make comparisons. (Then I can change everything back.) Yes, we clash sometimes, especially over content and style, but it never becomes personal. What's best for the book and the
young readers who will use the book is always the determining factor.
After several rewrites, we send our manuscript to our editor and wait for her comments and suggestions for additional work. Finally the
manuscript goes to a copy editor and a fact checker. We have to provide evidence for all the information we've included in the book. Fred makes sure all our data is complete, accurate, and verifiable.
We rarely work on one book at a time. We usually have four or five in process but in various degrees of progress. While Fred is researching a
new subject for a proposal, Pat is finishing up the final draft of a different book. Another book project might be in the first draft stage, still another might be with the editor.
his is the way we have worked together for over twenty years. We've produced almost one hundred books this way. And yes, more are coming. •
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About the Author:
Pat and Fred McKissack have co-written over 50 books, including:
Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman? (Scholastic)
Jesse Jackson: A Biography (Scholastic)
Frederick Douglass: The Black Lion (Scholastic)
You can visit Pat and Fred on the Web at the Scholastic Writing with Writers homepage.
To contact this author or illustrator, please use the information for his or her publisher provided on our list of CBC member publishers.
Meet the Author/Illustrator Archives
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