“What is the next Adirondack Kids® book going to be about?”
That is easily among the top five questions we have been asked for nearly twenty years doing school presentations.
We used to answer, “It’s Top Secret.” And then we loosened up a bit and would give a few hints.
These days we are pretty excited to talk about the ingredients – something of the recipe – for a new story.
The story line for The Adirondack Kids® #19 is well underway and now with a major piece of our live research done that recently took us on a 15-mile round trip hike in the Adirondack wilderness that included some bushwhacking.
It is very similar to a hike we expect Justin, Jackie and Nick to make and with a similar destination – a talus cave used by an Adirondack legend.
We actually did find the cave, and if that wasn’t enough of a thrill, it was the geology surrounding the cave that stunned all of us. Because there were multiple caves!
Even our great friend and master with a map and compass who joined us and guided the bushwhack said he had never before seen anything like the spectacular formations that surrounded us at this location.
That is always one of the great advantages of doing live research while working in a story. There are often surprises and discoveries that will stimulate the imagination and make the story even stronger.
Our characters have done some hiking in previous adventures including trips up Bald Mountain near Old Forge; Black Bear Mountain at Inlet; Castle Rock at Blue Mountain Lake and even Algonquin in the high peaks wilderness.
But this will be the first time they have been embarked on a serious bushwhack. And what a setting they will have to explore!
As always we took lots of photographs and on this trip video footage. Plenty of images as references for our illustrators an to help us recall details while we brainstorm, outline and write.
And images to share with students during our school presentations when during the Q & A sessions someone asks, “What’s the next Adirondack Kids adventure going to be about?”
Question: What kinds of adventures can you imagine the characters to be on in future volumes of The Adirondack Kids®? Or maybe it is time for you inspiring writers among our readership to begin your own project! Tell us in the comments below!
Behind-the-Scenes
Taking a short break on a recent research hike to simply enjoy the view!
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© 2018 Adirondack Kid Press, Ltd.
