Nancy I. Sanders's Blog, page 14

Writer’s Journal: Research Notebook

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One of the first things I do with all my writer’s journals is start decorating the cover. I love wide-rule composition notebooks right now for my journals, and I got these for a dollar each at Walmart. I covered the front and back with scrapbooking paper and Scotch Quick-Drying Tacky Glue. (It dries in less than a minute so I use it for creating my journals.)

Then I typed a title and taped it on the spine. This notebook is called: JANE AUSTEN RESEARCH NOTES #1. It was for my book, JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS.

As you can see, I also taped a sample of a cover design for how I envisioned my book. It’s working title was JANE AUSTEN AND HER CRADLE OF GENIUS. It would be the 200th Anniversary Edition since her death. I designed this “fake” cover on Inkscape, the free graphics/drawing program I like to use.

I’m telling this to you for a couple of reasons. Reason #1 is to show you that it’s important to take time to have fun. I didn’t design this cover right away. In fact I probably didn’t design it until I was about 6 months into the project. It’s just that one day, I wanted to have fun and create a cover to hang in my office and tape on my notebooks and even glue inside. So I took some time away from my writing and designed the cover. I encourage you to take the time to have fun with your writing project, too!

The second reason I’m telling you this is because these writing journals are a very fluid work-in-progress over the entire journey of writing my book. I had already decorated my notebook’s cover, but later after I designed the cover, I added it to my notebook.

I’m constantly adding things to my notebooks all the time. It keeps me inspired, among other things.

Writer’s Journal: RESEARCH!

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As you may remember from earlier posts I made about the writing journals I kept during the 2 year journey I took to write my newest book, JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS, I decided to keep handwritten journals because of a couple of reasons.

One reason was that Jane, herself, didn’t have access to a computer as she wrote and I wanted to immerse myself in her world. Another reason was for health. I knew I’d be spending hours staring at the computer and typing away each day, so I wanted to take a break from eyestrain, wrist strain, and back strain in as many ways as possible. A third reason was that I’ve fallen in love with writer’s journals in this stage of my career.

Above is a picture of my RESEARCH journal. I took it with me camping at the beach this last weekend because Jane loved to escape to the beach instead of spend hot days in Bath. It’s been so hot in southern CA this past week, that the beach just seemed to be the right place to go. So I took along my journal of my research notes to get some photos to share with you.

Yes, that’s right. I challenged myself to keep my research in a handwritten journal.

Imagine! Two years of research notes by hand…I was so worried I would lose notes or get mixed up or some other disaster!

But I’m here to tell you now that didn’t happen! Instead, I now have a wonderful memento of the journey I took to discover “all things Jane” along with the same handy notes I would have if I’d just done everything on the computer. Ready to find out how this was done, so you can do it too? In upcoming posts, I’m hoping to share with you all about the process I took to create a journal of research notes…because it worked!

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Writer’s Journal: Fun Stuff

I thought you might want to see some of the fun pages and fun stuff I put in my journal. These images are all from pages in my first journal I’ve kept when I wrote Jane Austen for Kids.

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I like to glue tickets from key events I attend related to my research. This was a play of Pride and Prejudice acted at a local college…and it was EXCELLENT!

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Sometimes I photocopy stuff and staple together and make little books and glue in my journal or tuck it into a paper pocket I glue in my journal.

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This was a list of hard-to-find images I wanted to find…all in one place! So I just photocopied the list and put it in my writer’s journal to help me track my progress.

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I love to glue in theme-related photos from calendars and cards that I find. Jane loved flowers and gardening, so when I started planning a trip to visit her very own garden in England, I glued in this pretty happy flower as a tab (so I could flip here easily) to decorate this page.

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Sometimes I like to create a working cover of my book, just to help me focus and keep the inspiration flowing. As you can see here, I glued this working cover and working title in the back of my journal to flip to often when I needed to regroup and get re-energized to keep on writing!

Writer’s Journal: Topics Included

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In the center of the photo is my first writer’s journal I kept while working on Jane Austen for Kids.

As I work on my writer’s journal, the topics I include in each journal vary with each different project. I thought I’d share a little bit about the topics I included in this particular writer’s journal, because it includes the same I generally put into most of my book project journals.

TIMELINE

I often include a timeline and leave several blank pages for this to fill in. This is a timeline of the progress I’m making on my book. Such as when I got the idea. When I submitted it to my critique group. When I finished my first draft. When I submitted it to the publisher. When the publisher accepted it. Etc. It’s just kind of fun to go back and look at the time it took to go through various stages. Plus, it gives me great content to share on my website or when teaching a video class or when speaking at a conference or retreat.

BEGINNING AND END

(Or first line and last line) or start and finish. I like to bring my ending round to my beginning, so sometimes I include a page in my journal to keep track of ideas for how I will do this.

PROPOSAL

I jot down ideas I’m thinking about including in a proposal if I’m writing a proposal to either pitch the idea and land the contract or pitch the finished book.

TITLE IDEAS

Lots of brainstorming goes into a working title for a project, and this is the section I jot down some of my favorites.

MARKET ANALYSIS

When I pitch an idea to a publisher to land a contract to write a book (Like I did for this one) or if I am submitting a finished manuscript to a publisher, I usually include a market analysis. This is a comparison to several competing titles to show the editors how my book fits in. This is where I jot down notes.

PLANNING TRAVEL OR TRIPS FOR RESEARCH OR PHOTOGRAPHS

Usually when I travel to do research or take photographs for my book, I create a brand new writer’s journal just for that trip. But sometimes I keep general ideas for planning the trip in my main journal. Like in here.

WEBSITE IDEAS

While I’m writing a book manuscript, I’m always thinking about what I can put on a website to help market it after it’s published. Many of my books have their own website, too. This is the place I jot down ideas of content I want to add when I come across it so that after the book is published, I’ll be sure to check back here to see if I added in everything I wanted to.

TEACHER GUIDE IDEAS

Some of my books have teacher’s guides. I write some and for some the publisher has them written. Here is where I keep a list of potential ideas. Right now I’m still working on the teacher’s guide for Jane Austen, using ideas from this journal.

TO DO LIST

This is where I keep my master list of big and little tasks I want to remember to complete as I’m working on the project. It keeps these all in one handy place, which is essential for really big projects like this one.

MARKETING IDEAS

While I’m working on a manuscript, I’ll often get ideas to help market the book after it’s publisher. I keep these listed in here.

Writer’s Journal Table of Contents

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When I add my Table of Contents to my writer’s journal, I like to write it on the right-hand side of each spread. That’s because in many of my journals I like to add information on the left side that I want to keep up front and center in my mind.

The Table of Contents covers 4 pages in the 100-page wide-ruled composition books I like to use.

On the first page of my TABLE OF CONTENTS, I like to include a piece of scrap from my scrapbooking paper or sturdy cardstock. (See it in the top right corner of the photo?) That’s cause I flip constantly back to this page as I’m filling in and I like to get right to it.

After the Table of Contents, on the following pages I start numbering my pages in the lower right corner of each page. I usually do this over 4 or 5 sittings as I’m waiting for my e-mails to load or sitting in the car waiting in the drive-through of Carl’s Jr. for my Beyond Meat burger. (Yummy, but kind of pricey!) Once the page numbering is done, however, it’s done, so I like to get it done right away when I prepare my journal.

In photos below, I’m including several pages of my Table of Contents from this journal just so you can zoom in and see what topics I covered in this journal. This was my first journal that I started, so as it took shape it gradually became my “BIG PICTURE” notebook. Meaning I didn’t take detailed research notes in it or write any first drafts of pages in it. Some of my writer’s journals I include all these things in just one journal, especially if the project I’m working on is a stand-alone picture book.

But in this one, I wrote down more general notes such as title ideas, market analysis (for preparing my proposal) and favorite quotes of Jane’s I wanted to collect.

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In Honor of Jane Austen July 18, 2019

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Today, to honor Jane Austen on the 202nd anniversary of her death, you can discover more about the story behind the story behind my book JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS.

Stop by the blog of amazing nonfiction author, Peggy Thomas to read an interview she posted about my book. Be sure to post a comment and say hi!

CLICK HERE to visit Peggy’s blog, Anatomy of Nonfiction.

Writer’s Journal: The Format

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Before I start writing in any of these handmade writer’s journal that I was creating after I landed the contract to write JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS, there is a little bit of prep I do. For starters, as I’ve learned from my earliest journal adventures, a Table of Contents is ESSENTIAL, and this requires me to number all the pages of my blank notebook.

Without a Table of Contents and without numbering all the pages, you’ll be lost rowing up a creek without a paddle. But with a Table of Contents and corresponding page numbers, any research note you need to find is always handy at your fingertips, even 2 years later when an editor e-mails to ask a research question that one of your readers contacted them with.

PREPARING THE FORMAT

You might not be a crafty person and that’s okay. You may not want to decorate your writer’s journal with scrapbooking supplies or brochures/tickets from events and historic sites you attended during the writing process.

That’s okay. The key is to make your journal fit YOU.

I’m just sharing what works for me and hopefully you’ll figure out some great ideas to personalize your own journals.

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I like to open my journal and get inspired. So I always leave 1-4 blank pages in the beginning of my journal before I start the Table of Contents. My favorite source of inspiration is quoting Scripture. In the photo above and below you can see some of the Scriptures I found during the writing process, or thoughts I had along my writing journey.

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I also leave room for a title page before I start my Table of Contents (with more inspirational quotes!). As you can see in the photo above the title that is written in this notebook (which is the very first notebook I started working on) is the actual title of my book.

That means I didn’t write it in here until after about 2 years of working on this project. In other notebooks, I might write the working title but in this one I waited until the publisher picked the actual title. And that also goes along with these inspirational quotes and illustrations I decorate these with. I don’t add these in until the mood strikes me somewhere along my journey. This entire journal is a work-in-progress.

But first, I just leave 1-4 blank pages before I start my Table of Contents.

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Creating 3-D Characters

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When I was working on my nonfiction book, JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS, I was researching a woman who is known as a genius in literature for character development.

I knew I really really wanted to develop her character, even in this nonfiction title, so that she was a truly unique and identifiable personality…in other words I wanted her to come alive on the page as a living and breathing individual.

It’s so easy to produce flat, cardboard characters that are one-dimensional. Jane Austen is famous for creating three-dimensional characters that feel so real people can still identify with and relate to them today.

Over my years of writing for children’s fiction series as well as picture books and nonfiction for kids, creating 3-D characters has been key. They catch the editor’s eye and touch the hearts of young readers.

I’m excited to share with you a brand new audio/video class that I’ve created as one of the instructors for SERIOUS WRITER ACADEMY. I recently joined this academy as an instructor and this is my very first class! SERIOUS WRITER ACADEMY is the place you can purchase a la carte writing courses to fit your career needs!

My course is called DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTERS WITH TOP SECRET DETECTIVE FILES. Each video is bursting with information about techniques I actually use as a career author to bring my children’s characters to life. You’ll also get handouts and worksheets to fill in to help you during the writing process.

With 6 videos and a total of 75 minutes of instruction, you’ll be equipped to develop 3-D characters whether you write fiction or nonfiction, picture books or novels, magazine articles or online stories!

CLICK HERE for more information and the link to purchase my brand new class.

Writer’s Journal: Jane Austen

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When I wrote my newest book, JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS, I made the decision to keep many of my research notes in a handwritten journal.

I didn’t realize at the time that I would be creating SEVEN handwritten journals along my 2 1/2 year journey, lol, but I knew I would need certain supplies to get the process started.

Since I’m a children’s writer, I love to PLAY as I write, so I already have a little kid’s backpack filled with the basics. Several years ago I spotted this one with a purple, pink, and green butterfly design and got it for all my crafty supplies. This backpack is handy to carry around with me as I decorate my journals, which is an ongoing process while I’m writing and working on my manuscript. When I travel, however, I leave this backpack at home and just take along basic supplies such as my scissors and glue and pens.

When I want to create my research journals for my writing projects, my favorite book to use is a wide-ruled blank composition notebook with 100 pages. I get them for about $1 each at Walmart. You can purchase some with cute designs, or (as I like to do) decorate your own.

I love to decorate my own journals because I can make each one really support the theme and purpose that I’m using it for. For example, one of my journals for this book project covered an event I attended called the JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA’S (JASNA’s) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. I used images from the brochures to decorate the cover and interior of my journal.

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Basic supplies for each book include:

* Quick-drying glue that dries in less than a minute. The brand I’m currently using is SCOTCH QUICK-DRYING TACKY GLUE. I love gluing the cover design or interior pages, letting it dry for 30 seconds, and then moving onto the next page. This is especially important when I’m creating a travel journal as I’m visiting historic sites or places pertinent to my research and documenting information in my journal on the go. I don’t have time to let things dry overnight in my frenzy to document key events as they are happening. (When I fly, I pack this glue in my check-in luggage or carry a glue-stick on the plane.)

* Scissors: a nice, comfortable pair is a must to save your hands and wrists. When I travel, I pack a small but good pair. Even flying international, no airport has ever made me leave it behind.

* I also have a set of cheap decorative scissors when I want to put a pretty edge on things.

* My favorite pens for writing in my journal plus fine-tip permanent markers for writing over glossy paper such as tickets or brochures that I glue into my journal.

* Portable mini-paper cutter. I use this a lot, actually, and keep it closed with rubber bands. It’s so handy for cutting things really straight.

* In a separate totebag I have several large square books of sturdy designer scrapbooking paper that I cut to cover my book’s covers.

* Not shown that I keep inside my backpack is my collection of scrapbooking stick-ons available at Walmart or most craft stores. I also keep birthday cards and collect pretty magazines or calendars related to my project. Plus I like to collect different fonts of alphabet stickers to use for writing my notebook titles or other titles in the interior. Most anything related to scrapbooking supplies can be used in your journaling adventures!

If you already keep handwritten writing journals (or plan to) are there any other types of essential supplies you recommend?

Writer’s Journal

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As many of you know who follow my blog, my newest nonfiction for young readers was released this year, JANE AUSTEN FOR KIDS.

What you may not know is that this book took me over two years to write and during that time, I kept hand-written journals to track my research, brainstorm ideas, and write first drafts. (See the stack of 7 composition notebooks in the center on the top bookcase? Those are the journals I filled up in my 2-year journey!)

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Why hand-written? In this modern age when there are amazing computer programs out there to help a writer stay organized and keep all your information at your fingertips?

For several reasons!

#1 I knew I would be married to my devices and staring at computer screens for hours upon hours upon hours. I opted to delegate specific tasks to hand-writing in journals to promote my physical health. This gave my eyes a break from the glare of the screen. This gave my wrists a break to avoid carpel tunnel. This gave my back a break to allow me to sit somewhere other than my computer chair and desk. This even gave me a mental break because I could literally go unplugged on a short vacation here and there and still have my main project notes with me.

#2 Call me sentimental, but since I was writing about the great literary giant Jane Austen who had to write everything she did out by hand, I just wanted to use this experience as part of the whole soaking up process of getting to live, eat, and breathe (and drink tea!) with my subject.

#3 As a children’s writer, I love to “play.” I think it helps me stay connected to the kids and young readers who will be reading my books. So keeping hand-written journals also gave me the freedom to “play” with my pages. I decorated with scrapbooking supplies as my creative heart led me each different day. I used markers and staples and glue and tape and scissors just like kids do when they make a research project.

One of the amazing benefits I discovered along the way was that as I stepped away from the computer to add content to my journals, I could literally feel a different part of my brain unlock and open up. My creative juices at these times flowed in absolutely amazing ways!

In the posts ahead and I want to share a little bit of my journey with you about my experience–I even kept my key research notes in hand-written journals! Shocking, isn’t it?! I was shocked at how well it worked and at how rich of an experience it was.

I hope you might be inspired to do this as well if you haven’t yet. Or if you already keep hand-written project journals, I hope you’ll get some ideas to take your experience to the next level.

(Here’s a close-up of my 7 journals to give you a general idea of each one’s content)

 

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