Nancy I. Sanders's Blog, page 21

My Cat Is an Alien

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Sometimes I wonder if my cat Sandman is an alien, and now I know it’s true. I set up the portable crib for my grandbabies to come and visit. Next thing I knew, this alien jumped in and decided to blast off to outer space in his new rocket ship.

Okay, okay. I know Sandman isn’t actually an alien, even if he does look like he has glowing alien eyes in this photo. But he is actually my writing buddy and a good writer, too! (Well, maybe not that good. It depends on your definition of good writing.)

But today he’s appearing as a guest blogger on the blog of my cyberspace writing friend, Jean Matthew Hall. He’s talking about primary sources and digging into research to get at the bottom of things.

Stop on over at Jean’s blog and say “Hi!” Hopefully you’ll learn a tip or two to help you in your research.

 

Filed under: Nonfiction, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: God’s Book

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You saw me before I was born

and scheduled each day of my life

before I began to breathe.

Every day was recorded in your book!

-Psalm 139:16, TLB

What an amazing concept this is! In His great love for us, God has kept a memory book about us from even before we were born. How precious each day of our lives is to Him–may we as His scribes grasp this wonder and dedicate ourselves to His purposes. May we not waste another day away from His great call upon us to write.

Dear God, on this particular day of my life, may I spend time writing the words You planned for me to write from even before when I was born. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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Scribes: Devotions for Christian Writers is available at Amazon.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Uncategorized

Book Review: I Believe in Jesus

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I Believe in Jesus: Leading Your Child to Christ

by John MacArthur

Illustrated by Dominique Mertens

Published by Tommy Nelson

Summary

Starting with the account of Creation, this beautifully illustrated picture book shares the Gospel in clear words for children. John MacArthur, the author, explains how everything God created was good. But then the sins of Adam and Eve separated them (and us) from God. Yet because of His great love for us, God did not want heaven without us. So God had a plan. His plan included sending Jesus to die on the cross and offer us forgiveness for our sins. God offers us the gift of eternal life to each one of us so that we can live with Him in heaven forever.

What I Like

One of my favorite things about this book is that it provides an understandable and practical way for parents and grandparents as well as teachers and caregivers to share the Gospel with children. The text is conversational and engaging to draw the child in. Plus, there are Scriptures all throughout the book that ground each concept on the Bible. At the end of the book, there is an opportunity for children to BELIEVE that Jesus is the Savior of the world. And then RECEIVE Jesus as their personal Savior.

The most important thing we can share with anyone is the Truth about Jesus Christ and the Gospel. This is a wonderful book to read with children and share the Gospel in a meaningful and complete way. But it is more than that. It is a book that can be shared with adults, too. If you have unbelieving relatives or friends, this would be a very meaningful gift to give them or have in your home when they come to visit. Highly recommended.

Thanks, BookLook Bloggers for another wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

Filed under: Book Review, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: The Door

Then Jesus said to them again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

As writers, God opens doors for us or closes them. How comforting it is to be reassured that Jesus, Himself, IS the door for us as His scribes. Do you feel like you’re stuck in the sheep pen because of all the rejections you receive? Learn to hand over your manuscript that has just been rejected and work on the next manuscript He is calling you to write. He calls us to write and keep on writing whether or not the manuscripts are rejected. He is the door. He will take our manuscript where it is supposed to be on its journey through eternity. We’re just called to be His sheep…and as His scribes this calling means we continue to write no matter what the current market trends are or today’s publishing world does.

Dear God, Thank You for helping me keep my writing in perspective. Please encourage me to continue writing for Your glory even while I am inside the sheep pen. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Scribes: Devotions for Christian Writers is available at Amazon.

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Uncategorized

What Motivates You to Write?

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What’s the main difference between a career writer and a wannabe writer? Is it skill? Is it networking? Is it luck? In many cases, it’s none of these. The main difference between a writer with multiple published books to their credit and someone who longs to get a book published is motivation. Motivation is key. The good news is that you can get to know yourself better as a writer so you, too, can be motivated to write the books of your dreams.

Without motivation, our passion dries up before we finish our manuscript. Without motivation, we spend valuable time attending to a hundred smaller immediate tasks rather than working on our important writing goals. Without motivation we are like a forgotten pool of stagnant water instead of a rushing stream cascading down a mountainside, pouring out the words that burn on our hearts.

Motivation gives us the drive to pursue our passion for writing, day after day, in good weather or bad. Motivation lights the flame for a “do-it-or-else” attitude that gets the job done. Motivation compels us to find the time to write and then fuels our desire to actually take that time and sit down to write.

Motivation is not a one-size-fits-all topic. What motivates me to write may be immensely different than what motivates you. And during different seasons entirely different things might motivate us altogether!

Discovering what motivates you will help you actually find the time to write.

Understanding what really motivates you on this day at this time right now will help you actually sit down to write in the time you have.

What motivates you to write?

Filed under: Yes! You Can Find the Time to Write

Book Review: Starter Bible

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Starter Bible

Published by Tommy Nelson

Summary

This is a sturdy board book with a plastic handle for little hands to carry. It has twenty Bible stories from the Creation account in the Old Testament up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Each Bible story is told in a short paragraph that is just right for little hearts to hear.

What I Like

I love introducing God’s Word to babies and toddlers. This board book is a great way to snuggle with your children or grandchildren and share stories of the Bible with them. I also think it’s important to teach little ones to take their Bible with them to church. Having the handle on this Bible makes it a wonderful choice. It’s just meant to go somewhere and church is a great place to take it!

Each story is short enough to hold the attention of toddlers, but not too short to miss the important lessons to learn. A great gift for Resurrection Sunday!

-Thanks, Book Look Blogger for another wonderful free book for my honest review!

Filed under: Book Review, Uncategorized

Submit in Faith

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Isn’t this a beautiful scene? My husband Jeff and I recently took a walk at San Elijo State Beach here in southern CA and captured the sunset and the waves on film. What vibrant waters…what a glorious sun!

In my last post for FAITH BUILDING FRIDAYS, we looked at the Scripture, Ecclesiastes 11:1 about casting our bread upon the waters. (Just look again at those waters and know the “Son of God” is shining down on you.)

After posting that last devotion, I submitted one of my picture book manuscripts.

I want to encourage you to submit one of your children’s manuscripts, too. Don’t just let it sit there forgotten in your computer files. Polish it up and submit it.

Where?

Well, if you’re looking for an agent to submit it too, click here to check out this list I collect here on my blog.

And if you’re NOT looking for an agent right now, but want to submit directly to an editor, click here to check out this list of publishers who accept manuscripts directly from writers.

And then pop on over to a brand new interview of yours truly that is featured on the blog of children’s writer, Patricia Saunders.

CLICK HERE to read the interview.

CLICK HERE to click “like” or add a comment on Facebook! (And especially let me know if you decide to submit something!!!)

 

Filed under: Inspiration, Uncategorized

Faith Building Fridays: Cast

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Cast your bread upon the waters,

for you will find it after many days.

-Ecclesiastes 11:1, NKJV

Submitting a manuscript is like casting our bread upon the waters. How often as a writer it is tempting to leave a finished manuscript in our file cabinet. Yet it is very important to submit it. Otherwise, how can God do anything with it? As we start this brand new year, let’s commit ourselves and our manuscripts into the Lord’s hands. Let’s submit our manuscripts on a regular basis until they find a home.

Dear God, thank You for Your promises. I stand upon Your Word today. I will cast my bread upon the waters. I will submit my manuscripts this year. You promise that I will find the good and just reward! Amen.

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For more faith-building encouragement as a writer, visit my site, Scribes.

Scribes: Devotions for Christian Writers is available at Amazon. What a great gift of encouragement for you to have to start a brand new year as a writer!

Filed under: Faith-building Fridays, Uncategorized

The Writer’s Pyramid

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Last week, one of my blog followers posted a comment asking how social media fits into the Writer’s Pyramid. Thanks, Kelly, for your great question!

The Writer’s what?! you might ask.

The Writer’s Pyramid. It’s a time-management model that I describe in my how-to book for children’s writers, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career. (See Chapter 6.) It’s a model I use myself and have used for years and years in my career.

First of all, Kelly, I’m so jazzed you are reading my book! I hope hope hope that you find some real gems that will help you jumpstart your career to the next level of your dreams in the year ahead.

Secondly, I want to encourage you and everyone else who reads this that the Writer’s Pyramid is a MODEL. Please feel free to tweak it to suit your own schedule and personal writing needs.

In fact, I want to share what Mary Kay Carson told me recently in an e-mail. (Mary Kay didn’t even know you asked me this question!) Mary Kay is my critique buddy and also fellow Chicago Review Press author. (Check out her website and be sure to buy her newest AWESOME book, Mission to Pluto.)

“I use your pyramid all the time and have for YEARS now. Every month on my calendar I draw it and have adopted pen colors even for each of the divisions which I use to schedule in stuff–green for make money work; red for love/heart work; and blue for promo/exposure stuff which usually includes school visits, book fairs, blog posts, etc. Funny b/c it’s been so long that I’ve done it that way that I forgot it’s supposed to be PUBLISH not PROMO. Just reread that chapter.” -Mary Kay Carson, author of Mission to Pluto

I just love how Mary Kay uses the third part of the Writer’s Pyramid for promotional activities which includes posting in social media. (Thanks for sharing, Mary Kay!)

For me right now at this point of my career, I save social media for working on AFTER I’m finished on my Writer’s Pyramid accomplishments for the day or week.

So there you have it. It’s really a matter of personal preference and how you want to work social media into your writing day. Do you want to save it for AFTER you finish up your writing commitments that you’ve plugged into your Writer’s Pyramid. Or do  you want to make it part of the Writer’s Pyramid itself? The point is to do what works for you to make your career happen how you want it to.

I hope this helps!

And oh…ha ha ha! I gotta quote Mary Kay again because when she gave me permission to quote the e-mail she sent me out of the blue last week about how she uses my Writer’s Pyramid, she said to be sure to tell you, “Buy Nancy’s book!”

(Aren’t critique buddies the best?)

Filed under: Tips and Strategies

Exciting News: Christian Writers Conference!

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I’m so excited to share with you that there’s a brand writers’ conference in town. It’s coming to southern CA this summer and it’s going to rock because it’s founded on the Rock!

Check out the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference and see all the amazing staff who are already lined up to teach us how to be the best scribes in God’s Kingdom that we can be.

Come one and come all. Come near and from far away. But if you live local to La Mirada, CA, and you would like to help out in exchange for a scholarship to cut the registration fees, GUESS WHAT?!

They WANT, they NEED, they ARE ASKING for volunteers!

CLICK HERE to find out all the great and glorious details!!!!

Filed under: Conferences, Uncategorized