Nancy I. Sanders's Blog, page 42

Faith Building Friday: Strength

I prayed for strength

to continue the work.

-Nehemiah 6:9b, NLT

Sometimes, especially in the middle of a manuscript, we run out of energy and struggle to go on writing. Let’s get in the habit of meeting with God each day and praying for the strength to continue the work. Like He did for Nehemiah, God will answer our prayers.

Dear God, please strengthen me to face the challenges I have each day as a writer. Help me fasten my seatbelt, sit down in my computer chair, and write. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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

Filed under: Inspiration

Faith Building Friday: Joy!

There was great joy throughout the land

because the Lord had changed

the attitude of the king.

-Ezra 6:22, NLT

What joy is ours when God changes the attitude of a publisher to accept our manuscript! And what joy is found throughout the land as the manuscript is published and ministers to the hearts of those who read it.

Dear God, when you change the attitude of a publisher to accept a manuscript You called me as Your scribe to write, the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows throughout the land. It flows through the words I write causing great joy in people’s hearts as you minister healing and hope to sin sick souls.

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

Filed under: Inspiration

Chapter Book: The First Draft

I just finished sewing this baby quilt for my niece who just had her third precious little girl. Sometimes when I make baby quilts, I put them together in a week or two. On this one, I took my time and worked on it over several months. It was a new pattern for me so I met together with 2 of my quilting friends once a month and we sewed our quilts at the same time.

That’s how it is with this early chapter book we’ve been working on. Earlier this year, we wrote an early chapter book in just one month. CLICK HERE to see the first entry about that journey and get those posts.

But for this book, we’re taking our time. I’m working on my chapter book little by little and bit by bit as I have the time and interest. I’m heading into writing the first draft now that we’ve got lots of pre-writing prep under our belts!

Over the years as I’ve worked on writing the first draft of early chapter books, here are some strategies I’ve tended to use. See if they might work for you, too!

Pre-writing

I develop a roadmap of my plot and chapter by chapter summary.

Research

I gather in research books about my characters, setting, or topic that will help me along my journey.

Mentor Text

I find a mentor text that I want my story to be like in voice and structure and technique.

The first chapter

I sit down at my writing session and read the first chapter of my mentor text. Following my plot chart and chapter-by-chapter summary, I write the draft of the first chapter. After the first draft is finished, I note where I need to research something or brainstorm something. I try to do those tasks throughout the day.

The second chapter

I sit down at this writing session and read the first and second chapter of my mentor text. I read over what I wrote in the last writing session (my first chapter) and edit it for a short time. Then I write the draft of the second chapter. When finished, I note where I need to research something or brainstorm more ideas for something. I try to do those tasks throughout the day.

Continuing to the last chapter

I repeat this process until the first draft is finished.

Plug-in Techniques

After the first draft is done, I go back in and plug in techniques such as cliff-hangers, sensory detail, humorous spots, poetic devices (rhyme, rhythm, and repetition), metaphors, etc.

Self-Editing

I take my manuscript through several rounds of self-editing. If I’m participating in a critique group I get group feedback, too.

I hope you enjoy the journey with your early chapter book! If you have any questions at any time about the process, please feel free to ask!

Next up here on my blog we’ll be switching to explore various educational publishers and packagers and even submit to them. Hope you’ll join me on the journey!

Filed under: Uncategorized

Welcome to My World

You may have noticed it was a little quiet on my blog this last week. That’s because we went on a mini-vacation WITHOUT my laptop, lol!

Among other things, we traveled up to Whitney Portal, CA which is where there is a trailhead to climb Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain peak in the Continental US.

Mt. Whitney is the peak to the right of the “twin” peaks. You can see it in the photo above. We didn’t hike the 14 miles or so to the top but we did enjoy hiking a little bit up the trail and also around the campground/parking lot area where there is this gorgeous, beautiful waterfall!

Why am I sharing all this with you?

Because I decided that this summer I’m journaling in a SETTING notebook. I took a small spiral notebook that’s easy to carry as we travel. I’m decorating it so it’s fun, fun, fun to carry around and write in (I’ll show you a picture of it when I’m done.)

But most important of all, I’m writing in my notebook about the setting I’m in when I travel to different places. I’m including pages of the sensory details around me:

Sight

Sound

Smell

Hearing

Taste

I’m also jotting down fascinating facts I discover and observations I make and conversations I hear and the culture I engage in.

Not only do I plan to use these places and impressions in potential upcoming manuscripts, but this is really helping me improve my setting skills in general.

And here’s an extra perk if you opt to do this, too. Talk with your tax guy and ask if you can use any and every trip you take as a tax write-off for your business expenses because you are using it as setting research.

Filed under: Inspiration, Setting, Writer's Notebook Worksheets

Faith Building Friday: Favor

It was by your mighty power that they succeeded;

it was because you favored them

and smiled on them.

-Psalm 44:3b, NLT

Enjoy the journey, fellow scribe! God is smiling upon you today. His favor is upon you. He will anoint you with His power so that you can accomplish what you set out your heart to do. You will succeed!

Dear God, Thank You for Your favor upon me. Thank You for the sunshine of Your smile. Thank You for Your power which enables me to reach out and accomplish the seemingly impossible. Amen.

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

Filed under: Inspiration

Faith Building Friday: Persistence

So they went ahead with these projects

and brought them to completion.

-2 Chronicles 14:7b, NLT

Is there a manuscript that has been lying, nearly forgotten, in a dusty corner of your mind? You started it, but never had enough time or interest to finish it. Get it out today, roll up your sleeves, and start to write. If you write one page a day, you’ll have an entire adult-length book finished by the end of the year. A children’s book can be finished in a much shorter time frame. Make it your goal to be persistent. Write at least one page a day until your manuscript is done. Then, and only then, can God use it for His glory.

Dear Lord, please renew my interest in this project you have called me to write. Give me the strength. Show me how to find the time. Help me be persistent until the manuscript is finished. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

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

Filed under: Inspiration

Here’s What’s Coming!

It’s official. Summer’s here! The monarchs have come back to our yard. This last week I counted almost 20 big fat caterpillars. I watched a monarch laying eggs on milkweed all over our yard. (I tied strings around 2 plants so I could watch the progress of the eggs. One of the eggs has already changed color from milky white to black which means a baby caterpillar will hatch any day.) Yesterday my husband Jeff and I discovered 3 brand new pupas. Yay!

Summer’s officially here, so I wanted to give you an update of what we’ll be doing here on my blog this summer.

For starters, we’ll be wrapping up our early chapter books.

Starting next week, I’m going to write the first draft of my chapter book. I hope you’re ready to start writing your first draft, too.

Sometimes this can go fairly quickly. Especially since we already planned the plot structure, brainstormed ideas for the setting, and developed our characters.

When I’ve written first chapter books under contract, after I complete all this pre-writing work, I usually write one chapter a day. For the series I wrote where each book had 15 chapters, that means I typically wrote the first draft in 3 weeks working Monday through Friday.

It’s a nice pace to work at because it keeps everything fresh and clear in your head so you can see your whole story all at once. (Versus taking several months to write the first draft.)

And since we’re aiming for 7 chapters in this book, we can write the first draft in just a week and a half going at this pace!

So after we’re done with the first draft, I’ll let you go while you work through the self-editing process on your own.

Then it will be time to launch onto a new project for the summer here on my blog.

That’s the exciting news I wanted to share with you!

I’ve decided in my own personal writing journey that I want to explore various educational publishers/packagers and even submit to them.

I thought some of you might like to join me in my journey!

So we’ll talk about writing our resume, preparing a submission packet, and which publishers to send our submissions to. If you follow along with me, I’m going to actually submit to various publishers…and you can, too! I’ll show you how.

I hope you’ll enjoy your summer this year. And I hope you’ll join me in our next adventure right here on my blog!

Filed under: Uncategorized

Chapter Book: Character Development

Let’s talk character development!

Sometimes I’ve worked to develop my characters after I write my first draft.

Sometimes I work more on it while I’m writing the first draft.

But usually I like to develop a basic profile for my main character and some of the supporting cast of characters BEFORE I even start writing.

Why?

For several reasons.

One reason is that if I wait to do this until AFTER I write the first draft, there’s a much bigger stage of revision I have to do.

When I take a little chunk of time to brainstorm ideas for my characters BEFORE I start writing, I can weave in personality quirks and unique traits and make these ingredients WORK with my plot and setting to produce a stronger story from the get-go.

So if you want to join me in this journey and follow along, then go ahead and do what I’m doing this week…spend some time thinking and brainstorming ideas about your characters.

If you’re not quite sure what to do, here are some places you can get some pointers:

DEVELOPING CHARACTERS on the blog of my cat writing buddies.

Chapter 7.2 CHARACTERS WITH KID-APPEAL in my book YES! YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO WRITE BEGINNING READERS AND CHAPTER BOOKS.

And if you’d like a one-page brainstorming worksheet I developed for you to Xerox and use for each of your characters, plus learn tips on how to fill it in, CLICK HERE to sign up for the teleclass I’m teaching this Thursday, June 11 at 2:00 PST about our mentor text, Stink #1. (We’ll also be talking plot, setting, and SKILLS you can use to write your own chapter book…and then I’ll share the names of agents with you who are looking for chapter books so you can send your manuscript straight to the top.)

So have fun getting to know the characters in your early chapter book! Sometimes I think this is the most delightful part of the journey. It’s fun to carry your characters around in your head, asking them questions, talking with them, jotting down their silly quirks and lovable traits…

This is one of my favorite perks as a children’s writer…character development!

Filed under: Chapter Books, Characters

Teleclass Writing Workshop: Book Talk on Stink #1

In May, my husband Jeff and I both celebrated our birthdays, so our dear friends took us on a fun Duffy boat ride in the harbor at our local beach and then for a barbecue on the sand. Yum! (Okay, Val, if you’re reading this, your potato salad is awesome!)

While we were tootling around in our boat, we got to watch this amazing show you see in the photo above! Evidently an instructor took a young boy up with him in the air. We were so jazzed to see them blasting off into the air and soaring around over the water!

Sometimes writing is like that. It helps to have an instructor show us the ropes so we can blast off and make our writing soar.

If you’ve been following along with our early chapter book journey, using Stink #1 as our mentor text, then I’d like to invite you to join me in a special telephone workshop I’ll be doing next week for the Working Writer’s Club! I especially asked Suzanne Lieurance, the head of the Working Writer’s Club, if I could present this topic because I think it will really, really help you.

In this teleclass, Book Talk–Stink #1: The Incredible Shrinking Kid, we’re going to talk our way through our mentor text and explore KEY DETAILS it would simply take too long to discuss here on our blog.

We’re going to DISSECT this book. We’re going to explore plot, character, and setting, but most of all, we’re going to DISCOVER KEY STRATEGIES this author uses to make her book a success so you can plug them into your own manuscript and get it published, too.

And when we’re all done talking about key skills you can use to improve your own early chapter book, we’ll talk agents. I’ll share names of agents who are currently looking for new clients in the children’s book market so you can submit your early chapter book straight to the top.

I’ve written for 3 early chapter book series at this point in my career. One of the series I wrote entirely on my own and it was my own idea (5 books). The second one I collaborated with a co-author (6 books). The third series I was chosen from a line-up of wannabe authors to contribute to (5 books). And my agent is currently marketing a brand new early chapter book series to publishers as we speak.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want to share with you what I’ve learned to get my chapter books published so you can get yours published too. The strategies you’ll learn during this teleclass will give you the skills you need to help you experience success.

I hope you’ll sign up today! You can join me live next Thursday, June 11 at 2:00 PST or if you can’t do that you will get the audio replay after it’s recorded.

(If you’re not yet a member of the Working Writer’s Club, be sure you sign up (it’s free) before you pay for the teleclass because members get a special 50% off discount!)

CLICK HERE to register at the Working Writers Club today!

Filed under: Writer Workshops

Faith Building Friday: Establish

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands for us;

Yes, establish the work of our hands.

-Psalm 90:17, NKJV

There is a reason God calls us to write the manuscripts we write. He will complete the good work He began. He will establish the work of our hands. And on that day, it will be a beautiful thing! As we write, let’s keep this promise in our hearts to encourage us along each step of the journey.

Dear Father, it’s so easy to get discouraged as a writer. Please let the beauty of Your holiness fall upon us to encourage us. Thank you for reminding us that You alone will establish the work of our hands in Your perfect timing. All we have to do is write.

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

The pocket edition of Scribes: Devotions for Christian Writers is available at Amazon. What a great gift of encouragement to give to your critique group buddies and writer friends!

Filed under: Inspiration