Nancy I. Sanders's Blog, page 78

Books on Plot

For starters, I went through all the books on my writer’s bookshelves and pulled out any how-to-write book that had information about PLOT.

I gathered four basic categories of books:

How to write picture books

How to write for children

How to write a novel

Plots

In the photo above, you can see the books I have. I’ll list some of these titles in an upcoming post.

I’ve read some of these books, but some I haven’t. My goal right now is to read through each of these books and learn more about plot.

Do you have any books that teach about plot that you like? Let us know about them so we can learn from them, too!

Welcome to My World

Recently I started working on a new middle grade novel. It is being written at a specific reading level, which puts it in the category of a beginning reader, or early reader, as some people refer to it. Think first chapter book or early chapter book.

Since this novel is under contract and is part of a series, the publisher requires an outline of the entire novel before I ever write one single word.

I thought you might be interested to hear how the process worked from beginning to end.

First of all, the publisher had asked an intern to develop the initial outline. It’s historical fiction, so the intern gathered research on the era and actual historic people that the fictional story would include. Then she wrote a chapter-by-chapter outline listing scenes in each chapter that would move the plot forward. She created a 15-chapter outline because the books in this series all have 15 chapters.

Next, I was sent the outline and asked for input. I took some time to think about the direction I felt the book should go. I tossed out some scenes and added other scenes that I felt would make the plot more interesting, kid-appealing, and action packed while also supporting the story’s theme in a stronger way.

Then I sent my revisions back to my editor. My editor and the creative director of the project then went back and forth brainstorming ideas for various plot changes. They also changed some of the ideas for several of the characters so they would have more impact on the plot and support the theme better as well.

A few times during this stage, I was asked to give input into the changes that were being made on the outline.

Next, the creative director of the project went through and finalized the plot from beginning to end, highlighting key scenes to take the characters from the opening of the story to its conclusion.

This final outline was then sent to me.

On your mark…get set…go! I was off and running with my new writing project.

And in the meantime, I’m also discussing the next book in the series with my editor. And for the next book, they’re talking about having me create the initial outline. (Their intern went back to school.)

This means planning the plot, pure and simple.

To help prepare for this upcoming task, I’m spending a portion of my days reviewing, researching, investigating, and learning about PLOT.

I thought you might like to join me in my journey!!! So here on my blog in upcoming posts, among other things, I’ll be talking a lot about PLOT. It’s gonna be lots of fun, so roll up your sleeves, and hop on board!

Let’s polish our plotting skills!

Bloghop

Today I’m participating in a bloghop where writers from all around the world are helping promote each other’s books!

My friend, Tina Cho, a children’s writer who lives in South Korea, is linking here to my site from her site. So if you’re stopping here after visiting Tina’s blog, welcome!!!

Today’s bloghop is called, “The Next Big Thing”! And the focus is on our newest writing projects. Mine is the recent publication of my how-to book for children’s writers, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books. It’s the second book in my series for children’s writers. (The first one in the series is the award-winning and ground-breaking book, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career.)

Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Writing beginning readers (or early readers) and chapter books has been the bread and butter of my career. Each step of the way, however, when I tried to find how-to books on this type of writing, my search always hit dead ends. Sure, there was usually a 3-5 page section in every “how-to-write-for-children” book on this topic plus several Internet articles, but that was it.

No comprehensive book had ever been published that thoroughly covered this aspect of writing for children.

So now that I’ve written and published over 400 stories for the beginning reader and chapter book market, I decided it was time to share all the tricks and techniques of the trade I’ve learned along the journey. I want other children’s writers to experience the success I have, too!

(In the picture at the top of this post, you can see some of my beginning readers and chapter books that have been published over the years, along with my brand new how-to book in the middle!)

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Three months. When I really sit down to work on a book of this scope, that’s the normal time frame I take at writing eight hours a day, 4-5 days a week.

What other books would you compare this book to on the market today?

There is no other book written on this topic! This is IT!!!!

Yet with the current impact of the Common Core State Standards on the world of children’s publishing, educational publishers and some trade publishers are racing to provide leveled readers in the form of beginning readers and chapter books to teachers, parents, and kids like never before.

Little did I know that my book would be such a timely book for today’s world of beginning readers and chapter books. There are even more opportunities today for children’s writers to experience breakthrough and earn a solid career writing for this market than ever before.

My hope is that with my book, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books, you will be inspired and equipped to write successfully for this market.

Would this book be a good book to recommend for a children’s writer in general? Or does it just deal with a very specific niche?

On one hand, this book is about writing for a very specific niche, the beginning readers and chapter books market. It goes into great detail about the history of this market, opportunities in the current market, and how to write successfully for this market.

But on the other hand, because this book showcases the inside world of writing for children and working with editors and earning an actual income in the publishing industry, the real-life examples and tools and techniques taught can influence every single children’s writer in a positive way.

I recommend this book for every person who wants to write for kids. It will impact your career in a powerful way, even if you decide not to try your hand at writing for this particular market.

Thanks for joining in on this bloghop today!

And here are the links to blogs of some of my writer friends. Stop on by and say hi! Check out their newest adventures in the world of writing.

Nicole Snitselaar

Beth MacKinney at The Last Draft

Welcome to My World

I wanted to share with you a little bit of the story behind the story of getting my newest book published, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Beginning Readers and Chapter Books.

Each book has its own journey, so I thought you’d be interested to hear a little bit more about the journey this book has taken.

I originally started writing this book per request of a publisher.

However, somewhere along that journey, through circumstances nobody could have foreseen at first, I decided I wanted to self-publish this book.

Here are some of the reasons I made this decision:

#1 The Economy

The economy played a large role in this decision. It’s harder and harder to keep a book in print in today’s economy, and I decided I didn’t want this book to just be in print for 2 or 3 years and then die. I wanted to keep this book in print as long as I want it to be in print, not get “killed off” because of a publisher’s decision. That was one reason I decided to self-publish this book.

And when I researched several writing books by big famous authors published by big famous publishing houses, I found these books had all gone out of print!

#2 My Own Personal Writing Journey

I’ve had over 85 books published by publishers both big and small. And every time you get a book published with a publisher, there are a zillion tiny little decisions that you simply have no say in whatsoever. That’s okay. It’s just a normal part of this industry.

For this particular book, however, I wanted complete control over every decision. That’s another reason I decided to self-publish this book.

For example, I know my cover idea may not be the best in the industry, but I just wanted a picture of my homemade quilt on the front along with a photo of my cute cat, Pitterpat. And I know some of my tips or techniques might not be the strongest, but these are real strategies that I use and real stuff I do that have worked to bring me success as a children’s author. I wanted to share all this with you and not have some editor cut it because they didn’t think it was important enough to keep in the book. I feel strongly that everything I’ve included in this books IS important. That’s why I put it in.

#3 My Current Publishing Commitments

Another reason I decided to publish this myself is because I’m already under contract with publishers big and small to write more and more books and magazine articles for more and more deadlines.

I didn’t need another book project with a tight deadline and stress-filled contract commitments. I wanted a project I could write for my own personal fulfillment. (See my sections about the Triple Crown of Success and writing for personal fulfillment in my first how-to-write book, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career.)

At some point in this book’s journey, I decided this was the project I wanted to do right now for personal fulfillment.



#4 I wanted to try a new experiment in publishing

I’m always trying out new things in publishing! As leader of writers groups for nearly 20 years, I like to experiment and test the waters and report back to the writers I mentor. Plus I like to share with you and other readers who follow my blog. We’re here for each other and I want to share as many helpful tips and strategies with you as I can. I want you to experience success and fulfillment as a writer, too!

So somebody told me last summer about CreateSpace, a place owned by Amazon that lets you self-publish your book for FREE!

So I decided I wanted to check this opportunity out and see what I thought about it. And the book I decided to use as one of my first guinea pigs was this book.

And wow! I’m so glad I used CreateSpace. It is simply the best self-publisher I’ve ever used. (I’ve self-published half a dozen other books in years past.)

If you’d like to hear about WHY I love it and plan to use it to publish a bunch of other manuscripts, let me know and I’ll share some insight!

So there you have it…some of the main reasons I decided to self-publish my new book.

This book has been out now for a month, and I’m excited for the journey to continue! Thanks for joining in the adventure, too!

Author Interview: Catherine L. Osornio

Meet Catherine L. Osornio!

E-mail: CLOsornio@verizon.net

Website: Catherine L. Osornio, Children’s Author

Bio:

Catherine Osornio has written articles for parenting newsletters, nonfiction and fiction articles and stories for children’s magazines, and over 200 stories for a beginning readers’ program. Her first book, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM A TO Z, was released in 2010 by Pelican Publishing Company.

Featured Book:

The Mystery of El Rancho

An Oak Tree Detectives Mystery #1

Written by Catherine L. Osornio

A missing will, a suspicious private eye, an estranged aunt, and an eager former business partner have the newly formed Oak Tree Detective scurrying to solve their first case. Join best friends Ruth Tapia, Victoria Reyes, and Solana Flores as they find the answers to THE MYSTERY OF EL RANCHO.

Interview:

Q: Describe a highlight for you personally while you were writing this book.

A: It has always been my dream to publish a mystery series for children, especially since I loved them so much when I was growing up. I enjoyed every step of the process, from determining who my young detectives were going to be, to what problem they needed to solve, and to how they were going to find the answers.

Q: Who were the characters based on in your book?

A: The Oak Tree Detectives’ first names and some of their physical descriptions were based on real teens: my oldest daughter, my niece, and my best friend’s oldest daughter. Of course, the personalities are totally different, but the real Ruth, Solana, and Victoria think it’s very cool to be included in a book.

Q: Describe part of the research process that goes into writing a middle grade novel like this.

A: Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I started the research process to write a middle grade novel ever since I learned to read. Mysteries were a particular favorite, so reading hundreds of books in this genre gave me a critical eye on what makes a good mystery work. I first developed my characters: how many detectives would there be, how were they related, what were their names, what did they look like, how old were they, and what were their back stories? Characters need to have audience appeal. Are they likeable, and if not, will their unlike-ability be a plus to the story?

Then there was setting: what year would the story take place and where? Setting is crucial because a series needs to have enough material to continue in that particular location for additional stories (although the 2nd book in this series takes place in another state).

Then I had to create a mystery. What was the problem needing to be solved? Were the clues practical, with enough twists and turns to keep readers wanting to know more? Were all the questions answered, and did everything result in a satisfying conclusion?

Along with all this, I had to keep my information real. A lot of research goes into any story, and I had to make sure I knew what I was talking about, whether it was regarding certain types of horses or various legal terms regarding the missing will.

Q: As a child, what were your favorite books to read?

A: As I mentioned before, I LOVED mysteries. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were my favorites sleuths, and I still have many of my original copies. I also enjoyed the Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Brains Benton and Jimmy Carson of the Benton and Carson International Detective Agency, Alfred Hitchcock’s The Three Investigators series, and the Liza, Bill, & Jed Mysteries by Peggy Parish. Although not a mystery, I read and re-read (and still own) my copy of Harriet the Spy.

Have a Happy Healthy Writer’s New Year!

Hi. My name is Sandman. I’m a cat. That’s obvious. But did you know I’m also a writer?

Some writers sit in an office chair all day, staring at their computer screen, typing away at their computer keyboard.

Now, I may be a cat, but I know better than to do that for 8 hours every day. It would put cricks in my neck. It would give my paws carpal tunnel syndrome. It would put a kink in my orange and white striped tail.

So where do I write? In as many different places and in as many different positions as I can think of. (And for a cat, that’s right up my alley!)

For starters, in the morning when I wake up I do my stretching exercises. I stretch out in my exercise box and reach out for my favorite yarn toy 20 times. This keeps my back from aching throughout the day.

Then I jump up on the dining table and wrestle with the table runner for 20 minutes while I brainstorm ideas for plugging in sensory details in the nonfiction manuscript I’m working on.

After I spend an hour or so at the computer plugging in all the sensory details I thought of during my brainstorming session and working on my next section, I take a short catnap stretched out upside down on my back with my favorite writing buddy, Nancy I. Sanders. Hey! A short catnap in the middle of my writing day makes me feel refreshed and revitalized and ready to pounce on my next tasty portion of my manuscript.

And when I sit down to read lengthy tomes and dry primary sources to gather research material for the upcoming section of my manuscript, I make sure I get nice and comfortable. I stretch out on the top of the couch where I can prop up my research book and take notes and footnotes like a writing pro.

‘Cause that’s what I am. A writing professional. I can log in 8 hours or more each day working on my manuscripts or current writing deadline. I try not to stay in any one position longer than one hour at a time. Plus I break up the time I spend sitting at the computer with time spent in various spots around the house writing notes by hand or reading research books. It keeps my nose moist and healthy, my fur soft and sleek, and my yellow eyes bright and shiny. I hope you do the same so that you’ll have a happy and healthy New Year as a writer.

To inspire you to think “healthy” about sitting and writing throughout the day, here’s a YouTube video that shows me in a brainstorming session for my latest story. I happened to be fleshing out my characters while hiding in a bag. Try it out sometime! Bags are one of the best spots for creative thinking that there is.

Merry Christmas!

May you experience

wonderful times

of refreshment

in the presence of the Lord

as you celebrate the birth

of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ!

Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and He will send Jesus your Messiah to you. -Acts 3:20, NLT

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

from the Sanders family

(l to r) Jeff and Nancy

Christina and Ben

Shirley and Dan

Writing Holiday Stories

Right now I’m working on writing a Christmas story.

Usually, when I write a story for a certain holiday, I’ve worked on it 6-8 months in advance so that I can sell it in time to get it in a magazine’s Christmas issue. That’s because magazines work that far in advance.

Over the years, I’ve written a number of Christmas fiction stories or poems or activities in June or July when Christmas is the farthest thing from my mind! The sun is shining and it’s hot and it’s the perfect time to go to the beach…and I’m writing about snowmen or wisemen!

But this time I’m doing it a little bit differently. I’m writing a Christmas story during the actual holiday itself.

I am amazed at how awesome this experience has been! I sit on my couch to write on my laptop and the lights on our Christmas tree twinkle merrily at me. I sit at our dining table to do research and my iPod is playing Christmas carols and surrounding me with the joyous melodies of the season. I go to the library to check out reference books and stumble on children’s story hour with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, tables of Christmas crafts to make, and a festive singer entertaining the crowds with more Christmas carols.

Talk about being in the mood to write!

I’ve decided that I’m going to do this more often as a writer. When various holidays roll around, I want to soak in the celebrations and write holiday stories in the midst of all the festivities. Imagine writing about the Fourth of July surrounded by patriotic music and attending a fireworks show! Just think of brainstorming stories about Easter in the middle of egg hunts and sunrise service!

Sure, if these stories are for magazines, I probably can’t submit them for several more months so they’re submitted in a timely manner for next year’s holiday issue.

But I’ve been having so much fun this Christmas writing a story about Christmas, that I want to do it again. Try it! You might be surprised at just how much fun you can have as a writer.

And Merry Christmas!

A Writer’s Perspective

As I’ve been contemplating the recent tragedy our nation is experiencing as well as preparing for our family’s celebration of the Christmas season, I’ve been trying to look at it all through the lens of a writer. That’s because after 27 years of writing, I make it my goal to look at everything in life with a writer’s perspective.

That’s why I posted the previous post on my blog. As writers, we have a unique opportunity to offer hope and comfort through the words we write.

We may not be able to run a marathon to raise money for a cure (altho some writers do!). We may not be able to help fix a needy neighbor’s leaking roof with other volunteers from our church (altho some writers do). We may not be able to fight fires, perform surgeries, or arrest a bank robber (altho some writers do).

But we can write.

Never forget that you have the power to change the world for good, one word and one heart at a time.

That’s why I write. That’s why I hope you write, too.

Through the tragedy that continues to unfold in the news, through this Christmas season, and in the brand new year ahead, try to look at life with a writer’s perspective.

Then sit down and write what’s on your heart.

You can make a difference in our world for good.

Hope in the Midst of Sorrows

Last Friday, I spent the day at my husband’s school where he teaches fourth grade. His students performed a Christmas program they’d been practicing for to the joy of a room full of parents, grandparents, family, and friends. I love going in to visit his classroom several times each year to meet his kids, especially on a day like that.

We were back in the classroom (the performance was in the school commons) when the principal announced over the PA system for teachers to check their e-mail. That’s how we learned about the tragedy that just occurred in the Connecticut school.

At times like this, there are no words that are adequate to express the heartfelt emotions that surface. But then come the questions…who? And…how? And…why?

If you are struggling with questions like this, I wanted to share some thoughts with you to offer hope and comfort.

First of all, God is real. His Son, Jesus, is real. And Jesus was known in the Bible as a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Jesus wept when his friend Lazarus died. Jesus weeps when a tragedy like this happens. He cares about each one of us and He cares about these precious hearts that are broken. Jesus is here with open arms to welcome each one of us and hold us and comfort us and give us hope.

Secondly, some people are asking “Where was God at this Connecticut school? Why didn’t He stop this?” Yesterday at church, our pastor addressed this question. You see, recently, it was in the news that atheist activists threatened a public school that was getting ready to watch “The Charlie Brown Christmas” play because it tells the story of how Jesus was born in Bethlehem as quoted in the Bible in the book of Luke. So the kids never watched the play.

Sadly, here in America, the public school system has removed God from its classrooms. God is no longer welcome to be at our schools. You can’t post the 10 Commandments on a classroom wall. In many schools, kids can’t pray. They can’t quote Scripture in speeches. In public schools, you can’t tell the accurate historical significance of what Christmas is really all about without being afraid of getting sued by places such as atheist groups either local or nationwide. And God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force Himself into places people tell Him to get out.

Where was God on the morning of the Connecticut school tragedy? He had been expelled from school.

Don’t expel God from your life. This year and this Christmas, invite Jesus to be your Savior. He loves you very much and He wants to help you and give your life meaning. Pray and ask Him to be the Lord of your life.

If you’re not sure what to pray, just send me a private e-mail at jeffandnancys@gmail.com. I’ll be happy to guide you on your journey. It will be the best Christmas present you could ever have! You’ll discover a life worth living. A life that can have hope even in the midst of a tragedy such as this.