As part of her book launch for Frederick Douglass for Kids best-selling and award-winning children's author, Nancy I. Sanders is visiting Write What Inspires You on the second day of her Working Writer's Club virtual book tour.
Welcome Nancy! I'm delighted to host you today as you discuss your typical writing day. Oh, how I enjoy learning about author's writing process!
Nancy I. Sanders is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 80 books including the picture book D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. She teaches other writers how to launch their career to the next level based on material found in her groundbreaking book for writers, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career. Nancy and her husband, Jeff, live in southern California. They have two adult sons, Dan and Ben.
Without further ado, sit back and enjoy learning more about Nancy...
What is a typical
writing day for you as a children’s author?
Each new book holds its own unique routine. When I wrote Frederick Douglass for Kids, it started
with a lot of research and no writing at all! I skimmed over his three
autobiographies to get a general feel for his life and times and used these
books as a launchpad to contact historic sites and museums to come and take
photographs to use in the book.
Once the actual writing process began, I typically started
my day reading key books for research while sitting in a comfortable spot
(usually with my cats!) and taking notes by hand. I did this for about an hour.
Then I sat down at my computer and typed these notes into a working outline I
was building. Then, with the material fresh in my head, I spent the next hour
or so writing new content for the book based on the research I’d just done. I
typed this directly onto the computer.
By afternoon, I was kind of frizzled out from all that heavy
duty research and writing, so I did other writing-related tasks such as fact
checking my manuscript, locating images to use in the book and contacting
people for permission to use them, making the 21 activities that are included
in the book, and watching videos on the Civil War for an emotional feel of the
era.
Do you write every
day?
I tell people I write full time part of the time. I
typically write from September through mid-June. I try to take the summers off
to spend time with my husband, Jeff, who is a teacher and is home during the
summer. My typical writing day starts before breakfast when I get up. It’s my
most productive time for writing. By lunch time, I’m kind of slowing down as
far as creative thinking, so after lunch I do writing-related tasks such as
editing, plan writing workshops, brainstorm new ideas, market my books, prepare
proposals, and tend to my e-mails and blog.
I usually write 4 out of 5 days Monday through Friday. One
day a week I get together with various writing groups I’m part of. Typically, I
take the weekends off and take holidays off to spend time with family and
friends. However, because writing is also my hobby, you’ll always find me with
writing paper and pen in hand or a book I’m reading to help improve my writing.
What are you doing to
celebrate the release of your book, Frederick
Douglass for Kids?
I’m hosting a two-week virtual Book Launch Party! There are
prizes to win, fun facts to learn, and lots of inside peeks and helpful tips
about how a book is born. Stop by my site today to join in the party.
Just post a comment at my blog today to say hi, or answer the question there and I'll put your name in the hat today at a chance to win a free Picture Book Critique or first 5 pages of your manuscript:
http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/book-launch-party-frederick-douglass-for-kids-8/
Just post a comment at my blog today to say hi, or answer the question there and I'll put your name in the hat today at a chance to win a free Picture Book Critique or first 5 pages of your manuscript:
http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/book-launch-party-frederick-douglass-for-kids-8/
Thank you so much, Donna,
for being a stop on my Book Launch Party!
It’s a joy to visit your site! You can join in my party
tomorrow at the site of Karen Cioffi at:
For further details read on for synopsis and and visit Nancy for further details of her Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities book launch:
Featured Book:
Frederick Douglass for
Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities
By Nancy I. Sanders
Author’s site: www.nancyisanders.com
Book’s site: www.FrederickDouglass.wordpress.com
Purchase the book on Amazon at: http://tinyurl.com/7opjcn4
Book Synopsis
Few Americans have had as much impact on this nation as Frederick
Douglass. Born on a plantation, he later escaped slavery and helped others to
freedom via the Underground Railroad. In time he became a bestselling author,
an outspoken newspaper editor, a brilliant orator, a tireless abolitionist, and
a brave civil rights leader. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic in the
years leading up to the Civil War, and when war broke out, Abraham Lincoln
invited him to the White House for counsel and advice.
Frederick Douglass for Kids follows the footsteps of this American
hero, from his birth into slavery to his becoming a friend and confidant of
presidents and the leading African American of his day. And to better
appreciate Frederick Douglass and his times, readers will form a debating club,
cook a meal similar to the one Douglass shared with John Brown, make a civil
war haversack, participate in a microlending program, and more. This valuable
resource also includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic
sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.
Nancy, thank you for providing such an insightful glimpse into your writing life. All the best for your continued success!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval Recipient and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist
Hi Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted to host you today as part of your Working Writer's Club virtual book tour in conjunction with your book launch! Very exciting. I enjoyed getting an inside glimpse into your writing life.
All the best,
Donna
Thanks so much for being a stop on my Book Launch Party, Donna! It's so great to be here on your very informative site!!! I also loved learning more about your day as a writer, too, when you posted a comment on my blog. :o)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful book for children! I wish you great success Nancy, and Donna this was an interesting interview. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kudos, Susan! It's wonderful to have you join in today.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, ladies. As someone who loves reading about the Civil War, this was a perfect book for me.
ReplyDeleteNancy, I have to ask, is that a receiver on the shelf in the picture? My hubby is big into audio equipment and it seems to be an older model from what I can tell--unless it's something entirely different. :)
Wishing you the best with your latest.
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, Actually, that is a machine that puts cassette tapes on your computer. It's by Ion and is called Tape2PC. And it's so exciting to know you love learning about Civil War history, too!
ReplyDeleteWas sure I left a comment yesterday, but it wouldn't be the first time my memory enhanced my actual deeds. :)
ReplyDeleteNancy, your book sounds wonderful and I wish it much success.
Thank you one and all for stopping by to visit with Nancy as she tours through cyberspace. Your support is appreciated!
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Donna
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a prize giveaway. I may steal this when I go on my blog tour when my book is FINALLY OUT at the end of summer. I'm glad to learn about your book and I like how you have included the 21 activities with it. I think it is so important to make it EASY for teachers and parents to use a book. That's what my blog is actually all about. Anyway, best of luck to you!