Two long years of writing is finally becoming a completed piece of work for Mrs. Jeanie Nance. The end result is a story jam packed full of travel, adventure and love.

“I teach English to newcomers in the United States. I also teach critical reading,” Nance said.

The process of actually writing a book is so much more daunting than a reader could ever understand. Even scholars who have graduated college with an  english degree usually aren’t aware of how intense the writing and editing process truly is when it comes to novel writing.

“I thought, ‘I’ve just written my book’, and I was so proud. And I thought ‘okay I’m ready to publish’, I had no idea that would be my first draft,” Nance said.

The amount of people it takes for a novel to even get on a shelf is exponential. This unknown process was very eye opening for Nance and for many new writers.

“A lot of new novel writers get stuck because they know how to think big picture and story and they do a lot of telling, they’re just telling the story instead of allowing the reader to get in and experience it,” part time editor Robyn Hook said. “Most all new authors just have their story told and then you go through and look at each of those places and you say ‘okay now make me feel like I am there.’”

This is exactly what Nance went through when writing her own novel.

“I got a mentor, I got an editor, I got into a critique group where we could each critique chapters from each other. I learned so much and the bare bones of my book are still there but I’ve added the flesh and the arteries. Even the clothes I’ve added onto my book,” Nance said.

Nance has now entered her novel into two national writing competitions, and placed very high in multiple categories for both competitions.

“I’ve entered my book into two national writing contests, and placed in both of them.

2019 ACFW Genesis Award

semi-finalist, 2019 RWA Maggie Award finalist, ACFW-American Christian Fiction Writers, and RWA- Romance Writers of America.” She has also started thinking about publication which can take years to complete.

“I’ve had two agents interested and asked me to submit my book proposal to them, so I’m very excited,” Nance said.

The agents will then take the author’s novel, book, or short story and pitch it to publishers. The publishers will then start another editing and branding process and take the book from there, and this is all done with the author’s conscience.

Even though Nance has been teaching and studying engish for years, writing her own piece of work has given her a whole new perspective on authors and their work.

“I have great respect, now, for the writing process. And now as I teach reading, and I teach books, and I read books myself for pleasure,” Nance said, “I’m able to explain more about the word choices and the character arc and all of the other techniques writers use; that we just take for granted,”

Nace would also love to leave some advice to any writers young or old, new to english or not.

“My advice to young writers is to write. Write everyday. Write as much as you can, get into a critique group if you can and find a mentor,” Nance said.