#ThankfulNovemberChallenge

For Writers…

It is time to Be Thankful. November 1st is the beginning of the Thankful November Challenge created by the lovely and super talented @ribiribistudio. Link below.

https://www.instagram.com/ribiribistudio/

I have never done a creative challenge like this before, but after seeing everyone’s #inktober posts, I really felt inspired. Inspired to exercise my mind in ways I haven’t in years, inspired to think outside the box and use writing prompts in ways I haven’t in so long. It feels so good to be writing again. So good.

I hope you enjoy following along this fun month long journey!

AND – Spoiler…. on November 20th (hint hint) I will be sending out a teaser on our new book series!

  • Be the best self-editor you can be!

    January 9, 2020 by

    This is a 3 part editing series that will cover the Big Picture Edits, Paragraph and Sentence Level Edits, and Proofreading. Write without fear, edit without mercy…. Unknown Part 1: Big Picture Edits Editing your story shouldn’t feel like an impossible task. All you need is to have a strategy in place, and you can… Read more

  • Story Book vs. Picture Book

    December 11, 2019 by

    When I was researching Categories for our second book series, Sandy the Cat, I noticed there are only a few degrees of separation for each category of Children’s Books. Depending on where you look and who you ask, you will soon discover that all of these categories overlap, and it is important to focus on… Read more

  • Sandy the Cat

    December 2, 2019 by

    Finds a Home and Finds Himself Introducing a new Children’s Book Series by husband and wife author’s, Zebulan & Sherry Frayne. With beautiful illustrations by the talented Nicole Mayle. Inspired by our real life Sandy the Cat, this heartwarming story will be adored by children, parents and cat lovers of all ages! Stay tuned, release… Read more

  • Just Write!

    November 26, 2019 by

    Your First Draft To write the first draft of a picture book text, just write a story. That’s is. Seems easy enough right? Keep in mind that you want it to be short and you’ll leave visual details to the illustrator, but, otherwise, write the story. There are a few things you don’t have to… Read more

  • Copyright

    November 22, 2019 by

    One of the most common questions I get from new self-publishers is, “What do I put on the copyright page?” For some reason, the copyright page seems intimidating with its legalistic language and weird numbers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are many different ways to layout your copyright page. After looking… Read more

  • Anatomy of a Children’s Book Synopsis

    November 21, 2019 by

    Your manuscript is ready, your cover is on point, your illustrations (if you have any) are amazing. Now, its time to write your book synopsis, or back cover blurb. You ask yourself, “Where do I begin?” Well friends, read on… A synopsis is a one-page, single-spaced, summary of your book. Typically written in third person,… Read more

  • Let me bring your words back to life…

    November 14, 2019 by

    Sometimes all you need is a fresh pair of eyes on your project. I know as an Author, writing is hard, even if you love it. You start a sentence, you stop…you think – is it good enough? You will read the same paragraph 20 times and still don’t know if your getting your point… Read more

  • Improving Choppy Sentences

    November 13, 2019 by

    Although short sentences can pack a powerful punch in your writing, too many in a row become distracting to the reader. Choppy sentences may make your ideas seem disconnected, and your writing seem unsophisticated. If you find that you have a lot of short, choppy sentences in your writing, read on for a few suggestions… Read more

  • CRAZY about books! FREE E-BOOK!

    November 7, 2019 by

    Are you CRAZY about books? We are! And to show our love for reading we are offering Champ and Nessie’s E-Book FREE for a limited time. If you are like me and don’t own a Kindle Reader you can easily install a free Kindle reading app on iOS, Android, MAC and PC by clicking here.… Read more

  • Anatomy of a 32 Page Picture Book

    November 6, 2019 by

    I was 5 months into editing Champ and Nessie when I learned that picture books are almost always 32 pages. I never realized that. Rookie move! Our book initially was written as a chapter book, it wasn’t meant to be a picture book, or story book. After some very hard developmental edits, (and a reveal… Read more

  • Day 5…Irritating

    November 5, 2019 by

    “It was irritating to read all those adverbs.” The first time I ever read Champ and Nessie was on 6/19/2014. (Wow!) The first draft of Champ and Nessie was 24 pages of unformatted text, 5486 words. Check out my post on The Journey Begins, for the backstory on what took me so long. My first… Read more

  • Day 4…Fool

    November 4, 2019 by

    If you fail to plan, plan to fail. One of the most sound pieces of advise I can give you is to plan, plan and plan some more. In the beginning, I failed to do this. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. About 6 months before Champ and Nessie was… Read more

  • Day 3…Post

    November 3, 2019 by

    Post Script…You are awesome! The fear of the unknown can make any aspiring author run for the hills. I know this to be a fact, as I ran several times, as far away as I could away from Champ and Nessie’s unfinished manuscript. The question that hung over me day after day was, “What do… Read more

  • Day 2…Plant

    November 2, 2019 by

    Think about your goal. Realistically, what will it take to make your dream a reality? How can you make it happen? As a writer I know inspiration can strike in abundance or be lost for months on end. Don’t stress out over things you can’t control. Empower yourself to think positively and take baby steps… Read more

  • Day 1…Flame

    November 1, 2019 by

    If I ever have the opportunity to ask an author a question, I usually want to know about their very first idea. What was that first, tiny spark that turned into the massive flame that became their completed book or series? I know a lot of hard work went into writing that story in order… Read more

  • Write Your Story…

    October 21, 2019 by

    Even if you don’t aspire to be a best selling author, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have your story published. Have you ever wondered how to write a children’s book, and if you have what it takes to create one? Maybe you have an incredible idea that you can’t stop thinking about. Or… Read more

  • What is Pangea?

    October 18, 2019 by

    With our book release day right around the corner, (October 29th! Yay!) the last few weeks we have been receiving feedback from our ARC team and Beta readers. I realized that not many people know what Pangea is. I was recently discussing Champ and Nessie with a colleague, she said and I quote, “Ohhhh, I… Read more

  • Storyboard Layout

    October 16, 2019 by

    In chaos, there is calculation. anonymous A story in your head may seem clear, but you will soon discover that the idea you have, is not ready for its picture book debut. There are some basic rules you can follow to help you put out a professional book and creating a storyboard will help you… Read more

  • Writing a Children’s Book

    October 1, 2019 by

    How many times have you been sitting at dinner, or in a café chatting with friends and someone says, “I have this great idea for a story!” I can tell you this has happened to me personally so many times. It comes with the territory of being a writer, or a creative thinker. We live… Read more

  • Star light, Star bright…

    September 19, 2019 by

    Star light, star bright,The first star I see tonight;I wish I may, I wish I might,Have the wish I wish tonight. Hopes and Dreams I never imagined I would be working on a Children’s book series with my husband. I never thought I would know about things like Bookstagram and Authortube, or what ARC copies… Read more

  • Raising Readers

    September 12, 2019 by

    Children are made readers in the laps of their parents. Emilie Buchwald At my baby shower in lieu of a wishing well, I asked everyone to bring their favorite children’s book and inscribe it. As a writer, and lover of books, I wanted to start Logan’s library as soon as possible. And let’s be honest,… Read more

  • On Frayne Pond

    September 11, 2019 by

    These Walls… If these walls could talk of things that they remember…Stories of cherished loved ones, rooms filled with joy and shouts of laughter. If these hallowed halls could share the tale they speak…of children having pillow fights and playing games of hide and seek. If these window panes were eyes, I guess they would… Read more

  • Our Illustrator Marco Cammayo

    August 23, 2019 by

    “Artwork is at least 50% of your story…” Anonymous I would like take this opportunity to introduce you to our extremely talented illustrator. Father, husband and fitness enthusiast, Marco Cammayo. Without his vision and creation of characters Champ and Nessie, this book would not be getting published. Zeb and Marco have been friends for a… Read more

  • Nothing worth having comes easy…

    August 19, 2019 by

    Mindset is what separates the best from the rest. “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently. Working hard at anything needs to become a habit, you have to make it fun! You will begin to feel self satisfaction from pushing yourself to the limit.” — me EVERY.… Read more

  • I get by with a little help from my Friends…

    August 16, 2019 by

    Friendship. The dictionary defines of a good friend as a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. A friend is someone who provides support when times are tough, or someone you can rely on to celebrate a special moment with you. You might see them everyday, once a year, or less.… Read more

  • About Me

    August 8, 2019 by

    Hello and Welcome to Champ & Nessie! My name is Sherry Frayne, momma to a wonderful son, wife to the most amazing man, working girl, writer and now blogger! Writing about myself is the last topic on earth I would ever choose to write about. But I feel it’s necessary to introduce myself finally and… Read more

  • It’s a…Shhaarrkk!

    July 26, 2019 by

    Kids and adults alike are fascinated by Sharks. I am sure some of it has to do with the blockbuster movie Jaws, but also because we read about shark attacks and shark sightings more and more in the news. The perception of sharks as dangerous “man eating” monsters has definitely deeply rooted in our minds.… Read more

  • The Journey to Montauk

    July 18, 2019 by

    My favorite place on Earth. Montauk. Where it all began, where it will end, and most importantly where our next journey will bring Champ and Nessie! Lovingly nicknamed “The End” some people also refer to it as “The Beginning”, as we always do. Montauk is the Eastern most point of Long Island. Wikipedia would refer… Read more

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