niktate.htm

Author's Visit

Ms. Nikki Tate, Canadian author from Vancouver Island is the creator of the StableMates series. The StableMates series are presently made up of five novels and a sixth one presently being printed. The StableMates series starts when the main character, Jessa, a grade 6 girls, dreams of owning a horse. The series continues with the adventures lived by Jessa with her own horse, Rebel.

Ms. Nikki Tate visited River Elm School on Thursday, September 30th, 1999. On that occasion, Ms. Tate met with a large group of students from rooms 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 (grades 3/4 to 6).

During her visit to River Elm School, Ms. Tate shared her passion for writing with the students and staff present. Her presentation encompassed the production of a book from the first idea that brews in her head to the final print copy ready for sale.

Ms. Nikki Tate, with the aid of many well developed props and visuals, presented her techniques, characters, and novels with enthusiasm.

During her presentation, Ms. Tate shared her life’s history from her childhood aspirations to her present career as a published author.

Her 1½ hour talk offered students a wide range of topics: making a plan, developing characters, finding new ideas for characters, the first draft, the many rewritings, the frequent contacts with her publisher, proof reading, selection of a title and cover, how the book is printed on a 32 page sheet of paper, how the book is bound and how it is cut to size ready for sale.

Comments from students and staff:

"I really liked when Nikki Tate talked about how she takes notes on different people in coffee shops and then uses these notes for new characters in her books.!" (Amani, Rm. 205)

"I really liked your presentation, Ms. Tate, but most of all, I loved how well you described the things you were talking about." (Jason, Rm. 204)

"I think Nikki Tate has wonderful books and I’d love to read all of them!" (Karlee, Rm. 202)

"I was scared when Nikki Tate told us the story of when she had an accident with her own horse." (Jessica, Rm. 201)

"I liked the whole presentation because it was planned excellently. I also liked it when Nikki was talking about her daughter’s best friend and how she drank her chocolate milk and squished it through her teeth." (Travis, Rm. 203)

"I liked the way Nikki told us about certain events in detail (horse falling through the bridge). I could see it happening as she described it! (Mrs. Schade, Rm. 205)

"Nikki Tate is an inspirational and animated story-teller! Her stories paint vivid pictures in one’s mind."(Mr. Tom Chan, Principal)

Ms. Nikki Tate reads from her #1 novel in the StableMates series, Rebel of Dark Creek
Look at the stories I wrote when I was your age!

I write all the time; whenever I have an idea I write it down. I'm always on the alert for new characters; I do a lot of spying on people when I am in public. What I notice in one person will likely become a trait of one of my characters.

I have hundreds of characters and each one is kept alive on an index card to make sure that I don't forget anything about her.

This is what my novel looks like when I'm finished writing it. When I write, I don't use a computer because it is not portable enough... it's hard to find a place to plug a computer when you're sitting on a park bench or in a restaurant.

When it's all written up like this, only then do I sit at my computer to type it. I send a clean computer-printed copy to my publisher.

Let's look at the book and the process of producing it in a bound format.

When the book gets printed, large panels are produced each with 32 text pages on them. The pages are then folded and assembled ready to be glued in a book format.

Now let's look at the cover of the book. A professional artist does all the covers and it is the publisher who decides what it will look like as far as illustration and colors.

The publisher is the professional and she knows what colors and what designs will sell for my type of novels.

One the book is bound, it looks like this. The next step in the process will be to cut off the white edges; this is called trimming.

The final product will be without the white borders, just like novels you usually read.

River Elm School Library Resource Centre programs
WEE Readers	Resource Based Learning	Author's Visit	Book Fairs	Parent Lending Library

Return to the River Elm School Home Page

Ms. Nikki Tate visited River Elm School on Thursday, September 30th, 1999. On that occasion, Ms. Tate met with a large group of students from rooms 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 (grades 3/4 to 6).

During her visit to River Elm School, Ms. Tate shared her passion for writing with the students and staff present. Her presentation encompassed the production of a book from the first idea that brews in her head to the final print copy ready for sale.

Look at the stories I wrote when I was your age!

I write all the time; whenever I have an idea I write it down. I'm always on the alert for new characters; I do a lot of spying on people when I am in public. What I notice in one person will likely become a trait of one of my characters.

I have hundreds of characters and each one is kept alive on an index card to make sure that I don't forget anything about her.

This is what my novel looks like when I'm finished writing it. When I write, I don't use a computer because it is not portable enough... it's hard to find a place to plug a computer when you're sitting on a park bench or in a restaurant.

When it's all written up like this, only then do I sit at my computer to type it. I send a clean computer-printed copy to my publisher.

Let's look at the book and the process of producing it in a bound format.

When the book gets printed, large panels are produced each with 32 text pages on them. The pages are then folded and assembled ready to be glued in a book format.

Now let's look at the cover of the book. A professional artist does all the covers and it is the publisher who decides what it will look like as far as illustration and colors.

The publisher is the professional and she knows what colors and what designs will sell for my type of novels.

One the book is bound, it looks like this. The next step in the process will be to cut off the white edges; this is called trimming.

The final product will be without the white borders, just like novels you usually read.