Turning the Page to a New Story
Faith first wrote Claus’s Clock Shop as a young teenager. More than a decade later, our family is finally brining the story to life... one edit, sketch and illustration at a time.
After months of talking about Made to Fly Free, packing orders, sharing reviews, and celebrating its launch, our family is finally turning the page to a brand-new project. This one feels especially close to us.
And guess what? It isn’t actually a brand-new idea.
Faith wrote this manuscript about ten years ago when she was just thirteen years old. Like so many creative projects, I guess it had to wait for the right season. You know how it goes. Some stories seem to arrive quickly and almost write themselves, while others slowly develop over time until the timing finally feels right.
This story has been patiently waiting… and waiting… and waiting.
A Story That Stayed With Us
Back then, one of our favorite homeschool traditions was something we called Friday Story Nights. Throughout the week, the girls would each work on a story for school, and David and I would steal whatever spare moments we could find to write one of our own. Then, on Friday evenings, we’d gather together in the living room and read them aloud.
The challenge wasn’t to write something perfectly. It was just to see what kind of story could grow in the span of a week.
It was during one of those weeks that Faith wrote Claus’s Clock Shop. She even sketched some illustrations to go along with it and then brought them into Procreate on her iPad. There was just something about the story that stayed with us. It carried far more depth than I would have expected from a twelve-year-old, and over the years, it became one of those manuscripts we’d occasionally pull back out and say, “We really need to publish this one someday.”
That “someday” just took a little longer than we expected.
Finding the Strongest Version of the Story
Over the years, we’ve revisited the manuscript more times than I can count. I gave it another round of edits several years ago, but bringing it out again now that Faith is in her twenties has been especially rewarding. We’ve noticed places where the dialogue could do more of the heavy lifting, places where she had explained too much instead of trusting the illustrations, and moments that simply needed a little more heart.
It’s reminded me that editing is more about discovering the strongest version of a story rather than only being about fixing mistakes. Sometimes that simply comes with time. As we grow and gain more life experience, we begin to see our own writing through a different lens, and that seems especially true for Claus’s Clock Shop.
A Family Project From the Very Beginning
What’s so exciting now is that Hope has officially begun illustrating it, and in true Hope fashion, she’s already going above and beyond any of our expectations of what these illustrations would be.
There’s something incredibly special about laying Faith’s original sketches from many years ago beside Hope’s storyboards today. Hope has been working through page layouts, character expressions, and all those little visual details that breathe life into a picture book. She’s constantly thinking about what the illustrations can communicate without the words ever needing to say it.
Watching one daughter write the story while another brings it to life through illustration has warmed this mama's heart more than I can say.
Producing a book has never been a solo project.
Like so many things in our family, the story has been shaped around our living room. We’ve read it aloud by the fireplace. We’ve paused to ask questions. We’ve debated little details. We’ve laughed, refined scenes, and celebrated the moments that finally felt right. Every time we’ve returned to it, the story has become a little stronger.
Just a Little Peek…
I won’t tell you too much about it just yet because I want Faith to share more of that herself over the coming months. But I will tell you this…
It’s a whimsical story set inside an old clock shop. It has timeless storybook charm, a touch of mystery, and themes that have only become richer as the years have passed. I can’t wait to introduce you to the characters when the time comes.
Why This Story Matters
Working on Claus’s Clock Shop has reminded me why we started Pathfinder Press in the first place. The whole purpose has always been about stewarding stories together as a family and then helping other families believe they can do the same.
I think sometimes we put pressure on ourselves to create something quickly or to have everything figured out before we begin. But this manuscript has been a sweet reminder that some stories need time… lots of time. They grow alongside those who write them. And sometimes the stories that take the longest are the ones that end up meaning the most.
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes glimpses as Claus’s Clock Shop slowly comes to life. You’ll see early sketches, editing sessions, character introductions, illustration progress, and hear more from Faith herself about the inspiration behind the story.
I hope you’ll enjoy following along as we turn the page on this next adventure together.
