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| Myra Johnson |
If you've been a Seekervillager for very long, you'll recall that when we first began this blog, only a handful of us had sailed off the Island. Only a few years later, all our island tents stood empty . . . but not forgotten.
Many of you are still waiting for your publishing ship to come in. Waiting and hoping can get lonely. Discouragement sets in. Sometimes it gets so bad that you're ready to give up. And that's exactly why Seekerville exists.
To teach. To encourage. To motivate. To inspire.
To keep you plugging away even when all you see are miles and miles of empty ocean.
So travel with us back through time today, and remember, you are not alone on this journey!
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There’s a little corner of Seekerville known as Unpubbed Island, and a few of us have been stuck here a wee bit too long. We try to keep stiff upper lips, and we wave and cheer like crazy when one of our sisters gets picked up by a luxury liner headed toward Contract City. But each of us is secretly hoping we won’t be the last woman left husking coconuts.
Still, we’re survivors. We know how to crack open contest critiques and boil out the meaty parts. We’re expert plot menders. We’ve tossed out endless manuscripts-in-a-bottle hoping to be rescued by an editor or agent. We can shinny up the tallest palm tree and spot every new publisher on the horizon.It takes faith and persistence to stick it out on Unpubbed Island. Some days I dream about building a raft and escaping. Life has got to be easier in Volunteer Village or Church Committee Condos. I could learn to garden, spend more time cleaning house, cook a meal that takes longer than ten minutes to prepare.
Or, like several of my Seeker Sisters (both pubbed and unpubbed), I could keep the sharks at bay with a job that actually offers a return for the hours invested. Necessity or not, a “real job” means sacrificing time and creative energy for our writing.
The truth is, even our sisters already living it up in Contract City aren’t shark-proof. Unpubbed Island is a mere stone’s throw away from the Post-Contract Perils Archipelago: Lousy Reviews, Second-Book Blues, and Still Haven’t Paid Your Dues.Here in Seekerville, though, it’s all for one and one for all. The beaches of Unpubbed Island and Post-Contract Perils are strewn with care packages. Hugs. Tears. Prayers. Chocolate. When anyone makes it off the island, she tosses out buoys, life preservers, and signal flares every chance she gets.
If you’re a visitor to Seekerville, we hope you’ve connected with your own community of support. A critique partner, local writers group, online loop. Writing is a lonely business, made even more desolate when the inevitable disappointments come and we’re left to face them alone.
Whom do you look to when discouragement strikes? Who’s your lifeline on this turbulent journey toward writing success? Just remember, here in Seekerville, you’ll always find a seat in the lifeboat, a steaming thermos of cappuccino, and plenty of friends to help you navigate through the fog.
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Thanks to all who have been so supportive of my recent release, The Sweetest Rain, from Franciscan Media. If you've read the book, I would be most grateful if you'd post a review at your favorite online venues.
This month I'm excited about the release of my very first Love Inspired romance, Rancher for the Holidays. What I love about this book is that it picks up the story of a secondary character from one of my earliest novels, Autumn Rains. Find out what's changed for this young woman and what's in store for her future!
And please connect with me online at my website, on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. I'd also love for you to subscribe to my quarterly updates for the latest news about my books.
Blessings to all our wonderful friends in Seekerville, and thanks again for sharing this journey with us!
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