Ten Ways Seekerville Made Me A Better Writer

with guest Virginia Carmichael (aka Mary Jane Hathaway).

Hi, everybody!  I’m so excited to be back in Seekerville. It’s the one website that has really shaped me as a writer and here are just a few ways that’s happened. 

1.) Seekerville taught me to ‘walk on water’ 

A beginning writer is filled with self-doubt. A seasoned writer is filled with self-doubt. This job has a lot of what I call ‘walking on water.'

My husband drives off to work and he knows his employment will be open, his boss will be there, his crew will be there, and the day’s work is pretty much going to be what he’s done for the last twenty years. No real surprises.

That’s not the way this business works. EVERYTHING changes. But there’s no reason to be afraid. Seekerville is the place I realized that we’ve been given a divine calling to write. Change is good. Pray hard, have a little faith, and don’t look down at the waves. 

2.) Seekerville exposed me to a variety of authors.

This might not sound like much, but we all know that writers have to be readers. Unlike some writing blogs, it’s never been just the biggest sellers or a very small circle of the ‘old guard’. I’m so thankful for the many and varied authors that have come through this site, and all the wisdom they’ve given us so willingly!

3.) It’s not all sunshine and roses. 

When you first start writing, you float around on a bright and shiny cloud of optimism! You know your book will be brilliant. You know you’ll find an agent and sell to a Big Five House. (Seasoned writers are all laughing loudly at this.) Seekerville has never shied away from tackling the tough topics like rejections, writer’s block, time constraints, low sales, etc. The writer’s life isn’t all brownies, hot coffee, and unlimited writing time. Sometimes it’s bruised bananas, tap water, and six kids with the flu. And that’s okay. Persistence is key, and Seekerville prepares you for the long haul (with friendship and virtual coffee).

4.) Sometimes that “hand up” is one you can touch.

I’ve probably told this story a dozen times here and there, but way back in 2011 (or was it 2012?) I won a printer on Seekerville. Back then, everything was sent by mail, so every time I queried an agent or sent a partial, I had to pay .10 a sheet at the library. It doesn’t sound like much, but as a struggling young family living on one income, that turned into $50 or more a month when I was sending out partials and fulls. When I won that printer, it helped me tremendously. (I also edit better on paper so that is another way that prize made me a better writer!) Can you believe it’s still going strong? Seekerville isn’t just a place where people type into the void. The support is real, tangible, and life-changing. I can’t promise you’ll win a printer, but you might win some really good books, and those can be just as life-changing.

5.) How the book comes into being is not the important bit.

Before I discovered Seekerville, I thought that if I made a bullet point list of plot points, then plotted it out in a short form of thirty pages, then handwrote it into a notebook, and then transcribed it, the book would be better. Is it any wonder it took me two years to write my first book???

Seekerville taught me that every writer has a different method. The typewriter isn’t better than pen. Mac isn’t better than PC. Scrivener isn’t better than Word. Plotting isn’t better than pantsing. Writing from A-Z isn’t better than writing scenes as they occur to you. You get the idea… The book is the important part, and how you get there doesn’t really matter.

6.) Community is key.

The writing life can be very isolating. No regular person wants to hear about your character dilemmas, or how you have to erase three chapters because you realized your villain wasn’t mean enough. You need someone to talk to, preferably a whole group of someones! If you can’t find the right group of writer friends, keep looking. When you find it, you’ll realize that having these people behind you is the difference between night and day. They’ll pray for you, cheer for you, go to bat for you, listen to you when you’re obsessed with a book, and hold your hand when things go wrong. There’s no substitute for that great group of writing friends. 

7.) Craft Must be Learned

OK, I may be speaking for myself here, but a lot of what I understood writing to be when I first started was simply wrong. I’m not talking about grammar, formatting, and fonts. I’d had plenty of time in academia to know how to use a dictionary. I’m talking about story structure, POV, switching perspectives, the hero’s journey, inspirational theme, saggy middles, engaging the reader, starting with a bang, a satisfying ending, etc. There are a few instinctually good writers who can simply pick up a pen and craft a masterpiece. The rest of us have to learn it. Seekerville is responsible for 85% of my understanding of craft. The other 15% comes from books recommended by Seekerville posts.

8.)  Word Count Is Key.

Another reason it took me two years to write my first book was that I didn’t really grasp how connected word count was to actually finishing. I know, you’re rolling your eyes. 

I crafted what I thought was a masterful first three chapters. (Let’s not debate whether it really was masterful, haha.) Then I’d learn something new, and go back and revise. Then I’d write a few paragraphs, have a week or so break because I was a busy mom and life was crazy, then write a few more paragraphs. When I looked back at those first few chapters, I saw things I wanted to change. So I’d spend precious writing time revising… again. 

Lather, rinse, and repeat for eighteen months. When I read a Seekerville comment on 1K a day word counts (I think that was you, Ruthy) the light FINALLY DAWNED. Good grief, I might still be revising those first three chapters six years later if I hadn’t read that comment!

9.) Genre is everything.

In 2011,  I simply wrote the book that had appeared in my head. I had no idea that what I was calling romance, was actually Christian romance. Having a Christian element suddenly slotted my book into a different category, one that most agents weren’t interested in selling. Also, most books in that genre weren’t the five hundred page tomes I liked to read. (I blame Julie Lessman for that misunderstanding, haha!) They were more three hundred or less. 

Part of writing to sell is understanding the market. Knowing the genre of the book you’ve written (and adding or deleting, if you must) is absolutely key in finding a publishing home for your book. Seekerville helped me understand not only how to write, but what it was exactly that I had written. 

10.) It’s okay to not have all the answers. 

Sometimes, years after you’ve written a book, you realize the ending was THIS CLOSE to being fantastic, but you simply weren’t a good enough writer at the time to get to it. And that’s okay. There’s no shame in looking back on old books and seeing flaws you didn’t see before. That means you’ve grown and changed as a writer. Seekerville reminds me that we’re writers with a calling, souls on a journey. We do the very best we can, where we are, right now. It’s not about awards, royalties, or headlines. It’s about reaching readers with a story and honoring the Giver of this gift called writing. 


Happy TENTH anniversary, Seekerville! The original Seekers, the blog posters, the commenters, the community… I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without you!

What about you, Villagers? Do any of these ten ways resonate? How has Seekerville made you a better writer-or reader?

Virginia/Mary Jane is giving away a copy of Autumn's Majesty: Seasons of Faith Book Two to one commenter today! Winner announced in the next Weekend Edition.

Can the town busybody learn to keep a secret? 

Vivacious Jamie Lawson has a lot in common with her first-grade students. She’s bright, curious, energetic, has a big heart… and lacks any kind of filter. Her friends laugh about how she can’t help sharing what’s on her mind, but her mother warns her that trouble will find a woman who can’t hold her tongue.

The day Jamie accidentally breaks her best friend’s trust, she finally realizes that what is charming in a six-year-old, just isn’t as adorable in an adult. She vows that with God’s help, she’s going to listen more and talk less, especially around handsome Theo Delis. He’ll be helping her run the Lawson Family Blueberry Farm for the summer, and it will be the perfect time for Jamie to learn a little introspection. His serious, no-nonsense demeanor is the polar opposite of her gabby personality, and she’s sure he’ll be drawn to her new, aloof personality. 

But as the heat of an Arcadia Valley summer settles in, Jamie discovers there’s more to wisdom than silence and more to love than mystery. 

When an old friend needs confidential support can Jamie finally learn to lead with her heart, and not her mouth? 


A story of deep friendship, laughter, and learning to listen to grace.

Virginia was born near the Rocky Mountains and although she has traveled around the world, the wilds of Colorado run in her veins. A big fan of the wide open sky and all four seasons, she believes in embracing the small moments of everyday life. A home schooling mom of six children who rarely wear shoes, those moments usually involve a lot of noise, a lot of mess, or a whole bunch of warm cookies. Virginia holds degrees in Linguistics and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon. She lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book. She writes under the pen names of Mary Jane Hathaway and Virginia Carmichael.

We brought along some Villagers to say

 Happy Birthday today and cupcakes! 

Becky B (Ohiohomeschool)

Anne Rightler

Beth Erin & Jessica Price

Going Against the Flow

with guest Virginia Carmichael aka Mary Jane Hathaway.

Hello, everybody! I’ve brought triple chocolate cake and strong coffee, so grab a slice and pour yourself a cup. It’s so wonderful to be back in Seekerville! I always tell people that Seekerville taught me almost everything I know about writing. Aside from two writing books and a few other blogs, every good writing habit and crafty sleight-of-hand came from the good people at Seekerville. Thank you for sharing your knowledge over the years! 

Today I’d like to talk going against the flow. We all like to be part of the crowd and feel like we fit in with our peers. Nobody looks to be the “odd man out”. But every now and then, especially as writers, we’re called to step out of the herd and do something different. I’m not talking about starting a revolution or gathering an army a la Game of Thrones. I’m talking about that “still, small voice” that lets you know that you’re called to a different path. We all have those moments. We’re all called to a unique and powerful purpose. How do we, as Christians who write books for a wide audience, answer that call to take the path less traveled? How do we recognize the call? Who do we ask for advice? How do we know we’re on the right path and not just being pigheaded?  (That last one is my go-to question because I’m so often pig-headed it’s practically my default state. )
        
Step One: Pray. That’s obvious, isn’t it? But we should pray in a way that gives God a chance to answer, and not just listening to us make demands. One of my favorite ways to pray is to simply hold the question in my heart. I don’t make a list and go down the bullet points for God. He already knows more about it than I do. I don’t try to explain why I want to do whatever it is. I just hold the question gently and let the Holy Spirit give me gentle nudges. 

OK, to be fair, sometimes the Holy Spirit has to do more kicking than nudging, but that’s me. I’m sure you all will be better listeners. When God is in charge, going against the flow doesn’t feel like you’re fighting your way upstream. 

  Step Two: Once I think I know which direction to go, I start to look for guides. None of us can walk this world alone, as much as we introverts like to think we can. If we find ourselves surrounded by people who have walked that path and are living out their divine purpose with joy, then it might be a good sign that we’re called to walk that path, also. 

Finding someone who has gone before you isn’t just a survival tactic. It’s a great way to suss out whether you’re completely off base.

For an example, say I decided to open a yarn shop that only used dog hair. I start contacting companies that process fibers for yarn. I find lots of great, reputable companies that process alpaca, sheep, even yak. But no dog. In fact, the processing companies laugh long and hard at my idea of a yarn shop that sells dog hair. Should I give up? Or am I a brilliant entrepreneur that will revolutionize the yarn industry with my red setter, malamute, and husky mittens? 

If I can find one person who has branched out from the usual yarn and that one person is willing to give me advice, I might say I was on the right path. But if I can’t find a single person who thinks it’s a good idea or knows anyone who has done the same thing, maybe it’s not meant to be. Maybe I should take up a more stable profession, like writing, haha. 

Along the Cane River

When I decided to try and get a Bookbub ad for a boxed set of five books in my series, I wasn’t sure whether I was throwing away all my hard work, or if I was being a marketing genius. So I started looking around. I watched the charts. After a while, I approached writers I’d seen do the same thing and all of them were very happy to answer my questions. YAY! Going against the flow wouldn’t leave me swimming in the dark.

I’d found some guides, and that let me know I was on the right path. I certainly didn’t want to be trying to set up that project by myself because I’m not omniscient. I needed help. God provided several people willing to guide me through the process. The ad went smashingly and my boxed set ended up at #42 on the top 100 of all Amazon. Cracking the top 100 paid books had been on my bucket list for years! 

Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley

Step Three: I hold up my idea against the backdrop of my family life. My first calling is as a mother, and I don’t want to let my profession (also a calling, but a lesser one) take over my family life. So when I get an idea for something that is out of the ordinary, I look at how it will impact my homeschooling and my family obligations. 

When Valerie Comer asked me to join her Arcadia Valley Romance Series project with five other authors, I took a little while to think about it. (Okay, about five minutes, but still…) It was a very ambitious project and like nothing I’d done before. One novella in a collection and three full-length novels set in one fictional Idaho valley sounded like so much fun, but could I commit to four books in addition to my own projects? Would the schedule force me to make changes to our homeschooling? Would the marketing get in the way of my family time? 

My oldest is almost seventeen but my youngest is only six. I have great kids and my teens haven’t given me a lick of trouble (besides some eye rolling and chore shirking) but we take our schooling very seriously. We’ve got kids taking college classes and kids just learning to read. We spend a month on the coast studying marine biology and take trips to the geological formations in the next state. Being in charge of a child’s education is a big responsibility and homeschooling is a whole different beast, including the loss of writing time during the day. In a way, I have a day job as a teacher, and my writing can never overshadow that. 

Summer's Glory

When I sat down and looked at home I could write those four stories and submit them to be released over the next two years, I saw that my family life wouldn’t suffer.oing against the flow wouldn’t make big waves for my kids. I would have to be on a stricter schedule than I had been (I do love watching the British Baking Show or Poldark instead of writing) but the plan fit into my homeschooling schedule. And it’s been smooth sailing so far. We’ve released out novella collection and my first full-length book set in Arcadia Valley, Summer’s Glory, releases February 14th, St. Valentine’s Day! 

So, how have you had to go against the flow? When you realized you were being called to a different path, how did you find your way? Was there someone who walked with you as you stepped out in faith? I would love to hear about the times you embraced your unique purpose in life!

Comment to put your name in the hat for prizes! I’m giving away my boxed set of the first five books of the Cane River Series, AND the awesome cookbook River Road Recipes, a collection of classic creole and Cajun cuisine from the Cane River community near Natchitoches, Louisiana, where my series is set. 

My newest release is the 6th book in the Cane River Romance series.

 Until Winter Comes Again

One magical bookstore, two best friends, and a whole cast of 

interfering busybodies determined to help true love happen!

Mary Jane Hathaway is an award-nominated writer of Christian fiction and a homeschooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in linguistics and religious studies from the University of Oregon and lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Mary Jane thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book. She also writes under the pen name of Virginia Carmichael and loves to meet readers on her facebook page of Mary Jane Hathaway, on the weekends at the cooking blog Yankee Belle Café, or on her personal blog The Things That Last. 

The Joy of Rejection

with guest Virginia Carmichael. (aka Mary Jane Hathaway).

Hello, everybody! I’m so excited to be back in Seekerville, one of my favoritest places in the cyber world! Today I thought it would be fun to talk about the joy of rejection. (Okay, that’s a bit of false advertising but I had to get your attention somehow.) 

Now that you’re all here and enjoying Helen’s coffee, I can tell you that nobody really feels great when they get rejected. Rejection stinks. Rejection is the armpit of the writing life. I could be perfectly happy not ever getting rejected again. But life doesn’t work that way so let’s try to see if we can turn it into something useful. Not that any of you excellent writers have any experience with rejection, of course. So, we’ll talk about MY experiences with rejection and you can just nod along.

 (Before we begin, I want to say all pictures are of my kitchen fails. I thought they would be a fun illustration to our topic.)

REVIEWS Or “Free Writing Advice”

 Some writers say not to read reviews, while others read all their reviews. Some don’t respond to reviews, while others respond to every one. Some writers don’t even write reviews for fear of a conflict of interest. But let’s pretend you’re like myself and you like to go on Amazon to read through the reviews. Even though I don’t always like what I read, the really specific negative reviews can change my writing for the better, and I’ll explain why.

First, we’re not talking about those one stars that we can disregard out of hand. You know the ones. “This is the world’s worst book and the writer must not have graduated from second grade. I bet she/he has a unibrow, types with her elbows and eats with her hands.” (All misspelled, of course.) And I don’t mean the two stars that say how the book had a great plot and good characters but the reader just didn’t connect with any of it. Neither of those reviews will help us, really, unless we haven’t had our “one star party” in which case, break out the cake!

 A great negative review will be specific in what the reader didn’t like, and why. Try to take a step back emotionally and see if their rejection can help you be a better writer. For example, let’s use a few things reviewers have said about my books.

"The bad guys never got what was coming to them. I loved the ending, but I needed some kind of closure.” Ahhhh, I thought it was clear what had happened to the antagonist, but maybe it wasn’t. I filed this comment away, but two weeks later there was a similar review. 

“I loved the proposal and the happy ever after, but I wanted (the thief) to get arrested and go to jail!” Uh-oh. That’s two unrelated reviewers who didn’t get satisfaction from the ending. I was so focused on the happy ever after, that I dropped the ball on being VERY clear about what was done to get justice for the heroine. 

 I was gearing up to revise this portion of Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs when Beth Adams from Howard Books contacted me about selling the rights to the series. So when the time came to revise, I made sure that justice was served, along with a few other things readers had mentioned, like the ending feeling too rushed. (Funny, one reviewer said, “It’s like the author was on a deadline”. Nope. I made that mess all by myself, but I made sure to rewrite and revise the ending in a way that responded to those negative reviews.)

“I loved the hero, but I don’t think the heroine compromised enough at the end. It takes two to make a happy marriage.” Usually I’d brush off this type of comment because women are traditionally the ones who give up a full time job to raise kids, give up promotions to move with their husbands, leave their long-term employment to care for the family, and generally defer their dreams in favor of everyone else in the vicinity and most readers are expecting the heroine to conform. But I glanced back through the book and realized there was a scene where the heroine doesn’t verbally acknowledge the hero’s sacrifice. That was really an oversight on my part and because of the review, I read it in a whole new way. I went back and tweaked the scene, uploading the new version in a few minutes. (That, my friends, is one of the beauties of self publishing. When I see typos in my traditionally published books, it’s too bad, so sad. Nothing I can do. But if you have access to the digital files and CreateSpace files, these issues can be fixed in minutes.)

Also, if you’re planning on writing more than one book, you can look for themes in negative reviews. Knowing what readers really don’t like can help make your next book a better experience for them. Or, if you’re completely sure about how you wrote it, a theme in negative reviews might point you in the direction of a branding problem or something else that has led the readers to expect something other than your book.

“Why does everyone have to start out hating each other in every romance I read?” This was a comment in a review for Leaving Liberty. The first time I read it, I shook my head. OF COURSE, all romances don’t start that way. But the more I looked, the more I saw, especially in my own books. There’s a difference between creating conflict, and making the main characters dislike each other so intensely you can’t see how they’ll ever get together. Coincidentally, it was super fun to write Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs because the main characters are best friends. I had to write a believable conflict that didn’t involve personality clashes, because they got along just fine. In subsequent books, I’ve kept this comment in mind, making sure the hero/heroine don’t hate each other on sight. I think it makes for a more believable romance and certainly makes me work harder as a writer.

PUBLISHER/AGENT REJECTION Or “Know Your Genre”

 Now, most agent and publisher rejections I’ve received had no information whatsoever past the “no thanks” sort of thing. If they knew what was wrong with the book (besides just not being right for them), they didn’t have time to explain. But every now and then, someone would scribble a little note on the form letter.

In 2010, I sent an early draft of Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits to a small publisher. They specialized in Southern literature, so I thought we might be a good fit. The manuscript had won two contests and finaled in two more (under a different title) so I knew it had potential. The rejection I received said something like “fun, but too wordy”. 

I was aghast. Too wordy? How could a book be too wordy? What did that even mean? I chewed on that for several weeks, going over and over the chapters I’d sent. After a while, I realized that it really could be trimmed a bit, especially since the genre (contemporary romance) wasn’t known for long stretches of prose. I had read craft books that preached the need to “murder your darlings” but it wasn’t until that off-hand rejection note that I realized that my writing had to match the genre. If I wanted to write literary fiction a la Neil Gaiman, I could ramble on for pages without action, but that wasn’t going to work with this book. (I’m not saying there isn’t any room for prose or that I skip all description whatsoever. It just needs to fit the type of book. And this book didn’t get 500 pages to lay out the scene.) 

In my latest Mary Jane Hathaway book (The Pepper in the Gumbo), I experimented with the possibility of being wordy AND writing a romance. I knew it would be a bigger book. I aimed for about 220 pages, as usual, but didn’t edit until I looked back from the very end, which came in at over 370 pages. It was a really fun exercise in “being wordy”. I still had to cut lots of words and scenes, but it was great to see how my writing style changed (and I hope, matured). I used my freedom to write longer , more complete scenes. I’ve never been good at writing short, so this was a wonderful way to stretch out and really put the story on the page the way I wanted it. I may not always write 370 page books, but I felt good while working on it, as if being “too wordy” might just be my natural style. That’s a big issue if I’m thinking of writing a book every two months. My timelines for book releases and my work schedule changed a bit after this book. I had more fun writing a longer book, which may mean fewer books, but more enjoyment for me (and the reader, I hope).

 So, in this case, that rejection from 5 years ago also led to an experiment that taught me more about my personal writing “comfort zone”, and how it shaped my plans for this coming year. 

"What kind of book would YOU say this is?” Before I contracted with an agent, I had a phone conversation with a very nice agent who gave me lots of advice. She never offered representation (probably because I really had no idea what I needed or wanted or where I was going with this writing thing) but she gave me something invaluable: an epiphany. See, I had written this book that I loved, but I didn’t really know how to describe it. Sure, I could give the elevator pitch and the plot and the tag line. But I didn’t know who might publish it or how they would market it. I didn’t know that was part of my job. (Oh, stop laughing. I was just a baby writer!)

 I thought over her question for a long time and realized that the only place Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits would fit was in the romance genre. I was shocked and a little bit horrified. I had considered myself more of a literary fiction person. There was something faintly embarrassing about being a “romance author”. By this point I had written two other books and when I looked at them with a clear eye, I realized… YUP, these were romances. They weren’t the classic set up, but the story hinged on the romance in every one. I had to come to terms with the ugly truth. I WAS A ROMANCE AUTHOR. Scary stuff, my friends. 

When I wrote Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin’ Cornbread  (releasing November 11th! )I tackled a very serious subject (racism in the American South, on both sides) but I made sure to check in every few scenes. Is the romance front and center? I get more than 300 pages, but the side plots and supporting characters can only add to the romance, or it will be more literary fiction. I knew it was going to be heavily branded as a romance, so it was important to keep the emotions of the hero and heroine front and center while writing.

 I’m sure you all know which genre your book is (unless it’s under that giant umbrella of general fiction) but if not, now is the time to narrow it down. If you’re going to sell your book to a traditional publisher, you’ll need to know which editor might enjoy working on your project. If you’re self publishing, you’ll need to know which types of readers to target when you market it. You have a little more room if you write YA because you can write a mystery/romance/sci fi/ whatever under that genre, but otherwise be very clear about where you’ll find your readers.

I would never tell anyone to change their book to fit a genre, but if your book would fit perfectly in the thriller genre if you cut out that pretty description of a sunset every chapter, you might think about it. If it would be a solid romance without that minor murder plot that starts in chapter ten and ends in chapter fourteen, you might consider it. Then again, it maybe be absolutely perfect, just the way it is, genre mash up and all.  Just consider the idea.

 BETA READERS/ CRITIQUE GROUPS or “Give Your Readers a Map”

  We’ve all heard about constructive criticism. When we give our writing to a critique group or beta reader, we hope that what we get back is something we can use. Even if they hate the entire shebang, we hope there’s something in all the “ugh, burn it” commentary that will help us move forward and make it better. 

“I wasn’t sure why her brother was so against her plan.”  Or “It seemed like the villain came out of nowhere.” Or “Why is the boss against her?” This isn’t technically a rejection, but when you’re really hoping someone understands your book and they say it doesn’t make sense, it can feel pretty close. But this kind of comment is a great time to make sure every character’s actions have a clear motivation- especially the ones who are working contrary to your character’s goals. In my historical Purple Like the West, the heroine’s father was clearly the villain. The more I thought about the beta reader’s comments, the more I realized I had dropped the ball. We’re told to keep backstory to a minimum, but without any, the reader doesn’t understand why the whole world is against our delightful, honorable heroine!

“Why didn’t he just tell her (big secret)?” or “This wasn’t really believable.” Ooooh, this is a killer. When you’ve written an edge-of-your-seat scene, you hope the readers are swept up in the tension and the drama. You really, really don’t want them to be shaking their heads and wishing someone would just “talk it out”. As much as it hurts, this comment can bring us back to motivation. There has to be a reason the characters can’t say what they want or do what they want. No matter how emotionally powerful the scene is, it won’t hold up without a water-tight excuse for not clearing the air. In my first historical, All The Blue of Heaven, the heroine holds a secret close about what happened during the Great Quake, and how she came to be injured. After a beta reader mentioned that the hero and heroine seemed to confide all sorts of things in each other EXCEPT that, I decided to move that scene closer to the middle and carry the story past her revelation. That off-hand criticism made the book much stronger in the end.

 So, these are just a few areas a writer can be rejected. If we have to deal with rejections, why not turn it into a positive experience? (Beside the “one star” cake parties, which are hugely fun, but can add serious inches to the writerly bottom.)  

 If you’re brave enough, I’d love to hear how a rejection hit you hard… and how you grabbed it by the lapels and gave it your best Clint Eastwood impression. Or how you folded that rejection letter into a nifty pencil holder for your desk. Or how you took ALL your rejection letters and crumpled them up and put them in the attic, whereby cutting your heating costs 37%. 

 Or, if you haven’t had any rejections, feel free to share your most encouraging quote like:

 “A lot of people ask me, 'How did you have the courage to walk up to record labels when you were 12 or 13 and jump right into the music industry?' It's because I knew I could never feel the kind of rejection that I felt in middle school. Because in the music industry, if they're gonna say no to you, at least they're gonna be polite about it.”  Taylor Swift


Or “Nobody told me how hard it was going to be to get published. I wrote four novels that nobody wanted, sent them out all over, collected hundreds and hundreds of rejection slips.” Jerry Spinelli, who won the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee, one of his fifteen acclaimed children’s books.

  I’m giving away THREE paper copies of Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili Slaw Dogs and THREE paper copies of my latest Love Inspired release A Home For Her Family (October 1st). Also, THREE digital copies of my latest Mary Jane Hathaway book The Pepper in the Gumbo, releasing October 28th! Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Virginia Carmichael is an award-nominated writer of Christian fiction and a home schooling mom of six young children who rarely wear shoes. She holds degrees in Linguistics and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon and lives with her habanero-eating husband, Crusberto, who is her polar opposite in all things except faith. They've learned to speak in short-hand code and look forward to the day they can actually finish a sentence. In the meantime, Virginia thanks God for the laughter and abundance of hugs that fill her day as she plots her next book. She also writes under the pen name of Mary Jane Hathaway and loves to meet readers on her facebook page of Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits.


     

Seven + Villager Success Stories

Janet  here. Since Seekerville's inception seven years ago, one by one all the Seekers set sail from Unpubbed Island to the Mainland of Published Fiction. Our goal for Seekerville was to help others do the same by emphasizing the value of contests and sharing craft and inspiring posts. In those early days, 30 comments delighted us, and most of those were ours. LOL Now the blog has over 11,000 followers and almost a million and a half page reviews. God has grown Seekerville and all of us as we share the ups and downs of the writers’ journey. 

   

To celebrate Seekerville’s 7^th Birthday, I asked seven + Villagers, if they'd like to share how Seekerville helped them achieve their dream of publication. I got a resounding yes! So grab a cup of Helen's coffee and let's party with these lovely ladies!  

Keli Gwyn, Family of her Dreams, Love Inspired Historical, June 2015. A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California

Keli Gwyn and Janet

When I dusted off my four-decade-long dream of being a writer, I had no idea what I was doing. I sat holed up in my office cranking out five lackluster stories in two years. Although my joy was abundant, my knowledge of craft was abysmal. All that changed when I finaled in the 2008 Golden Heart®. A wonderful woman named Tina Radcliffe found me and asked me to be a blog guest at Seekerville. Because I was a florescent green newbie writer and a technophobe, I had several questions for Tina. The first was, "what is a blog?" She answered that question and has answered many more since. I was warmly welcomed by all the Seekers and Seekervillagers and have learned oodles from you talented people. Ruthy was my Lighten Up 101 instructor and taught me how to make this writing gig a lot more fun. Missy, one of my contest judges, gave me a great idea on how to improve the story that became my debut novel. I won a critique from Julie, and she gave me awesome pointers on that same story's opening. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Seekerville rocks! Happy seventh birthday! Here's to another great year to come.

Virginia Carmichael, A Home for her Family. Love Inspired, October 2014

I've always loved Seekerville for introducing me to great new authors, but as someone who just started writing, every day seems like an intensive writing course. I've learned so much in Seekerville! As for tangible help, I won a fancy printer during The New Year’s party one year. This was back when it seemed like most agents still wanted paper submissions. I had a terrible old printer that mostly ate paper and never printed anything legibly, so I was THRILLED to win. I sent out hundreds of queries and lots of partials with that printer! Then, I finaled in the Seekerville Query Contest with Melissa Endlich, and she requested full manuscripts from all of us winners. She called to say they wanted to acquire it in Nov 2011. I signed my first contract through Seekerville!

Sue Mason, Healing the Widower’s Heart, Love Inspired, February 2015

Ruth Tredway, Helen Gray, Sue Mason, Janet

I most definitely credit the fabulous ladies of Seekerville with my success as a writer! It all started when I became a Golden Heart finalist in 2008. Tina Radcliffe tracked me down and invited me to share a little about my story on her blog. I had no idea who she was or even what a blog was, but I jumped on board. From then on, I became a faithful follower of Seekerville. Not only do they provide fantastic information about the craft of writing, they often feature agents and editors, and host contests. This was the case back in October 2012 when Love Inspired editor, Elizabeth Mazer, was featured in a post which included a First Page contest. I didn't plan to participate since my contemporary trilogy was on submission at White Rose Publishing, and my other stand-alone romance, Wyndermere House, (ironically my 2008 GH entry) had already been rejected by a different LI editor. Then Tina sent me an email pretty much ordering me to get something in to the contest! So I took another look at Wyndermere House, made a few adjustments, and sent it in! To make a long story short, I received a request from Elizabeth, and now 2 years later, my manuscript is being released as Healing the Widower’s Heart (February 2015). Without Tina (as well as all the encouragement and prayers from the wonderful women at Seekerville), I wouldn't be able to call myself a Love Inspired author! Thank you SO MUCH Seekerville!

Jessica Nelson, Family on the Range, Love Inspired Historical, June 2014

In 2007 I started my first manuscript with the intent of publication. As soon as I waded into the cyberworld of writers, I discovered Seekerville. A blog dedicated to helping writers on the path and a home for those who didn't know what they were doing (me!), the Seekers' posts on craft, contests, submission etiquette and encouragement soon had me hooked! Many of the Seekers still resided on Unpubbed Island. Thanks to their intelligent posts and loving personalities, I gained confidence in my ability to seek publication and to actually achieve it. They made traditional publication seem possible when many others said it was impossible.

I am so thankful I stumbled across the Seekerville years ago. Long Live the Seekers!

Jan Drexler, A Mother for His Children, Love Inspired Historical, August 2014

What can I say about Seekerville? Four years ago, my journey to publication started with a vague idea of a story, a thirty-year-old bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, and twenty-some years of homeschooling and raising children under my belt. Then I stumbled upon Seekerville while looking for tips on how to write. Well, I say I “stumbled upon” this blog, but I know God led me here. From the beginning I knew I was facing a huge learning curve, but the gracious ladies on Unpubbed Island made gentle suggestions and offered enthusiastic encouragement. I entered contests, developed writing goals and discipline, and watched my word count grow. I entered more contests – including the great ones here on Seekerville that led to my first book landing on a Love Inspired editor’s desk and led to signing with an agent. And the Seekers cheered every step of the way. I listened to their advice, learned from their blog posts, and kept working. I signed my first contract with Love Inspired in April, 2012, and this summer signed a three book contract with Revell. My publication journey may have been possible without the Seekers, but I can’t imagine how long I would have struggled in my writing cave without their wisdom and encouragement opening doors I didn’t even know existed. I look forward to many, many more years of being a Seekervillager. Happy Birthday, Seekerville!

Helen Gray, OzarkWedding, Heartsong Presents, September, 2014

My profile says I've been hanging around Seekerville since November, 2009, but I was “Anonymous” for a few months before that, until I learned how to set up an account. During those years I have printed and utilized a lot of How-To craft tips, and I've never been allowed to feel lonely at ACFW conferences. I've also benefited from Seeker critiques. Of the series I had release this year, Mary critiqued the first chapter of book one, Tina critiqued the first chapter of book two, and Grammar Queen edited the first chapter of book three. And I lived to tell about it! In addition to all that, they drink my virtual coffee, even though I have no idea how to make the stuff in reality.

Christina Rich, The Warrior's Vow, Love Inspired Historical, July 2014

SEEKERVILLE, first, happy birthday!

Second, I wouldn't be where I am today without you. It was during your birthday in 2011 I received a request from Emily Rodmell at Love Inspired. In 2012 I received the call! I can't say thank you enough for the continued support and encouragement as I travel beyond the island.

Mary Curry, writing as Cate Nolan, will debut her Christmas book in October, 2015,

identified seven reasons she’s thankful for having the Seekers in my life.

Friends - Some of my dearest writing friends are people I've met through Seekerville. We all know how lonely a writer's life can be, but the Seekers bring a light of friendship into that loneliness. I thank them for their friendship.

Faith - Through word, deed and prayer, the Seekers live their faith and inspire us to be the best we can be. Through prayers I've requested and prayers I didn't know about until afterward, I've been lifted so often by these lovely women. I thank them for their shared faith.

Craft - Seekerville is like one endless graduate course on how to write a book. It's the university from which we never want to graduate. The shared wisdom of the Seekers and their friends helps us strive and never settle for average. I thank them for sharing their knowledge.

Fun - It's not all serious! The one thing you know you can count on is that a day spent in Seekerville will be a day of happiness. From the New Year's Eve bash to the month long birthday party, Seekerville is a cheerful refuge. I thank the Seekers for the joy they bring each day.

Lynette Eason, Patty Smith Hall, Debby, Missy, Jessica Nelson

Family or Community -  I remember the first time I visited Seekerville. I feared it was some "in club" that I would forever watch from the outskirts. Little did I know that Seekerville is chock full of warmth and legendary hospitality. There are no strangers in Seekerville, only the friends we haven't gotten to know yet. I thank the Seekers for inviting us in and making us feel welcome.

Prizes - Not to seem mercenary, ;) but seriously! The Seekers are so generous with prizes offering so many free books, gift cards, and treats. I still drink my tea from the mug Tina sent as my very first newbie villager prize. I thank you for your generosity.

Hope and Support - "And the greatest of these is love."  Through their love for God, each other, and the villagers, the Seekers show by example how to be a love-driven, faith-based community. They never stint on time or effort, advice or prizes ;) Whether it's brandishing a whip or offering candy, the Seekers have our backs and I hope they know we have theirs. They make this journey seem possible and when you reach your goal, there's no better place to celebrate than Seekerville!  I thank the Seekers for years of support and celebration and for being the best kind of community a writer could yearn for.

Nancy Kimball, Chasing the Lion

Years ago, before all the Seekers had made it off unpubbed island, I'd written this "book" and had no idea what I was supposed to do next. Praise the Lord for Google and Seekerville. From the first post I read there, I felt like I'd come home to a place I'd never been before. I jumped in right away and soaked up information like a Persian rug does spilled wine. There was so much to learn but when I began commenting, these "real authors" took an interest in the "new person" and were so welcoming. Encouraging. That sense of home and belonging deepened as I continued to make my daily Seekerville stop for the next two years. I say with honesty Seekerville is where I learned about half of what I know about the craft of fiction and marketing. I made so many friends there and am blessed to have maintained those friendships even though life as a published author no longer affords me the time to spend in Seekerville I once did. I will always be grateful for the Seekers, and their continuing mission to support and encourage the up and coming author as much as the multi-published. I am published today with a very successful Indie debut, and mentoring an up-and-coming author, thanks largely to that early learning and shared community here in Seekerville. Thank you Seekers, for seven years and counting.


Patty Smith Hall, "Christmas Lessons," Christmas Traditions, October, 2014.     
                 .
Many will talk about how Seekerville has helped them to realize their dream of being a published writer, and they'd be correct. Cheryl Wyatt's post on scene development back in 2008 changed the way I wrote, and gave me the push I needed to finish my first published novel, Hearts in Flight. 

But it is the kindness of the Seekers that has touched my heart and made Seekerville feel like a second home. In early 2012, the doctors told me my spine could no longer support me and I would need surgery. The recovery period was anywhere from six months to a year, most which would be spent in a brace and on my back. Within days of my hospital release, I received my first card from one of the Seekers, then another and another. Every couple of days for the next few months, there would be a card or two waiting in my mailbox, encouraging me, letting know they were praying for my recovery. Those cards, and the notes written within, helped me through those first hard days of my recovery, and encouraged me to lean on God and to keep writing. A small kindness that still touches me today.

Thank you, ladies--and Happy Birthday, Seekerville!

Janet again. Thanks, ladies! Your sweet words bless and encourage us. Your success is such fun to celebrate! And offers hope to those working hard, who haven't yet received The Call. 

For breakfast I brought orange juice, crisp bacon and crunchy French toast dusted with powdered sugar and warm maple syrup. And of course there's birthday cakes with layers of chocolate, strawberry and yellow to nibble on all day. Leave a comment for a chance to win one of these author's books in either eBook or hard copy, author’s choice (we'll discuss your options) and a $10 Amazon gift card.