The Payoff of Perseverance

with guest Jill Weatherholt. 

Greetings! 

In 2008, when I started stalking reading Seekerville, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d be contacted by Tina, to write a blog post. But that’s our God—always full of surprises.

Recently, after reading my old journals, I realized 2008 was the year I began to study posts written by the Seekers. I printed articles and created notebooks. I currently have three, but I’m adding on each day. 

Also during that year, I became obsessed with author websites. I read about their road to publication, books they recommended for writers, anything I could get my hands on…I devoured it all.

It was in 2010 that I’d heard about the National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo. The contest required participants to write 50,000 words during the month of November. Turn off your inner editor, get the words on the page and in the end, you’d have a start to a rough draft. At that time, I’d written a few short stories, but had yet to attempt writing a novel. Fifty thousand words in thirty days….how hard could that be. Sign me up!

Committing to 1667 words per day when you have a day job, family responsibilities, keeping up with housework, health issues and other minor disasters that can spring up any day of the week, was no easy feat. But my stubborn Type-A personality was not going to be defeated.  

These were just a few of the thoughts that swirled through my head during that first NaNoWriMo.

Day 1: “I exceeded my daily word goal of 1667. I love November!”
Day 2: “Why am I torturing myself?”
Day 3: “Who needs an outline, I’m a born panster!”
Day 4: “It’s Sunday, isn’t this the day of rest?”
Day 5: “Ugh, Monday…this story stinks!”
Day 6: “I’m a writing machine. I might finish by November 15th!”
Day 7: “This is so hard, I’ll never finish.”
Day 8: “I’m still on track.”
Day 9: “I’m stuck. Should I have my heroine get hit by a bus?”
Day 10: “What’s the point? This will never get published.”

Well, guess what? That story—the very first book I’d ever written was published by Harlequin Love Inspired, this year. 

Second Chance Romance

So, had I worked on that book for seven years? Heck no!

I tinkered with it off and on. Even a few of the Seekers were kind enough to critique some pages. Then in 2011, an unexpected job loss along with health issues, forced me to put my writing aside. Although that story stayed hidden on my hard drive, Jackson, Melanie, and the Shenandoah Valley lingered in my mind.

In 2015, here on Seekerville, I read about the Blurb to Book Contest sponsored by Harlequin. Initially, I hadn’t planned on entering. What was the point? I’d never advance. But a last minute decision had me writing a blurb and submitting the first page of that old NaNoWriMo project. My only expectation was the opportunity to have a professional editor, provide feedback.

On May 15, 2015, when I got home from work, I checked the contest announcement. I had advanced. With disbelief, I scanned the list again. From that day forward, I wrote like a crazy person to rewrite the entire book by the July 15th deadline.

A month later, on a rainy Monday morning at the day job, I got the call from my lovely editor. She asked if I knew why she was calling. “I think so.” I squeaked. That’s it. That’s all I remembered about the call. Thankfully, everything she’d said after my response was typed in an email, for my review.

I’ll never forget that day. Never—ever!  When I participated in NaNoWriMo, I just wanted to write a book, but God had bigger plans for me. And that’s what I’ve learned during this journey, GOD HONORS PERSEVERANCE.

So, are you ready for your payday? Share in your comment a time when persistence paid off. Today, I’m giving away two copies of Second Chance Romance. Let me know if you’d like your name in the dish. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Second Chance Romance

Small-Town Daddy 


Jackson Daughtry's jobs as a paramedic and part-owner of a local café keep him busy—but the single dad's number one priority is raising his little girl with love and small-town values. And when his business partner's hotshot lawyer niece comes to town planning to disrupt their lives by moving her aunt away, Jackson has to set Melanie Harper straight. When circumstances force them to work side by side in the coffee shop, Jackson slowly discovers what put the sadness in Melanie's pretty brown eyes. Now it'll take all his faith—and a hopeful five-year-old—to show the city gal that she's already home.

By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard. Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

Day 23 of Speedbo!

Perseverance

with guest blogger LeAnne Bristow.

Are you one of those people who everything comes easy for? Are you so naturally talented that the words fly off your fingertips onto the page and editors and agents are begging for your work? No? I didn’t think so. And by the way, if you ever meet one of those people, run. Run fast. Because they obviously aren’t really human. 

I admit. I was a person that a lot of things came easily for. I didn’t have to study to make good grades. I was popular. (Disclaimer…there were only 13 people in my class. Everyone was popular.) I was Salutatorian of my graduating class, President of the FHA, Secretary of the National Honor Society, cheerleading captain, and homecoming queen. (Again…only 13 people in my class.)

So several years ago, when I found a box full of all the stories I’d written in my high school years, it rekindled my dream of becoming a published author. I got so excited. My kids were grown and gone. What better time to pursue my dream?

Eagerly, I sat down at my computer and began writing. This would be easy. After all, I’d just finished my master’s degree and wrote a 1200 word essay every week. My professors commented on my strong writing skills. I would be at the top of the New York Times best-seller list in no time.

I scoured the internet for information on how to become a published author and stumbled onto the Seekerville website. Contests? There are contests for writers? Sign me up. I’ll win them all. I was almost giddy with excitement. 

Then I got my first score sheet back. It was AWFUL. I realized this was going to be a little harder than I thought. I went back to the Seekerville website and this time, when I read their tips for writing, I had a whole different attitude. I was lucky enough to win a first chapter critique from Tina and waited. Then cried when I got it. Crying seemed appropriate because my heroine cried five times in the first chapter and Tina was having none of that. Too much head hopping. What was that? Shallow POV. Too much telling. An abundance of –ly adverbs. And a whole slew of other things wrong with my writing. 

Well. Apparently, this wasn’t as easy as I thought. 

I could take that box of stories outside and burn it, or I could pull up my big girl panties and start studying. Really studying. I read so many craft books and took so many workshops that some days I thought my head would explode. I got up early to write so I wouldn’t be disturbed and sat up late after the husband went to bed. 

I kept entering contests. I finaled in some. I even won one. But still, no one was clamoring at the door to publish my book. But I wasn’t ready to quit yet. 

Perseverance - steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

Preservice is developed by failure. Last week, I was listening to my favorite Bible study program and the topic was failure. Failure, the pastor said, is factored in by God to make us what he wants us to be. He went on to list three things to do in order to overcome failure. 

Acknowledge your failure. That’s easy to do. I have a pile of rejection letters that won’t let me forget.

Accept God’s forgiveness. Failure itself is not a sin. But getting so wrapped up in my own pity party and forgetting to lean on Him is. Forgetting to seek His guidance in my writing and all aspects of my life is. I needed to stop trying to do this on my own.

Apply the lessons of failure towards success. I learned something from every rejection, every judge’s comment, and every critique. I could’ve tossed those comments out the window and said “What do they know? This is my story and I’ll tell it my way.” But I didn’t. I used those comments to make me a better writer. After my third rejection from Love Inspired, I was really frustrated, so my agent suggested I try something different. Then I remembered something I’d chosen to ignore. In my first year of writing, I’d done a pitch session with an associate editor at Love Inspired. She liked my story, but it had a lot of elements that didn’t work for LI. Those same elements worked great for longer stories like Heartwarming, she said.

In my determination, I’d failed to apply all the lessons I’d learned. So I went back and looked at the story that had been rejected three times. I started to play with it and it started to flow. Maybe the longer story really was better for me. I started trying to learn everything about Heartwarming that I could. Although their stories don’t include a faith element, they are clean, wholesome romances that I was comfortable writing.

At RWA, I attended the Heartwarming Open House. I discovered they weren’t looking to acquire any more stories with a major element that mine had. I was heartbroken. I called my agent. “They don’t want any more stories where the hero or heroine returns home to care for an ailing parent. That’s my entire story! What do I do?” He calmed me down and told me to pitch the story anyway but tell them I’d look for ways to change it. So I did. Dana Grimaldi was kind enough to listen to me pitch the story. She liked elements and despite the overused trope, asked for a full. 

I got home and started brainstorming with my critique partners to find a way to revise the story and replace the ailing parent. My agent sent in a proposal with the new ideas. He called a few weeks later and said she loved the changes and wanted the full. But my story wasn’t quite finished! I put my nose to the grindstone, locked myself in my room and started working. 

The next time my agent called, it was to tell me Dana liked the new version, but wanted some revisions. Was I willing to do it? As the Seekers would say, THIS IS CALLED OPPORTUNITY! I locked myself back in my room and six weeks later submitted the revisions. And the following week found out that Dana was leaving Heartwarming and moving to the American Romance line. I panicked. This was it. She would pass the story to a new editor and they would hate it. 

On June 3rd, my agent called. I had sent him some ideas for new projects and figured he was calling to discuss them. I was babysitting my granddaughter, so I was juggling her when I answered the phone. When he told me Victoria Curran wanted to offer me a contract for my story, I almost dropped the baby. Once I could breathe again, I sat my granddaughter on the floor, she was a little dizzy by this time from all my jumping up and down, and cried. 

Yeah. I cry a lot. 

Perseverance -steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

At least that’s the dictionary’s definition. But it goes deeper than that. Perseverance is staring at that rejection letter with tears in your eyes and wondering why on earth you ever thought you could be a writer. It’s locking yourself in your writing cave when the rest of your family is going to see that new movie with your favorite actor. Perseverance means learning to say no. “No, I can’t go to lunch with you. I need to work on my story.” “No, I can’t volunteer next week, I have a deadline.” (I’m still working that one.)

So tell me, what does perseverance mean to you?

 I’d love to be able to give away copies of my new book…but it won’t be out until March 2017. But I will give a $20 Amazon gift card to a lucky commenter! Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

 LeAnne Bristow often hid books inside her desk and read during class. A teacher actually commented on her report card that "LeAnne would do much better in class if she would stop reading." When she outgrew Laura Ingalls Wilder and Beverly Cleary, she graduated to Walter Farley and Judy Blume. Then her favorite aunt gave her an old box of Harlequin romance novels and she was hooked. After reading the entire Americana series by Janet Dailey, LeAnne dreamed of becoming a writer. Life happened and LeAnne followed her country boy from a small town in central Texas to a smaller town in southern Arizona. She spent the next 25 years corralling three of her own children and 20+ kindergartners. Now an empty nester and new grandma, she's pursuing her dream of bringing you emotional stories that make you hold your breath waiting for that first kiss. LeAnne's debut release from Harlequin Heartwarming will release in March of 2017.

Staying the Course in Life and Writing with Guest Nancy Kimball

In case you don’t already know this, this writing gig is tough. There are a finite number of spots in agent rosters and publisher’s release schedules and when we add in the Indie and self-published books too, we’re all competing for the same reader’s dollar. Competition is so fierce, it’s no wonder a writer can quote the opening salvo of most every editor and agent practically verbatim.

 We are looking for stellar writing with a stellar story and stellar characters.

That’s probably never going to be you. Even if you contest, study craft, and type away at 1K1HR while querying your heart out. If you’ve already sold a few books you know if your publisher gets consolidated you’ll be the first they look at when they have to start pulling scheduled releases. Seriously, how much time and money have you wasted already that should have been spent on your family, friends, or a—wait for it—real job? You are not Francine Rivers or Max Lucado. You never will be. Stop posing and find a new hobby because you’re never going to get published and no one who doesn't already send you a Christmas card will ever buy your books. If you’ve got a few out there, accept that you had a decent run of it and have a nice dinner out on the backlist royalties once in a while.

Are you preparing to fire away at me in the comments for crushing a fledgling or weary author’s hopes and dreams?

GOOD.
    
So why is it okay for you to tell yourself those same things? Mmm-hmmm. Take a few moments and absorb the punch in the gut by your own hypocrisy. And when you’re finished, go back and latch onto all that spirited defense of the creative and passionate pursuit of dreams and let’s plow forward together.

 Part two of this post is actually way more risky for me to write, if you can believe that. I’m a very social but very private individual, and if God had not strongly nudged me to incorporate my personal struggle to stay the course in life as well as writing, I would not have. Not at all. But because I love God and want to honor him with obedience, I’m going to share my personal battle against depression and suicide.

 I’ve chosen to be transparent about this with my Seekerville family because for many, the very idea of taking your life because of unceasing and overwhelming emotional pain and hopelessness is unfathomable. For that I am truly grateful and pray that is always true for you, always. But for some of us, like me, those times come. Often in the beginning we don’t know what to do or where to turn for help. If we’re believers we’re afraid our faith is weak or broken and that we’re going to scare our family and friends if we try to be honest and talk about it. Most of all, we’re scared things are never going to get better.

 If you relate to any of that, know that I understand--like only someone who has crawled through and been carried through by Jesus can understand. You are not alone. You are not a failure in your faith or your life. What you do have is a choice—to stay the course or give up. Call it ironic or call it anointed, but my proven strategy for overcoming suicide is also proven to combat giving up on your writing. It’s proven because I’m still breathing, LOL (It’s totally okay to laugh here), and because I’m still writing. 

Strategy #1: Get among your people.

Those trusted friends who will encourage you, listen, give you hugs and chocolate, or tell you to stop crying and get on with it. You already know who they are, and if you don’t, keep hanging out here in Seekerville and you’ll make some. Fight the urge to remain silent and withdraw. Often having the courage to say, out loud as it were, “I’m so done with this,” is half the battle because it brings it into the light.

I’m blessed to have grown self-aware enough I now recognize at what point I need to get among my people. I’m able to be honest with them, and they know the best thing they can do for me is pray, listen, and just be there for me, whether it’s an encouraging text, a card in the mail, or surprising me with ice cream and flowers. They help distract me, minister to me, and most of all encourage me. A lot like the week after being announced as a Genesis finalist again this year when I was ready to chuck this whole stupid writing gig. The Seekers, my Seekerville peeps, and crit partners encouraged me through it and it’s a blessing they did because I got good news about one of my manuscripts shorty after that.

Strategy #2: Remember the dead giant behind you.

Cliff Graham, speaker and author of The Lion of War Series, says this: Don’t fear the enemy in front of you. Remember the dead giant behind you. Referencing David and Goliath and David facing the Philistine army yet again, Graham admonishes us to not fear the terror before us, but instead, remember the victory granted by God when David had the courage to act in faith. It is a call to action.

Go back and find your slain giant. Perhaps it was the first time you completed a manuscript or started your first one. Perhaps it was “The Call” or a letter from a reader sharing how their life was touched by your writing. For me it is returning to my own work, reading it, and being blown away in some passages by how much depth of emotion the work still brings me.

Every single one of my manuscripts is homage to my true hero, Jesus Christ. For without Him and the strength and hope found only in Him, I wouldn’t still be here to write them. Because in those moments of absolute, soul-crushing despair when taking my life seems the only solution to bring an end to the pain, I can remember I’ve been there before. By focusing on the fact that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, I can remember that by standing fast against it however I must, I can and will defeat it again. Even though it doesn’t feel like it at the time. That’s when I look back and remember those slain giants behind me, and those remembered victories help anchor me in the storm with the knowledge that if I continue to persevere, the storm will eventually pass. In writing and in life.

Strategy #3: Feast on God

In 2009 when my struggle with depression and suicide began, I read through my Bible cover to cover twice that year. This was not mere quiet time or daily scripture reading. This was devouring truth to be able to keep breathing. Over the past years that same feasting on God has grown to include turning the lights down and putting on praise, worship and prayer songs while I commune with the Lord and shut out everything else. Everything I have to do, all the expectations and demands on my time and efforts, and just abide. Be still. Sometimes I write to those songs too and it’s wonderful.

When I absolutely just can’t write, can’t edit, can’t remember the vision for my writing career no matter how many people stroke my ego and how many times I stare at my plaques and certificates commemorating those Contest Diva finishes, I set it all aside to feast on God. I praise, I rest, I read, and I take long walks with my dog or go fishing or visit a museum. Without fail, in God’s time and when I’m ready to receive it, the passion for my writing comes back. Then I’m able to give God glory, thank my friends and fans, grab the laptop, and get on with it.

 

My prayer for all of us is to stay the course and never give up. To fearlessly embrace every new day as an opportunity for spectacular successes and epic failures. To wring the goodness from every moment and endure when life is wringing us out. To give the struggling friend hugs and chocolate or crack the whip at them when we need to. That we’re honest with ourselves and each other when holding on is hard, and that it is okay to do so. Because the best stories aren’t the ones we will put on the page. It’s the one we’re living every day, even the days it doesn’t feel like it. So stay strong my friends, and write on. Write on.

Award-winning author, avid reader and shameless hero addict, Nancy Kimball makes her home in Houston, Texas. She doesn't understand the point of white crayons and enjoys writing a great hero as much as reading one. Nancy began writing in pursuit of traditional publication in 2010, is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and President of her local chapter, Writers on the Storm in The Woodlands, Texas. In 2012, her best friend bestowed her with the nickname "Phoenix" after hearing Nancy’s story. Nancy loved it and adopted the Phoenix symbol to embody her life verse, Ezekiel 36:33-36.  Learn more at her official website or connect with her and other hero-lovers at her popular blog Fiction Hero Features and her Facebook Page.




Today, Nancy is giving away a $25.00 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to one commenter who shares there heart about staying the course in life and writing!

Just Wishing Won’t Get Us Published with Guest Helen Gray

Hello from the Missouri Ozarks, and thanks for having me here today. 

Like those of you who hang out here, I grew up with a book in my hand most of the time. My writing odyssey began in the early 1980’s when I started to write stories rather than just read them.
No computer No internet.

Just a three-ring binder of notebook paper, a typewriter and carbon paper. I wore out two typewriters.

The life of a minister’s wife is not always the most private. You get “critiqued” a lot. Writing began as my private haven, my craft. My ministry was working alongside my pastor husband, with my personal roles being primarily in the area of music—choir directing, accompanying, singing, playing the trumpet, ventriloquism, whatever was needed.


I joined RWA and attended a national conference in Minneapolis. I began to experience near misses and collect rejections.  I completed ten manuscripts.

At one time I had four manuscripts with a publisher. Then they cancelled that line. 

Life got busier, the kids got older and more involved, and the churches got bigger and more time consuming. Uncertainty and futility won. I boxed up the manuscripts and put them in storage.

Years later I retired. Then I started over. But this time, since I like to read mysteries and had trouble finding them without smut and vulgarity, I began writing them. I wrote three 90K books. And then shelved them because I couldn’t find a home for them.

A few months later I dug out the old romance manuscripts and went through them. Ugh! HUMBLING! I don’t know how I got as many nibbles as I did. I completely rewrote some of them—new settings and storylines, but utilizing the characters and backstories I had previously created. A couple of the oldies got trashed. A couple more are still sitting on the shelf.

As time passed, the writing became an adjunct to my ministry. The manuscripts and rejections accumulated. Then Judy, a friend at church, took a special interest in my writing. She asked to read one of my manuscripts. Then another. And another. Everything I had. She became my first reader, proofreader, and encourager. She read everything I wrote. And believed in me!

Questioning whether I would ever be published, a scripture verse came to my mind—and lodged. “Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:19

Could I do that?  I lacked courage, but I couldn’t chase that scripture out of my brain. So one day I asked Judy if she would claim that promise with me. She not only gave me an emphatic YES, but assured me that her mother, a prayer warrior, would join us. From that point on the three of us were united in petitioning God for my books to find a publisher. And more ladies of the church asked to read what I was writing.

For the first two years all I did was enter contests, garnering feedback and using it to improve the manuscripts. I placed second in a couple of contests. My critiques got better—much better. Then I began to submit. Things seemed brighter, more promising. I had a request for a complete from Heartsong Presents. It was under consideration when the line was cancelled. Major blow!

 

At that point, in spite of my prayer pact, I questioned whether it really was time to quit. How many times could I get this far, be knocked down, and get back up? But, gripped in the passion of writing, and with another project already underway, I couldn’t abandon it. So I kept writing. And waited for another opportunity.

Then Harlequin bought the Heartsong Presents line, and I queried Kathy Davis.

Now let me back up here. In my early years of scribbling, my mother read all my books. Then, after a time when I had been grilling her about her experiences growing up in the Great Depression, she typed up some notes for me. Back then most historical books were set before the turn of the century, so those notes went in a file. Five years ago I lost my mother. Several months later I pulled out those notes. I decided the time had come to use them.

I wrote a historical set it in the Great Depression, fictionalizing the small town of my girlhood and characterizing a heroine with the help of my mother’s notes. After a long wait, during which I wrote the two books that follow it, the sale of the series seemed almost prophetic in timing. The message saying the series had been given a YES arrived on Hubby’s birthday. The contract arrived on the anniversary of Mom’s death. Tentatively titled Ozark Courtship, the first book is supposed to release in March of 2014. The sequels are to follow in June and September.

Funny fact. (At least I think it’s funny.) The third book is about the coming of electricity to the rural areas. That’s what I was writing when the ice storm put us without power for eight days. Chapter 8 and about half of 9 were hand written by the light of an oil lamp. Now that was an IN-DEPTH research experience.

 
At this point my prayer is simply that God will help me write stories that honor Him. And if they should touch hearts, I say, “Thank you, God, for using me in this small way.”

I don’t know how long you’ve been writing, but if it’s been any length of time, I’m sure you’ve experienced your share of rejections and disappointments. But no matter how weary and discouraged you may become, it won’t EVER happen if you quit. And it CAN be done. I’m living proof that it can.

Just wishing won’t get you to publication. It takes HARD WORK and PERSEVERANCE. And be CONSISTENT. Work on your project regularly, even if it’s only a little. It adds up!

God’s timing may not be what you want. But stick with it. 

Have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. Set reachable goals and be consistent about working toward them. 

Be alert for opportunities. Read and keep up with the publishing world. Attend conferences and establish relationships with other writers. Never stop learning. Soak up all the tips you can find. Read craft books. Enter contests. Get critiques.

Write, write, write. Submit, submit, submit. Then write and submit some more. Keep reaching for the dream.

Find yourself a Judy, someone who will not only believe in you, but will covenant with you in prayer. Remember Matthew 18:19.  

The coffee pot’s ready. So have a cup and talk to us.

Do you have critique partners? Support groups? A prayer partner?

More about Helen:

Helen Gray lives in a small in the Missouri Ozarks. She began writing years ago when her children were small and she worked full-time. Some writing skills were taught in her high school business education classes.  She is a member of ACFW and has spent over twenty years developing her fiction writing through entering, judging, and finaling in contests, attending writers’ conferences, and networking with other writers through online groups and blogs. You can connect with her on Facebook.

The working title of Helen Gray's debut release from Heartsong Presents is Ozark Courtship.  It's scheduled to release in March, 2014.

Today Seekerville is giving away a package of Heartsong Presents releases to one commenter, in honor of Helen's first sale and her commitment to making our coffee each day even though she doesn't even drink it. Now that's perseverance.


Harlequin Heartsong Presents is…

The Waltons or Christy or Love Comes Softly series, for their solid stories and characters, with sweet romance and a level of Christian faith at the core.

Did You Know?

There are 4 new Heartsong Presents books available each month.Two historical and two contemporary romances.

 If you are interested in writing for the Harlequin Presents line you can find more information here,

Make Your Chicken Cross the Road: A Reminder About the Power of Perseverance with Guest Kristen Ethridge

Thanks so much for having me. I’m really excited to be here in Seekerville with you all! I’ve been an admirer of the Seekerville community for years, and when I got the email inviting me to come hang out with you, well, it was like being nominated for a Golden Globe! (Yeah, I know, you’re wondering…why didn’t I say the Oscars? Because the Golden Globes have better dresses, and we all know that’s the really important stuff.)

My debut book, Saving Gracie, was officially released from Love Inspired last month. And having a debut book on real, actual shelves is not something that would have happened without what we’re going to talk about today—probably the single most powerful tool in your arsenal as a writer—the power of perseverance.

Why do I say perseverance is the single most powerful tool in your arsenal as a writer? You probably thought it was your voice, or your amazing ability to pull together a GMC chart, or something as technical as your laptop that you write on.
But while all those things are important, it’s your persistence that you’ll have to go back to time and time again to get it done.

Your ability to keep on keepin’ on.

Because there will come a time when you want to stand still. There will be a time when you want to throw your hands up in the air and say “that’s it, I quit” or even worse “Why did I ever think I could do this?”

And while I may not know you personally, I do know you’ll reach these times in your life. 

Because everyone does.

Work with me for bit here.

You can’t climb the mountain until you go through the ____________? Valley.

When life hands you lemons, make _________________? Lemonade.

Why did the chicken cross the road? ______________. To get to the other side.

I know, I know…what kind of writer uses this many clichés? But the reason you all were able to answer these questions instantly, the reason we all know clichés is because at their heart, there’s truth.

But did you notice something else about these clichés? There’s truth, but there’s also action.

To get to the top of the mountain, you’ve gotta go.

To take a lemon from sour to sweet, you’ve gotta make.

To get a chicken from a bad situation to a good one, he’s gotta move.

None of these things just occur organically. They are made to happen. And it’s usually more than one thing. The hiker puts one foot in front of the other to cross the valley has to keep doing the same to reach the top of the mountain. The chef both squeezes and stirs. And the poultry? He’s gotta look both ways and get to prancing.

And if a storm comes up in your life, you’ve got to get the umbrella and move to someplace dry.
And sometimes it’s literal.

In September 2008, I was just minding my own business, living on Galveston Island, Texas, when this mess of clouds in the Gulf of Mexico started spinning faster and kept wobbling to the west. Before we had time to take it in, we had to get out of town. We had a small business on the beach and a six-month old baby at home. 

Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island on September 13, 2008 at 2:10 a.m. I’d evacuated to my parents’ house and  gone to bed the night before visualizing what I’d left behind in my house as a scene from Titanic, everything floating up and turning over at the water spilled in through windows and doors and any place else it could gain entry.

When we were finally able to return home, a week later, the water had receded and left behind a mess that pretty much confirmed my Titanic-style dream. The study in our house had once been a porch, and a previous owner had enclosed it. This meant it was less architecturally-sound than the rest of the house. In hurricane terms, it was a total loss. My computer. All my books. 

Every article or handout on writing I’d collected over the years. Every word I’d ever written.

Soggy. Mildewed. Stuck together. 

Gone.

After almost fifteen years of writing, I was completely back at square one. And in all honesty, I couldn’t even think about writing then. I had a business to rebuild, a home to put back together, and a six month old who celebrated her first birthday the week after we moved back home.
One of the worst feelings of my life was watching the things I’d treasured—I know they’re just things, but they were MY things, you know?—be taken to the curb and pushed down the street by a front end loader. When they took my Grandpa’s chair, the gift he’d been given when he retired, the one thing that symbolized all the good times we’d had together eating peanuts and watching TV before he died when I was seven—they pushed it down the street, breaking it apart as it went, treating it as though it had never mattered. I ran back into our house and out the back door and cried for what seemed like forever as Brian told the contractor out on the street in that loader that he needed to keep his comments to himself and respect people’s feelings.

Into every life, they say, comes a storm. Well, mine was named Ike, and he wasn’t satisfied with just coming into my life. He tried to destroy it.

I’m proud to say that I’m a native Galvestonian. I’m a BOI—Born on the Island—and although I didn’t grow up there, I enjoyed returning there to open our store. The one thing about Galvestonians is they possess a legacy of perseverance. Ike wasn’t the first storm to try and take out Galveston. In 1900, the largest natural disaster in American history hit Galveston Island. They call it the Great Storm, and it reduced Galveston to matchsticks. Six thousand people died. And overnight, “the Wall Street of the South,” the most prosperous city west of the Mississippi, was almost completely gone.

Fifty years before, another hurricane had hit nearby in a town called Indianola. The remaining residents abandoned Indianola and it is no more. The residents of Galveston refused to do that. They built a 15 foot Seawall. They raised every single home, every street, every inch of the habited part of the island more than eight feet. They built a monument to their ability to come back—the Hotel Galvez, the grand lady of the Seawall. 

They persevered. And that’s what we did after Ike.

And that’s what you have to do when you’re in the valley, when life hands you those lemons, when you’re stuck on the side of the street and you can see where you want to be, but you don’t know how to get there. You’ve got to persevere.

The challenges and setbacks are often very real, but you need to find a way to get around them. I often tell my five-year-old to be a problem solver. When something’s not working right for her, even now in preschool, I want her to think of a solution instead of whining to me about the problem.

I finally did finish Saving Gracie, which I’d started just before Hurricane Ike. Of course, I had to scrap it and start over. (And then start over again, actually because it needed some very serious rewriting once I finished the first draft of it.) And then I submitted it out. Thirty five times. And got a rejection every single time. Some were form rejections, some were longer and came after an editor or agent had read the full manuscript. But they were all rejections.

Finally, I told my husband I was throwing it into two more contests and if they didn’t work, I was done. I’d eventually move on to something else, but I was done with Saving Gracie.  I put it in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest. And improbably, the manuscript that had received 35 rejections of all kinds became a finalist in the Golden Heart and sold to Love Inspired through So You Think You Can Write.

So, what happens when you’re there—after 35 rejections and you just want to throw your hands in the air and quit?  How do you motivate yourself to take action? Because action, as we discussed earlier, is the key to getting out of these situations.

Well, to quote Nike, you just do it. D.O.I.T.

• Delegate.

• Overcome.  

• Inspire.

• Timeline.

Delegate: What can you set aside or get help with for a set period of time in order to get this done?

Overcome: What is holding you back?

Inspire: What is waiting for you when you finish?

Timeline: If you truly commit yourself, how long do you need to just get it done?


So, it’s true confession time. And just in time for SpeedBo, I have to admit to you that I’m not quite where I want to be on the goal I set for having Gloria’s story done. I mean, hey, it’s not like I didn’t just give birth a few months ago after months of bed rest, right? But that doesn’t matter. I would like to continue my career with Love Inspired and somehow I doubt they’re going to print 270 consecutive blank pages.

A few weeks ago, I was almost beside myself thinking about it. I’ve finally climbed the mountain—I have a real book on the shelf in a store! There’s new book smell with MY name on it!—and if I look out ahead of me, there’s another freakin’ valley. I finally sell a book and then I have to go expand my family. What WAS I thinking?

And then you know what I told myself? Suck it up, buttercup. Life happens. So, I put together a new plan.

Delegate: I’m blessed to have an in-home child care provider for my baby since I work from home. So I’ve extended her schedule by a couple of hours a day. One of those hours I now spend writing is my lunch break, and I can reasonably flex my schedule to work an hour more in the evenings by checking email during bathtime and things like that so that I have a dedicated two hour block three times a week.

Overcome:  Plain and simple, time. I’m also a pantser, so I need to get rolling to really get writing. Having two hour chunks of time will help with that.

Inspire: Our family goal with my writing is to pay for both girls to attend college with cash. So it’s a long time coming, but it will be well worth it. We also plan to use a portion of the money, along with my annual bonus from the Day Job, to take a family vacation. I may have already looked at a Disney cruise in the Mediterranean next year. It stops in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Now THAT’S inspirational.

Timeline: I can write about 1,000 words an hour. If I get 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, that’s 6,000 words a week. I need to write 55,000 words or so total. I’m going to round down, because I know I won’t always get that second hour, but I should be able to get in a little more time here and there. But because I’m not a math person, let’s just say 5,000 words a week divided into 55,000 words total… that’s 11 weeks. So again…round number… three months. Can I commit to delegating, overcoming, and staying inspired for the next 11 weeks? Sure I can.

Can you? Let’s take a minute. Think about something in your life that you’re not where you want to be on—and it may not be writing. Write down DO IT on a piece of paper. What can you delegate or postpone to achieve your goal?  Remember, you’re only postponing for a set period of time. What do you need to overcome—what do you need to mentally psych yourself up for? What inspires you? When you achieve your goal, what can you do? And what’s your timeline—if you commit yourself and look at your priorities a little different for a period of time, what is that reasonable period of time?

 Now, Seekers, in the spirit of SpeedBo, who wants to share their DO IT goals?

Cliches are popular because they’re simple ways to express more complicated truths. And the simple truth is that we all know that some times it will be tougher to write than others. But you have to just do it. Cross the valley and climb the mountain. Squeeze the lemons and stir in some sugar so you can drink a tall, cool glass of lemonade.  


Make your chicken cross the road.


Kristen Ethridge began writing as soon as she placed a Husky pencil on a Big Chief Tablet. Saving Gracie, her debut book from Harlequin’s Love Inspired line, was a February 2013 release and is still available online.  When she’s not creating stories of Happily Ever After combined with the Greatest Happily Ever After, a relationship with Jesus, she’s creating memories in the Lone Star State with her husband, two adorable red-headed children, and two self-important poodles. A Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Finalist, Kristen talks about life lessons learned while trying to balance being a wife, mother, day job employee, and author over at Real Time Mama, her blog at www.kristenethridge.com, unless she finds herself out of Real Time…which happens, as any mama and writer can attest. She can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kristenethridgebooks and on Twitter @kristenethridge.

Saving Gracie

Running an ESL school is hard work, but helping immigrants has always been a dream of Gracie Garcia's. When her school is threatened by real-estate developer Jake Peoples, Gracie hopes that getting him to attend a class will change his mind. But a lesson in love was something neither one signed up for. Learning about Gracie's work reminds Jake what family is really about. But just as he's starting to come around, a revelation about his past threatens his future with Gracie. When things look their bleakest, can Jake save her dream...and his place in her heart?






Tina Radcliffe here. 

Thank you so much to Kristen for sharing her story. I needed tissues for this one.

Today Kristen is giving away one copy of Saving Gracie to a commenter. And to honor Kristen and her P-E-R-S-E-V-E-R-A-N-C-E, Seekerville is giving away a 20 page, first chapter critique to one commenter. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Speedbo Prizes Listed Here

The Best of the Archives: The Write Attitude by Debby Giusti

This post first appeared in Seekerville on July 16, 2008.

What makes the difference between a person who moves forward with their writing despite rejection and those who give up and forsake their dream?

Attitude.

Hymen’s is a restaurant located on Meeting Street in Charleston, South Carolina’s historic district. It’s a no-frills type of place that specializes in great seafood and quality service. Everyone who’s employed there—from the Hymen brothers who own the business to the busboys and dishwashers—work hard to uphold the excellent reputation that keeps customers coming back year after year. Attitude is so important at Hymen’s that the company policy, a piece written by Chuck Swindoll, is given out to everyone who comes through the door.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company. . . a church. . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. . . we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you . . . we are in charge of our attitudes. ~Charles Swindoll~

I keep my copy of Swindoll’s words near my computer as a reminder of the importance of having the right mindset in this industry.

Yes, even published writers worry. Will the editors like the next story idea? Will I finish my current work in progress on deadline? Is my writing improving?

In her book, THE ARTIST’S WAY, Julia Cameron talks about the negative voices that bubble up when we reach for the stars. “Why do you think you can write a book?” that voice taunts. “You’ve written one book, but can you write a second?”

Cameron advises countering the negative by writing positive phrases over and over again on a sheet of notebook paper, just as a child would do who’s been disruptive and has to copy I will not talk in class fifty times. The repetition arms us with ammunition to shoot down the negative inner rhetoric so positive progress can be made.

A Nike advertisement provides the following words of encouragement:

All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. They will tell you no, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. And you will tell them yes!
~Nike ad~

Frank Soldovere was a great man and good friend who worked hard to make this world a better place. Everyone who attended his funeral was given a card with the following passage by Theodore Roosevelt:

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. ~Theodore Roosevelt~

Attitude is a choice we make everyday that gives us the courage to move forward with our writing career. People will tell us we’re crazy. The inner voice calls us a fool. Editors may reject our stories, but we remain focused on our dream, and because we believe in ourselves and in our work, we overcome the odds and succeed.

Attitude—the Write Attitude—makes the difference between someone who wants to write and someone who does.
 

Wishing you abundant blessings!


Debby Giusti


www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com

Seekerville will be giving away a copy of The General's Secretary, Debby Giusti's January release from Love Inspired Suspense, to one commenter. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

“That is SO five years ago!”

My “old” life, that is. Five years ago, in 2007, I was still languishing on Unpubbed Island and trying hard not to wallow in self-pity as that luxury liner carried one after another of my friends over to the glorious mainland of publication.

What a difference five years makes!

Which--along with celebrating Seekerville’s fifth birthday--got me thinking about my writing journey in fives. As it turns out, there have been quite a few stand-out fives along the way.

1985--I received my first-ever magazine acceptance for a short story, the same year I completed the Writing for Children and Teenagers Course through the Institute of Children’s Literature.

2005--Autumn Rains won the RWA Golden Heart for Best Inspirational Romance Manuscript. More importantly, this was the year I first connected with the sisterhood of writers who would proclaim ourselves The Seekers.


At my fifth ACFW Conference, which, coincidentally, was five years ago (2007, in Dallas), I was at the end of my writing rope and ready to give up hope of ever becoming a published novelist. Yep, Unpubbed Island was looking like my permanent address, and I just wanted to slink away, crawl inside my hut, and give in to a long and blubbery crying jag.

Many friends prayed for and encouraged me that weekend, however, and it was during a restless night at the conference that I had the mind-blowing dream described on my personal blog here. The message of that dream was enough to keep me holding on, and less than one year later I got “the call” from Barbara Scott, then the fiction editor at Abingdon Press, for my novel One Imperfect Christmas.

2010--Five years after winning the Golden Heart, Autumn Rains, my second published novel, was named an ACFW Carol Award finalist.

As of this year I have five Heartsong Presents novels in print. When you add number six coming out early next year, plus One Imperfect Christmas and the three-book series I’m now working on for Abingdon Press, that “five” doubles to ten contracted novels!

Here’s another random “five”: I turned 55 years old one year after winning the Golden Heart. I admit I’m stretching the “five” thing with this one, but I just wanted to illustrate the fact that in the writing business, age is only a number. There’s a lot to be said for life experience when it comes to creating emotionally riveting characters and plots.

(Okay, go ahead and do the math if you want to figure out how old I am. . . . That’s fine. I’ll wait. . . . Happy now?)

Wherever you are on your writing journey, or whatever you use to define “success” in this business, the most important thing you can do is to persevere. Stay on the path you’re on until you clearly receive other marching orders.


But remember, a rejection--or even a whole slew of them--isn’t necessarily a neon sign telling you to give up. One year, five years, ten years, or--as it happened in my case--25 long years from where you are now, who knows where your stories will take you . . .

IF YOU DON’T GIVE UP!

What are the milestones that stand out on your journey? Let’s talk!

One commenter on today’s post will receive a collection of five inspirational novels, including my latest release, A Horseman’s Gift.

Filipa Beltran is sick and tired of living out her parents' dreams. After years of guitar lessons, she makes a drastic decision to cast aside her studies toward becoming a professional musician, return to her hometown, and start living life on her own terms.

For Nathan Cross, the past year has been nothing but crazy. Once set on becoming a big business mogul, Nathan's plans derail when his widowed mother remarries, moves to Texas, and leaves Nathan in charge of the family's equine therapy center. Determined to honor his father's memory and carry on the legacy, Nathan can't understand how Filipa, his childhood best friend, can simply walk away from everything her parents sacrificed for her.

Even so, neither can resist the growing attraction between them. Can Nathan and Filipa find common ground along with contentment in their God-given gifts?

Happy Birthday Seekerville!

Inspiration for the Oft-rejected with Guest Jane Myers Perrine

When I visited this beautiful blog, I noticed a number of things.  First, I have many good friends and favorite writers here.  Tina, thank you for the invitation to blog with this talented group.


I also saw a good number of recipes that look delicious.   I considered adding a recipe, but mine don’t always turn out well, like the oyster stew when I misread the recipe and an inch of butter floated on top.  Or the cabbage, cinnamon apples and sausage casserole so bad we picked out the sausage to eat.    

No, everything doesn’t turn out as we’d like.  This is really a sneaky way to get into the subject of my bumpy writing career which didn’t turn out exactly as I’d like until recently.

As I’ve mentioned in several bios, my third-grade teacher said I’d be a writer but publication took longer than predicted.  I have a copy of one of my early rejection letters, date 1981.   Yes, thirty-one years ago.

What took me so long?   First, I wasn’t serious about my writing.  Then, I was writing Regencies when those lines were closing.   Finally I sold seven books and thought, “I’m on my way.”  Didn’t turn out that way.  For three years, I wasn’t on contract with any publisher. 

Do you know how depressing that is?

How did I keep going?  Perseverance.  My motto has been and still is:  If you don’t keep writing, you’ll never be published.

I kept writing but worked hard to improve.  How?  Glad you asked.  I didn’t publish during those first years because I didn’t know how to write.  Until I joined RWA in 1993, I wrote in a vacuum, making the same mistakes over and over.

First step: be ready to learn and accept, humbly, the help of others. 

I bought tapes from writing conferences and listened to them of the way to work and back.  Knowing my weaknesses, I repeated the ones I needed until I could almost recite them.

I asked others for help and listened.  Many years ago, a friend read a few chapters, then pointed at one sentence and said, “There’s your voice, Jane.”  I didn’t even know what voice was and certainly didn’t realize I had one. 

Enter contests and learn.  If you are a writer who believes your words are golden and no one has a right to change them, if you enter contests only so people will praise your amazing talent, you might never publish.  Few of us are that good and editors do expect a writer to listen to suggestions and make changes.

And, yes, this is your book and your choice—but the judge could be pointing out the reason it hasn’t sold.   As writers, we learn which suggestions or criticism to accept, but we should consider everything first.  

That’s my first suggestion:  network, share, listen, learn.

Second:  take action.

  In 1997, I realized my career was going nowhere.  I had to do something.   I began a new story, a light paranormal, and gave it a title that really stood out:    Your Love Life Stinks.   I finaled in my first contest—and many more--with that.  No one forgot the title.  I believe this was the true start of my writing career.    It never sold but I gained great confidence and people remembered me.

Third:  Don’t keep writing the same book over and over. 

You’ve probably learned everything you can after a few years on one story.  You’ve redone the action and characters so often, you may be confused about who they are.  Yes, you love them, but let them rest.  Start something new and fresh.   Once you learn more, you may be able to come back and fix the first one.  Many of us have decided that first book was a learning experience, never to be read by anyone.

You might try a different genre.   I know people tell you to stick with the same one until you publish, but I had to find my place.  I adore mysteries.  Drop a body in and fun ensues, but I don’t write them well.  I’ve tried paranormal and romantic short stories  but found my niche in novels about life in a small town.  Could be you need to try something else.

One more thought about publishing:  a lot depends on luck or karma, a blessing  or a window opening.  When I was writing a Regency, all the lines were closing but a friend told me Avalon had just opened a historical line.  I sold.   With Love Inspired, I’d finaled in several contests but the LI editors who judged never asked for a complete.  Then LI decided to become edgier and bought my novel about an ex-con.   My editor for FaithWords had been talking to a friend who said she loved humor.  My manuscript was the next one my editor picked up.   Often, publishing means being on the right desk at the right time.

But you won’t get there if you stop writing.

Jane Myers Perrine has worked as a Spanish teacher, minister, cook, rifle instructor, program director in a state hospital, and been an active volunteer but she’s always wanted to write.   Finally, she found time and has published books with  Avalon Books and Steeple Hill Love Inspired.  Her short pieces have appeared in the Houston Chronicle and Woman’s World magazine.
 
She’s now writing a three-book series she loves about a young minister in a small town in Butternut Creek in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas.  She likes small towns, warm, friendly people and humor. 

With her minister husband George, she landed in the South after living many years in cold areas of the country.  They decided to give up changing seasons for no snow and have never regretted that choice.  They now live north of Austin where their lives are controlled by two incredibly spoiled tuxedo cats.

The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek is the first book in the Widows of Butter Creek series and releases April 2012 from FaithWords.

From Amazon.com:Upon his arrival, Butternut Creek Christian Church's newly-minted minister is met by a welcome committee led by Miss Birdie and her friend Mercedes, a.k.a. "the Widows." Their first order of business, to educate him on how things should be done, quickly gives way to a campaign to find him a wife.

When their matchmaking efforts fizzle, the Widows turn to another new bachelor. Amputee and Afghan vet Sam simply wants to be left alone-- a desire that's as good as a red flag to the Widows! Soon they're scheming to pair him up with Willow, his beautiful physical therapist, a divorced mother of two who is afraid of commitment, Perrine's small-town tale is a big-time triumph of gentle humor, fast-paced plot, and wonderfully engaging characters.


Jane has a copy of her release to give away to one commenter. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition!!  Thank you, Jane!~


P.S. Jane has a beautiful website...check it out here.