Restored Hope: My Writing Journey, Part 4

I have to be super completely honest, I’ve been avoiding writing this post all week. Why? Because when you’re presently in a hard part of your journey, well…the natural response is to avoid talking about anything related to it. Yet I know that telling my story will heal my soul, and so I will.

I left the 2013 ACFW writing conference intent on filling all those requests and increasing my knowledge of the writing craft. (Read part 1, part 2, and part 3 here) I promptly sent out proposals and manuscripts. Afterwards, I didn’t think much of it because I know it takes a while for people to respond. However, within a few days to a few weeks of the conference, I started receiving responses from agents, and they were positive. Some wanted to chat on the phone. Others offered representation on the spot! I was thrilled and overwhelmed. But how would I choose?

Despite the interest I had garnered from agents, I was slow to sign with one. (I was very, very slow to sign with one. I waited to close to a year after the 2013 ACFW conference to sign a contract.) My stories are a vital extension of myself, and so I took my time with choosing an agent. After much thought and prayer and research (a year’s worth of thought and prayer and research 😉 ), I signed with an agent the following year.

I also received a rejection on my manuscript. 🙁 That was super hard, but I had learned from being in show business to just keep going. So I started work on another one. I still believed in my first manuscript however, and so I got to work on improving that one as well.

When I started my second book, I was riddled with second book syndrome. I didn’t know if I could actually do this thing! Was that first book a fluke of nature? Was I a fraud? I inhaled writing craft books and work, work, worked on this second story. Then something special happened. After “hours and hours of beating on my craft” (to quote Will Smith), I tapped into what I call creative gold.

I had reached a new level of mastery in my craft. It was freeing and liberating and all around awesome. I knew that I knew that I knew the reasons behind the creative choices I had made, and I didn’t second guess myself. This video from Will Smith expresses my sentiments on talent, skill, and getting from Point A (nothing) to Point Z (something).

The Point A in my life was 41 Throop Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. That’s where I grew up. You can Google the address and see my childhood home. The windows weren’t boarded up like they are now, but it wasn’t the best area in town.

As a child, I witnessed some bad things going on in my neighborhood unfortunately. But there was great beauty and great goodness too.

I remember catching fireflies on the front porch on warm summer nights. I remember playing double Dutch (or at least trying to play double Dutch) with the girls in the neighborhood. I remember receiving a winter coat from the local church around the corner. I remember sitting on the front porch and getting my hair cornrowed by Ms. Lee, our neighbor. I remember love.

My parents weren’t rich, but they did what they could to give me the best. They ensured that I attended the best schools, and that I wouldn’t be at a disadvantage because of how others perceived me. From this, I learned how to work, how to bounce back from failure and mistreatment, and how to…work. I think these early lessons help me even today as I navigate myself through 1) improving my craft and 2) building my writing career amidst setbacks.

God has carried me a long way so far. Only He could have taken a little girl with big dreams, and do what He has done. Thank you, Lord. I’m looking forward to seeing what He’ll do next.

Anyway, after “hours and hours of beating on my craft,” I not only went to the next level in my writing craft. I tapped into something even more special, I allowed the Holy Spirit to enter into my writing process.

On my first book, there were moments of creative inspiration, but they seemed so random and fleeting. On this second book, I can recall exact moments where I had let the Holy Spirit take over. When I did, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, so to speak, and showed me how and where to put things together in the story. It is the most AH-mazing experience when the Holy Spirit comes alongside you and writes. That’s when the story is no longer yours. It’s HIS story, and you’re just the scribe. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

{Side note: Now that I’m writing this, my confidence is building. After the low points in my writing journey this year, when I see how God stepped in, I can’t help but believe that He has got my current obstacle in the palm of His hand!!}

Okay, so then I entered my books in all these contests. I entered both books in RWA contests and the 2015 ACFW Genesis. I also had a Young Adult novel hiding in my stash, and I polished that one up and entered it in contests as well. I didn’t final in all the RWA contests I entered. But that year, all three of my manuscripts semi-finaled in the 2015 Genesis. And then two of them went on to final. Then other RWA contests started emailing/calling with news that my manuscripts were finalists in their contests as well. When all this started to happen, I couldn’t help but think of the times when I allowed the Holy Spirit to move in my writing process. I give Him all the credit for the good news that started popping up in my writing life. I’m not special in any respect, but I do know my Lord 🙂

{Another side note 🙂 : When God moves, He moves! Nothing can stop His hand upon my life or your life. Invite Him into the details of your own journey, and let Him lead as He wills…Okay, I’m preaching to myself now because I needed to hear that too!}

The conclusion (the conclusion for now) to my writing journey will be posted next week!