Restored Hope: My Writing Journey, Pt 3

So it’s been a couple of weeks since I posted on my writing journey. I intended to finish up this series in August, but alas I attended the ACFW conference + I ran my first half marathon. Then I was busy gearing up for a new homeschool year with the children, so there ya go.

But I haven’t forgotten my promise to share my story in all it’s glory, lol.

Here’s part 1 and part 2 in case you missed it.

The Present

2016 has been a really tough year for me as a writer. There have been major God-can-only-fix-this obstacles tossed in my path, and it hasn’t been your usual rejection of a manuscript. Manuscript rejections are typical in the publishing industry. Manuscript rejections are like earning your battle stripes. I’m cool with battle stripes.

The writing obstacles I’ve undergone in 2016 have been deeper and unnerving.

My core values have been tested. Truths have been revealed. I’ve had to run into the arms of a God who shines His light in the darkness, and who I believe is 100% fighting on my behalf.

He sees all the details, and He knows all the details. He will work this out for me in the end.

The Distant Past: My High School Story

In the first post, I told you about how I think our past gives us clues on how we can develop in the present. In high school, I was accepted into one of the top universities in the nation, but the vice principal of the high school said I couldn’t graduate because I hadn’t met the attendance requirement. You can read the details here.

To combat this obstacle, we had to appeal to a higher authority. My mother contacted the Bishop of our Diocese and explained the issue to him. The Bishop contacted the principal, and then he came up with a solution: I’d attend a senior retreat that was hosted by another high school, and that would fulfill my attendance requirement. Problem solved. I graduated high school and went on to attend and graduate from my dream college.

In my present (2016 writing situation), I’m appealing to an even higher authority: God.

The Not So Distant Past: The 2013 ACFW Conference + Pitching Nervousness + Finalist Nervousness

I had lots of hope coming into the 2013 ACFW conference as a Genesis finalist. But there was one problem: I didn’t know who I should pitch to! There were so many options for agents and editors, and I didn’t want to make the wrong choice. I figured that I’d request an appointment with an agent who I had queried and sent a subsequent follow up email, but who had never responded.

My husband said: “Don’t meet with that person. If someone isn’t going to answer your simple email, why spend over a thousand bucks to meet with them one on one for 15 minutes?”

That was my first lesson in determining my worth as a writer. I never requested an appointment with that agent.

Know your worth.

I pitched to other agents and editors at that conference, and I left with multiple requests all around. I didn’t win the Genesis that year, and yes, I was bummed out. Thankfully, my husband attended the conference with me. He gave me a pep talk before my pitch appointments, scoped out the people I’d be pitching to, and he gave me a tough love talk after the awards gala. This was the tough love talk:

“You better get your tail downstairs and mingle. I’m going for a swim.”

He doesn’t mince words.

I followed his advice, and that evening I ended up meeting writers who would be my companions on this publishing journey.

I left the 2013 ACFW conference early the next morning intent on two things: 1) fulfilling those agent and editor requests and 2) upping my mastery of the writing craft.

Part 4 Next Week (For real this time!!)