What I Know About Writing Could Fit in Thimble by Patty Smith Hall

I was once paired with a young writer who to my surprise, knew everything there was to know about the craft of writing. According to her, the writing groups she’d visited ‘just didn’t get her style.’ She refused to part of a critique group because in the past, they ‘tried to change my voice’ with corrections and suggestions. She finally told me she didn’t need nor want any help.

Bless her heart!

I didn’t have it in me to tell her that learning the craft of writing was a life-long journey or that the input of more experienced writers can propel you to the next level. She’d have to learn this the hard way like I did.

Yes, I had an unteachable spirit early in my career. In those first days, I was giddy with excitement over everything I wrote, certain that I’d enter a contest, win it and draw the attention of a big publishing house dying to publish my story. I thought I’d be on my way!

Boy, was I stupid! Not only did I not win, I didn’t even final, and the red marks on my returned entry covered so much of my work, I actually asked the contest coordinator if there had been a mistake. (To this day, I still cringe when I think about it!) When she gently explained there was no mistake, I understood the truth. Not only was I embarrassed, I’d sabotaged myself by not listening to the more experienced writers around me trying to help me become a better writer.

So how do you tame the unteachable spirit? Here’s three ways:

1) Admit you have a problem.

Be honest with yourself. When a critique partner makes a note that something is unclear in your writing, do you try to explain yourself? (A big no-no. Remember, you’re not going to be there to explain it to your readers!) Do you think any type of correction is an attempt to change your voice? Do you scoff at people who offer suggestions to your story? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you’ve definitely got a problem. The only way to grow as a writer is to admit you don’t know much at all. But take heart. None of us do, which is why writing is a life-long learning experience.

2) Grow a thick skin.

Years after the contest fiasco, I signed up for Jerry Jenkin’s thick-skin manuscript class. I even sent in my first chapter for one of the in-class critiques. It didn’t really hit me what I might be in for until I talked to a multi-published friend who said(with a look of absolute terror in her eyes) she’d never been brave enough to let Mr. Jenkins use his red pen on her work. But I had a reason for my madness; I needed a thicker skin if I ever wanted to get published.

Writing is a tough business. The truth is you’re never going to please everyone with your stories. Contests, while good, are subjective. Editors and agents are looking at what readers want and what sales. When you’re published, some readers will leave you a one-starred review even after admitting they didn’t read the book. So if you are working toward publication, you’d better toughen up. You can’t survive this industry without a thick hide.

3) It takes a village to write a book.

Writing is often referred to as a solitary job, and I agree to a point. Alone, we wrangle with phrases and sentences until we arrange them into the perfect combination. But writing a book also takes the help of many others; critique partners, mentors, your local writing group, agents and editors. These people walk alongside us, offering encouragement and advice, sometimes even reading your work for the twenty-fourth time just to help you fill in a plot point. Writing a novel is a group effort.

Now for the hard question—do you have an unteachable spirit when it comes to your writing?

Three ways to know if you have a teachable spirit. via @pattywrites #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting

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Patty Smith Hall lives in North Georgia with her husband of 36+ years, Danny. Her passion is
to write tender romances based in little-known historical moments. The winner of the 2008 ACFW Genesis award in historical romance, she is published with Love Inspired Historical, Barbour and Winged Publishing, and is a contributor to the Seriously Writing blog as well as Journey magazine. Patty is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. 

4 Women Bring Southern Charm to a Cowboy Town 

Crinoline Creek, Texas, 1868
A Cowboy of Her Own by Patty Smith Hall

Bookish southern belle Madalyn Turner knows what she wants—to be a cowboy and own a Texas ranch. But books are far different from real life and soon she realizes she needs help.

Not A Solitary Endeavor by Heidi Chiavaroli

One thing I’ve always loved about writing was the solitude of it all. Never a big fan of school group projects (I always ended up shouldering the brunt of the work while the others coasted along) I was happy to entertain a career in writing. A solitary career.

By myself.

Alone.

Yes, I work better alone. That’s why I write. All by my lonesome. Me, myself, and I.

Or so I thought.

With my debut novel just released, I can’t help but acknowledge the simple fact that although I spent hours alone at my computer to get to this point, there is no way I would have reached the height of my dreams—having my debut novel release with my dream publishing house—without other people investing in my career.

Writing, it turns out, is not a solitary endeavor after all. Far from it. It is absolutely a team effort.

Here are a few on my team:

Critique Partners and Writing Friends: I have had several critique partners over the years and have appreciated them all as we’ve gone through different stages of career and life. I cannot recommend anything as much as I can recommend a good critique partner. Not only does my CP improve my writing with honest feedback, she encourages me on those days when I am tempted to give it all up.

Another dear friend, when she noticed something of potential in my writing, was kind enough to offer recommendation to her agent.

Writing is a lonely endeavor. Without others, we may be tempted to quit, to feel lonely with just that screen and those uncooperative words before us. I would suggest joining a writing group if you don’t have a critique partner. I highly recommend ACFW (www.acfw.com). I found most of my valuable friends—friends who share a passion for both writing and Jesus—there.

A Good Agent: There are so many opportunities and paths to publication today, and many of them don’t require an agent. But I cannot imagine navigating this career without my agent as my advocate. She is not only an encourager and friend, she possesses wisdom I will never have. She opens worlds of opportunity and helps me avoid pitfalls I never would have seen coming. But beware—there are a lot of not-so-credible agents out there. Do your research and talk to other authors before signing with any agent.

Editors: Like my agent, my editors have wisdom to know what will work and what won’t. I cannot believe how they have helped me to improve my story. Quite simply, I don’t have all the good ideas. Their insight, their brainstorming sessions, make a book all it can be.

Marketing/Graphic Design Team: Alone, I simply don’t have the means to make a beautiful cover. I don’t have reach that extends beyond my small fan base. But my marketing team has increased that exponentially. They have the know-how and the resources to promote my book in a way I cannot do—you guessed it—alone. J

Book Buyers: Yes, these are part of my team, too. An important part! From the individual who orders online to the amazing team of buyers at Christian Book Distributors (I met them and I can absolutely confirm how amazing they are!), every buyer is a part of my team. Buyers help you get the word out, they can leave reviews, and be part of the all-important launch team.

And the list doesn’t end here. Those who have helped me with research, my family, my friends, my church. This is one big team I am so, so proud to be part of.

As I held my book for the first time in my hands—the cover more beautiful than anything I could have come up with, the pages freshly printed, the thoughtful endorsements on the first page, the story so much stronger than when I first turned it in—I was hit with this overwhelming gratitude that I am not alone.

And I am blessed for it.

If Jesus, who is and was God himself, enlisted the help of others to carry out His mission, how dare I think I could ever go at my teensy-tiny mission alone? Life—no matter what we set out to do—is not meant to be lived alone. Sure, we need our solitary time, but that should not be the goal. Our goal—in writing and in life—should be to engage others, to live fully with them, to work as a team for the mighty purpose of carrying out the greatest mission of all.

Who makes up your team?

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Heidi Chiavaroli is a writer, runner, and grace-clinger who could spend hours exploring Boston's Freedom Trail. She writes Women's Fiction and won the 2014 ACFW Genesis contest in the historical category. She makes her home in Massachusetts with her husband, two sons, and Howie, her standard poodle. Visit her online atheidichiavaroli.com.