A Work in Progress by Eileen Rife

Writers throw around the acronym WIP when talking about an ongoing writing project. WIP stands for “work in progress.”  Today, author Eileen Rife shares how God revealed to her that our manuscripts might not be the only “works in progress.” Enjoy and be encouraged in your own writing life! ~ Dawn
 

A Work in Progress

by Eileen Rife

I wanted it so badly I could taste it. I had studied the guidelines, examined the reader profile, and scanned back issues. I was ready. Setting fingers to keyboard, I delved into writing an article for a well-known Christian magazine—my first major break into the market. The editor had accepted my query, and now I meticulously crafted each word to fulfill promises made. After several edits, I clicked the send button, releasing my precious fledgling into cyberspace. I took a deep breath and uttered a prayer: “Please, Lord, let this article make it into print; but not my will, Thine be done.”

Waiting on God

I knew it could be weeks before I received a reply. As much as I wanted this publishing credit, I made a deliberate choice to place the outcome in the Lord’s hands.

Two months later, while typing another article, I noticed the little read flag on my mailbox waving at me from the corner of the computer monitor. After clicking on the tiny icon, a message popped up from the editor I had been anxious to hear from. Suddenly, my fingers froze on the mouse, afraid to move and confirm my worse fear: rejection! “Oh, God, help me accept Your will for this article, whatever it might be,” I prayed.

Glued to the screen, I sat in shock as I read his assessment. While the article had several good thoughts, it was not what he had expected from the query and was too much like what the magazine had recently covered.

Caving in to frustration and anger, I closed the lid of my laptop and pouted my way to the hot tub where I joined my husband for a soak. Hesitating to admit another literary defeat, I stuffed my agitation and asked how his day had gone. After a few routine exchanges, I was ready to spill my guts. Feeling better, I grabbed a towel and walked back into the house.

The laptop sat on the desk, mocking me, as if to jeer, “Ah, you thought you could serve God and make some income doing what you love best? Who do you think you’re kidding? Why don’t you give up?”

Repulsed, I turned to walk away, but another voice intercepted. Eileen, you could email the editor again, admit your mistakes, and request a second chance. He did say you had some good thoughts. Why not give it a try?

Humbling My Heart

Flipping open the lid to the laptop, I clicked the reply button. As I stared at the blank screen, I prayed for guidance to form my words. Satisfied with my effort, I sent the message and went about my business, never expecting to hear from that editor again.

I had almost forgotten about the whole thing when one day I received a reply—one of those too-good-to-be-true messages. The editor told me that after reading my email, he had a stronger sense that my article might be something he could use after all. He admitted that in the six years he had worked for that magazine, he had never reread an article once he had rejected it.

Feeling genuinely humbled and grateful to God, I typed a response, thanking him for his reconsideration of my work. Two months later while eating lunch, I received a phone call from that editor stating that the article approval committee had accepted my piece and a contract would be in the mail. I nearly choked on my sandwich. 

God had allowed me to get a cherished story out to the public, supplying some additional income. But He also had provided much more than that: a lesson in humility and trust and the knowledge that, like my writing, I am a work in progress.

An alumna of Christian Writers Guild and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Eileen has published several non-fiction books, written newsletters, a marriage column, and over ten church dramas. Her byline has appeared in magazines, such as Discipleship Journal, Marriage Partnership, Mature Living, Christian Home & School, Drama Ministry, and ParentLife, as well as other print and online publications. Her fiction works include Journey to Judah, Restored Hearts, and Chosen Ones in the Born for India trilogy, and a stand-alone novel, Second Chance.  She and husband, Chuck, conduct marriage seminars in the States and overseas. Her favorite pastime in this season of life is dancing with hubby, spending time with her daughters and their husbands, and playing with her six grandchildren. 

To learn more about Eileen and her books, please visit:

www.eileenrife.com

www.eileen-rife.blogspot.com

www.christianspeaker.net

www.oaktara.com

www.guardyourmarriage.com

Fortifying Friday: Can I Do This?

Can I Do This?

When we begin a new manuscript, receive a rejection, or struggle with mastering our craft, we may wonder if we really have it in us to be writers. After all, the journey to publication is not an easy road to travel. There are many who give up and fall by the wayside.

If we truly believe we’re called to write, and we desire to serve God through our words, I believe we won’t settle for mediocrity. Creating and sharing our projects can bring joy and fulfillment in a variety of ways. But writing to our potential means hard work, tenacity, and sometimes sacrifice. It may also require patience and waiting for years to get published.

Can I do this?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

One of my friends (multi-published) and I recently talked about the projects we’re working on. I’m tackling a genre that I’ve never written before. I explained that it's a little scary for me. I experience fearful moments when I wonder if I'm just kidding myself. Can I really do this? Can I pull it off?

She admitted—and I’ve heard other authors say the same thing—it never changes. As a matter of fact, some multi-published authors express that with each new book, because of expectations, their fear increases. They worry they won’t be able to write the story, and then when it’s published, they fear bad reviews and poor sales. As the saying goes, you’re only as good as your last book….

But God doesn’t want us to be afraid! He put the desire in our hearts to write because he has a plan and a purpose for it.

We can find encouraging words in the Bible when we experience doubt. (I've included one list below.) You may want to keep them in sight in your writing space. When you question your abilities … when you feel stuck … and when you feel discouraged, look to those words to help keep you moving forward with renewed energy and faith in God and yourself.

Have you ever struggled with doubt or felt discouraged? What helped you?

We can do this!

~ Dawn

YOU SAY: “It’s impossible.” 

GOD SAYS: “All things are possible.” (Luke 18:27)

YOU SAY: “I’m too tired.”

GOD SAYS: “I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

YOU SAY: “I can’t figure things out.”

GOD SAYS: “I will direct your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

YOU SAY: I’m not able.”

GOD SAYS: “I am able.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

YOU SAY: “It’s not worth it.”

GOD SAYS: “It will be worth it.” (Romans 8:28)

YOU SAY: “I’m afraid.”

GOD SAYS: “I have not given you a spirit of fear.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

YOU SAY: “I’m always worried and frustrated.”

GOD SAYS: “Cast all your cares on ME.” (1 Peter 5:7)

YOU SAY: “I’m not smart enough.”

GOD SAYS: “I give you wisdom.” (1 Corinthians 1:30)

YOU SAY:  “I feel all alone.”

GOD SAYS:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

YOU SAY: “I can’t manage.”

GOD SAYS: “I will supply all your needs.” (Philippians 4:19)

By God’s Clock— Not Mine by Anne Mateer

The writing journey can be filled with ups and downs—small successes, followed by failures and discouragement. We dig in, we hope, we pray … and we strive to trust that God knows what he’s doing. Be encouraged, dear friends, by author Anne Mateer’s personal journey to publication. ~ Dawn

By God’s Clock— 

Not Mine

by Anne Mateer

Early in my girlhood, I dreamed of becoming an author. Then I fell in love. Got married. Had three babies. 

My babies grew. The last one traipsed off to kindergarten, leaving days free to write. A year later, I finished my first ever novel. The next year the Lord let me to a writers group. Year three took me to a national writers conference. I submitted the beginning of my novel— and got a request for the full manuscript from an agent!

This is it, I thought. But nothing happened.

I went to soccer games and class parties, basketball games and field trips. I wrote another novel. And another. I entered the Genesis contest— and reached the finals. 

This is it, I thought. 

I didn’t place. And though I sent it to a few agents, nothing happened.

I reevaluated my writing, my genre, drove endless rounds of school and music lessons, practices and games. I turned forty, battled with my oldest. I survived her driving a car, the boys reaching their teens. I enjoyed a bit of freedom.

Another novel flew from my fingertips. This one was good. I knew it was good. It reached the Genesis final round. An editor at the conference asked for the full manuscript.

This is it, I thought. It’s my time. But nothing happened. 

Nothing but rejection and tears and wondering if I’d wasted time and energy and money on something I was never meant to do. 

Start again, I heard. And He gave me the strength to obey.  

I wrote in the midst of the excitement and sorrow of my daughter’s senior year. Again, a Genesis entry. Again, a spot in the finals.

This is nothing, I thought. Nothing but a word of encouragement. We celebrated graduation, put my in-laws back on the plane home. And one of the judges requested my manuscript. 

This is exciting, I thought, but still no guarantee. We left our daughter at college. I incorporated revisions suggested by the editor. Resubmitted.

This is a great way to learn, I thought. My own private writing class. But it’s not a promise. Not a contract. 

At least it wasn’t until that editor called as we arrived at my daughter’s dorm room to bring her home for the summer. 

Looking back I see that all the times I thought This is it! would have resulted in disaster. I wasn’t ready— as a writer, as a person. Neither was my family. But I couldn’t see any of that at the time. Instead, the wait was frustrating. Sometimes it seemed pointless and unfair. But now I see purpose in the delay. I see how much I’ve grown in faith, in learning to trust God with the desires of my heart. How that has spilled over into my marriage, my parenting, my friendships. How much richer my life is for the waiting.

I’m so glad God measured the time by his clock instead of mine. 

Armed with a history degree and a vivid imagination, Anne Mateer combines a love of history with a love of story. After years of honing the craft of fiction, she finally realized her dream of publication with Wings of a Dream. Her second work of historical fiction, At Every Turn, will hit bookstores in September of 2012. Anne and her history-loving husband live in Dallas and are the parents of three young adults.

To find out more about Anne and her books, please visit:

www.annemateer.com

www.twitter.com/annemateer

www.facebook.com/authorannemateer

How Rejection Got Me a Three-Book Deal by Adina Senft

If you’re a serious writer, you’ll eventually submit your work for publication. And if you ever submit a manuscript to an editor or agent, you’ll at some point probably experience rejection. Although having a book that you’ve put your heart and soul into generate less excitement than you hoped, taking that risk is part of the process. Be encouraged! Guest author Adina Senft is here to share how rejection opened other doors for her.

~ Dawn

 

How Rejection Got Me a Three-Book Deal

by Adina Senft

Rejection. It’s the one word we writers dread, no matter how much experience we have, or how nicely it’s phrased.

“We’re passing on this one.”

“Great writing, but not for us.”

“Do you have anything else?”

Or, as one publisher told me, “We have no idea what to do with this.”

Even after you make that first sale—or the fifth, or tenth—rejection is still part of the writer’s life. Proposals get turned down, ideas are nixed, and the writer is left wondering, what do I do now? Was that last sale just a fluke?

A couple of years ago I was in this position. Seven proposals in a row had been turned down, and I lost heart. So instead of coming up with yet another commercial idea, I decided to write a non-commercial one—one that might not sell, but that was interesting and challenging. And if no one bought it, at least I was flexing my creative muscles and having a little fun along the way.

So I wrote an Amish vampire novel.

In the CBA, this is a running joke—take the two best-selling subgenres and do a mashup. It’s bound to be a hit! Leanna Ellis did it in adult fiction (Plain Fear: Forsaken, Sourcebooks) but I wrote YA, which hadn’t been done before. I finished it and sent it to my agent, and the rejections started streaming in. You see, what the jokers didn’t realize is that the two subgenres have zero crossover. No one who buys vampire books is going to buy an Amish novel, and vice versa. And for some of the teen imprints in NYC, the Amish are as strange and exotic as vampires!

I sent it to my editor at FaithWords, and it came back posthaste. But in her note, she said a funny thing. “We can’t publish this, but if you ever wanted to write straight-up Amish fiction, we’d be interested.”

After rejecting seven proposals in a row? Amish fiction? Me?

Then I realized that, having grown up in a plain church, I was uniquely qualified to do it—it had just never occurred to me before. This may seem like the biggest “duh” in the world, but I’d been writing contemporary teen stories with glitz and glamour—a far cry from bonnets and buggies.

I was scheduled to meet with my editor at RWA in Orlando, so I came up with a hook, drafted a sell sheet, and pitched the Amish Quilt trilogy to her over a salad. She got so excited she literally bounced in her chair—and a month later I had a contract, on no proposal, no pages, nothing. Just an idea on a sell sheet.

The first book, The Wounded Heart, is out on September 27, with The Hidden Life to follow in June 2012, and The Tempted Soul in 2013.

Every so often I marvel at the chain of events that brought me to a genre I really enjoy. But most of all, I thank my lucky stars for that rejection!

Adina Senft grew up in a plain house church, where she was often asked by outsiders if she was Amish (the answer was no), she made her own clothes, and she perfected the art of the French braid. She holds an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania, where she teaches as adjunct faculty. Writing as Shelley Bates, she was the winner of RWAs RITA Award for Best Inspirational Novel in 2005, a finalist for that award in 2006, and, writing as Shelley Adina, was a Christy Award finalist in 2009. Three of her books have shortlisted for the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award for book of the year. Of her fiction, publisher and industry blogger W. Terry Whalin has said, Readers will be lost in the vivid world that [she] paints with incredible detail and masterful storytelling. A transplanted Canadian, Adina returns there annually to have her accent calibrated. Between books, she enjoys traveling with her husband, playing the piano and Celtic harp, and spoiling her flock of rescued chickens. These days, she makes period costumes and only puts up her hair for historical events and fun.

To learn more about Adina, please visit:

http://www.adinasenft.com