When Perfectionism Turns Into the Writer's Enemy

Perfect writing won't sell a book. (See previous post.) But that doesn't mean we should settle for mediocre. Striving to make our books perfect can push us to grow into the kind of writers who might one day be ready for publication. If we shoot for perfect, than we'll end up being better writers and closer to our goals than if we didn't aim for it at all.

However, can perfectionism in writing become our enemy?

Many of you know my agent tried to sell two completed books to Bethany House and that they only contracted one to be apart of my three book deal. They didn't want to buy my second completed manuscript because the setting and time period are currently not popular among readers.

Truthfully, I was very disappointed they didn't want to give the second book a shot. I'd grown a lot while I wrote it and thought it was tighter, better writing with a more complex plot and deeper characters than the book they contracted. I was excited about the story (and still am!) and had wanted it to be my break-in novel.

Bethany House may take a look at this book again at some point, but for now, I'm shelving it. Even though my agent had another publishing house express interest in it, I'm focusing right now on working solely with Bethany House. I'm letting go of the dreams and hopes I have for that second completed book--for a time.

When we devote months of our lives to a particular book, spend money on a freelance editor (yes, I paid to have my non-contracted book edited), then spend more hours and weeks sweating over edits, trying to get our books perfect. . . it's incredibly painful to think of shelving our books, isn't it?

At some point we have to make a decision to cut the ties with that book and move on. But how does a writer know when it's time to shelve a book and start the next?

That point will be different for every writer. But I think we'll know we've reached a letting-go level when we've allowed perfectionism rule as queen. When we're continually striving to reach an unattainable level of perfection, we hash and rehash the book, we spend months, maybe years on the same story, trying to get it just right, but are either never satisfied or face continued rejection--then maybe it's time to let go.

Perfectionism could be stopping you from writing the next book. And that next book probably won't be perfect either, but maybe it will finally be: Good Enough.

Has perfectionism ever been your enemy? If so, how? At what point do you know it's time to shelve a book and move on to writing the next?

If "Perfect" Didn't Sell My Book, Then What Did?

What a relief to know our books don't need to be perfect to sell, right?

So, if perfect writing doesn't sell a book, what does?

We all want an easy answer to that question. We search the far reaches of the Internet for tips, read agent blogs, study published books--all with the hope of finding an answer to the question: What will help me sell my book? We think if so many others can reach publication, then we can too--if only we could discover how they did it.

The truth is, there is NO ONE formula that sells books. What works for one writer is not a sure-fire way to land an agent or book contract for another. So, I hesitate to share a few of the things I think may have helped me, because what worked for me will likely be different for others.

However, with that said, I will attempt to break down some of the possible reasons my book sold. (These points are taken directly from the email notes my editor gave me when she sent me the rewrites I moaned about last week.)

1. Overall excellent writing. (Notice they didn't say perfect!) There's no doubt we must have a grasp on the craft of writing and the myriad of "rules" that make books appealing to the modern reader. I recently read Little Women. And while this book is a classic, the style, pace, and craft techniques would not appeal to most of today's readers. We can't hope to sell if we don't know how to craft page turners.

2. Gifted story-telling ability. Let's be brutally honest. Everyone might have a story to tell. But not everyone can tell it well. We're not all gifted in the same way. I'd never attempt to try out for American Idol--not even with voice lessons and years of practice. I don't set dogs howling when I sing--at least not yet. But I can easily accept I'll never be the next American Idol. Not all of us are equally gifted story-tellers either. In fact, I'm quite sure there are plenty more gifted than me!

3. Draw the reader in right away. We all know how important the first page and chapter are. With each of my books, I almost always have to rewrite chapter one. In other words, none of my first scenes survive my personal edits. Once I get into the depths of my book, I have more fuel and a better feel for how to open the book, and invariably I rewrite it.

4. Portray action scenes well and weave tension throughout. Since we're a movie generation, I'm convinced we have to view our books in terms of scenes, similar to the construction of movies. Most of my book cuts from one scene to the next. I have narration to show the transition of time in some places, but even now during the rewrites, I'm analyzing the few spots of narration and trying to trim them more.

5. Create a cast of interesting and unique characters. While Bethany House didn't like the arc I'd developed for my hero, I guess he was still interesting and unique. Even though I need to go back through and make changes to his character development, this isn't quite as daunting as it first seemed. I can tone back his original "flaw" and make one of his other weaknesses bigger instead. In other words, his character is already defined but I just need to change the emphasis.

I'm sure my book sold for many other reasons that I don't even know and can't even begin to fathom. But I DO know "perfect" didn't land me a contract. Instead, "perfect" was the harsh task master that pushed me to do the absolute best I could. It forced me to put in many years of learning and writing; it demanded that I hone the craft and my storytelling, until finally, it was. . .Good Enough.

What do you think of my editor's list of positives? Are there any other things you think help sell a book?

Does Today's Writer Need to be Perfect to get Published?

Thank you for your encouraging comments in response to my last post! Your genuine warmth and support brought fresh tears to my eyes!

The path to publication can be brutal. We all face adversity and pain at one point or another. We writers can commiserate together at the difficulty. But why is it, that to an outsider the writing life often looks so easy?

My friends at Seekerville had a hilarious post on Saturday: Getting A Book Contract. So Easy, A Caveman Can Do It. Here's one of their quotes: "According to a recent survey, 81 percent of Americans feel they have a book in them -- and that they should write it." (NY Times)

That's a LOT of people either hoping to write a book or in the process of writing one. With so many wannabe's, the competition is tough. Most of the time writers don't have a chance at traditional publication without an agent. But even getting an agent is next to impossible--or so it seems.

With such stiff competition, most of us begin to believe our books have to be perfect in order to rise to the top of the slush pile and get noticed. We read every writing craft book we can get our hands on. We scrutinize every adverb, count each passive verb, and slash as much narrative as we can.

We analyze plot lines, deepen characters, add tension to every sentence. Some of us even hire freelance editors to help us take our books to the next level. We think if we can just get everything in our books PERFECT we'll finally get an agent to take us on or a publishing house to give us a contract.

Once we have our books perfect, we strive to write the perfect query letter and synopsis. We labor hours and hours to get them just right.

The question we must ask is this: Does today's writer need to be perfect to get an agent or book contract? Is perfection the key to opening the traditional publishing door?

On some level, I think we WANT perfection to be the key. Then we have something tangible to strive for. When we get those rejections, we can tell ourselves we just need to edit the book a little more or write a better query next time. And maybe that's partly true. We can keep on improving in our writing skills.

However, after getting back my rewrites, I realized Bethany House didn't accept my book because it was perfect. In fact, my story is far from perfect. As you know, I have several MAJOR changes I need to make along with a number of minor ones. And this is only the first of three in-house edits.

In other words, I'm not perfect and my book isn't either.

That begs this question: In today's highly competitive market, with so many talented writers to choose from, why would a publishing house offer me a contract on a book that needs such big changes?

My answer: Perfection is not the key. As much as we want a magic formula for getting published or an easy answer for our rejections, perfection is not it. Being the perfect writer, with the perfect story is NOT a guarantee of publication just like having faults does not equate automatic rejection.

If "perfect" didn't sell my book, then what did? More in the next post. . .

For today, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever felt the pressure to be perfect in order to succeed in today's competitive market?

My Emotional Reaction to My First Rewrites

In my last post, I discussed some of the specific details of my rewrites. As I mentioned, I spoke with my editor for over an hour, discussing all of the concerns. Before we hung up, my editor said, "I hope I didn't discourage you too much with all of this information."

My mind was reeling in overload mode and I don't remember my mumbled reply. It was probably something like, "I just hope I can fix everything and get my book the best it can be."

Her final comment was, "We believe in you, Jody. We think you're capable of making the changes. Call me anytime you need to discuss anything further."

As I hung up the phone, I took a deep shuddering breath and pressed my knuckles against my forehead. "Oh, Lord. Oh, Lord. Wow. I want to cry!"

A deluge of doubt and despair pounded upon me. I slumped down in front of my laptop. Through my threatening tears, the pages of my notes blurred together in a disorderly mess of scribbles.

Even though I'd braced myself for the difficulty of the rewriting process, I was completely unaware at how inadequate I'd feel when I finally got the edits.

The dark thoughts came swiftly and suddenly. Why had Bethany House contracted me in the first place? I just knew they were regretting their decision, but now it was too late to back out of our contract. In fact maybe they'd chosen me because they like my agent and just wanted to make her happy.

They surely hadn't contracted me because of my skill. Not with so many things wrong with my book. Even if my editor had complimented me on a number of positive things, maybe she'd just said those things to be nice, to make the hard things easier to swallow.

I'm baring everything today. . . yes, those were really my thoughts in the initial hours after I got my rewrites. When my husband walked in the door after work, he rushed the kids out of the house and took them to Burger King for dinner. He gave me the gift of blessed silence. I could wallow to my heart's content and try to make sense of what I'd gotten myself into.

Was I really cut out to be an author? Was I capable of doing what they wanted me to do? I just didn't know.

At that particular moment of self-despair, one of my blogging friends, Jill Kemerer emailed me. In my response I told her about getting my rewrites and I shared my doubts. Here's her response:

Don't despair!! This is normal!! My published writer friends all had pages and pages of revision requests, and guess what? They all have books on the shelves. It's okay! Don't forget--you're a very talented writer. Rachelle Gardner decided to represent you and she has thousands of queries every year. She does not take on many clients. And Bethany House loved this book enough to buy it.

Her email brought fresh tears to my eyes. Thanks Jill! And thanks to everyone else, too, for your words of encouragement! I can't tell you how much I needed it!

But I also needed my agent to step in and give me a firm, but loving shake. When I bemoaned my rewrite experience to her, she gave me the no-nonsense feedback that we all love so much about her blog. Here's what Rachelle said:

I know you'll survive the editorial process. It's hard but I know you can do it. Let me know if there's any way I can help you specifically. I have authors whose novels haven't sold yet and I'm putting them through their editorial paces. I always say, "Be glad you're not experiencing the revision process for the first time while under contract and deadline!" But for you I say, "Be glad you have a contract, and get to work!"

I'm not very far into my rewrite process yet. But I'm realizing that maybe things aren't quite as bad as they first seemed--maybe I'm not such a horrible writer after all. I'm organizing my thoughts for the changes, and I'm starting to feel more hopeful.

And most importantly, I'm trying to remind myself of the blessings. I need to remember how far I've already journeyed and how much God has blessed my efforts over the past six months.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with doubts about your writing ability? How do you keep the negatives of the writing journey from discouraging you? Do you remember to count your blessings? If so, I'd love to hear some of them!

My First In-House Rewrites: Specific Details

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in the first stage of editing: the developmental edits, also known as rewrites. Last week my editor at Bethany House called me to begin our discussion about my book and the big-picture changes I would need to make.

Our conversation lasted over an hour. She talked through her list of "major concerns" compiled as a result of discussion with a number of other editors who had read through my manuscript.

I appreciated that my editor took the time to call and discuss the concerns, as opposed to just emailing me her list. With back and forth dialogue, I was able to get a clearer picture of what didn't work and the ideas they thought I could implement instead.

Today, I want to share a few of the types of things I will need to rewrite. But before I divulge, I need to clarify one aspect of this process. While some of the rewrites will make my book better all around for any publishing house, some of the changes are specific to Bethany House and the standards they hold for their books.

In other words, the things Bethany House has asked me to change are not necessarily industry standards. No one should use my list as an editing check list for their book. Because, as we all know, the publishing business is subjective. What might not work for one publishing house will for another.

With that said, here are a few of the changes Bethany House would like me to make:

1. Setting: I need to do a better job of establishing the physical setting in the opening chapters, set up the town better, show whether it's a large town or village, etc. On the other hand, I've included too much of the complicated political/religious struggle and have to simplify and clarify what's going on.

2. Hero's Character: Bethany House didn't like my hero's character arc. They want me to focus on a different internal struggle than the one I'd originally picked. They gave me a suggestion for another conflict I could develop. And now that I've had time to think about their idea, I absolutely love it! However, weaving this particular thread through the entire book will take MAJOR work!

3. Ending: In the last scene of my book, my hero is locked up in prison. (Mind you, this is mid 1600's England when anyone who dissented from the established Church of England could potentially end up in prison or worse, lose his life.) However, in thinking of what readers like, I have to agree that I need a happily-ever-after. My hero must get out of prison and return to his family. I'll need to do some revamping so that I can release him from jail in a way that doesn't appear contrived.

These are just a few of the areas I'll need to rewrite. There are many more changes, some smaller and easier to take care of and others that will truly involve REWRITING! It all boils down to making my story as appealing to readers as possible.

So what was my reaction after my editor shared all of the key and secondary concerns? What did I do after I hung up the phone? Did I go jump off the nearest bridge?

Stay tuned for the next post. I'll share my honest-to-goodness gut reaction to this whole process.

For today, I'd love to hear what you think about these developmental edits. Do any of the requested changes surprise you? Are you the kind of writer that believes the publisher knows best? Would you be willing to make whatever changes they suggest? Or are there just certain aspects of your story you'd never change?

The Stages of Editing

As you know, my acquisition editor at Bethany House had my first book in his possession (probably on his laptop or kindle). After I signed the contract, he then passed my book along to a handful of other talented editors. These editors spent the past few weeks reading and critiquing it.

One of these editors will work with me more closely on the nitty-gritty of editing. So that means I have two primary editors: an acquisitions editor who manages the career aspect of my book (release dates, cover, etc.) and a writing-related editor who oversees the actual editing process.

Similar to any revisions process, in-house editing is done in layers. The first stage is known as developmental edits or rewrites. This is where I'm at. The editors look at the overall themes of my book, character development, plot lines, setting etc. They analyze the big picture and make notes of the major areas that need chiseling away (or in some cases hacked off).

The second layer is line-editing. At this point, the rewrites are completed, the plot works, the characters are strong, chapters are rewritten, scenes cut or added. Now the book is ready for sanding down. Sentence flow, word choices, inconsistencies, POV, etc.--everything is examined and the rough edges are smoothed out.

The final stage of editing is the copy edit. A copy editor takes a detailed look at the book, correcting grammar, typos, and punctuation. She also checks for accuracy and format. This is usually the final edit before the manuscript goes to the typesetter.

I'm at the very first stage, the rewrites. My writing-related editor emailed me and we established a time for our first phone meeting to discuss the big changes I would need to make. Our conversation took place last Tuesday. (If you follow me on Twitter, you've already heard some of my moans and groans!)

Because of the time difference, we had a slight mix-up on the hour of the call. However, I only hung up on my editor once. (I blame it on my new phone! Really!) And I only had to put the phone down one time to keep my noisy boys from killing each other in their rowdy game of tackle football INSIDE--which I don't allow, particularly when I'm on an important phone call. (So much for that movie I stuck in to keep everyone quiet!)

At the beginning of our call, we spent some time getting to know each other. I was amazed to learn that her parents were among the founders of Bethany House Publishers and that she had worked in one capacity or another at Bethany House for most of her adult life. Obviously she has an incredible amount of experience and wisdom which she can bring to our relationship.

After chatting for a bit, she began to give me feedback on my book. I appreciated that she shared the positives first--the things the editors particularly liked about the story and about my writing in general.

Then of course we eventually HAD to discuss their concerns. These were the issues that all of the various editors had noted during their separate readings. They'd met together to discuss the book and to compare notes. And then my editor was delegated to call me and share their "major concerns."

I'll share more of the specifics and my reaction in my next couple of posts. . .

Question for the day: How do you keep your kids quiet while you're on an important phone call?

No, seriously! I love the break down of the editing process into specific layers. It makes so much sense to do the major, big picture revisions first and save the smoothing out for later. So here's the real question: Have you used layers in editing? What works best for you as you do the first major rewrites? I'd love some tips!

Dream Big

This week we've talked about writing only one book a year versus two or more. That led to the discussion about quantity writing versus quality. Most important to our writing career is producing a love-at-first-read book. If we can only write one a year to get that kind of book, then that's what we need to do.

However, with that being said, I think many of us are ready to challenge ourselves to do more and be better. Sometimes we get into a rut. We've written one book and we keep rewriting it or polishing it, instead of pushing ourselves to write the next novel.

Maybe we have a daily word count goal and it's the same one we've had for the past two years. Perhaps it's time to push ourselves to increase the amount we write on a daily basis. (That's what I need to do.)

Or maybe we have no trouble churning out the daily pages, but instead need to slow down and practice a new writing skill or two. Why wait for the editing stage? Perhaps we need to consciously build a good habit of writing without adverbs or without passive tense in the first draft.

At the writer's conference I recently attended in Denver, the keynote speaker, Debbie Macomber, inspired us to dream big. As a fifth grade dyslexic she struggled to write. When she was a young mother she wrote her first eight books on a type-writer. It took her twenty years to finally start selling books successfully.

Her message was that if we ever want to "make it" we have to practice the power of positive thinking. She encouraged us to write down five goals. The goals could be anything, even the desire to become a best-selling author or have a movie made from one of our books.

Write the goals on paper, she said. When we write down our goals our subconscious works toward them. Our heads will follow the dreams in our hearts.

Her words motivated me to dream bigger. I wrote down my goals, even though I felt a bit presumptuous with a few of them! Ultimately I know that God is in control of my future writing career. But I also believe that the right mindset is essential to success too.

The journey to publication has so many discouraging valleys and steep climbs. It's hard to keep a positive attitude during the long haul. But if we dream big and continue to challenge ourselves to do more and better, then maybe we'll accomplish more than we think possible!

Do you need to dream bigger? What ways can you challenge yourself to grow as a writer?

P.S. Don't you like my new cute tweet widget? (Thanks for the idea, Roni!) If my post was helpful or inspiring to you and you want to share it with others, hit the tweet button and it will show up on Twitter as a retweet.

Quality Writing Versus Quantity

In the last post we had some excellent discussion about whether one book a year is really enough to build a writing career. I loved hearing your varied opinions.

Writers who can produce two or more quality manuscripts a year will probably develop a larger readership than an author who only writes one book a year.

I can think of a couple of authors I love who only write one book a year. After I read their yearly book, I sit back with a satisfied smile, put it into a place of honor on my bookshelf, and drum my fingers, wishing I could have another of theirs to devour.

Those authors would only stand to benefit by producing additional books. They'd make more money, grow in popularity, and keep their name in front of reader's eyes.

Yes, they'd benefit. But at the same time, I don't think they're hurting themselves. Every time one of my favorite authors writes a new book, I read it, even if it's only once a year. They've got my loyal following no matter how many they write.

Number of books won't change my loyalty. But the quality of books could. If an author I like writes a book that doesn't jive with me, I can overlook one, maybe two like that. But if they continue to disappoint me, then I have a difficult time continuing to read their work.

I'm in a new place in my writing career. I'd like to strive to write more than one book a year. In the past I've taken approximately nine months to complete a book and that includes the weeks of pre-writing research necessary for historicals.

I'd like to challenge myself to higher daily word counts. I'd like to try to squeeze in additional concentrated writing time each week. If I do that, I might be able to finish a book in six months. However, as I mentioned in the last post, I won't have the luxury of devoting all of my writing time to my WIP (work-in-progress). I'll have to juggle the editing on my first book too.

So, what's my point? While a greater quantity might help a writer's career, a better quality WILL always benefit--without fail.

So, if we have to pick, quantity or quality, which should we be striving for?

It's easy to get caught up in the numbers game with other authors. When we're unpublished we compare how many books we have sitting in our drawers. When we're published we compare our totals per year.

We might have twelve books stuffed into the closet, but if we haven't grown in quality with each one, then what good are the numbers to us?

I want to be in the business of making readers fall in love with each of my books. What about you?

How many books a year do you strive to write? For fast writers, how do you maintain quality?

One Book A Year Or Two?

As part of my 3 book deal with Bethany House, I agreed to write one book a year. Book #1 is tentatively titled The Preacher's Bride and is scheduled for release next fall 2010.

After looking over some of my ideas for future books, my editors picked the two they liked best. So last week I began researching Book #2. It's set for release in the fall of 2011. Book #3 is on the schedule for fall of 2012.

On paper, the plan is for me to write one book a year. An entire year to write one book seems like plenty of time, doesn't it? In fact, it even appears leisurely!

However, this week I'll be getting my REWRITES for Book #1. Tomorrow, I have a phone meeting scheduled with one of my editors to begin discussion of all of the changes I'll need to make. (You can be sure I'll blog about this entire process!)

The rewrites are only the first round of edits and are the most substantive. My editors have already warned me that I need to make my ending more happily-ever-after. I'm guessing I'll have other big changes to make as well. I'll find out exactly what during that phone meeting--which is making my stomach twist into strange shapes.

Once the rewrites are done and in, then I'll eventually get two other sets of edits. All this to say, I will NOT have a leisurely year in which to research and write Book #2. I'll be learning how to multi-task: writing one book and editing another.

So, that brings up a couple of questions. One, how do authors manage to find time to write more than one book a year in light of all of the other writing responsibilities they have? It seems that most authors write multiple books in a year. And two, is it better for an author's long term career to publish more than one a year?

Of course I posed these questions to my editor. My contract essentially says I should write one book a year. Is that enough? Or should I attempt to do more?

Here's my take on his answer. I've got to figure out what I'm capable of doing. I'll be facing new challenges with fitting editing into my schedule. In the past I could wholly devote all of my writing time to one book. But now I'll either have to write and edit at the same time or put aside my writing for a while and focus on the editing. The next year will give me the opportunity to figure out what works best for my schedule.

But besides that, my publishing house is interested in QUALITY books. They'd rather have me take the time I need to produce ONE dynamite book a year, than two or more mediocre books.

However, that being said, my editor also alluded to the fact that publishing more than one book a year helps keep an author fresh in the public's eye. Readers are less likely to lose track of an author who is multi-publishing, whose name and books are splashed across cyberland as well as bookstores.

What do you think is best for a writer's long term career? Is one book a year really enough or should an author try for at least two?

Getting Personal: Gaining Confidence

As many of you know, I wrote in the closet for many years (read my post here.) Since getting my book contract, I've sidled out. There's no going back in. For better or worse, I'm public with my writing.

Overall, the general response from friends has been positive. Most seem genuinely excited for me. Even so, there will always be those who don't understand the writing journey, who ask difficult questions, and don't appreciate what I do.

With all of the positive responses, I have to ask myself why I still delete my email signature with links to my blog, facebook, and twitter whenever I email my non-writing friends. Am I embarrassed for them to visit my blog? Why do I want to keep the writing part of my life set apart?

I also have to ask myself why I still don't post many writing-related comments on facebook. Is it because I have many non-writing friends there and am not sure I want to expose my writing life to them?

As I anticipate the release of my book next fall, I cringe at the thought of what my non-writing friends will think. Of course I already know my writing buddies will support me, even if they can't help picking apart my book! It's the dreaded writer's curse: the ever-increasing inability to read for pleasure.

But what will my neighbors and real life friends think? Will my more philosophical friends think I've written fluff? The conservative ones think I'm too edgy? The liberal ones think I'm too stuffy?

I may have a book contract, but I still waver with self-doubts. So, my point is this: No matter where we're at on the path, we have to choose to respond with confidence in who we are as writers. Whether published or unpublished, confidence is NOT automatic. It's a mindset we must choose.

Since writing is something we're passionate about, why should we feel the need to duck our heads in timidity? I have friends who are passionate about running long distance races. And I have friends who are avid gardeners. They're proud of their passions and don't hide what they do, even if they don't win any prizes. As writers, why should we hide?

So for all of us who need a huge dose of confidence, let's believe in ourselves and announce to the world that we're writers. We should stand tall, hold our heads high, and know that in our hearts we're doing what we love.

We don't need to fumble around to try to justify why we're not published or why we spend so much free time at our keyboards. It's enough to simply say: I write because I love it.

What will you do this week to take pride in being a writer? For starters, I'm going to stop deleting my signature links in my emails! I'd love to hear how you're stepping out and sharing the news of your love of writing!

Getting Personal: My Family's Reaction

Since I'm getting personal this week, I thought I'd share how my family has reacted to my new book contract. As most of you know, I've been married for 18 years and am blessed with five children ranging in ages 12 to 4.

When I got home from my recent writer's conference, one of my twin daughters wrote me a note: "Mom, I'm so proud to have an author mom." I think her note sums up the sentiment of my entire family. They're proud of me for working hard, for persevering through the tough times, for finally receiving the reward of publication.

My kids have loved being able to tell their friends that their mom is getting a book published. No longer am I just the weird neighborhood mom who sits out on the deck with her laptop and stack of history books. I'm the cool author mom now.

My husband is proud enough that I may not have to do my own marketing. He's great at telling complete strangers that I'm an author. Every time I'm tempted to hide in the writer's closet, he yanks me back out with his bragging on me!

With all of their excitement however comes a dose of reality. As I scan the road ahead of me, I see the rocky terrain, the sharp twists and turns, the steep climb. Soon I'll be writing my next book and have the added load of editing my first. I wonder how I'll have time keep up with blogging, other social networking, AND take care of my family.

I know I'll approach this new path of my journey the same way I always have--with determination and drive. I'll put my head down, move forward, and do what needs to be done. But here are just a few of the changes I'm making:

I'm trying to plan out more concentrated work time. On the evenings and days that my husband is home, I pack up my lap top and head to a quiet desk at the library. Even if it's only for two hours, without the interruptions it feels like five.

I'm also delegating housework. My husband is perfectly capable of fixing dinner and having it ready when I get home from the library. After all, I prepare supper and have it ready for him when he gets home from work! Fortunately he's incredibly supportive and helps wherever he can. My older children have taken on more responsibility as well.

I'm sacrificing social activities. I've always enjoyed inviting families over for dinner or going to various church functions and hanging out with friends. Over the past year, I've gradually done less and less. Often my husband will take the kids to gatherings and leave me home to work in quiet.

These kinds of changes have been the hardest for my family. My kids don't like having to kiss me goodnight at 6:00 p.m. as I head out the door to the library. They don't particularly jump for joy at folding extra laundry. And they definitely miss having our friends over or going more places together as a family.

Yes, having an author mom is cool in theory. But in reality, there are very tough days when they wonder if they can have their old "uncool" mom back, the mom who doesn't sit behind her laptop every spare moment.

When I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, if somehow I'll "damage" my children, I remind myself I'm teaching them so many things through my passion for writing. I'm teaching them to work hard for something they want. I'm teaching them that they can pursue what they love. And I'm showing them that their dreams can come true too.

What is your family learning from your passion for writing?

P.S. My dear blogging friend Roxane Salonen is featuring me on her blog today. For more about how how getting a book contract has affected my life, check out her awesome blog: Peace Garden Mama.

Getting Personal: More Pressure

In recent posts I've shared some of the technical details about my book contract. This week, however, I want to get more personal and give you a glimpse of how the contract is affecting me on an emotional level.

In sharing my journey toward publication, it's my desire to inspire other writers. Many of you have said you've appreciated getting a "behind the scene" view at the various steps I've taken (either that or you're just being really nice!).

Some of you have already been in my spot and some are right behind me. Wherever you're at, I hope my blog can encourage you to keep persevering during the long uphill climb. The path to publication isn't easy, but it IS possible.

So, in getting more personal today, I thought I'd tackle the question Tabitha asked in her comment on my last post: What does it feel like to write after a contract? Is there new pressure?

I'm just starting to research and write my next contracted book. I'm absolutely overjoyed to have the green light to begin writing Book 2. During the past few months I wasn't at liberty to pick any ol' book idea and run with it. I'd agreed (and desired) to have the input of my publisher. We all wanted to choose carefully so we could find a setting and era beneficial to my long term career.

Now that I have the go-ahead, I'm delirious with the need to eat and breathe story life again. I have my character worksheets printed and my plot notebook started. I'm filling my research binder and plowing through stacks of history books.

In some ways, I view this next book the same as I have all of my others: I want everything about this one to be better than the last. Plot, characters, tension, setting, historical details. Everything.

No one else has put this pressure on me. Certainly not my agent or editors. No one has said I have to write a better book or they'll stop representing me or rip up my contract.

The only pressure I feel right now is what I'm putting upon myself. I want to challenge myself to improve in my writing skills whether it's my second book or my twenty-second. If I'm growing in my abilities then I'll hopefully satisfy my agent and editors. Even more important, I'll satisfy my readers. But mostly, I'll be able to take pride in doing my best with the gifts God's given me.

At some point, deadlines might add new stresses to my writing. Editing one book while writing another will pose challenges. But right now I still feel like I'm the same kind of writer I've always been: dedicated and determined.

Thanks, Tabitha, for asking such a thought-provoking question! Now here's my question for all of you: What kinds of pressures do you put upon yourself with your writing?

Working With In-House Editors

After I signed my book contract, I soon received an email from one of the acquisition editors of Bethany House. He introduced himself, warmly welcomed me to BHP, and then asked if we could schedule a time to have a phone meeting.

With shaking fingers I emailed him back, told him I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with BHP and made arrangements for a time we could talk.

On the afternoon of our pre-scheduled phone call, I made sure the house was quiet. I positioned myself near the phone and when it rang promptly at 2:00, I took a deep breath then picked it up. Since we're old-fashioned and don't have caller ID, my jittery "hello" was answered by the voice of one of my friends.

I don't remember the conversation with my friend, only that my nerves were dancing a jig as I rushed to finish our call and free up the phone. I started sweating at the thought of my editor getting a busy signal and ripping my contract to shreds in frustration!

Finally, I hung up and a few minutes later the phone rang again. This time I found myself speaking to the senior acquisitions editor of Bethany House Publishers.

He immediately put me at ease with his kind and gracious manner. Within seconds I could tell how amazing he was at his job. His knowledge of the publishing world, his talent at communicating with writers, his ability to direct a writer's career--all of that came shining through our conversation.

Long after our phone meeting was finished, I kept thinking back over the things we'd talked about and feeling grateful. I have an editor who cares not just about selling my books. But he cares about helping me develop a successful writing career.

Of course I have to work incredibly hard to keep growing and learning in my craft. I need to put my heart into editing and taking in all of their suggestions. And I have to write my second and third books so that they're better than the first.

But if I put forth the effort, it's comforting to know I have an editor who will work equally as hard! Actually, Bethany House has assigned me two editors. The acquisition editor will help oversee my books and be involved in all aspects of the publishing process. Another editor will work with me on the specific details of the edits.

Just yesterday I spoke with my acquisition editor again. We had arranged another phone meeting to discuss the options for Books 2 & 3. The editorial team picked two ideas they liked the best. So he and I discussed in more detail the pros and cons of those stories. It was fascinating to learn what kinds of issues I need to steer away from and which ones I should make strong in my next two books.

So, what are your thoughts? Do you it's enough just to find a publisher who's willing to sell your books? Or do you think there's value in having a publisher who's also interested in developing your long term writing career?