When Your Dream Comes True

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

My love of literature is part of my earliest memories. As a toddler, I loved to be read to. Before I started kindergarten, I insisted I already knew how to read, when in fact, I had memorized stories read to me.

Once I learned how to write, the urge to create stories soon followed. I made little books of cut up paper with cardboard covers filled with crayoned illustrations and penciled words. I still have one of these books, and it looks as funny as it sounds. J

My mom gave me some old school items a few years back, and among these was a scrapbook from fifth grade that contained a quiz. You know the kind—the teacher says a word and you respond with the first word that pops into your mind. Not surprisingly, many of my responses were about books or writing.

By the time I was a young adult, my desire grew to include becoming a published author, but back in the day with no internet, the publishing world was a mystery. In order to get any information, you went to the library and searched out publishers and addresses and then had to figure out how to query or write manuscripts. It was a long, tedious process! I tucked away my dream while I spent the next twenty years raising kids. Occasionally, I’d write an article and submit it somewhere, only to receive a rejection letter.

Almost ten years ago, after my sister’s death, I couldn’t write. I couldn’t form a sentence. Nothing inspired me. So I turned to another passion—wannabe artist. I bought art books and sketched. It was a cathartic outlet for my creativity, and though it didn’t require any real thinking, my frustration level peaked often.

Then in the summer of 2006, I saw a contest in the local newspaper for a murder mystery serial. Six installments had already been written, and each month, writers could submit the next chapter. I hadn’t read any of the other installments, but I wrote a chapter and submitted it. In a few weeks, I received a call that I had won for that month. I ended up winning the next five months and completed the serial. Next I wrote an op-ed piece on poorly planned urban development that elicited much debate within our community. Many nasty and praiseworthy comments were made about me in the public forum, which gave me a little taste of the thick skin needed to be a writer. Later, I met the newspaper’s publisher at a charity function, and he extended an invitation for me to freelance.

But my real passion has always been fiction. I studied the craft, honed my skills, attended writers’ conferences, joined critique groups, and learned to network. I started getting requests for full manuscripts from proposals I’d sent to publishers, and then in 2011, I signed with an agent, though we’ve recently split.

Although I’ve written three full-length manuscripts, two of which are under review at traditional publishers, I decided to self-publish a smaller Christmas manuscript I wrote in the spring.

“A Christmas Chance” is layered with different themes, the main one the emptiness a woman feels while struggling with infertility. The desire to have children is instilled in women by God, and like Hannah (Samuel's mom) in the Bible, many women would do just about anything to become a mother. Their empty hearts become even bigger during Christmas when other families have children to celebrate with. The main character, Maddie Oliver, is no exception. On the other side are the children who lose parents or are in the foster care or adoption system, and often they don’t get a fair shake from the beginning of life. Maddie and Chance’s story is heartwarming and fictitious, yet the message of God’s hope is very real. He is able to do more than we can imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

So, here I sit, almost five decades since I first fell in love with books. My life took a different path than what I imagined as a youngster. Yet God has been so good to me, strengthening me throughout the process and guiding me to the right time and place to have my first book published (Psalm 136). His timing is always perfect.

The world tends to judge writers by its definition of success. I’m not up there with Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, and my books don’t sit alongside Jan Karon’s or Karen Kingsbury's in the Christian bookstore.

Still, I’m a writer.

Am I a success? Well, I guess that depends on what measurement you’re using. I do know this—my dream has come true.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and my launch of “A Christmas Chance” today. It’s now available on Amazon. Click here to purchase or learn more.

Meanwhile, if you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or email me confidential requests. I’d love to join you in prayer. J

God bless,

Laura

© Laura Hodges Poole

“Woman Face” photo courtesy of graur codrin/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

How To Develop Effective Writing Habits

“I learned never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.” Ernest Hemingway 

Sounds like a good habit. In order to have a successful writing career, one must purposely develop habits to make this happen. In talking with aspiring writers, a common thread emerges in their comments as to why they don’t. 

Of these, two consistent obstacles derail their efforts for a writing career—and I’ve experienced these in my own life.

Ø  I can’t find the time to write.

Believe me, I feel your angst. I used to say this, too, until I realized it was a ridiculous lie I told myself for various reasons. Lack of confidence, lack of support, overcommitted to other things, working, and being a mother and wife. The list was endless. Some were legitimate excuses at times, but most of the time that’s exactly what they were—excuses.

Even for published writers, distractions like platform building, mentoring, or writer’s block can devour your time. This is when it’s most important to be deliberate in setting daily goals, whether it’s word count, blocking time, or finishing a chapter for your latest book manuscript. 

While platform building is vital for a writer’s success, how much time do you waste on social media? What begins as a way to connect with readers can also become a bad habit and hinder a writer’s discipline to accomplish goals. It becomes an excuse when we don’t feel like writing.

It usually goes something like this for me. My characters won’t cooperate or my mind is not clear on how to proceed, so I decide to check my Twitter account. After all, maybe my followers list needs tweaking. I have to keep an eye on that. Wonder what’s happening on Facebook? Maybe I should check that while I’m taking a break. It wouldn’t hurt to respond to a few emails, as well. 

The problem is when we’re playing on Twitter or Facebook, our characters are, too. Our readers aren’t ever going to discover if Lassie rescues Timmy from the well or Harry escapes the clutches of Lord Voldemort or whatever our characters are supposed to be doing, if we don’t get on with the writing. 

I guard against this during creative droughts by forcing myself to put words on the screen and create scenes and dialogue, not worrying about how it sounds or reads. Later, I re-read and tweak, and usually to my surprise, it’s not as awful as I first believed. But even if most of what I wrote gets cut or revised, the discipline of forcing words onto the page develops the habit. 

Becoming a successful writer takes consistent work. This only comes through diligence in time management.      

Ø  I don’t have my own space to be creative.

We used to have one computer in our home. Given the fact that I also run a medical transcription service, it seemed someone was always standing in line to use the computer. Kind of hard to be creative under those circumstances. J Still, I snatched a few minutes here and there to work on short stories and articles. I also went to the library where quiet space is plentiful. 

Consider this for a moment. Writing can be done away from the computer. Sometimes I do my best plotting when I’m exercising, taking a shower, or enjoying a long walk. 

During the time my family of four shared a computer, I also used a notebook to write down ideas or plot points. I’d craft opening paragraphs or queries for non-fiction articles. A designated “physical space” is not necessary to do this, as much as finding a place to consistently be alone and write.  

Now I write on a laptop at my kitchen table. From my vantage point, I can look through my sunroom windows to the outdoors. I’ve found this to be more creative than sitting at my desk in the office/guest room where I transcribe medical reports. The kitchen table is not an ideal situation for some families, but it works for us. 

I found another Stephen King video to share this week. J He and author of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger, discuss the habits they’ve developed in regards to writing space and setting in order to be creative.

 Now, I want to hear from you. How do you find time and create space to write?

© Laura Hodges Poole