Having it all Together

I was minding my own business, driving to church, when suddenly I heard the familiar stutter. It was the engine, and it was talking to me:

Feed me.

Only I was miles from the gas station, I was wearing a pair of red heels completely not conducive to walking, and it was ninety-five degrees outside.

Easy, right? Make a phone call. Only (and I kid you not) it was at this very second my phone began to scream death chants at me. I’m dying! I’m dying! Beep. Beep.

I felt like I was on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but with only one lifeline. I knew there was enough juice to make exactly one phone call as I veered to the side of the road and searched for the hazards on my husband’s Jeep.

(Did I mention it’s my husband’s Jeep? That the gas gauge is broken? That he apparently determines when it needs fuel by “how it feels when the engine cranks”? Nice.)

So I called a deacon from church. I listened hopefully as his phone rang again… and again… and again… finally to be answered. Only he was at the beach. Nowhere near my stranded car.

Score.

My deacon-friend blurted the church number quickly enough for me to hang up and dial the pastor’s wife, who sent a search party to the highway just as my phone breathed its last.

(And why did I not call my husband? He also was having a rough night and accidentally left his phone on the kitchen table.)

I arrived at church in time to teach four out of my five classes. But it wasn’t pretty. I was hot, I was sticky, and I was in a mood. Also, I’m pretty sure four out of every five kids won’t be coming back to VBS tonight because of the gas fumes that were leaking from my pores.

I tell you this story as a confession:

I used to obsess about “having it together”.

I couldn’t teach, couldn’t write, couldn’t contribute unless my life resembled a perfectly pristine, starched, white shirt.

No wrinkles.

No flaws.

No mistakes.

I think it’s something we do as Christians; we don’t want people to know when we screw up. We don’t want to admit we don’t have it all together.

But God has something different to say about us. He wants us to do our best—all for His glory—but trust that He uses our weaknesses as strengths for His kingdom.

1 Corinthians 1 says, But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;

God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not —to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Feeling flawed today? Like you don’t have it all together?

Go ahead. Breathe deeply. Let it go. God might just choose to use that to further His kingdom.

****

www.bekahhamrickmartin.com

A LONG month

First off, I have to apologize for being absent the last three weeks. If you follow my personal blog, you know that we have had a very emotional couple of weeks.

To make a long story short, we found out we were pregnant a little over a month ago and about three weeks ago, I started spotting. We went to the ER late one night, saw our baby's heartbeat, went home, went back to our doctor five days later and were told that our baby's heart had stopped, there was no growth and we should go home and wait for a miscarriage.

I continued to bleed and we cried and grieved. We had a follow-up appointment a week later to see if the miscarriage was complete and instead found a baby with a HEARTBEAT and that the baby had grown. Oh friends, it was such a miracle!! I am still in shock!

So, all that to say, I'm officially on semi-bed-rest. I'm still spotting and bleeding and we would so appreciate your prayers for our little miracle baby!!

I will be back next week (I promise!) with something writing related, but I did want to update the Scribble Chick family on what was going on. Please keep us in your prayers!! And please leave your prayer requests for us as well - the biggest and best honor about being a part of this Christian family is that we can pray for each other!!

Love to you all,

Erynn

I is for Ideas....whatcha got? :)

A reader recently asked two questions, which I shall tackle here :)

1. What do you do if you have an idea that you feel is beyond your skills to do it justice? Save if & work on simpler things?

This is a common issue among new writers. And you know what's it called? DOUBT. Or maybe FEAR. Or you could label it INSECURITY. None of those things come from God. Therefore, ignore them. It's good to be humble and realistic about the current level of expertise you have as a writer. I'm not saying start poking your chest out and bragging about how you could tackle any subject, any time, anywhere. ;)  But there's a fine middle ground where you need to camp out. My opinion on this question is that you can do anything you put your mind to. A high concept story is a powerful story - and yes, it needs to be done well. But that doesn't mean don't even try! It means pour your heart into it. Keep learning the craft of writing. Get critique partners who know more than you to edit for you and teach you. Take classes and learn learn learn. And whatever the topic is on, research it. Make sure it reads as realistic. An idea beyond your skill doesn't exist. Rather, you have an idea that is so awesome, you need to make sure you give it the full attention it deserves. Don't sell yourself short! :)

Do you think Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling as new authors pondered their ideas and then said "Nahh. I'm not good enough yet?" Nope. They started writing. And are now household names.

It can definitely be argued that Stephanie Meyer's writing style is amateurish, but a lot of that is the editorial's fault and rush job, as well. So whatever. But you get my point :)


2. Do you think a beginner should focus on only one story at a time?

I would say yes, as a general rule. Simply because you want to give each story your full attention. A half-hearted story is definitely not going to get published, maybe not even get FINISHED. So give each of your "babies" the time they deserve. If you get another idea in the middle of your first, jot down the main points of it so you can remember it later, then dive back into Project 1.

Sometimes in a career, though, authors have to learn how to juggle writing a new WIP, editing their previous, and marketing their previous before that one, that just released. So it's good to learn early on how to manage your time and juggle multiple books at once, but rarely (unless under rare deadline crossover between two publishers) do authors literally WRITE two books at once.

How to Find an Agent

Pretty much anyone can get an agent. The question is—how do you find a really good one?

Here are a few things you might want to consider:

1) Betsy pointed this out sometime ago, but it's worth repeating: Having a bad literary agent is worse than having no literary agent. 

 A representative who bullies publishers or is simply unprofessional will not only ruin his name—he will also ruin yours. It’s worth the time to do your research (visit preditors and editors for more information).

2. Again, worth repeating: a good agent will never charge a fee to consider your work; she has enough business of actual money-making clients to support her business already.

3. You will have a better chance of snagging an agent’s attention if you get a referral from someone he respects.

4. You do not get this referral by stalking, sucking up to, or harassing the agent’s clients. (But you already knew that.)

5. You get this referral by making an IRRESISTIBLE product and developing GENUINE relationships.

6. Show off your skills on blogs, in your critique group {you don’t have one—no excuses! There are plenty online!}, or at conferences {don’t have the $$? No excuses—there are scholarships!}.

6. Don’t stress about the referral. Yes, it’s nice to have one. But when it comes down to it, your work speaks for itself. Is yours saying what you want it to?

{Let’s talk about that next Tuesday. What is your book REALLY saying about you?}

 ***
Bekah is the author of The Bare Naked Truth about Waiting, the book that takes a satirical stab at the lies girls believe about sex (Zondervan, 2013). Bekah likes to help new writers find their niche like so many others have helped her find hers. Questions? Write Bekah.

That Don't Impress Me Much!

For reasons unbeknownst to me, especially since I like country music about as much as the requisite root canal, I have Shania Twain's "That Don't Impress Me Much!" stuck in my head this morning.

Strangely enough, though, the sentiment of that rather insipid song is a pretty perfect lead-in to tackling the question from Gracie, one of our Scribble Chicks readers.

She asked...With the first book that you submitted/put forward I'm sure that you doubted your ability. Do you look back on that first attempt now and feel embarrassed at what you were trying to sell? How do you know that your writing is good enough? How do you separate thinking your writing is boring (because you've read over that particular scene a thousand times already) and realizing that, hey, the first 40 pages really are yawn worthy?

Speaking from personal experience, I knew the first draft of what eventually became my debut novel, Around the World in 80 Dates, lacked a certain something after I gave it a thorough read-through. There were scenes that just weren't gelling for me, characters that needed a little more oomph (or better yet, deserved the ax for their sheer lack of memorability) and dialogue that needed tweaking. I also needed better pacing in spots and a couple of minor plot overhauls.

So how did I arrive at these conclusions exactly? Well, first off, I didn't try and have any perspective mere moments after typing "The End." In fact, I stepped away from my manuscript for probably three weeks before revisiting the story I'd dedicated the better part of a year to. As writers we can't help being close and protective of our own words, but with a little distance, it's far easier to be objective.

Also, something that helped me discern the quality of my work is that I'm also a reader. You've probably heard this a million times already, but that's because it's true...good writers are big-time readers. Think about your favorite book and what you liked about it. Chances are, it wasn't a plodding, boring storyline with dull, lifeless characters, no real resolution and lots of passive verbs.

No, I'm guessing your favorite novel is nothing short of a masterpiece because the author whisked you away to a captivating new world that you had a connection to. It's a story where the characters feel like real living, breathing humans, not cardboard cutouts, and the story's accompanying themes resonate on a deep personal level. And when a book you're reading is something truly extraordinary, the turns of phrase will be so dynamite that you wish you'd thought of them yourself.

If you aren't feeling those things when you're reading your own work, it might not be ready for the masses just yet. But it's also important to remember that you won't always be impressed with something you've read again and again and again. You might be thinking "That don't impress me much," and that's because anything, no matter how wonderful, is a drag if we're too familiar with it.

And if that's the case, you might consider passing your draft along to a trusted but honest friend, family member or editor for his/her feedback. Now I can't stress this enough, but make sure that person is someone you respect, someone who gets you and has your best interests at heart. While it's never easy hearing negative things about your work (and trust me, you will have to grow a thick skin over time...it's just part of the process), these comments ultimately help propel us forward. Perhaps, the story you merely thought was "good" will become something "great," which is precisely what every writer wants, right?

Hurry Up and Wait

We hear it said often that we should make the most of every opportunity. Then as Christians we're taught to wait on God's timing. What does that mean? Especially when it comes to our writing careers?

For me, I think it means a balance of both.

Waiting on God's timing doesn't mean sitting still and doing nothing. We still have to act. Sure, God is CAPABLE of getting us published without our ever sending a submission out but really - I don't think that's going to happen :) 

He WANTS us to move forward in faith. To do our best job, turn it over in His hands, and hit send. That's when we wait on His timing - when we've done our part, to the best our of ability, and to the glory of our Lord. And trust in His will for the outcome. And His timing.

Ministry to me is a partnership with God. It's being a vessel to be used of the kingdom. That means we have to try.

And remember - just as hesitating isn't productive - rushing God isn't productive either. Don't slap something together and send it off because you're eager to see your name in print. Don't slap something together and send it off because you need a paycheck or because you're giving it one last shot before giving up. Sure, God can use even a half-hearted attempt but how many more blessings will abound for everyone if we gave it our full heart?? What if your half-hearted book did get published, because it was God's will for that story, but you end up only reaching half the readers you would have if you had given it your all?

Ouch.

Don't cheat God. Don't cheat yourself. Do your best work, putting aside the fears and doubts and the whispers that Satan loves to utter, and focus on God's will. God's timing. Be sensitive to His Spirit leading you. Maybe you have a story all ready to submit, but you feel an urging to wait. In that case, WAIT! But don't wait because of fear of rejection or fear of failure. Big difference there, guys.

What is your struggle? Do you find yourself rushing God or lagging behind?

Is it Worth the Cost?

Guys. (Or should I say chicks?)

I am on a six month sugar fast. 2 weeks down, 24 to go. It’s actually turned out to be fun.

Not.

There have been cravings. I have made one birthday cake for my boy, one shower cake for my friend, and one set of cupcakes for a good cause… and not even licked my fingers. That’s right…

I’m insane.

Insanely focused.

I’m taking these extreme measures because I want to be healthy and have energy for my career and my family. Not everyone responds to sugar in the dangerous way my body does, so not everyone has to be so extreme. But my point is…

There are things in life we don’t always want to do—but we do them because the end result is worth the sacrifice.

Sometimes people tell me they couldn’t be writers because they can’t do the sacrifice—they aren’t good at radio interviews, or don’t like to have their work edited, or they can’t stand rejection…

Wanna know the truth? There aren’t many of us who love our first few radio interviews. Not many of us are excited about getting our edits back. And I don’t know anyone who does a happy dance at the sight of one more rejection letter…

So I have to ask—are these things worth pushing through for the end result? Do you have an amazing story God wants to tell through you?

Count the cost. Not everyone thinks it’s worth it. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But after some soul-searching, if the answer is yes… if you know there’s a story inside of you that’s going crazy to get out… you know you’re ready.

And nothing will stop you.

***

www.bekahhamrickmartin.com