So You Didn't Final In the Contest?

Ah, spring and early summer. The time of year when fiction writers hold their breath and watch their phones in anticipation of hearing the good news--your contest entry made it to the final round!

There are so many great contests, and many aspiring inspirational fiction writers enter ACFW's Genesis contest or My Book Therapy's Frasier contest. Romance writers get giddy over RWA's Golden Heart contest. All of these offer bragging rights and the chance for your entry to be judged by top editors and agents.

But with prestige come few finalists and hundreds of non-finalists. I want to hug everyone who doesn't get the phone call. Wrap my arms around them and tell them a few secrets.

Yes, I know things. I've been on this aspiring writer merry-go-round for a while now.

While I haven't entered very many contests, I've come away with enough golden nuggets that have improved my books to make each contest worth it.

For everyone who took a leap and entered a prestigious contest this year and didn't go on to the final round, I'm sharing some hard-earned wisdom with you.

1. Something about the experience will improve your writing.

You might find it on a scoresheet. You might not. A long time ago I received feedback that made me wonder if the judge had read someone else's entry--it had nothing to do with my book! But it improved my writing because it helped me trust myself. Some advice resonates with us. We should only take advice we understand and agree with.

2. Not everyone is on a fast-track to publishing, and it does NOT reflect your talent.

I wish I could tell you why some people seem to board the lightning-fast plane to contest wins, agent contracts, and overall buzz from their peers. I applaud them. But I want YOU to know it doesn't matter.

For every overnight success story, there are roughly five hundred slow-and-tortuous stories. Yes, I made that statistic up, but honestly, you need to know most writers lose contests, face many rejections, and take five steps back for every step forward. Ask around. You'll see.

There is no expiration date on your dream. Yes, it stinks to get our hopes up only to have them smashed. This is an extremely competitive business. Take the hard knocks now, ask yourself how much you want this, and continue to improve your skills.

3. When you go through enough trials on your way to publication, something wild happens.

You get humble, you get confident, you get good at writing, and you realize you'll put up with a lot of misery to grasp that golden ring.

Don't believe me? It's easy to continue on a journey when all the lights are green, and everyone is waving you in to the finish line. It's hard when light after light is red, and no one realizes you're even on the road. I wonder how many writers who entered the Genesis contest five years ago are still writing?

When you've faced a devastating rejection on your wedding anniversary, a cruddy contest result on your son's birthday, or a rough pitch session at an expensive conference--you get humble.

When you write and revise and study the writing craft, listen to your critique partners, and pay attention to the industry--you get confident.

When you do all this day after day, refusing to give up, you get good. Really good.

When you do all this year after year, you understand publishing itself won't make your life perfect. It won't be a picnic. You might have a strained relationship with your first editor. The sales of your debut might stink. Hey, you'll get some bad reviews, your family could mock your book, you might not get that second contract. And guess what? You'll still put your butt in the chair and keep going.

Why? Because you've done it for years. You'll remember all the rusty nails you stepped on to get to that point. What's a few more? This is your job. Your career. One you sacrificed for, cried over, poured sweat, blood, tears on and maybe even lost some of your sanity.

But here's the thing. After all the trials you went through on your way to that first contract, maybe, just maybe, you'll land the editor of your dreams. You'll get the second, third, and fourth contract. Your sales will rock. You'll still get some bad reviews. But you won't care, because you're living your dream.

So, you didn't final in the contest...

You're going to do fine. Just wait and see.

If you entered a contest recently and did not final, please feel free to e-mail me (jill(at)jillkemerer(dot)com) if you're struggling. I'd love to help you through this. 

Have a wonderful day!

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Writer's Survival Guide 1: Dealing with Negative Emotions

The last year challenged me in ways I hadn't anticipated when, years ago, I pumped my fist in the air and declared I would be a published author. Negative emotions weaseled into my normally easy-going, upbeat personality. I ignored them, pretended I wasn't feeling them, or occasionally justified them. But recently, I was forced to acknowledge that, despite all of my attempts at positive thinking, deep down, fear was tearing me up.

Dealing with negative emotions is only one part of a writer's health. I don't know about you, but I'm struggling to keep my body fit, my eyes clear, my brain creative, my soul happy, and whatever else possible to be the best writer I can be.

So... I decided to share what I'm doing to keep my body, mind, and soul powerful. Welcome to the first installment of the Writer's Survival Guide. Every Monday will be devoted to helping writers grow strong. I realize how vital mental and physical health is to power through this journey. I've been very, very blessed to have a huge network of writers to talk to, either in person or online, and I know that every stage of a writer's career requires stamina.

For six months, I've read book after book about staying positive, about the power our mental state has on our physical life. For over twenty years I've kept up with the latest exercise and nutrition fads. Health fascinates me. It also confounds me, especially...

When negative emotions attack.

As I mentioned earlier, the last year disrupted my equilibrium. I think most writers can relate to what I'm talking about. I have not met an author who hasn't dealt with ups and downs, fear, excitement, hope, despair, envy, bitterness, joy, and gratitude. Is it part of the job description? Maybe!

Looking back, I would say I reached a point where I was no longer content with where I was at on the publishing totem pole. Unfortunately, I had it in my head that all the years I'd already spent climbing the sheer cliff to traditional publication were payment enough. After all, I had served my years on rejection row; I'd spent hours, weeks, months, years learning the writing craft; I critiqued others' books, had them critique mine. I knew my writing had improved, and I revised and polished until I knew I'd done everything I could to make my books the best they could be.

I'd been blessed beyond belief to find an agent who believed in me and loved my writing. Simply put, I felt it was my time. My time to shine!

I've always firmly held to the belief that perseverance and hard work would pay off. I prayed. I prayed for the exact outcome I desired. I stayed positive, let myself dream, brushed off all "why don't you self-publish?" queries, and yet, I still didn't feel...good. Often, envy would clench my heart at all of the people who announced book deals online. Bitterness pierced my soul that in four years of blogging, submitting, and doing everything "right" I still was sitting on the sidelines, twiddling my thumbs.

My inner confidence eroded as my outer confidence grew an edge. I knew something wasn't quite right within me, but I couldn't acknowledge it. Wouldn't acknowledge it. Peace eluded me. Gratitude came with price tags.

But God has a way of getting our hearts right--even when it's painful. Several challenges entered my life, leaving me scared, sad, and ultimately quiet with an empty heart.

When my heart emptied, I found grace.

I shook off my pride and confided in trusted friends. I prayed. (I pray a lot.) My confidence changed, shifted to an appropriate level. Gratitude no longer had price tags. The bitterness and envy? No place for them to stick. When your heart is wiped clean, the negative emotions slide off.

Maybe I never anticipated my publishing and personal journey would have so many bumps in the road, but I also never imagined I would be blessed with so much support along the way.

Simply put? I'm a billionaire in friendship.

And I'm open--wonderfully, ecstatically open--to my future.

At some point, most of us plod through a period where all the things we worked hard and hoped for refuse to come. Not only that, we get bad news in our personal lives. Then we step in dog poop. Yes, even authors who have experienced success don't always get the outcome they want. If negative emotions attack you, I hope you will be more proactive about them than I was.

When envy, pride, bitterness, or despair hit, we can meet them head on. Ask ourselves what's the worst that can happen? What is really causing you to feel this way? I can't speak for you, but one of my problems was that I had a sense of a ticking bomb. Like, if life didn't improve soon, I'd combust. I worried that another setback would put me over the edge. More than anything, I was scared I wouldn't be able to handle more bad news.

Maybe the old "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" adage didn't quite apply to me. I'm more of a when life gives you lemons, pucker up and cry a little type of gal. But the cool thing is--I'm surviving. I found out that more bad news didn't destroy me. It gave me clarity. God gives us the strength to get through anything. We can't prevent bad things from happening, but we can control our attitude and our reactions.

Have you tried to push away negative emotions? Did they fester? How did you ultimately overcome them?

Have a fantastic Monday!

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4 Steps for a Fabulous Fallow Time

Each step in a book requires a different set of skills, and for me, completing a project--performing the final round of revisions and polishing the proposal--demands the most. Just over a week ago, I finished a much-loved book. The exhilaration, I did it! I gave this book everything I have, and it's the best I could do, soon gave way to exhaustion. I knew a fallow time was in order.

4 Steps for a Fabulous Fallow Time

Step 1: Get Away (if only to your bedroom)

We spent most of last week tent camping in gorgeous Holland, Michigan near the shores of Lake Michigan. Camping takes more work than a hotel, but I find it nurturing to the soul. We spent almost all of our time outdoors, either on the beach, hiking, or sitting by a campfire. Our meals were simple. We happily lived without television, computers, and other technical gadgets. We did NOT live without coffee, though. That would be cruel. :)

Step 2: Rest

One thing I noticed from day one was how physically tired I was. Non-writers may not realize how draining it is to pour every iota of brain power into honing a book. The cool, fresh night air lulled me into a deep sleep, and during the day I fought to stay awake in the sun's warm embrace as we listened to the rhythm of the waves.

Step 3: Zone Out and Snack

I leafed through one magazine and read one book (which you will be hearing all about on Wednesday because it was awesome!!). My brain was too tired to read more than that. And after we returned home on Friday, I spent most of the weekend reclining on the couch, watching pre-season football and snacking on bagel chips and chocolate-covered raisins. For the record, I'm pumped about the Lions and sporting at least three extra pounds.

Step 4: Be Productive in Other Areas Until Your Creativity is Primed

Just as God commanded us to rest on the seventh day, He also commanded us to let our land lie unplowed and unused every seventh year. As a writer, I know the necessity, the value, in giving myself time off between projects. I will rest more, read more, spend time on the other needs of my business, such as continuing the design of my new website and fleshing out plot points for potential books. Regular exercise and a lighter diet will be my friends. And I'll do a big cannonball of joy back into the social media pool--I love interacting with everyone! Slowly, the tiredness will ebb, and ideas will pelt me until I'm ready to plunge into my next project.

Do you take time off between projects? What are your tips for a successful fallow time?

Have a magnificent Monday!

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The Committed Writer

The committed writer makes many sacrifices with no guarantees of rewards.

Willingness to not be understood

I write full time and stay at home with my kids. Many people do not understand my job or even know if it is a job, considering I don't get paid for it. If you're an aspiring writer, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Since I set aside hours to volunteer at school and I drive my kids to practices and games, it appears I have an open schedule. Maybe you work a full-time job? Many people probably have no clue how much you give up to make time for your writing.

I'm blessed. My friends and family do understand and encourage me, but I struggle to get everything done.

Devotion

If you're like me, you spend a large chunk of every weekday--winter, summer, spring, and fall, writing and all the responsibilities that come with it. Building a fiction platform can't be set aside for months like a half-finished quilt. Story ideas still need to be written down, plots fleshed out, manuscripts revised, queries polished, proposals created. Right now, during the summer, I struggle the most.

But the mornings when I'm tempted to shut the alarm off and sleep an extra seven hours, I open my eyes, brew the coffee and turn on my laptop. On days my kids have sports' practices, I squeeze my writing in even if it means we don't go to the pool. Every member of my family sacrifices for my writing.

Worth it

It's commitment. The day-in, day-out. The knowledge that I could be using those hours either having more fun with my kids or working at a part-time job makes the sacrifice all the sweeter. Writing is my privilege, my passion, and I am willing to not be understood by acquaintances, to let my children figure out how to have their own fun every morning, and to not have the extra income if it means I have a shot at succeeding in the one profession I don't want to live without.

What do you sacrifice in order to write?

Have a great weekend!

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