by Roseanna White | Jun 3, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Totally Worth It
As conference season warms up, I’m tickled to be a stop on the official ACFW Conference Blog Tour. This is the only conference I’ve had the pleasure of attending thus far, so I can’t really compare it to any others out there. But I can share my excitement and some of what I’ve taken away the two years I’ve gone.
As the wife of a mathematically-minded man who runs three different businesses, things in my house tend to be measured against the Worth It scale—you know what I mean. We spent X amount on this, which led to Y number of sales. Was it worth it? We invested so many hours of work into the project, which led to this much turnaround. Was it worth it?
It didn’t take long to realize Conference had no place on this scale. My first trip, we scrimped and saved and took our family of three out to Dallas. I went to classes, had appointments, made connections—my hubby watched our almost-two-year-old in the room. He wanted definites to come from it—contracts, advances, royalties. I got something much, much better.
First, I met the woman now my agent. Totally clicked with her, and she took my proposal home with her. Two months later, I got that first exciting call as she asked—ASKED!—to represent me. (As if I was gonna say no, right?)
Next, I met an editor who did not end up buying my book, but who took it to committee and fought for it—which she said she doesn’t often do for books she requests from conference meetings.
Naturally, I learned a lot about craft, about the industry, about marketing.
But that wasn’t the best part. The best part was the people. Never in my life had I been in a room so full of people I knew instinctively I could trust. Though arguably we were all there to compete for only a handful of spots those editors and agents had open, we were not competitors. We were sojourners, traveling together on different branches of the same road. Compatriots. Colleagues. Friends.
I got to meet my critique partner for the first time in person. I met a young woman who w
as pregnant (as I was) carrying a red leather bag (as I was), who has since become my best friend and another critter. I met a sweet woman with a gentle disposition who also joined the critique group a couple months later. When we all met up again at ACFW last year, it was like a family reunion with sister, mother, and grandmother (they chose their own designations, I didn’t assign them!).
Have I seen a monetary return on these investments? Um, no. But my life will never be the same. Nowhere else have I ever found what Anne Shirley (of Green Gables) would call such “kindred spirits.” Nowhere else have I been surrounded by so many like minds. Nowhere else have I gotten to immerse myself so completely in the world I want to make my own.
Hope to see everyone there again this year in Indy! I’ll once again be bringing my family—so if you see a prancing princess and a little curly-haired monkey squealing his way after her, those would be mine. My daughter is very excited to go to “comprence,” because she wants “to be a book writer someday too.” (Don’t worry, y’all, I’m not sneaking her into classes, LOL.) I have a feeling my son will be far more interesting in the vroom-vrooms his papa will probably take him to see while in the famous racing town. And Mama—Mama will be soaking up, once again, the sheer delight of being Home.
by Roseanna White | May 27, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I’m sitting on my back porch. The clock just flipped to 7 a.m., and the air’s still cool and scented with honeysuckle. I’m in exercise gear, though I have no intention of exercising–but my aunt passed along a too-cute tank with built in shelf, and it seemed a good alternative to my flimsy nightgown when I decided to come outside.
My son’s playing in a big yellow wagon we use to cart beach toys at the park. Not “with,” mind you–in. The boy’s a monkey. My daughter’s playing with their little toddler bikes in the driveway and peering down to examine ants as they scurry by (as opposed to those days when she runs screaming from any bug, LOL).
I was trying to figure out what to write about this morning and drawing a blank. I’m reach Critical Mass when it comes to parenthood and am hoping for some Me Time soon. Right at this moment I’m feeling just fine, but give me a few hours, and the whining’ll get to me, I’m sure, LOL.
So, not sure I have any great insights today, but here are a couple things I’ve been thinking about this week.
The first comes from Glenn Beck. Whether you agree with his philosophies or not (some I do, some I don’t) he made me sit up and take notice the other day when he called–on national television–for revival. He said, for his millions of viewers to hear, that before the nation could get back on track, the people had to get back to God. I honestly didn’t think I’d see the day when someone had the guts to say that on any TV station that wasn’t strictly religious in nature. So go, Glenn!
The second is from Xoe. Now, she can get an attitude to make a mama want to pull out her hair, but she’s also got one of the sweetest hearts I’ve ever seen. Perfect example: when we were praying last night, she said, “I hope you have a good day tomorrow, God.”
Not sure what might make a day good vs. bad for God, but I think it might have to do with the praises of His people.
I hope He has a great one, too. I’m going to be making a concerted effort to do my part and keep a praise on my tongue.
by Roseanna White | May 20, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
This may be rambling, so we’ll have to see where I go with it–at the moment, I’m not quite sure.
There are times in life when we know absolutely what we have to do. Times when the Lord speaks so clearly, guides so strongly that we have no doubts. We recognize His hand, His touch, and when we obey, we feel His blessing.
Until we don’t. What do we do then?
I’ve come across a lot of devotions and really beautiful essays by some kick-butt believers on this subject–and none of it really helps when you’re actually in the doldrums. Without wind in your sails, you’re just paddling along, and having someone spout some lovely lyrics doesn’t always help and certainly doesn’t keep your muscles from screaming. Right? So what do we do?
Right at this particular moment, I’m not there. But one of my dearest friends just talked to me last night about how her doctor diagnosed her with moderate depression. This didn’t totally surprise me; just made a few things click, like, “Oh, guess that’s why you said you weren’t eating . . . or ever leaving your house . . . or . . .” Still, I’m one of those that thinks often times “depression” is over-diagnosed. Not that people don’t have issues, just that drugs aren’t the cure-all for them. And this friend feels the same way. She told her doctor, “Thanks. Now that I know this isn’t something to brush off, I won’t brush it off anymore. I’ll pull myself together.”
She also realizes she can’t do it alone. She was telling me this at Bible study, which marks one of the first times she’s gotten out to a church function in months, even though every time I talk to her, she says how she needs it. She’s been going out everyday and making sure she’s eating a balanced diet. She’s praying and talking to her friends.
Will it “fix” her? I don’t know. But I know she’s doing the right thing.
But what about the problems me and my writing friends face so often? When we have one success followed by score after score of disappointments? When we know God called us to this career, when we followed His open doors, and somehow ended up here–with abysmal sales numbers and no direction for the future?
In those moments, it’s hard to believe that we were ever right to begin with. Maybe we shouldn’t have followed this path, maybe we made a wrong choice somewhere along the line. We’ve got these plans that seemed inspired, but is anything really going to help?
I don’t know. I really don’t. I think maybe sometimes God leads us to these barren places because we’re not ready for the bounty. I think sometimes it’s to teach us to rely on Him. I think sometimes it just happens because that’s the way of the world–and in those times, it’s not our part to question his leading to begin with, but to put our hand in His, close our eyes, and say, “If it’s your will, let this cup pass from me. I really don’t know how to deal with it. But still–not my will, but yours be done.”
I’m not sure about the Right way to handle these times. But I know that every time I’m in them and cry out, “God, please! Send me something!” He does. Has it been huge contracts and best-selling numbers? Um, no. But it’s been something just as good, if not better. It’s been people who let me know I matter, that my words matter.
Time and again we’re told that publishing is, when it comes down to it, a business. True. But writing is not. Writing’s between the author and God, between the reader and God.
Remembering it–that’s the Right Thing.
by Roseanna White | May 13, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Giveaway here –
Deb Raney’s Almost Forever
Giveaway of A Stray Drop of Blood – a special Mother’s Day contest at Sunnybank Meandering includes my book and many other awesome prizes. Also, there’s a really awesome interview and giveaway to correspond with the ACFW book club this month, by the book club coordinator Nora St. Laurent. Check it out at Finding Hope Through Fiction!
~*~
So last week I read my first not-glowing feedback on A Stray Drop of Blood. It got me thinking.
A while ago I made the comment to my best friend that I was looking forward to my first negative review because it would make me a “real” author. It would mean my book was really getting out there, into hands other than my friends and acquaintances. Now, granted, this was a deliberately optimistic take on something I was obviously NOT really looking forward to.
And now I know why I wasn’t looking forward to it. It’s not fun to realize that someone doesn’t like your book. It’s hard to separate it from people not liking you.
The optimist in me still sees the bright side, which includes that this wasn’t a full review and hasn’t yet appeared but one place. The optimist also remembers all the glowing reviews I’ve gotten, all the encouragement, and the readers who disagreed with this mediocre rating where it was rated.
It’s also a valuable lesson in both confidence and humility. We’re told, as authors, not to believe our reviews, either the good or the bad, entirely. But to take criticism constructively and always strive to be better. Can we address that thing someone complained about in our next book? Can we do better on that score?
There’s always room for improvement. No one book will be loved by all. I have to come to grips with the fact that even those in my target readership aren’t necessarily going to love it. But I can’t let that get me down. I have to take it and grow and be better.
The question is always how. And the answer is always Him. If I have any talent, it’s from God. If I have any stories, they came from Him. If anyone is touched by my books, it’s because He chose to speak to them.
Who am I to get upset because God has other ways of talking to some people? I’m just so, so grateful that He has blessed me with the commission to offer my hands, offer my words at all. Through my writing I’ve made friends, I’ve had epiphanies, I’ve grown closer to my God and my Savior. That in itself is reason enough to risk the negative.
by Roseanna White | May 6, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Giveaway – last day to enter for a chance to win Lena Nelson Dooley’s
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico!
~*~
So, I’ve been having a fabulous writing streak. I’m talking super-fab. The last few days I’ve been managing a chapter a day, which is just awesome. And while those chapters need some tweaking, the overall stuff is good. Cuz see, I had these things planned out to a T. I knew exactly what had to happen, and I knew I was pushing toward a break of sorts, so I had that extra “umph” going on. All I had to do was get my characters to this certain point, and then I have to skip a couple years and pick back up when things get interesting again.
And I did it. I got there, yesterday evening.
Now what?
LOL. It’s one of those crazy things. I know what needs to happen later. I even know the big events that need to happen next. But I was so focused on working out the details of this first section that I totally neglected brainstorming the details of the next part. Okay, not neglected so much as just haven’t had the time yet.
Today, my writing time is going to be spent going through my notes and hashing out a time line for the events of the rest of the book. It’s full of huge historical stuff, so I need to map those out and then figure out the character plots that are going to propel the story to those biggies.
Plus I still have some important questions to answer–God’s gonna have to whisper in my ear about those, I think.
In short, I’m having fun and am looking forward to some good plotting today. And I’m riding high, knowing I am 1/3 of the way done this book. If I can keep up this chapter a day rate, I’ll be finished in another month! Woo hoo!
Next step: world domination. Mwa ha ha ha! (Okay, so I’ll be content if I can convince my daughter that bugs are not the root of all evil. Anybody got any tips for that??)
by Roseanna White | Apr 29, 2010 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Two giveaways – Jennifer Hudson Taylor’s
Highland Blessings and Ginny Smith’s
Third Time’s a Charm (last day!!).
~*~
I love history. Have I mentioned that before? And it’s not that I just love learning it for its own sake–I mean, that’s cool and fun, but I always have an ulterior motive. Wild guess at what that is? Ding, ding, ding! You got me–I’m always trying to figure out how to weave it into fiction.
But much as I love learning about history in general, I especially love learning about particular history, because inevitably God has given me a story that works perfectly with it. The other day I was sitting there reading a Greek history (as in, written by an ancient Greek historian) and kept entertaining my husband with cries of, “Sweet! This is perfect!!” I thought I was going to have to do some major explaining for a few plot points in Jewel of Persia, but as it happens, my premise actually HAPPENED. How cool is that? I love God! It’s all Him, to give me ideas that are actually plausible. Woo hoo!
But that’s not the only discovery I’m going to touch on today. Last night I also took a webinar by the good folks at Phenix & Phenix Publicity. It’s a prerequisite for one-on-one training they’re offering contracted authors at conference this fall, so I took it in case I decide to go that way for appointments.
What did I learn? Well, first, that I’m probably never going to run into some of the situations they touched on. Being called on by Fox News as an expert? Um, not likely. Maybe in some bizarre stretch of the imagination, but I’ll be thrilled if I ever make it on television for anything. Even locally, since we don’t have much local opportunity, LOL. But I also learned that the things I can do, I pretty much am doing.
Example? They recommend getting your name out in the right circles by reviewing other books in your genre. Um, check, says the founder of the Christian Review of Books. They recommend having a website that provides something to readers, other than just selling your book (like a blog or research stuff). Check, says Roseanna the Blogger who, at her husband’s insistence, wrote that charming Encyclopedia Roseannica. They said to never, NEVER create an online platform that you then abandon. Check, says Roseanna the Compulsive Emailer/Facebook updater.
You know what impressed me most about these people, though? When asked if someone should hire a publicist on a limited budget, he said, “No. If you only have a few thousand to spend, spend it on building your presence yourself.” I can really respect someone who says not to rush out and hire them, LOL.
And those are my discoveries this week. Hope ya’ll are having a good one!
as pregnant (as I was) carrying a red leather bag (as I was), who has since become my best friend and another critter. I met a sweet woman with a gentle disposition who also joined the critique group a couple months later. When we all met up again at ACFW last year, it was like a family reunion with sister, mother, and grandmother (they chose their own designations, I didn’t assign them!).
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.