April 2018

  

I spent the majority of the past two days at the Wordsowers Writers Conference in Omaha. The annual gathering draws in writers, editors, agents, and marketers from the local area and even across the country. This year, we had the privilege of hearing from the award-winning author Ronie Kendig. We were also joined once again by such writing experts as Tosca Lee and Alex Marestaing.

A famous proverb from the Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” I learned enough during this conference to keep my head spinning for a little while. I was humbled to realize mistakes I’d been making all this time and how I needed to learn from and avoid them in the future. I was also struck by the need to sift through the information overload and consider what practical steps I can take to improve my writing right now (instead of trying to do EVERYTHING all AT ONCE!).

In the midst of it all, I seized multiple opportunities to speak an encouraging word. Several of my co-attendees needed a listening ear and a gentle reminder that they were on the right track, that they should not give up. Others simply needed to hear a word of confirmation about how their heart and soul indeed blesses the world. I was overjoyed when I could share that listening heart and such uplifting words – and watch my response visibly bless the other(s) involved in the conversation.

Many hearts in our world today need both comforting and sharpening. Over the course of this weekend, I was acutely reminded of it. And challenged. Will you join me in considering how you can comfort and sharpen others in your sphere of influence?

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Image result for native american beadwork stock images The Voice of Melody has been released to the great, wide world. Yippee!

My heart was skipping for joy…until it tripped when it saw outstanding typos in this first printing. Ugh. I tried so hard to catch them all. But there they were, large as life. A commonly confused word, a misspelling, a date slightly off. It wounds the writer’s soul in me, like a knife to the gut.

One reader joked that this is how early buyers will know they have a true first edition of the book when I am famous one day. 🙂 And my dad assuaged my frustration with a simple text reply: “Perfection, where art thou?”

Where indeed?

It is the elusive dream I’ve been chasing all my life. The one where I’ll have even a single day without mistakes and I’ll not hurt another soul with my words or actions. And the one where I can say, without a single shred of doubt in my heart or second guessing in my mind, “Yes, this or that is truly very good.” The dream is elusive because it can never be achieved this side of heaven. And my human self must come to terms with that on a daily basis.

One of my colleagues, Irene Harper, listened to me share similar thoughts while we were chatting yesterday. And she told me about a piece of Native American bead-work she’d bought upon which the artist intentionally left one bead of a completely wrong color in an obvious place. This was done so that we would be reminded of the artist’s humanity…and that in it, we would see our own.

A beautiful thought.

Though I can correct them in the next round of printing, those typos still make me cringe a little. But they are also a reminding gift. We are each being refined and restored day by day, and there is mercy to meet us when we need it while we walk an imperfect path through life in a broken world.

(Photo credit: dreamstime.com)

 

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The final post in a four-part series before the release of Kaylene’s first novel on April 17…

 

I’ve never given birth to a child. But I have felt the pangs of labor. 

A book and a baby are alike in some ways. Both are often conceived in love. Both require a long period of incubation and growth in the deepest places of the carrier. And both come forth at last through the most grueling ending – the final hours of blood, sweat, and tears.

Then what are both mother and author left with? A small but magnificent creation. A beautiful gift. And a bundle of potential they want to share with the world.

But this is scary.

For the world will look at the baby and judge it. Some will say it’s cute – and mean it. Some will say it’s nice while privately thinking otherwise. And some will tell the parents (or the child as he/she grows) that their little treasure is no treasure at all.

And the world will look at the book and judge it. Some will say it’s good – and mean it. Some will say it’s okay but quietly complain about elements they don’t like and rate it halfheartedly. And some will tell the author (or everyone else of their acquaintance) that the written creation is a piece of garbage.

I thought the hardest part of writing a novel would be starting. Then I thought the hardest part would be getting over the hump in the middle of the draft. Then finishing the draft. Then getting stuck time and again in the revising process. Then surviving the red pen of the professional editors. Then moving past the rejection of publishers and agents and more publishers. Then working feverishly through the last, crazy edits of the galley…

I was wrong.

I think the hardest part is now. Hours away from the moment my baby will be released to a judging world. Anticipating this moment with great joy because I want to share the story. Yet holding my breath because I can’t control what other people will say about it.

Like a good mother, I know the truth about my baby and will love it, no matter what the world may say. So if there’s anything to be learned from critiques and criticisms, bring ’em on. But in the end, I have told the story I was given to tell. And there is a joy in that no amount of judgement can touch.

 

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 Part Three in a four-part series leading up to the April 17th launch of Kaylene’s first novel!

 I have written before about how much readers as a whole and also as individuals shape a story in the mind of a writer. But today, it’s time for a greatly deserved shout out to another group of people: those who support the writer while he/she goes through the arduous process of carrying the story and delivering it in its final form. This includes (but is not limited to):

++ “Family”

++ Friends

++ Teachers, co-workers, and employers

++ Beta readers and critique providers

++  Helpers in the publishing process

My friends Leo and Fanny (pictured) are just two of the many wonderful people who have supported me during a journey lasting more than two years – from the time I began research work until this month’s publication of The Voice of Melody. I still remember sitting on their sofa (while their sweet dog, Victor Hugo, cuddled at my side for a good behind-the-ears scratching) and telling them about this topic I’d started exploring and the dream I had of writing about it. Their eyes shone with interest, and their words encouraged me to dive into drafting shortly after that visit.

Many friends, family members, and colleagues have helped me to press on when I felt exhausted, discouraged, and rejected. Yet, these were not just a bunch of “yes men” – they were people who were still willing to tell me when I’d made a mistake or when I needed to stop and rest – or when what I was writing or doing was flat-out wrong. And in those ways, they supported me too.

It was a great challenge, upon completing the manuscript, to pen my acknowledgements section. How does one thank a multitude of individuals in just a few pages? The truth is, when a writer has been blessed with as many supportive folks as I have, it can’t be done. I could only name some of the many who have helped to carry me emotionally, mentally, professionally, and spiritually along the way. But though space was limited, I hope every person who’s run by my side for at least a few steps of the long race will sense today how grateful I am for them.

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