When we’re going through a rough patch, if we stay centered and stay out of fear, we can come out on the other side wiser, stronger and better. ~Joan Pillen
Thanks to those of you hanging in here with me as I share my memories while I keep traveling down my writing road on my journey. Last post, I shared how I got my second novel published and then had the disappointment of the next book rejected. My agent kept sending it around. It got a nice written rejection from Harlequin that said it was too religious for their line even though they loved the story. Kind words are nice, but not as nice as words that say they want to publish my book.
Meanwhile back here on the farm, I was forging ahead with my next book and the words kept piling up to about twice as many as I’d written for my other books. It was a saga with multiple characters and several story lines – much the same as many of the historical romances I’d been reading. I had high hopes for those characters. They were alive and overcoming challenges and fighting their way to happy endings. Some of them anyway. When I bundled it up and sent it off to my agent, she liked it. She said it had “all the earmarks of a bestseller.” Could anything have soared my writing spirits any higher?
But then… My agent was from the old fashioned agent world where you sent out the manuscripts to one publisher at a time. My book – this earmarked potential bestseller – ended up on one editor’s desk for six months. By then, maybe the bestselling market had changed. The book made the rounds getting one rejection after another. One editor suggested edits – to cut out whole storylines. I rewrote the book. Made it shorter. Cut out some of my favorite characters. Kept trying to recapture the hope of my agent’s first letter. Nothing worked. Editors said my story was “too clean.” In other words, not enough steamy scenes to fit the market. I was busy writing other books. I tried a short love story. My agent said she wasn’t sure what I was trying to write but it wouldn’t hit the sweet love story market. I tried a mystery. I tried suspense. I was getting a lot of practice putting words together and making my fingers stronger with all that typing.
After several years with nothing but rejection following rejection with that “too clean” remark following me around, I decided to try to write a young adult novel in the hopes that “clean” would be wanted there. So, believe it or not, I wrote a book about a boy who saw Big Foot. Used my farm for the setting. Made up the part about the Big Foot. My young character’s mother had mental problems and now he was seeing Big Foot. His father was more than concerned.
As crazy as all that sounds, that book, A Chance Hero, sold quickly. At least, that’s how I’m remembering it without checking my writing journal. So then I wrote another coming of age story that also sold. My agent had found me an editor who loved my writing. What a gift she was to me at a low point in my writing journey. She was actually a great granddaughter of Theodore Roosevelt which has nothing at all to do with my writing journey. My agent said that this editor loved my writing so much that she would be ready to buy my grocery list. Oh, if only she had continued being an editor, but she moved on to another position. At the same time young adult markets were shrinking and changing. So, after eleven coming of age stories, I once again fell off the publishing wagon.
I wrote another story for kids. It was fun for me since it was about a dog and a cat. The dog told the story. They went on a great adventure. Sadly it was an adventure no editor wanted to take. I did use it later when I started a Heart of Hollyhill blog written by Jocie from my books, Scent of Lilacs, Orchard of Hope, and Summer of Joy. Jocie dreamed of being a writer. I gave her my story, Bailey’s Bug, and shared it on her blog, a chapter at a time. If you think you’d like to read a sweet little dog and cat story – well, the cat wasn’t very sweet – you can check it out on my website, Bailey’s Bug. I thought it was a fun story and I had fun letting Jocie be the writer.
I had a few dry years along that rough patch. I would cringe a little when friends asked if I was still writing. I always said yes, but had to admit it was with no visible success except for that practice of getting better at writing and sharing a story even if no one was reading them. My agent did find a buyer for another of my young adult stories. I was thrilled. Then the publisher went under. I got to keep the advance which was good, but I wanted the book published. I wrote a middle reader book. An editor liked it, suggested rewrites. I did the work and her publishing committee still said no. Years later I did self-publish that story, Freak of the Week, just because I loved the story so much. And that title couldn’t be wasted. It’s available from me or on Amazon.
More years went by. I did temporary secretarial work to help with the bills when my kids got older. Two of them were off to college. I would work a few months and then quit to do some more writing. I still had my goals. I wrote a couple of mysteries that didn’t find any loving editors. I decided to write one more story and if it didn’t make it, I’d have to seriously consider shutting down my keyboard at home and taking a full time job. I would take that advice to write what you know. I wouldn’t worry about markets or editors who might or might not like my story. I’d write the story I wanted to write.
Tune in next time to see what happens next.
The truth is that things matter. They have to. They are what we live with and touch each and every day. They represent what we’ve seen, who we’ve loved and where we hope to go next. They remind us of the good times and the rough patches and everything in between that’s made us who we are. ~Nate Berkus
What advice do you share when helping somebody get past rough patches?
Leave a comment to get an entry in my book giveaway. The deadline is fast approaching on Saturday, August 23, 2025. I might still have more of my writing journey. That might mean I’ll have to do another giveaway. We’ll see. If you’ve already commented on other posts, that’s great. Comment on this one too to get another entry. If you want, you can answer the question, but that’s not necessary to enter. Any comment will do. You have to be at least 18 years old to enter. I’ll notify the winners (two of them) by email and they will get to choose one of my books as their prize.
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 27
I hope you continue writing your writing journeys. I enjoy them and I am sure other people do, too. And I hope you have some more stories to write.
Author
I hope I have some more stories to write too, Ann. I’m starting down a new story road now and hoping my characters will come to life and do something interesting. 🙂
Thanks for your encouraging words about my writing journey posts. I don’t want to bore anyone with my trip back in time.
I hope you’ll continue a bit longer posting stories about your writing journey. It is such a wonderful, real life story about your personal pursuit of your dream!
Like you, I often encourage people to “Keep on keeping on!” My favorite Bible passage is Proverbs 3:5-6, which reminds us to keep trusting God to direct us on our life journeys.
Author
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your way acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJ)
Those are great verses to follow as we move along, Roberta. I think I’ve used those in one of my stories. Maybe in Along a Storied Trail when Perdita Sweet was talking about having a special verse to remember and live by.
I’m glad you’re enjoying my writing journey. I have been worrying that I’ve been making it too long and people might be getting bored. So, your words are very encouraging. Thank you.
I hope you’ll continue a bit longer posting stories about your writing journey. It is such a wonderful, real life story about your personal pursuit of your dream!
keep trying and move on
Author
Great advice. Move on with hope for an easier path on the morrow.
My advice is an old one, take it one day at a time. It seems to work for me. Just try to solve the present problems and don’t worry about tomorrow until it gets here.
Author
That’s the Lord’s advice, Connie. Don’t worry about the tomorrow and take it one day at a time because what we have is the now. What we hope for is the tomorrow.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 (NKJ)
I’m finding these posts about your writing journey to be very inspiring. I’m so glad you persevered. Your books are so enjoyable to read.
Author
I’ve always had a stubborn streak and the will to keep doing whatever I thought needed doing, Pam. Writing was one of those things I just needed to do. Thank you so much for reading my stories.
Follow your heart. Thanks for an interesting post.
Author
Glad you thought the post was interesting, Diana. I’ve enjoyed looking back in a more concentrated way to remember my ups and downs along the way. Thank goodness, my family road was pretty smooth most of the time which made some of the frustrations on the writing road easier to deal with.
I always say Gods Got You and I always remember them in my prayers Keep having the faith Ann Blessings coming your way!
Author
Blessings did come my way on my writing road, Sarah. I get to talk to all of you here on One Writer’s Journal. Love finding out more about readers and other writers here.
Trust God and his will. Look at it as an opportunity for growth.
Author
You are so right, Dana, but it is sometimes hard to do according to what has made a road rough for someone.
I always point them to God and their Bibles!! And my own experiences where I’ve learned to depend on God for everything. If we keep doing what we know God wants us to do, no matter what other people say, everything can/will/and does come out in God’s timing!
Author
Love your thoughts here, Trudy. That has to be the best direction to point anyone toward.
Thank you for writing great stories. I so appreciate all our Christian authors.
Author
Thank you for supporting Christian authors, Sharon. There are so many really good authors putting out exciting stories these days in the Christian market.
I’m going to check our local library for your young adult books. I’d love to read them! ❤️
Author
They probably won’t be there since libraries don’t keep paperbacks forever, Judi. But some of them are out there on the used book trail. I’ve been giving away Wish come True because that’s the only title I have very many copies of, but maybe I could gather up a bundle of my old young adult books and have another giveaway. I remember some of those stories fondly.
Thank you for writing “clean” stories. I’ll never understand why anyone wants to read or write “steamy” scenes. They add nothing positive to a story. I read only books from Christian writers in order to avoid that type of stuff. I’m enjoying reading about your writing journey. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Author
Glad you’re liking to follow me along my writing journey, Lee. I’m going to wrap it up soon because once I move on to my Christian fiction books, most of you already know about them and have been so great to support me by reading my stories.
There are a lot of readers like you who enjoy the Christian fiction stories because in them you can find romance and suspense and mystery and history without imagining scenes you might prefer not to imagine. Thank you for supporting Christian fiction.
My advice when someone is going through a rough time is to take their concerns to the Lord, and that of course I’ll be thinking about them and remembering them in my prayers.
Author
The best advice, Susan. And praying for them is the perfect thing to do to help. I don’t think most of us plug into prayer as much as we could.