Racing Down "The Long and Winding Road" to Publication (with Scenic Stops)

Last Sunday I had a new-to-me experience and one I will not soon forget.


I did my first biking mini-marathon.


Fifteen miles, two friends, and a mini-cheer squad.


The whole experience was absolutely cathartic.


I learned so much about myself and even a bit about my writing along the way.


I doubted I would make the finish line. I thought perhaps I would need to pick up my bike and walk the rest of the way. In my nightmares I imagined myself reaching the finish line just as everyone else was picking up and heading home for the day.


I pictured myself on the side of the road, lying down as pain rippled through my side. Or perhaps I would have a mini-stroke in the heat...or require a triple bypass surgery the next day.


Are you seeing my optimistic side poking through?


Point being none of these things actually happened.


Instead, I had a great time with my friends as we laughed and enjoyed the ride (and complained about those hills). Leaving the local college, we planned to shoot for a 25 mile route next year.


I realized in that moment, God had helped me to endure the race and I could not only reach my dream but shoot even further, setting the bar even higher for next year.


You see, this girl who was always the clichéd last one picked in gym class, the one who got the "D" in volleyball because she couldn't "set" a ball had ingested some serious lies about herself.


"I'm not an athlete."


"I always embarrass myself when it comes to sports."


"You might be able to do it, but I'm not sure I can hack it."


See, for years I was still "that girl." Why? For one simple reason, I continued to believe those lies.


Are you setting your goals too low?


Are you all but giving up in your writing life?


Maybe, you've received some painful contest feedback. You need to hit the reset button.


The topic you wrote about, you were told, will never fly in the Christian market.


Here are some keys to running your marathon as a writer (whether God calls you to be published or not) with props to the Fab Four:


1) "Eight Days a Week"

The key to any race is practice. How are you doing on the day-to-day endurance? Quality is built in a natural way over time. I'll always remember that The Beatles song "Eight Days a Week" was a commentary on how hard they had to work to reach their goals. Their manager told them he would work them eight days a week until they produced a hit. And sure enough, The Beatles produced dozens of them over a decade. Good luck finding an adult over forty in America who hasn't heard of The Beatles. Mastery comes over 10,000 hours or more, according to statistics. That's a lot of persistence.


2) "Help, I need somebody..."

"When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now those days are gone, I'm not so self-assured. Now I find I need you like I've never done before....won't you please, please, help me."


The more experienced we get in our writing journey, the more we realize how much we need the help of our friends. Not only did my friends run the race with me, they also helped motivate me beforehand. We went on several training rides together. There were times I didn't think I could complete the race, but one of my friends kept encouraging me that I could do it.


In the writing world, I rely on a group of critters that meet at a local Starbucks every other Thursday. We not only read each other's writing and make comments, but we also brainstorm and talk craft. Its invaluable.


There are also wonderful opportunities online to connect with community, the way we as Alleycats have been blessed. ACFW and My Book Therapy are excellent places to meet other believers on the same journey to write for Jesus.


3) "A Hard Day's Night"

"Its been a hard day's night and I've been working like a dog. Its been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log..."


Anyone who has ever put themselves out there with their writing in any way can tell you, its hard. And the risks are high.


Like a good workout, the harder you work the better the reward. Mentally, because you know you can do more than you thought you were capable of with God's help. Physically, working on something that fulfills you is a wonderful source of joy. Keep at it!


4) "Free as a Bird"

"Free as a bird, its the next best thing to be free as a bird..."


Living your calling sets you free. If you are called to write, you'll find an immense sense of joy, his pleasure when you pursue it with all your heart.


Are you living caged or are you living a life of freedom, drawing closer to your dreams? No person can squash those dreams if they are truly God-given.


I found such freedom with the wind on my back, gliding down the other end of the hill, after pedaling up it.


5) "Slow Down"

"You better slow down, baby, cause you're moving much too fast..."


Are you in need of rest and refreshment? How's your devotional life looking? Are you getting 7-9 hours of sleep at night? Exercise? Yes, down time will help you to be a better writer.


If we don't take time to slow down and listen to the silence, how can we even be inspired with ideas? God speaks in those still quiet places and shares His truth so we can share it with others.


Is there anything you need to do to take care of yourself physically and mentally to help you grow in your writing?






How about you? What stage of your marathon are you in? Are you just beginning the race and needing lots of practice? Do you need to build endurance for the long haul? Or perhaps you need to slow down and enjoy the scenery a bit, dusting off the "goodness" of the dream God has placed in you?






Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reviewing and writing for Library Journal and the blog Wonderfully Woven.

Eight Days a Week: Learning from the Greats in Our Writing Lives

Greatness. According to William Shakespeare:

Some are born great,

Some achieve greatness ,

and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Look at history, politics, art, music, literature, and sciences…what do all of the best in these fields have in common?

I would suggest in almost all cases they achieved greatness.

I recently attended a conference where a speaker was Mark Hamby of Lamplighter ministries and was inspired by his ideas of excellence and how they might apply to the writing life. He has some wonderful books for children available at Lamplighter Ministries.

Why do many of the artists of the 15^th century still continue to be considered as extraordinary?

According to Hamby,these artists came from a time period in which the Agon philosophy of education was valued. This school of thought is where we get our word “agony” from. It means a relentless pursuit of excellence.

What else do DaVinci, Bill Gates, the Beatles, Abraham Lincoln, and Steve Jobs have in common? And how do we apply their secrets of greatness to our writing lives?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->                 1.Find a group of like-minded individuals to inspire, encourage and challenge you. 

C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had the Inklings society. Writers of the 21^st century had the Algonquin Round Table.

- Who is in your “posse”?

- Make sure to surround yourself with those who will help you achieve your personal best.

- Value your critics, not just those that love your voice but those who have constructive criticism to bring to bear. Proverbs 27:6 says "faithful are the wounds of a friend".

- Who can you add to your circle who challenges you to be more than you currently are?

- Read the work of authors who are better than you are. The more you read the greats and immerse yourself in their language, the more your words will be transformed.

                                                        2. Turn off the TV. 

Did you know that Steven Spielberg’s children did not grow up on a diet of television? He knew the power of the media and encouraged his children to use their imaginations.

- Pretend you are a child. Allow yourself to play hard. Most of the best business owners throughout history are hard workers and enjoy their free time.

- Enjoy the simplicity of life. Your writing will then become more original by default.
- It may not be the TV. For me it's emails that suck me into the spiraling vortex. What voices of the culture or forms of amusement are drowning out your creativity?

                             3. Competition CAN be a good thing when kept in perspective.

I just looked over scores from a writing competition before I wrote this. These thoughts come to mind:

- It is an opportunity to learn graciousness.

- It can be humbling.

- We need to take a Christ-like view of trying to be our own personal best.

- Look for an opportunity to stretch yourself this week. Maybe by entering a contest, maybe by applying for a job.

                       4. Place yourself under the tutorship of masters.

- Ask for lots of help.

- Rub shoulders with the best around the world.

- If there are opportunities to meet authors or artists, take advantage of it.

- Listen to the stories and experiences of great men and women.

- Read great biographies. Many of us read fiction or specific how-to books on craft, but much benefit can be gained by reading about others’ experiences.

                                            5.   <!--[endif]-->Put in 10,000 hours.  

Do you know the origin of The Beatles popular song “Eight Days a Week”?

The Beatles were a mediocre group who were heard by a German producer. He told them, “your music stinks, but I’m going to hire you and make you great.”

Each day of the week they played in a different genre, a different venue. Monday classical music, Thursday Jazz, Friday rock and roll, and so on. They played in these venues for 15 hours a day. In addition they were expected to practice for an extra three hours. Eighteen hour days seven days a week. So they were literally working 8 days a week.

Translate that into time spent in a year. It's over 10,000 hours, the proven amount of time it takes to achieve mastery.

Have you really put your time in? Are you willing to sacrifice of your precious time?

Most important: imagine how our writing would be transformed (not to mention everything else in our life) if we first put this principle into play in Bible study. What can we sacrifice for extra time in “mastery” of God’s word? Not for head knowledge, but out of love for Jesus.

In a future post I’ll be discussing what I believe is the most important common secret of the greats.

What “greats” have breathed their passion into your life? Who do you most admire and do you think their influence is seen in your writing life?

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for Library Journal, The Title Trakk, and Christian Library Journal.