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.

 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.

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

Today, I take a moment to honor readers. We, the writers, craft our work for you, and simply by being, you help to shape it.

But my recent journey into the deeper grooves of the publishing world – where the heavier discussions about marketing start to take place – have left me scratching my head. Yes, it’s true that many books will appeal to people with certain interests, those who have read work by writers with a similar voice, or those of a particular generation or gender. And I understand the need to focus advertising on one or two groups of people more than others so the writer or publishing team can try to sell as many copies as possible. Finally, I recognize that there are people out there who will only ever enjoy reading one type of book; anything outside of that and they say, “Thanks but no thanks!”

Yet, I believe no one really likes to be pigeon-holed. I think that every reader has a right to say, “I am open to reading a variety of things as long as they are _____ (well-written, intriguing, informative, entertaining, light-hearted, realistic, etc.).” Or “I think it’s okay to mix genres, and I like a good story that integrates a variety (adventure, mystery, romance, sci-fi, historical, fantasy, poetry, etc.) simply because it is a good story.” Or “Just because I usually read fiction, why can’t I also read some good non-fiction every now and then (or the other way around)?” Or “Isn’t it okay for me to read a certain book even though no one in marketing (or the general public) would think of me as the ‘typical’ reader for that kind of book?”

For the sake of business, my marketing plan includes a list of targeted types of readers and my novel has a sort of genre-based label (i.e. historical fiction with a literary, autobiographical flare). But I don’t want to pigeon-hole any of my potential readers. I already have great respect for each person who will read my book – both those who start it but decide to move on to read something else and those who read all the way to the end. And I know ultimately that my work will appeal to any given reader not based solely on what demographic they fit into but because it is a beautiful story about people navigating the journey of the human condition – a journey we can all relate to in one way or another.

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

Is it fair to judge an actual book by its cover? Whether or not it’s really “fair” when we have never heard of a book or an author before, don’t we all do it?

Gone are the days of plainly-bound books with nothing but a few words embossed on the spine. The pressure is on. As they design a book’s cover, the choices the writer and any publishing team members make will have a definite effect on the answers to these questions:

• Will a reader browsing books in a store or library or on a website be eager to give the book more than ten seconds of their time based on how the cover catches their eye?
• Can the reader automatically understand something of what the book is about (style, genre, etc.) based on the cover art?
• Can the colors, font size and style, pictorial contents, and other design elements convey both directly and subconsciously to the reader everything the writer is trying to communicate in the heartbeat of the story or the central concept of the book’s ideas? And can the expectations raised in the mind of the reader who judges that cover be met fully and honestly every time by what the writer includes on the inner pages?

It looks like a challenging – if not impossible – task. Therefore, during the cover design process for my forthcoming novel (a working concept pictured above), I am filled with gratitude. I am thankful for the team at Concierge Marketing and how they are helping me “say” a huge amount to my potential readers in a fairly simple cover design.

Stay tuned in coming weeks for more news about the availability of The Voice of Melody.

A few weeks ago, I was inspired to write something for current and former members of our armed forces and the family/friends who love them and worry about their safety, especially during times of deployment. The result is a song, actually, as it can be sung to the tune “Song for Rich” written by Michael W. Smith (music available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJFSUkOw2U). Or it can simply be read as a prayer with thoughts of blessing for a serviceman or servicewoman who is in need of God’s strength, mercy, and protection.

May the Lord bless and light your way
Lead each step you take
Give you strength throughout your journey
Guide each choice you make

May His power sustain your frame
And His truth, your heart
May His hope that lives inside you
Drive away the dark

In His name, you’ve naught to fear
You will pass each test
Till His wings surround your form
And you lay down to rest

You will find Jesus at your side
Shielding you from harm
Guarding constant in the night
His peace: your warmth

May you always keep your faith
May His grace increase
And extend to cover sin,
Any shame release

May His Spirit refine your thoughts,
Cause your trust to grow,
Till you’ve carried out your mission
And He carries you home

I share this today with hope that it may speak to any heart in need of blessing – and to show my gratitude to those who work hard and give up so much to serve and defend. Your sacrifice can never be sufficiently repaid and will always be held, invaluable, in the hearts of those who cherish what is good and right.

In my recent composition class sessions, my students and I have been reviewing and applying the principles of a meaningful profile essay. The writer chooses a subject (person) to describe so that the reader can get to know the subject (or in the case of a famous person, so the reader might learn something previously unknown about the subject).

One thing has become clear to me as I read final essay submissions this weekend. A well-written profile clearly keeps the subject at “center stage” – and even if the writer decides to insert him or herself into the essay to any degree, the writer’s presence never takes over the meaning and content of the profile story line. That would essentially turn the profile essay into a personal essay.

It is difficult to write truly well across forms and genres. For apart from personal essays and poetry and some non-fiction instructional material, there is nearly no room for a writer to step in and take over a piece of writing. Even if all things must, by nature, be told indirectly from the writer’s point of view and depth of knowledge, the masterful writer will write in such a way that the profile subject, the story characters, or the helpful knowledge being conveyed all remain front and center.

And while finally achieving this balance may bring the successful writer a sense of quiet pride, the truly successful writer must not only be a silent player…he or she must also be truly humble.

Even though technology has greatly affected our methods and speed of written communication, it is still likely that all of us will write at least a few hand-jotted notes or letters in our lifetime. Just like I enjoy the feel, weight, sight, and smell of a printed book, there’s something about a letter written by hand that connects with my soul more than a typed or e-formatted letter ever could. I think it has something to do with the heart of the writer that is reflected in the personally sculpted words and sentences. And it is delightful to reach into my mailbox, sift through the bulk mailings, and find a card or note that declares quietly, “I think highly enough of you to give of my time and send you personal thoughts and wish you well.” It is a connection over the course of days between the thoughts of the sender and my heart communing with one another.

When I moved a few months ago, I tried hard to pack mindfully and toss out some old stuff I didn’t need anymore. Of course, in the final crazy hours, however, I was forced to throw a number of items in boxes…boxes which somehow magically ended up shoved in a closet… (What was that I blogged the other week about putting things off until later?)

I started going through one of those boxes last night and came across some old and very precious letters, including one of the last ones my grandmother was strong enough to write to me with her own hand – heaping with just as much love as anything she’d ever written.

Near the bottom of the stack was a series of lengthy notes from a beloved cousin. I reread them, nearly 20 years after they were first sent, and was touched by the truth I still found there. Not only truth of what a wonderful person she is, but also timeless truth about God and life. In the last of that series, she told me all she’d been learning recently about the importance of praising and thanking God more than asking Him for things in prayer. As I read, I was greatly convicted because I’ve been praying a lot lately, but the number of gratitude and affirmation statements has been so small compared with the number of requests.

I was humbled. And I went to bed and woke up praising and thanking extensively before I could even think of making another request.

Who knows if any of the hundreds of hand-written letters I have already sent will be kept by anyone for years, even after my death? But today I reflect and consider: what we write in our letters not only has power to encourage today, but it may also speak truth and impact people more than we will ever know in the future.