Writers are no strangers to droughts. There are droughts when good ideas don’t come. Droughts when the right words won’t come. And there are droughts when no one wants your stories. All those droughts are painful, but that last type of drought can break your heart and your spirit. It almost broke mine. But fear not, dear readers/writers, this story has a happy ending. My blog for the Picture Book Academy is supposed to be about character-driven stories. I’m going off-course a bit to share some news and encourage all of us to persevere. If there’s a character here, it’s me; I’m not as interesting or determined or spunky as my book characters, but I hope you’ll stay tuned for a bit of drama and that happy ending.
The years passed. It didn’t feel like 5 or 6 or 7. It felt like I’d been wandering in the wilderness for forty years, like the Israelites. Like them, I’d be there, “until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight was gone.” Except I was the whole generation and the Lord was the Big Six (soon to be the Big Five). I had sold my first 11 books on my own, with no agent. But with drastic changes happening in publishing and more and more houses closing their doors to unsolicited manuscripts, even from published authors, it was time for an agent. Luckily, I found the wonderful Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. She loved my stories. She was heaven sent. But something was wrong. My manuscripts were still getting “close;” an editor would love my story, then acquisitions would turn it down. ETC. I’d been down this road alone, in misery. Now, I was just sharing the misery with someone else. Then suddenly and unexpectedly, as happens in a drought, it began to sprinkle. In early April, Karen emailed there was interest in one of my manuscripts. (Blah. Blah. Fine. This had happened before. No reason to get overexcited.) But it didn’t take long for the sprinkle to turn into a shower. There was lots of interest in my manuscript. And in the end, it was a downpour. The drought had ended. The offer that could not be refused came from the man who emailed: “It’s utterly simple….and simply brilliant.” My story was bought in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal from the exceptional Neal Porter of Neal Porter Books. There is simply no better way in the children’s publishing world to end a 7-year drought. I cannot tell you what the “simply brilliant” story is, but I will tell you it is minimal text. Really minimal text. It’s a story that came to me in images, in the early morning hours. My art notes show the way to a character-driven story. Indeed, there are many characters driving the story, into oblivion and back again. I cannot wait to see how the illustrator paints them. So now I am rejuvenated, regenerated. I feel a bit like a phoenix rising, like a cicada chirping my song after being underground, unseen, for 13 or 17…or 7 years. Detours, bumps, and droughts come to us all. But, writers, if we persevere, if we have faith, if we keep “showing up,” we can survive the drought and rise like a phoenix. After a 7-year drought, my story is now…to be continued. Marsha Diane Arnold is an award-winning children’s book author with a heart of gold. Besides writing, she enjoys visiting schools internationally, nationally, and through Skype, sharing her love of books and writing through presentations and writing “funshops”. In 2008 Marsha was honored as one of seven artists invited to be part of Sequoia National Parks Foundation’s Artists in the Back Country, the only children’s author ever invited. The program’s goal is to rekindle the American tradition of enhancing public appreciation of our natural world through the arts. She shares her adventures in the high Sierras at www.earthsvoices.com
18 Comments
Virginia L Rinkel
6/13/2013 01:26:48 pm
Checking out her book (Heart of a Tiger) now...thanks.
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6/13/2013 09:25:10 pm
Woot! Glad to hear you've had such a happy ending, Marsha! Make that Beginning. :)
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“It’s utterly simple….and simply brilliant.” Wow! Cannot wait to read your new books Marsha! Congrats to you for your success! Loved reading about how you kept writing and trying. This is a crazy business, but how wonderful to see your dreams realized and your books in print!!!
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6/14/2013 02:05:43 am
Marsha, you'll never know how happy I am for you. Every so often I could read between the lines and feel your pain. I can't wait to have your new books in hand. Now, you'll have to return to Missouri & Arkansas.
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6/14/2013 02:48:26 am
I didn't realize your drought had been so dry. I'm relieved and elated that it's pouring success on you now. Thank you for this post, which will be reassuring to other writers.
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6/14/2013 06:23:48 am
Thanks all for your good wishes, everyone. Yes, it was dry, Joan, though I at least had two digital apps to keep me busy, but those were of out-of-print books. :( It has been dry for a lot of mid-list children's pb authors, in particular. Mary, I will be SO happy to visit you all in Missouri and Arkansas again.
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6/14/2013 06:45:15 am
Congratulations on ending your drought. So very exciting! Thank you for sharing your good news along with your story. I was due for a little faith renewal ;-)
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6/14/2013 06:47:51 am
Faith, perseverance, and patience, Alayne. Glad it helped renew your spirits a bit.
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6/15/2013 01:42:01 am
Thanks, Marsha. I've got the perseverance mastered, faith isn't so bad either. Now patience . . . I definitely need a little more practice in that area - maybe by the time I'm 90, I will have mastered it :-)
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6/14/2013 09:08:40 am
What a fascinating story, Marsha. Thanks for sharing. It gives hope to those who are in drought. I love your patience, tenacity, and perseverance!
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6/15/2013 03:38:12 am
WOWEE! This is so uplifting and encouraging Marsha. Congrads on the end of that blasted drought! I appreciate you sharing. I really needed this. My story is not so much about drought as it is the agent search and rejections. *sigh* I know that I know that I know I have funny, spot-on stories. But the right agent hasn't read them yet. I can't even get a buzz. I have had some LOVED YOUR STORY, BUT... Ack! So we carry on. *waving and smiling*
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9/18/2013 10:34:10 am
Got to sub if you want to be accepted...or even rejected :)....Brian. Write and sub and learn.
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9/18/2013 10:41:03 am
Got to sub if you want to be accepted...or even rejected :)....Brian. Write and sub and learn.
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9/18/2013 10:41:12 am
Got to sub if you want to be accepted...or even rejected :)....Brian. Write and sub and learn.
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1/24/2017 10:10:29 pm
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1/23/2018 03:33:51 am
I will be interested in more similar topics. i see you got really very useful topics , i will be always checking your blog thanks
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