Keeping On: Persevering Toward Publication - Guest Post by Jodie Wolf

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) and has been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Live the Adventure Letter. She's a contributor for Putting on the New and Stitches Thru Time blogs. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

God called me to write at a really early age in my life. I started writing poetry and short stories as young as second grade. I still remember my first poem and the little stories I wrote. I typed those on a typewriter and stapled them together, drawing my own cover. :) I knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.


In my early teen years, God gave me an idea to create my first full-length novel. It took me several years to finish writing it, but I kept at it. I persevered even though I had family members that doubted whether or not I'd ever be a writer. I had high school teachers that believed in me. One even encouraged me to submit my novel to a writing contest. I didn't win or place.

College years were filled with writing papers for classes, but nothing fun like I enjoyed writing. Immediately following college, I married my sweetheart and we started our life together. Again, I started writing novels and sent them off to a couple places. The rejections continued to pour in. So when I became pregnant with our first son, it didn't take much for me to put my writing in a drawer and forget about it for a season.


The next eighteen years were filled raising our sons and homeschooling them all the way to their high school graduations. But toward the end of those years, I distinctly felt God calling me back to writing novels. I remember it like it happened yesterday.


I had gone through a particularly rough season in my life and had flown to visit a friend. The day before I left, she took me touring and we went to see a local lighthouse. I am very scared of heights, but still climbed the winding steps to the top and stepped out onto the catwalk. I clung to the wall, too afraid to go to the railing. As I looked out at the ocean, it was there that God gave me three separate story ideas about lighthouse keepers.


I went home and started researching and eventually writing one of those stories. The words flowed and I was back in my element again. Over the next seven years, I went on to write several more full-length books, a few novellas, and a multiple of story ideas to pitch. God dropped an agent in my lap. Many times I was so close to getting a 'yes' answer from publishers, but I didn't sign my first contract until last year at the age of 51. Since then, I've signed two more contracts.


What would have happened if I had given up at my first rejection letter? I would have never stepped into the roll that God has called me to do - to spread His hope and encouragement through the words of my novels.


Don't give up. Keep pressing on. Trust that He will bring things about in His timing. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by, Jodie!

Readers: Have you ever been tempted to give up in pursuit of your publication dreams? How do you remind yourself to persevere in spite of doubts and struggles?