December 24, 2014

A Special Holiday Made It Moment: Carolyn J. Rose

Filed under: Made It Moments,The Writing Life — jenny @ 10:28 am

The Devil's Tombstone

Hello, dear readers and friends. Thank you for being here today, and on so many other days throughout the year. This blog and all of you kept me going through some very bleak years of struggle and rejection. Together we found joy in the Moments, and it’s a gift I hope might propel along anyone who might be weary or struggling right now.

This holiday season, I offer to you one of Suspense Your Disbelief’s favorites authors and guests, Carolyn Rose. (Here are some of Carolyn’s past selected Moments and Guest Posts.) In addition to writing mysteries across a wide spectrum–from dark to humorous–and even achieving the mighty task of collaborating on books with…wait for it; I didn’t get to the mighty party yet…her own husband, Carolyn knows from writing ups and downs and career changes and transformations. Today she gathers some of them up, and offers us a chance to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished, even when we’re not sure we’ve accomplished anything at all.

That’s the spirit of the Made It Moments. It’s the spirit you’ve all shared with me. Thank you. And happy holidays!

PS: There will be physical gifts, too! Leave a comment reflecting on your own moment of made-it-ness, and Carolyn and I will offer up digital and print copies of her books with only a little less largesse than Santa (or Chanukah Harry)!

Carolyn J. Rose

A Round of Made It Moments for the House!

Back in 2010, Jenny Milchman graciously gave me space on this blog to write about Hemlock Lake and its long road to publication. (Short summary: years of queries, rejections, close calls, near misses, a traditional-publishing sale, rejection of a second book, reversion of rights, and self-publishing.)

Since then, I’ve followed her blog and the stories shared by hundreds of writers who broke through, broke out, broke away, broke new ground, or went for broke.

Congratulations to all of them.

And congratulations to every writer out there. Chances are you had at least one moment of made-it-ness this year—whether you realized it or not.

Did you keep a promise to yourself and finish the book you always wanted to write?
Did you give it all you had?
Did you refuse to set aside your dream and go on even when you were discouraged?
Did you help or encourage another writer?
Did you get your work out so readers could discover it?
Did you get a positive review from a stranger?
Did you get a negative review, get over it, and go on?
Did you participate in a community of writers?
Did you savor each success no matter how tiny?
Did you learn something from each setback?

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then in my mind you had a made it moment.

Now, I’m not saying “Lower the bar for made it moments.” Not at all. I’m saying take a look at that bar. Ask yourself who set that bar, when, and why. Don’t beat yourself up because you haven’t been able to jump as high as someone else. Consider how high you have jumped.

And consider this—the mental images for “made it” that we conjure up at age 20 may be far different from what we envision at 40 or 60 or 80. As we age, accomplish, and adjust, we may neglect to revisit and revise those images. The world has changed dramatically in the past few decades and the rate of change seems to be accelerating. There have been many shifts in the publishing landscape as well, and many more books now available through different channels.

And consider whether there may be more to “making it” than grabbing that big brass ring, winning a national award, getting another zero on a contract, or reaching a stratospheric sales goal. Having a spotlight beamed on achievement is awesome, but without an inner light, it might be pretty darn dark when you leave the stage.

Competition is healthy and energizing. Crossing the finish line ahead of the pack is a terrific achievement. But without the ability to appreciate the race you ran and be satisfied with the effort you put forth, victory may seem hollow.

Now, some will contend that staying hungry is the way to go. They’ll argue that being satisfied and content is the same as being willing to settle for the status quo and maybe even lapsing into a state of languid laziness. They’ll say that won’t get you to the next made it moment.

But for me, contentment is a secure place that offers shelter, food, drink, a launch pad, and a safety net all at the same time. Contentment is the payoff for a made it moment. Contentment is what allows me to savor the journey so far and gather my energy for the next leap. It’s the flame that powered the books I wrote after Hemlock Lake, including the sequels, Through a Yellow Wood and The Devil’s Tombstone (coming in the final days of 2014) It’s the well I’ll draw from for the project I’m beginning now, the fourth in my Subbing isn’t for Sissies cozy series.

How about you?

Carolyn J. Rose is the author of the popular Subbing isn’t for Sissies series (No Substitute for Murder, No Substitute for Money, and No Substitute for Maturity), as well as the Catskill Mountains mysteries (Hemlock Lake, Through a Yellow Wood, and The Devil’s Tombstone – due out at the end of 2014). Other works include projects written with her husband, Mike Nettleton.

She grew up in New York’s Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor. She’s now a substitute teacher in Vancouver, Washington, and her interests are reading, swimming, walking, gardening, and NOT cooking.






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