FEBRUARY EDITING CHALLENGE & facing rejection

 

FEBRUARY EDITING CHALLENGE 

& facing rejection 

Today is just going to be a really chill chat. I just want to talk about some of the writing related stuff that’s been going on in my life. Some ups and some downs and just hopefully this can be an encouraging episode. 

Before we get into this episode, let’s get coffee! <3 

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Hello friends! Welcome to the “Faith, Writing and Coffee Chats Podcast”! My name is Moriyah and I am a Christian,  writer, book and coffee lover! Today I have with me a mocha latte! I hope you have a good coffee or drink with you! 

Today is a chill coffee chat about the writing and editing challenge I am doing in February. Plus I’ll be chatting about a personal writing update with you all. So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and let's chat! 

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In February I decided to challenge myself to edit EVERYDAY and pretend like I’m back in school or in college. 

Let me explain…

I am not a consistent editor. I will maybe edit once every other week if I think of it or I will go months without editing. Since I want to be a published author and have an author currier, I need to know how to write consistently, be able to work with deadlines if I need, and to give a good finished product and get edits done if I need. 

So I’ve been wanting to get better at editing. For myself, it’s not that hard. Editing can actually be really enjoyable. I just am bad at being consistent in it. Its not the most fun. It's less creative than writing and honestly I’d rather be writing then editing. 

But I’ve wanted to change that, especially since I want to get published. To do that I need a finished and well written project to do this. 

So, in February I challenged myself to edit one of my books (the one that I know is supposed to be published first) everyday. I am a good morning writer. That is when I feel most inspired, it's when I’m clearest headed, it's before life and everything starts and crowds my brain (for that reason I am not a good night writer). This is also the time of day I would do school before I graduated. 

It's been SO MUCH FUN! I have so loved getting up early in the morning (it’s usually between 7:30 to 7:40 in the morning which is a good hour from when I normally like waking up), I get my bible time in (I’m currently going through Proverbs and I’m about to begin Jeremiah), I pray over my day and writing (I usually end bible time around 8:00 to 8:15 in the morning but sometimes it runs later), then I get ready (I’ll put on a cozy sweatshirt, brush my teeth, do my hair and anything else I need to do). Then I’ll set up my headphones and get my instrumental music playing (its my BLEU playlist and its linked in my “fortnightly newsletters), I’ll set up my writing desk and grab the binder I’m working with (when I get to this stage of editing (which I’ll chat more about those stages in a minute) I’ll print off my manuscript and put it in a big binder to hand go through edits. Then after doing that (which I did this part in the summer) I will then implement those edits and any other things I see (add dialogue, give a side character more back story, etc.) into my actual book that's online. 

Then once I’ve edited (usually it's anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour of editing time before my brain starts not wanting to work) and I’ll try to get about two chapters edited if I can, I’ll then write it down in my calendar and in the part where it shows the whole month and each day is its own box (like a normal calendar) I’ll write what chapters I edited for the day and color in the box! It's been so fun to see all the boxes filled out! 

If you check out the blog post I did called, “Plan my February with me” which I’ll link, it has an example and photos of what this looks like for context! https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2024/01/plan-my-february-with-me-2024.html 

Anyways, it's been SO FUN! I was able to complete edits for this novel on Feb. 13!!! Ahhh! I’m seriously so excited! I didn’t know that I could edit this fast! Granted I had already edited the first half but that was over a six month period of time so finishing the last half in 2 weeks feels awesome! 

I highly recommend challenging yourself to something like this if you are needing to edit. ALSO, tell someone about it to keep yourself accountable! I told my family, my blog, my sweet newsletter subscribers, and one of my writer friends about this and that has so helped me stay consistent and accountable. 

Now that I’ve done this challenge and finished it, I want to move on to editing the second book in this contemporary series. This one I know will take longer because I have some major rewrites that need to happen. It was not my best writing because I was on social media when I wrote this and at that time I didn’t know how much that would negatively impact my writing. That book actually taught me that I need to take breaks from social media if I want to write books and be creative. Which is why breaks are so important to me and that goes into the “Online Era” podcast series I’ve been doing. 

Now…

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I also wanted to share a little writing update. Now I wasn’t sure if I was going to share about this. I tend to be more private and reserved when it comes to my personal life and actual writing but…I thought I should just share this with you all. Maybe it can be helpful to others just to see they aren’t alone. Hopefully it’s not discouraging and can be encouraging to you. 

So, I feel called to go through the traditional publishing route—meaning having a publisher and a team helping me. This could totally change in time but this is where I feel called to right now. I know so many wonderful self published authors and I have such sweet friends doing that and it’s such a sweet community but I personally don’t think that this route is my calling or gifting. Now if I’m supposed to and God leads me to be self published then I know He will give me the strength and ability to do that, but as of now I feel called to traditional publishing. 

I’ve been praying about this a lot. Since 2021 when I wrote my first book, I’ve been praying for direction and guidance regarding my future and writing and publishing. 

In the spring/summer of 2023 is when I felt really called to traditional publishing and I started researching the whole process and reading articles and blogs to learn about this process. 

Then in December my grandpa died. He was my biggest supporter. It was really hard but something I felt was after his death, I felt this burn to run and do everything I can to be published. There was this fire lit in me and I know I am supposed to do this. I know there is a calling on my life to write and share these stories and right now I have this need and desire to get this done. No matter what happens I’m going to work and pray and be faithful and take steps of faith even if I’m scared or unsure of what happens next. 

In the newsletter I sent out a little bit ago, I shared this verse and it’s the verse I’m praying over my writing and this publishing journey. 

Psalm 127:1-2

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.

Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.”

The Lord is who builds the house.

It is God who gives success. He gives calling. He opens doors. He makes a way. 

If God is not in it—what we do and are pursuing—will be work in vain. It will come to nothing if God is not with us and in us and in what we do.I want God to lead me and use what I do. I want Him to use me and use my life for His glory and plan. I want Him to lead me. I want to be in and a part of what He is in.

I want Him to work in me and through me and what I do with my books, writing, podcasting and anything else I do. I know that if God isn't in it then it will not work and it will come to nothing. It isn't good or sustainable if God is not in it—if He is not building it.

I need to remember this. God is who gives success. It is not the amount of followers you have or subscribers or if you got a publishing deal or not. It's God. He is the only thing that matters. 

I need to remember this in my own life. My life belongs to Him. I want to follow Him in whatever He wants for me. That is something I want and am praying for and searching for in this time. 

This is my prayer. My prayer is that God will lead me exactly where He wants me to be. My prayer is that He will guide my every step. That He will open doors no man can shut and I’m supposed to walk through. That He will close all doors that must be shut. That He will give me clear yeses and nos. This is what I want. 

So on Feb. 13 (the same day I finished my edits) I got my very first rejection of my novel. 

It stung. 

No one likes being rejected and told no. I did cry. But I wasn't even that sad to be honest. I was emotional but I felt so…relieved. Honestly, I was so relieved and excited and yes it hurt but I was more excited. Excited because it was a clear no. Even they said, which the company is the sweetest, that they loved the mission and call on my book but since they are a smaller company it would be a few years before they could even publish my story so saying no was best for them. Honestly, it’s best for me. If my books are supposed to take years to get published then that’s how it’s going to go, but if it doesn’t have to take years and God has that plan then that’s what I’m going to work towards while trusting God through all of it no matter what happens. 

As much as it did sting, I am so thankful. I know God has a plan and even here I can see Him answering my prayers. For that I am so grateful. So so grateful. I don’t know what’s in store next. But I know God has a plan and I’m going to trust Him through it all. 

If you are in the publishing process of thinking about publishing…PRAY. Lean into God. Search out His peace. Follow Him where He leads you. Be humble. Pray over your writing. Pray that God will lead you exactly where He wants you to be. Pray that He will go before you and give you clear direction and guidance. Pray everyday. That’s the best advice I have for you. 

Seek peace. In my life, I have found that God leads me in peace. Peace to act and the absence of peace to wait or stop. Seek peace. Where do you have peace? Where is God calling you? Follow Him in that, whatever it may be. 

And don’t give up. If God has placed a calling on your life and this is for writing or anything you feel called to (singing, dancing, painting, sewing, writing, motherhood, being a missionary, adoption, whatever it may be) then I believe that God will make a way. I believe He will. You also have to trust Him and follow Him where He leads you even if it’s unexpected. 

If you told my 5 year old self or even my fifteen year old self that I would be a writer and working on getting published I wouldn’t have believed you. That was not on my raider. Yet, this is where God has led me. I can’t wait to see what happens next. 

Stick to what God has called you to and placed on your heart. Be willing to be flexible and follow God wherever He May lead you. Stay firm in what God has said. 

If God has called you to traditional publishing then stick to that no matter how many rejections you may have. Even if it takes years, if God has called you here then He has a plan. Pray He will lead you to the right people and publishers and connections. It just may be different from the timing you want which is something I need to remember and be okay with. 

If God has called you to self publish and it’s not based in fear, or rejection, or doubt (I’ve seen lots of writers who maybe aren’t called to self publish but they got rejected and in spite or pain or discouragement they become self published but they go nowhere because they weren’t called to this). But if you are called here, then don't give up. Pray God will give you the ability and knowledge to do this well. 

Or if God has called you to a different route of writing or to something not writing related. Whatever God has called you to, be steadfast and faithful in what He has called you to. Pray for guidance and wisdom and that God will lead and direct your steps.

Or maybe you don’t know what God has called you to. Maybe you are in high school or just graduated and are trying to figure out the calling God has on your life. If you are in that place, PRAY. Pray everyday. Pray that God will give you directions, a straight path, and clear signs to what you are supposed to do. Pray it will be a calling burning on your heart. Pray for understanding and discernment on what to do. 

I know if you spend time being with God, soaking yourself in His word, and speaking to Him (which is praying) that He will lead you and answer you. It may not be instant, it may take time but that’s alright. Be patient. Pray for patience. Trust God wherever He leads you even if it is unexpected and it’s something you thought you could never do. 

God has a plan and it is best. Trust in Him. Trust in His calling. 

God is writing a story for each one of us. I can’t wait to see where He takes us and what He has planned for each and every one of us.