Today, we have a guest post from Shannon Taylor Vannatter, a stay-at-home mom. Her debut novel won the 2011 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. She’s added another six novels since then, with another due out in the fall. She lives with her husband, son and assorted pets. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather write. Her goal is to hire Alice from the Brady Bunch. Here’s her post tell how she got started in writing. OOPS! I forgot to mention this morning, Shannon will give a copy of Rodeo Regrets to one lucky commenter. So leave a comment and have a chance for a free book.
Shannon: I started with a story. The story I’d had in my head since I was a teen. It played over and over, I’d move scenes around, change them up, and tweak the ending. I thought it was a movie, but I didn’t want to go to Hollywood. Years later when I was in my thirties, my work hours changed and I suddenly had time to read again. But when I went to the library searching for clean romance, I couldn’t find any. I finally realized that story in my head could be a book and decided if I ever got a computer, I’d write it.
Two years later, I got a computer and as soon as it was plugged in the wall, I started writing the book. But my characters kept talking to God, praying, and going to church. Christian fiction was in its infancy then and I had no idea there was a market for what I was writing. When I finished, I went to the library to learn how to get published. I checked out a Writer’s Market Guide and learned there were publishers looking for what I’d written. I submitted to several and started the next book.
What I didn’t know is how to write. I didn’t know it was a craft with techniques you have to learn. So the rejections started coming. But a year and a half in, I got an offer from a print on demand publisher. I didn’t know what that was. I soon learned, there’s no editing, the book isn’t in stores—just online, and the book was overpriced. After two years of going it alone and getting published, but not the way I wanted to be published, I joined two writer’s groups and attended every conference I could find in the Central Arkansas area.
I learned a lot over the next few years, but there came a point where I wasn’t learning anything new. That’s when I Googled Christian writer’s conferences and found American Christian Fiction Writers. The conference was in Nashville that year and I went. And discovered, I knew the basics.
For the next four years, I attended all the local stuff, plus ACFW. I entered national contests which offered critiques, bought writers magazines, and writers books. Finally in 2007, I officially joined ACFW and joined a critique group with three other members. Their help was priceless. I got second place in two national unpublished first chapter of a novel contests. The feedback from contest judges was also priceless. In 2008, I got an honorable mention for a short story in a writing magazine and got a short story published in Mature Living.
That year, I headed to the ACFW conference in Minneapolis. I hadn’t planned to go because it was too far and money was tight then. But I met a writer in Arkansas who planned to go and she asked me if I wanted to go along. My critique partner lived near the conference hotel and said I could stay with her. All I had to do was come up with the conference fee. Money came out of nowhere and I decided God must want me to go.
I went and pitched my three book series to Heartsong Presents. In early 2009, I signed my first contract. Seven published books later, I have two more in the process.
And that story in my head since I was a teen—the one that started it all—it’s releasing in November. Completely rewritten since I half know what I’m doing now.
Writing is a calling for me. With every book, I pray Christian readers will loan my books to the non-believing friends and maybe through my characters, a seed will land in the good ground and bear fruit.
Thank you, Shannon for sharing your story with us. Readers, you can find more about Shannon and her books at: http://amzn.to/189vnPs
Shannon,all love all your books, and have been waiting for this one. Thanks
Thanks Marianne!
Hi Shannon,
You book sounds really interesting. I enjoyed reading about your writing journey.
James thanks for giving us an opportunity to read this pos.
Mary
Hey Mary,
At the time, it seemed like it took FOREVER to get published. But now it doesn’t seem so long. Especially since I’ve heard of other writers taking longer.
Hi Shannon, congrats on all your books! They look like great reads. I always love to hear how authors get published. Thanks for sharing your journey.. 🙂 If you’re going to be at ACFW, I look forward to meeting you.
Lynette
Hey Lynette,
I’ve been every year since 2005, but this year I’m not going. Indy is a bit far and I’ll have just met a deadline and I’m sure I’ll be brain-fried. But I’m planning on being in St. Lou next year.
Always love learning about writers’ journeys. Very good one, Shannon. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Susanne,
It was very frustrating at the time. But it seemed like every time I got down and told myself I’d quit, something positive would happen and I’d decide God wanted me to stick with it.
Hey Carole,
I don’t think I mentioned how many rejection letters. I stopped counting at 200.
Thanks for the post. I am always encouraged by learning more about authors’ journeys! I knew a bit about Shannon’s, but not the full story. I will be checking out her books!
Excellent piece today. Nice to meet you. Your work sounds interesting. Good luck with everything 🙂
Hey Chris,
Thanks for the compliment and for stopping in.
Shannon, truly God has a hand in your writing. I haven’t found that tight fit with Christian genre fiction. I write for the secular market with Christian values, but I understand how good it feels when people stop you to tell you what your writing has meant in their lives. I know you’ve experienced that. Congratulations. And thanks, James for bringing Shannon to us.
Hey Anne,
I’m glad you write with Christian values. We need more clean reads in the secular market.
Hey Elaine,
I think there are a few publishers looking for mysteries. Check out acfw.com and click on Conference, then Editor Appointments. It shows the list of editors that will be at the conference and what they’re looking for. Seems like I read something about mysteries there, so be sure and check it out.
Thank you. I’ll check it out. good luck to you.
Your story sounds a lot like mine, except I haven’t yet tracked down that elusive publisher yet. What I struggle with is a Mystery for Christian readers. Where is the market for that? Lots of luck and so nice to read your success story.