Please welcome this weeks guest Sally Bradley for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? in a two-part series. The first half having posted today. On Sunday, October 13, 2013, Part 2 posted. I hope you will enjoy her journey as much I have.
One of the most amazing things about God is that He is well able to take true disasters in our life and bring good from them. Any Christian writer certainly knows this.
My writing journey began a year or so after Ronald Reagan was shot, back when I was in third grade. Somehow, for reasons long forgotten to me, I knew—knew—I’d write Christian fiction when I grew up. How vividly I remember my mom and her friends passing around Brenda Wilbee’s Sweetbriar Bride books, their salmon-colored covers capturing my attention. Someday that would be me.
Let’s get you caught up to date. I’m not published. Yet.
But has God been working? Has my dream died?
Yes, He’s been working. And while the dream has faded a time or two, it’s as strong as ever.
I wrote my first book in seventh grade. Wrote two, actually. Wrote two more books late in high school. Had ideas for dozens more.
I went to college and majored in English. Because I was going to be a writer, you know. And maybe an editor too. I wrote paper after paper, spent half a year writing a paper on F. Scott Fitzgerald. (If you know anything about Fitzgerald, you understand why I regretted choosing him for that research paper.) I took a whole semester of Shakespeare, Early American Literature, Advanced Grammar and Composition (thank you, Dr. Chapman!), two creative writing classes, and—my favorite class—a full semester of American Novel.
What an education, hmm?
After college, I applied for a job at a major Christian publisher. The job I wanted went to someone else, so I applied for plan B, a job in the publisher’s sales department.
I got it.
While I was glad I’d gotten that job, I was disappointed I hadn’t gotten my dream job. What good would it do me to work in sales for a publisher?
Lots. Less than a year later, I was writing the sales sheets that the entire publisher used. All of them—marketing, editorial, sales. I took what editorial gave me and created a short book blurb, an author bio, and target market section.
I loved my job there. Loved working there. Then my husband had the nerve to move us eight hours away for seminary. The commute from home to work would be a killer, so I had to quit my job.
But the new church we found had a small publisher. Very small. As a part-time employee, I made up one-third of the work force.
My boss, the only full-time employee, was an editor who taught me the editing side of fiction. We talked about research, about audience, proofreading, and content editing. We even dipped our fingers into marketing and sales because, well, we were the only employees. What an education, hmm?
Sometime in the year or two after I resigned to stay home with our first child, the publisher closed. It’s awfully hard for people to buy books that they don’t know exist. But I was blessed with real-life publishing experience that few unpublished writers have.
Over the next seven years, I had two babies, potty-trained two toddlers, and wrote and studied fiction and wrote some more. I received a request for a full manuscript from my dream publisher (remember that publisher I used to work for?) and received a letter with a revision request from an editor—the editor that got the job I originally wanted.
While I worked on the revisions, I queried agents and had two offer representation. Surely now my first contract was months away.
Before I was able to send my revisions back to the editor, she took a new job with another house—and they weren’t letting her take on untested writers.
I chose an agent, and we went to work. As he began submitting my book, I became sick. Very sick. Sick enough where I ended up spending a lot of my spring in various doctor’s offices until I finally got a diagnosis of an auto-immune disease. My body was fighting itself, and I was worn out. I slept half the day for months and realized that if my agent sold my book—and the sequels in the proposal—there was no way I could write another book.
Not like this.
For part 2, click here.
Bio:
Sally Bradley has worked for two publishers, writing sales and marketing materials, sorting through the slush pile, and proofreading and editing fiction. She has a BA in English and a love for fiction, especially fiction that points to God and provides hope.
A Chicago native, Sally now lives in the Kansas City area with her pastor husband who moonlights as a small-town cop. She runs her freelance editing service from her estate-find roll-top desk and hides out in the unfinished basement with the characters from her own book. Sally is a three-time Genesis finalist, and her current work-in-progress won two other writing contests in 2013. She writes realistic, honest contemporary fiction. You can find her at sallybradley.com or her writer page on Facebook, Sally Bradley, Writer.
Wow, Sally, you’ve had quite the journey. Auto-immune disorders aren’t fun. I know I never could have accomplished anything writing related before we discovered what was causing mine. I’m looking forward to reading the second part of your interview.
Christina, how are you doing with yours?
Sally, your story is fascinating. My first reaction was: your husband’s situation would make the foundation of a great story. A pastor who’s a cop at night. My writer’s brain is clicking.
Congratulations on your awards, especially your Genesis finals. Your work is on it’s way to publication soon, I have no doubt. Will look forward to Sunday’s post.
Thanks, June. We writers are funny–we want our characters to go through the wringer, and then some, but we sure don’t want that for our life!
I’ve had a number of people comment on my husband’s jobs. It would make an interesting story base. Maybe down the line… In the meantime, feel free to use it if you’ve got an idea. 🙂
Kristena, thanks for hosting me this weekend. Taking the time to look back over the last fifteenish years has been so encouraging. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity.
Sally, It’s honestly been my pleasure. Your story is so encouraging in more ways than just writing. You show us that no matter what happens in life that if we keep pushing forward we will persevere. Thank you for being willing to share your story with us on here. You are a blessing.
Um, I’m not sure who the couple is in the picture associated with my name, but that is so not me! Oh, no. A mystery to solve!!
Sorry about that picture. I had a new plugin installed on my site and it didn’t exactly work out like I had expected. LOL I immediately uninstalled it as soon as I got on today. You are not back to your beautiful self. 🙂
Actually, I don’t think it was you! I went to Gravatar and uploaded this picture. So we’re all good now. 🙂
Oh, okay, then that makes sense. I will try to redo a Gravitar plugin then.
WHAT NEXT!!!!! says Holly, breathless!!!!
Ha!
Sally, I’ve known you for three years and have never heard some of this. Can’t wait for Sunday!
Because we all think our story is boring! Of course,whittling X number of years down to 1500 words does help. 🙂
I can’t wait to read Part Two, Sally!!
Thanks, Preslaysa! I think reading other people’s writing journeys is so encouraging. Thanks, Kristena, for the opportunity.
You are quite welcome. I agree with everyone else, your story is an encouragement to so many of us. 😀
Enjoyed learning more about you, Sally. Life is such a crazy adventure. I can’t wait to read the next ‘installment’. I, too, am intrigued about your husband’s work. 😉
You’re right, Heidi. Life is an adventure! And it’s good to know I’ve got a handful of ready readers if I ever decide to do the pastor-cop story. 🙂
Thank you for sharing with us Sally, and I’m looking forward to Part 2 ! 🙂 SO sorry about your illness. 🙁
Blessings from Georgia, Patti Jo
Thank you, Patti Jo. While I would love perfect health, God has used my illness to help me have sympathy for others–and to remind me that every breath we take is from Him.
Patti Jo, I think we might have talked briefly at the last ACFW conference. I met a Patti Jo on Sunday afternoon. I remember the name because I used to know a Patti Jo. I think it’s a pretty combination.
Sally, you are so right now how God uses those things in our lives, illness, tragedy, or whatever it is for us, to help us come closer to Him and to lean on Him to gain the strength we don’t have ourselves. I think that is why your story resonates with so many of us. It reminds us that no matter what happens in our lives, God is there guiding us through.
Ditto on all the above, and I’m looking for to the rest!
Thanks, Jane. It’s been so encouraging to me to look back and remember.
Well, I’m hooked! Looking forward to reading the conclusion. I’m constantly amazed and fascinated by the ways in which God works. He has the most wonderful way of working out His plan for each of us in His time.
You’re so right, Becky. God doesn’t duplicate His plans; it’s when we quit fighting and whining and submit to Him and accept His will for us that we find true happiness. I hope you come back tomorrow, because the second half of this is my favorite part. 🙂
Tell me more, tell me more, tell me more!
Enjoyed the interview & learning more about Sally. What a journey. Thanks, Kristen for sharing.
Teresa, thank you for taking the time to stop by and read Sally’s amazing story.