by Peter Leavell, @PeterLeavell
On my property is a miniature barn. In the darkest corner, an old chest sits. If someone found the chest, the hinges would creak as they opened the lid. Inside are stacks of papers. Each document is covered in secret codes.
Except they’re not codes. That’s my handwriting.
Recorded on the pages are the secret paths to publication and writing success, all the information I gathered from writing conferences, books, and images from the dawn of time. In hindsight, the research wasn’t a secret path, and the information didn’t give me writing success. I needed the information for context and scope. Through the conferences and books, I learned the language of the publishers.
So, what is the secret to publication?
What is your journey to writing success?
Most writers think the pathway will be similar if they gather information and take the same steps as brilliant authors. Unfortunately, they’re missing the last step.
Only you know the final act.
Because the final few steps to publication are unique. It’s hidden inside your imagination, your innovation.
Life is a dance.
Sure, you know the dance. All the moves are in your head. You’ve practiced. But how you sway, how you hold your partner, and the passion for the music are all locked in your heart, your soul.
When you cling your finished manuscript to your heart and talk with an agent, you know how they want to hear about your work. But the words from your mouth, the passion in your heart, and the voices of your characters swirling in your mind all forge a unique moment never experienced before, or will ever happen afterward. And no matter the outcome, the story is yours, your path, your journey.
The letter you send the acquisitions editor will reflect you. The writing contest you enter will show your efforts. The elevator pitch you give will mirror your confidence.
So, as you plan for the New Year, learn the dance and feed your passion. Both come from bettering your personal character through learning your craft. Be your own character in the novel of your life and make this year about being the best version of you. The 2024-you will thank you.
Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him.
His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family in the wilderness?
Peter Leavell, a 2007/2020 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history and a MA in English Literature, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild’s Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing’s Best award for First-Time Author, along with multiple other awards. An author, blogger, teacher, ghostwriter, jogger, biker, husband and father, Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about Peter’s books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com