by James L. Rubart, @jameslrubart
Before I get to the lessons, let me quickly tell you how Susie and I met. But even before that, I must describe my first impression of Susie.
I picked up tapes of her teaching when I first dipped my toe into the writing world, so I didn’t know what she looked like, but the voice coming out of my speakers was passionate, energetic, funny and full of life. So I built a picture in my mind of what she looked like.
Six months later, at a writing conference, I asked someone if they knew Susan May Warren and if she was at the conference. They said yes and pointed to a woman standing toward the back of the room clothed in a long black cape, complete with hood. She had jet black hair and somber looking eyes. The look on her face was one of consternation. I was surprised. The person I heard coming out of my speakers and Cape Lady seemed two very different people.
About a year later I was at an ACFW conference attending a workshop. After the lecture ended, I lingered as I was waiting to talk to the speaker. As fate would have it, another workshop attendee—who had sat right in front of me—was waiting for the speaker as well. Yes, Susie. She introduced herself and I realized in that moment, the person who had been pointed out to me as Susie was indeed not Susie. Yes! She matched the voice on the tape!
We started chatting and Susie was even more vivacious and captivating than the person I’d listened to. (No, not a shocker for those who know her.)
There are a few people in life you hit it off with immediately. Susie was one of mine. Our friendship quickly grew, and over the years we’ve done everything from write books together to teach together to be part of a mastermind group together. I think of her as one of my closest friends and as my dear sister.
Given the above introduction you can probably see why I have learned numerous lessons from Susie over the years. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll keep it to only seven.
- Everyone Deserves a Second Chance – I believe it’s the theme of Susie’s life. But it’s not truly accurate. Susie believes in third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc., chances.
- You Drop Everything for Your Friends – If you’re in a war, you want Susie next to you. More than once she’s dropped everything for me. For wisdom, for story ideas, for a word of encouragement when I was on the ledge.
- If You’re Not Happy, I’m Not Happy – With some friends, they can walk away if there’s a splinter in the relationship, shrug their shoulders, and in effect say, “Oh well. Whatever.” Not Susie. She cares how you’re doing, how your relationship is doing. Deeply.
- There’s No Room for Ego – for four or five years, Susie and I co-hosted the awards ceremony at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference. James Bond, Back to the Future, The Purloined Briefcase … we had a blast developing and acting out our strange notion(s) of humor as we honored the winners. And through all of it, Susie didn’t give a whit whose idea made the final cut or who had more time behind the mic.
- It’s Not Easy Standing Next to Your Friend Jim When the Viking’s Miff a 27 Yard Field Goal – I love the Seahawks. But not as much as Susie loved the Viking’s back in January of 2016 when all the Vikes had to do to beat the Seahawks in the playoffs was make a chip shot field goal. (Shanked left.) The grace with which Susie carried herself after that moment? Master class.
- Laughter Isn’t Just the Best Medicine, It’s Essential to Life – Don’t need to explain this one. You get it.
- The Relationship is More Important Than Anything Else – there is a fierceness in Susie when it comes to her family and friends. For as passionate and driven as she is about her writing and teaching others to write, there is nothing in her life more important than those she cares about. Recognition, awards, money … they are microscopic compared to the love she has for those close relationships God has brought into her life.
Number seven is far and away the most important lesson, yes? As a person of faith, I believe there is a life after this one. The only thing I’m certain that will cross over is our friendships, so you can see, with Susie, I am truly blessed.
How Do You Stand Up for Yourself When It Means Losing Everything? Allison Moore is making it. Barely. The Seattle architecture firm she started with her best friend is struggling, but at least they’re free from the games played by the corporate world. She’s gotten over her divorce. And while her dad’s recent passing is tough, their relationship had never been easy.
Then the bomb drops. Her dad was living a secret life and left her mom in massive debt.
As Allison scrambles to help her mom find a way out, she’s given a journal, anonymously, during a visit to her favorite coffee shop. The pressure to rescue her mom mounts, and Allison pours her fears and heartache into the journal.
But then the unexplainable happens. The words in the journal, her words, begin to disappear. And new ones fill the empty spaces—words that force her to look at everything she knows about herself in a new light.
Ignoring those words could cost her everything . . . but so could embracing them.
James L. Rubart is 28 years old, but lives trapped inside an older man’s body. He thinks he’s still young enough to water ski like a madman and dirt bike with his two grown sons. He’s the best-selling, Christy BOOK of the YEAR, CAROL, INSPY, and RT Book Reviews award winning author of ten novels and loves to send readers on journeys they’ll remember months after they finish one of his stories. He’s also a branding expert, audiobook narrator, co-host of the Novel Marketing podcast, and co-founder with his son, Taylor, of the Rubart Writing Academy. He lives with his amazing wife on a small lake in Washington state.