Blogger: Rachel Kent
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
It’s summer! The beginning of summer is a great time to talk about reading since we’ll all be taking books with us out to the pool and on our vacations. Right? I would like to take this week to share about five books (other than the Bible) that I love and that have influenced my life in some way.
Today’s book led me to my position as an agent at Books & Such. I’m asked at writers conferences about the journey to my job all the time, so it’s nice to get to share it with all of you, too…
Waterfalls by Robin Jones Gunn is a story about a woman who works as an editor. There’s much more to it, of course, including that she falls in love with a movie star and talks to her goldfish, but the editor part is the most important for my journey.
I decided after reading Waterfalls that I wanted to be an editor. The main character of Robin’s book, Meri, got to work from home in her pj’s and read all day. Sounds pretty nice! She did have to speak at a writers conference, but I was going to pass on that part. 😀 So at 16-years-old I knew that I wanted to get an English degree and become an editor. Just about everything I knew about publishing at the time came from that book. I didn’t know anything about literary agents.
During college, I was looking for an internship anywhere because all of the first-time jobs for assistant editors require at least two years of publishing experience. I didn’t really want to move to New York for a summer to work for free as an intern at a publishing house, but that was looking like my best option. I asked a few women at my church to pray for an internship for me, and within days Michelle from our agency contacted me. Michelle goes to my church and was told about me by one of the women I talked with. As a writer herself, Michelle tries to take off the summers to write; so Janet was looking for someone to fill in for Michelle. Janet was willing to call my work an internship, it was 10 minutes from my house, and she was going to pay me! I still had no idea what a literary agency was, but the job sounded good to me. 🙂
I worked at Books & Such for two summers and then for a year after I graduated as an intern. At that point, Janet offered me a job as an agent. I guess she liked me. 🙂 She had been training me during that time for my agenting job and continues to help out when I have questions. Agenting is different from my original “dream” of being an editor, but I think it’s a great fit for who I am. I love my job!
And there was frosting on the cake: Janet represents Robin Jones Gunn! I’ve been able to work with Robin on some special projects she needed done, and we’ve formed a friendship.
God sure knows what he’s doing, and I’m grateful to know he’s in control of my life. And speaking at the conferences isn’t so bad either! 😉
What about you? Did a book influence you toward wanting to be a writer? I’d love to hear your story.
What a great story, Rachel! When I hear stories like this, I can’t believe there are people out there who think God doesn’t exist and life is a bunch of coincidences.
I can’t say a particular book ever led me to writing. I’ve known since I was a kid that I wanted to be a writer. My life took some unexpected twists and turns, so my writing career was delayed a bit, but I’m sure God knew I had to get to a certain point before I was ready to embrace this path He has set me on.
Thanks for sharing your story. I look forward to more this week.
It’s so exciting to hear about your journey, Rachel! And Robin Jones Gunn is a staple in our daughter’s library. She absolutely adores the Christy Miller series!
I’m not sure if one particular book influenced my writing passion, but certain authors certainly did. Debbie Macomber, Lori Copeland, Karen Kingsbury, Richard Paul Evans to name only a few. These authors’ down-to-earth approach and the way their words resonated with people gave me the courage to keep on keepin’ on.
Loved reading since I was eleven. Our TV died and the library became my world that summer. Fast forward a few decades and I still loved to read but struggled to find books that kept me engaged, celebrated my culture & edified my faith until I came across Kendra Norman Bellamy’s work. Her stories did all that for me and inspired me to take the leap of faith from tech writer to novelist. Kendra has since become a mentor and friend! 🙂
I loved Waterfalls! I think of it every time I order a non-fat, sugar-free, half-caff latte (or the “why bother” as one of Robin’s characters called it).
A turning point for me was reading Watership Down by Richard Adams. As a child and teen, I loved stories with an animal POV. In this one, a group of rabbits take a harrowing journey and use story-telling to help them along. I had always loved reading, but had never really considered how stories impact our outlook on life as well as shape our community.
Interesting story, Rachel! I’m going to put “Waterfalls” on my to-read list.
I was inspired to write seriously for God after reading “A Voice in the Wind” by Francine Rivers. That book completely changed how I viewed my faith. It was a true blessing on my spiritual journey. I’ve wanted to give other readers a similar experience ever since!
I guess it was the four gospels that provided the nudge to make me a writer. I was intensely studying them, thinking about how to harmonize them. I read Luke carefully, wondering about how he obtained his information, seeing as he was not an eyewitness. A simple plot began to form in my mind about what Luke might have gone through in writing his gospel. The plot slowly fleshed out, including twists and turns, intrique and romance. All this was before I knew anything about writing a novel.
One Christmas holiday I began to put some words into the computer, as well as outlining and research. I got to 15,000 words and put it aside for a year. Eventually I came back to it and, during one of the busyest times in my life I completed it with 500 words a day. Of course, not knowing the industry or what publishers wanted, I wrote a saga (such as the books I love), and much later learned it is unpublishable.
I then decided I needed to learn about the publishing industry and how to get this thing published, learned it would most likely never be published, and that no publisher wanted a one-novel wonder. But by this time the writing bug had bitten me. I was diagnosed incurable. That was almost ten years ago.
VERY neat story, Rachel! Loved hearing it 🙂
I love reading stories like yours! Thank you for sharing it.
I can’t pinpoint one particular book that led me to writing, either. I’ve ALWAYS loved reading. (My momma emphasizes that “always” because of my love of looking at books even as a baby. I can understand that now with having a son who has LOVED looking at books since he was on a few months old.) I dabbled in writing here and there throughout my “growing up” years with self-imposed projects and taking a few English and creative writing courses. It was after my faith and Bible studies really started deepening and after my beloved grandfather passed away that I discovered I could best understand, learn, and express my thoughts through writing.
Now, there are plenty of writers and books that are influencing and teaching me through their writings (including writers like Mary DeMuth, Lisa Whittle, Emily Freeman, and many, many more).
I love how everyone’s journey is so unique – and so well-guided by God!
Beautiful story Rachel!
10 years ago? Me writing a book? HECK to the no! I couln’t have even imagined it.
10 years later… Jesus had a surprise for me.
Called from doors WIDE open to doors without knobs. I would LOVE to say I wanted to write books since birth but that would be a NO.
My influence? My sweet Jesus and my crazy life.
Rachel,
Thanks for sharing that story. Isn’t our God good?
I wondered how you found your way to Books and Such. Your dreams of being an editor do explain how you came up with such great suggestions when you read my manuscript. I’m glad you enjoy what you do! We need you.
So thankful that God put you just where you are! 🙂
Robin Jones Gunn influenced me, too! I read the Christy Miller series when I was young and I loved them so much that not only did I start praying for my future husband (whom God provided and I must say, he’s awesome), I began imagining characters of my own. I didn’t know that God would actually inspire me to write my stories until He did it. The Twilight books pushed me over the edge. If Stephenie Meyer could write about vampires and be successful, I could write my faith-based stories about real life struggles!
So grateful and still slightly flabbergasted at the doors God has opened so far!
Hi Rachel,
What a great story! I,too,know God had his hand on me at a young age. I had a teacher in the 7th Grade who was talented in many areas herself, particularly as a writer. She encouraged me in my writing and had my short story published in our local newspaper. This was when my desire to be a writer took root. After having a number of other pieces published as an adult, I finally have a children’s book getting ready to come out. I still consider that teacher my muse and of course, God was her director.
When I was three years old my mother told me I should be a song writer when I grew up because I constantly made up rhymes and sang them. That job didn’t appeal to me, but I loved books and from the time I learned to read I knew I wanted to be a writer. After doing other things for years I finally submitted something for publication, it was accepted, and I’ve been a writing addict ever since.
Oh my goodness, I love Waterfalls too! (both the book and the trickling ones) 🙂 My favorite part in that book is when she’s dancing with the blow-up dummy and Jake shows up at her house. So funny!
What a neat journey you’ve had. And how cool to come full circle with one of your favorite authors. Thanks for sharing!
I love hearing stories of how God opened doors we didn’t even know needed opening. 🙂
Francine Rivers book The Scarlett Thread influenced me to make the switch from secular to inspirational. I’ve always wrote, in the fifth grade my teachers were amazed I had a 100 page WIP.
What an awesome God we serve.
I loved reading this, Rachel. It’s amazing how God knows just where to lead us!
The book that made everything in my life click in place was How to Write a Romance and Get It Published by Kathryn Falk. Up until that point, it never occurred to me that everyday people could write books for a living! When I opened the first page and then read all of the essays, I really believed I could write romance novels as my job. What an epiphany! To write the books I’d devoured for years? Yes!!
It’s exciting to be on this journey with you. I’m so glad God led you to Books & Such!
Rachel, I love reading journey stories and seeing God’s fingerprints all over them. Thanks for sharing it.
I grew up reading Sweet Valley High books. I think that’s when the first thought crossed my mind to be a writer. I loved all the trouble those twins got into. 🙂
Loved hearing your story. I’m glad you ended up being an agent. 🙂
Heidi, how funny! I didn’t see your post until just now, but A Voice in the Wind influenced me as well! :)I see you’ve already read today’s post, too.
Thanks for the sweet comments, everybody!