In Which Perseverance Gets an Alignment

 

Therese here to introduce today’s guest, though she really needs no introduction — at least not in the “you don’t know this person” way of things. You do know Keely Thrall, as she’s been a part of the WU community for a long time. But you’ve never met Keely this way before–as a published novelist–and it’s my sincere pleasure to reintroduce her to you with that in mind.

Keely Thrall writes “thrilling, enthralling paranormal and contemporary romance.” Her debut romance novel, The One That I Want, was just released this month. When I asked her if she’d like a share a short synopsis with us, she sent along two to choose from, and I got such a kick out of the spin between them that I thought to publish both here. Maybe seeing how the same story can be conveyed with a different twist and tone might empower another writer out there as they craft a pitch.

Short blurb
Keira and Connor must plan their friends’ engagement party. Awkward, considering Keira just broke off their no-strings hookup arrangement. Working–and playing–with Connor during a long, hot NYC summer is more fun than Keira anticipated–but scarier too. Because every kiss, every touch, and every shared secret cracks her open a little bit more, making her feel way too vulnerable for comfort. Will Keira retreat and stay safe or go after the one that she wants?

Blurb using universal fantasy hooks
I like control. Hand me a man’s tie, and I’ll put it to good use. But when the nice guy I’m hooking up with pushes for more and I cut the knots loose? He shows his stubborn side, unwilling to give me up. With each heated encounter I slide deeper into the fantasy we’re building, one where we have a future together. Now I’m hanging onto that control by my fingertips and all I want to do is let go.

Keely “believes that reading–and writing–romance fiction, with its focus on individual, familial, and community relationship-building, is a secret super power giving those of us who dip inside the world of Romancelandia an edge when it comes to navigating the age old question: ‘How do I human better?’ ”

Learn more about Keely and her writing on her website.

Welcome to the green room, Keely! It’s good to have you here.

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The One That I Want, my contemporary romance debut, came out this month. To be accurate, I published it, gladly and proudly, with some fear, sure, but also a lot of relief. My road to publication has been a long time coming, a winding path I could have stayed on indefinitely if not for one real life plot twist: I learned how to set myself up for success. That mind shift took me from “aspiring” writer to “I’ve got the power. Let’s do this thing.”

I’ve been banging away at this writing aspiration for a while now. I started dreaming about being a published author in high school. In graduate school, I called myself a “writer who doesn’t write.” It was an easy way to claim an identity while preempting anyone who might dare to point out that writers write. In 2000, I joined Romance Writers of America and its affiliate local chapter, Washington Romance Writers.

Man, I thought at the time. Now I have it made. Finally, in the company of writers who “get me”, surely, surely, I’ll start writing.

Meh. It didn’t quite go that way.

I attended meetings and Learned All The Writerly Things. I’d occasionally be inspired to practice those things–POV, world-building, active setting–by writing a scene or (gasp) a whole chapter. But I didn’t buckle down to apply my hoard of craft learnings until I stumbled my way into a couple of critique groups. The groups helped. A lot. I finished my first manuscript and it finaled in RWA’s Golden Heart, an international contest for unpublished authors. Hoorah! But I never managed to create what I’d call a gen-u-ine habit of regular writing.

A few years after my second crit group disbanded, I accidently developed Tuesday Night Writes, a weekly in-person gathering. I’d invite folks to join me for a little dinner, a little writing, a little companionship. It grew from one friend to dozens. The model of scheduled in-person writing time worked well for me. I finished another manuscript. During this period I gained an intuitive understanding that when I hooked “regular scheduled writing time” to “showing up for other people” I was more likely to get words down on the page. Progress!

But there was still something missing, some writing code of conduct I couldn’t seem to crack or hack or bootstrap my way into.

Like lots of folks, I leaned into the Productivity Industrial Complex for a silver bullet. I devoured Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, snarfed down James Clear’s Atomic Habits, and gobbled up Cal Newport’s Deep Work. I read about grit (Anglea Duckworth) and resilience and perfect timing and the best ways to adapt to change. I tested out the Freedom app and the pomodoro method, endlessly searching for the magic elixir that would push me-pull me from simply “persevering” in this writing life and get me to the next level–actually publishing a novel.

It wasn’t until a writing pal introduced me to Becca Syme’s Better Faster Academy that I really started making significant, intentional progress. To be hideously simplistic about this amazing resource: Becca has a process to help creatives figure out how we as individuals move best through time and space–and what changes we can make in our environments and routines to better support ourselves and our work.

Mind. Blown.

But really, it’s been more like Mind Activated.

In the five-ish years since I began swimming in the Strengths deep end, I’ve realigned my world to suit my goals. Here are my three biggest insights and how I now run my life as a result:

I scrub your back, you scrub mine. That intuitive understanding that connecting my writing with accountability to others is a Big Deal? Well, now I know that I’m high in relationship-building strengths and relatively low in executing strengths. The number one best way to get me to show up for myself turns out to be showing up for others and to do that with a clear focus on how showing up supports my own goals. During the pandemic, I started a morning writing zoom to help get me back into writing. Major relationship-building bonus points that the practice got others unstuck too. We’re still going strong over three years later. I can’t foresee a time when this won’t be a huge part of my writing life given how well it works for our whole crew. Win-win.

Talking is writing. I’ve learned that folks with a high Communications strength often find the answers to their problems by speaking with someone. Hey, my motormouth isn’t a bug, it’s a feature! Score! But seriously, when I get stuck in a manuscript, I’m now faster to ask a friend to listen and brainstorm with me rather than remain in my own head spinning my wheels. Having an actionable step in my back pocket I can whip out to get me over a block? Yes, please. (Sometimes this even works if I just talk to myself out loud.)

If you can’t play offense, play defense. My brother, A. Trevor Thrall, author of the 12 Week Year for Writers, gave me this advice once, something he practiced while writing his Ph.D. thesis. On the days he couldn’t write new words, he’d do research or answer emails or even just tidy up the notes on his desk. In the Strengths world, I have what is called high Intellection. Folks high in Intellection need to think. And think. And think. It can look–and feel–like we’re not writing. But often our back brains are puzzling through a problem with our story. When that happens for me now, I switch modes from O to D and–here’s the big takeaway–no longer beat myself up for not increasing my word count on any given day because, hey, I’m doing something writing-adjacent. That release from self-judgment has been such a gift.

Getting a better handle on what I need to put in place to achieve success has been a game changer. It informs how I make decisions, who I spend time with, and how I structure my days. Because I know myself better, I said yes to a project that became my first published short story, a paranormal romance that came out this spring in – not surprisingly – the Love at Dawn anthology that members of my morning crew and I put together (Show up for each other; glow up with each other). Because I know myself better, I surrounded myself with the talent and expertise and friendship that helped me put all the pieces in place to launch my novel. I will continue to persevere in this writing life. But now I’ll do it with the benefit of better alignment.

What about you? What tweaks have you made to your writing biosphere over the years–and what impact have they had on your career?