Dina Sleiman

Lessons Learned Along the Journey

My writing journey began…honestly, I’m not quite sure. In fifth grade when I wrote that short story about an alien for class? When I decided to study creative writing in college or pursue a writing MA? Maybe that night I got together with some like-minded homeschool moms for a writers group?

One way or another, by 2007 I’d written my first novel. By 2009 I’d gotten involved in professional writers circles, and in 2011 WhiteFire published my first novel. Since then I’ve become an editor for WhiteFire, published eight books, won a Carol Award, and even had the opportunity to teach at Christian writer’s conferences.

Like many writers, I entered the writing world hoping to change people and touch lives with my books. But as time went on, this process really refined me, strengthened me, and taught me so much. In the end, I think the person who changed the most was me. Here are a few lessons I learned along the way.

Humility – From the moment I realized that the world was in fact NOT just waiting with bated breath for the arrival of my first literary marvel, to the many, many, many rejections, to the painful reviews, (give me a moment please…I’m having a bit of PTSD right now), writing novels has been a powerful lesson in humility.

Teachability – I’m sure agent Steve Laube meant it as a compliment when he gave me a B- (yes, he actually graded me) on my first novel submission, but I certainly didn’t take it that way. So like the grade hound I am, I set out to learn and improve. At his suggestion, I worked for almost another year with mentor Donna Fleisher. I then studied under great authors and found amazing critique partners. I guess since I’m with one of Steve’s agents now, I’m doing okay. Hmm…I wonder if I could petition for a grade change?

Community – As is typical for novelists, I’m a major introvert. But by the time I’d been rejected by several dream agents, I realized I needed support, and fast! I joined ACFW, including a local group, an online email loop called Hiswriters, and a group blog, Inkwell Inspirations. I found the strength in community I needed to survive. I also discovered the power of networking. Through these groups and Christian writer’s conference I began to make connections that would catapult my career to the next level.

Commitment – Around the time I found an agent and started getting somewhere with my novel, I had a big decision to make. I’d honestly never thought past that first book and asked myself if there’d be more. But I quickly learned that no publisher is interested in a one hit wonder. They want writers who are committed for the long haul. And so I began the second novel, and then the third…you get where I’m going with this. Related to commitment, I also began to learn resilience, which would come in handy down the road when I hit bumps like publishing companies shutting down lines shortly after my book released, or when a publisher wouldn’t let me release a planned sequel due to an exclusivity clause.

Immersion – Once I’d committed to this novel writing thing, I realized that being a great writer still wasn’t enough. To a publisher, my novels—much like a Big Mac—are products to be sold and generate profit. But I didn’t know tons about the publishing world, and I knew almost nothing about business. So I got involved with WhiteFire Publishing on the ground floor as an acquisitions editor, and I began to learn the business from the inside out. I also applied myself to studying marketing, which now serves me well throughout my life and career.

Flexibility – As I learned the business, I discovered there wasn’t really a market for Christian medieval novels, at least not at that time. So I decided to stay light on my feet. I tried my hand at a number of different genres including contemporary women’s fiction and American historical romance, publishing with WhiteFire and a Zondervan ebook only line, before finding a niche in a bigger market by shifting to YA medieval adventure romance with my Valiant Hearts series. What made it young adult as opposed to my other books, you might ask? Basically I dropped the age of the heroines a few years so that I could hit a market more receptive to the time period I enjoyed so much. And threw in an extra-dash of action and adventure, which makes these books a great read for any age. Let’s say it together now…flexibility.

Responsiveness – Maybe I should call this one flexibility part 2. You see, I believe that God’s greatest call on all of our lives is not to be a novelist or a doctor or even a missionary, but to grow in relationship with Him and to release His kingdom here on earth. For a time I felt strongly called to write novels. Then, situations shifted. I felt God leading me into a new season. A season of earning income for my family. A season of taking pressure off my husband, supporting my children through college, and releasing them into their own gifts. And writing novels, although I’d met some reasonable success, just wasn’t cutting it as a source of income. Back to that humility lesson, I guess.

So for the past three years I’ve focused my writing gift on a new calling. I’ve been writing for international humanitarian organization Operation Blessing. At first I thought I’d trudge through it, and hopefully still squeeze in my novel writing. But it turned out I love every minute of my job, and I feel very blessed and honored to work daily on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Will I write novels again in the future? Probably. Which is why I’ve kept helping out at WhiteFire to keep my skills sharp. But until the characters in my head start talking to me again, I’m okay with waiting. I’m happy to use the gifts God’s given me wherever He asks and however He sees fit.

Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is that the journey isn’t just something to be endured, it’s every bit as important as the destination itself.

Dina’s Chosen Charity

Operation Blessing

What Dina has to say about this wonderful organization:

It’s a very comprehensive and holistic humanitarian organization. We do clean water, hunger relief, medical care, disaster relief, and more worldwide. We also help refugees, persecuted Christians, human trafficking victims, and provide education and community development. OB is a major charity with very good charity ratings. We’re the humanitarian arm of the Christian Broadcast Network. I spend my days writing about the various stories of people we help and they’re very inspiring. http://ob.org