Taking Our Stories to Market

By Debby Giusti

Every Saturday, my town hosts a Farmer’s Market. I regularly shop there and always enjoy buying fresh vegetables—vine-ripened tomatoes, okra, eggplant, corn on the cob—as well as an assortment of fresh baked breads and pastries. Various musical groups perform each week, adding to the warm and welcoming ambiance, and a wide swath of vendors sell everything from produce and plants to grass-fed beef, local raw honey and even seafood trucked in from the coast. It’s always a fun event that attracts crowds of people who enjoy small town life at its best.

My favorite vendor! Love her veggies!

As I browsed the booths last weekend, I thought of the work involved in bringing a product to market. Consider the produce vendors. Someone who doesn’t understand farming might not realize the sweat and toil required to cultivate even a small parcel of land.

The Southern Band made the day even more
enjoyable!

Mother Nature can’t be rushed nor can any of the major steps in the growing process be ignored. The soil needs to be plowed, harrowed and the land leveled before the seeds are sowed. Add the need to fertilize, water and weed—all time-consuming tasks that must be repeated on a regular basis in order to end up with a successful crop.

So how does that apply to the writing life?

Pretty watermelons!

Similar to the farmer in his fields, writers have to get down and get dirty, so to speak. We need to work hard to create new stories, to improve our craft, to understand the nuances of plot and character development and to keep writing through the good times and the bad.

This gardener loves plants as much as I do!

We start by brainstorming a new story, fleshing out compelling characters and instilling them with their own particular goals, motivation and conflict before we begin to write. Some of us use a synopsis or outline to keep focused, while others rely on their own inner compass to steer their story. No matter our technique, whether plotter or pantser, we spend long hours—sometimes frustrating hours—taking that beginning idea and turning it into a full-length manuscript. Then, we revise and rewrite until we’re satisfied that our finished product will catch the eye and the interest of an agent or editor.

Annie's French Bakery. I always enjoy her 
bread and her French accent!

Like the vendors at the farmer’s market, selling our product—our stories—is our goal, but as we know so well, stories don’t always sell. Too often writers become discouraged when a book isn’t acquired or a contract doesn’t come about in a timely manner.

A booth for our canine friends!

The lack of a sale may force us to work longer and harder to improve our story. Or perhaps we’ll move on to a new project. Both options have merit. A new story brings fresh focus, and sometimes when we write that next story we can more easily see the shortcomings in our earlier endeavor, which can eventually be revised and resubmitted.

Great honey from local hives!

My message today is that things of worth, whether fresh vegetables or honey or grass-fed beef, take time and effort to bring to market. Writing a story does, as well, so don’t get discouraged. Keep working. The only one you’ll hurt if you give up is yourself.

My friend, Lois, helps this baker from Macon, GA.

I snapped these photos last Saturday because, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. I’ve also included a few quotes that provide food for thought and, I hope, a bit of motivation.

Who likes boiled peanuts?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act. But a habit.”            ~Aristotle~

 “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
~Colin Powell~

Something extra for sale! Such cute pups!

                    “I see the invisible. I believe the incredible. I attempt the impossible.”                 ~Robert Schuller~

                                                 “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”                                                 ~Japanese proverb~

This little sweetie didn't want to leave her puddle.

                “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent                                          hard work leads to success. Greatness will come. ”                              ~Dwayne Johnson~

Some of what I came home with last Saturday!

Share any inspiring quotes that give meaning to your life, and/or leave a comment about how you stay focused and on track. Let me know if you’d like to be included in the drawing for one of my stories, title of your choice.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

HIDDEN AMISH SECRETS

Her temporary Amish homecoming

could get her killed.

Julianne Graber left her Amish life behind after a family tragedy, but now she’s back to sell the family home— and someone’s dead set on getting rid of her. With her neighbor William Lavy by her side, Julianne must uncover dangerous secrets to make sense of the past and present. Can she find justice for her family—and a future with Will—before the killer hits his target?

Order on Amazon!