Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel, Just As I Am. Since then she has contracted ten novels and published numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom, Stuck in the Middle, and her newest releases, A Taste of Murder and Age before Beauty. 

     In March of 2008 she was named Writer of the Year at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God's truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, "Biblical Truths in Star Trek." Visit Ginny on the web at www.VirginiaSmith.org.

In Writing Fiction

  Virginia Smith, Frankfort, Kentucky

To kill time in the grocery line the other day, I got into a conversation with the lady behind me. When I told her what I do for a living, her nose wrinkled.

     “Why do you write fiction? Why not write a book that means something?”

     From her tone, she might have been asking why I chose to scrub sewer pipes for a living. I answered, “Because in novels I can dye my hair purple and pierce my nose, or embezzle money from a bank, or slip poison into someone’s food without going to jail.” The look she gave me confirmed that she had no sense of humor. But the checkout clerk sure got a kick out of our conversation.

     My first fiction, written in my mid-twenties, came about after I read a story and thought I could do better than that! I gave it a try, and immediately became enchanted with the process of writing, of finding exactly the right words to express my thoughts, of arranging those words in a way to clearly depict the vivid picture in my mind. This, I thought, is what I want to do. It’s my life’s calling.

     I learned a painful lesson – writing well is harder than it looks. Though I thought my story was absolutely brilliant, the editor of the magazine to which I submitted it didn’t agree. I received his rejection letter in something just short of the speed of light. Over the next twenty years I wrote dozens of short stories and even a couple of novels, and I collected an astounding 143 rejection letters. In the meantime, I worked hard for Corporate America and wrote in snatches of time after the kids went to bed.

     I attribute my eventual success to several factors. First, after two decades, I surrendered my dream of becoming a published author to God. I realized I’d been directing my efforts toward stories that I wanted to write, and I’d never bothered to ask what He had in mind. The moment I did, He gave me the idea for the purple-haired girl who would become the heroine in my debut novel, Just As I Am.

     The second factor that enabled me to finally produce a piece of publishable fiction is the support of others. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I did not possess the skills or the maturity I needed when I first started pounding out stories on my electric typewriter. God knew, though, and He surrounded me with people who would help me grow as a writer and as a person. I’ve partnered with some awesome critique buddies over the years who taught me not only how to write, but also about the business of writing. I make it a priority to return the favor. I’m a confirmed critique groupie! That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to become the moderator for CWFI’s online critique group.

     Another success factor, one I stress when I speak with aspiring writers, was persistence. It would have been easy to give up during those twenty years. If I had, I wouldn’t be where I am today: a full time writer with dozens of published articles and contracts for eight novels. Persistence paid off for me in the end. Now, instead of snatching a precious hour or two in the middle of the night, I park myself in my office all day long to write. True to His Word, God blesses the work of my hands. In fact, I’m sometimes frightened at the amount of work I have to do. I have three books coming out in the next four months! I have to remind myself that where God’s blessings flow, His strength also flows. My job these days is to lean on Him and write the stories He gives me.

     And I do believe my stories come from Him. After all, Jesus told stories during His earthly ministry. I know it might be hard to imagine Jesus telling a parable with a title like Murder by Mushroom or Stuck in the Middle. But when I encounter people like that lady in the grocery store who think fiction is somehow inferior to nonfiction, I remember His stories. They weren’t about spiritual people. They were about regular, everyday people reacting to regular, everyday circumstances – a man inviting his friends to a banquet, a woman sweeping her floor, an investor buying a piece of property. My prayer is that the Lord will help me write stories like that, good stories that speak to people with subtlety while they entertain. I love fiction, and I love Him. What a blessing to be able to combine my two loves.

  Virginia’s third novel, Bluegrass Peril, releases in December. Browse her website to learn more about her writing ministry: www.VirginiaSmith.org.

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