Author of When It’s Rush Hour All Day Long
by Trisha Bleau Smith
T4JYM: I absolutely loved When It’s Rush Hour All Day Long – a book I desperately needed to read since my life is ALWAYS rush rush rush. I believe many others need to read this book as well – a very timely message… Where did the idea for the book come from? Where do you generally draw your ideas for writing from?
JT: Actually, I led a conference at the Lifeway Conference Center in Glorieta, NM about 3 years ago on the subject, “Curing Hurry Sickness.” The Baptist Press covered it and circulated the story to all its outlets, one of which was New Hope Publishers. Publisher Becky Yates contacted me about the possibility of expanding that idea into a book and the rest, as they say, is history.
I draw ideas for just about everything related to life experiences, such as the one described above. I am also read extensively to feed my curiosity “habit”—i.e., I have always been curious about almost everything. I was born and grew up on a farm in a deeply rural part of south central Mississippi where life was very simple and my world very small. Books, magazines, newspapers (including the old “Grit” paper which was delivered to my home) opened the world to me and help me travel way beyond my circumstances.
T4JYM: How many publishers did you send your book to before it was picked up? Was it rejected by any publishers? What kind of feedback did you receive from them?
JT: Happily, as described above, the publisher contacted me. New Hope is a comparatively small publisher of the national Women’s Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention. After some research with their vendors to determine the level of interest, I was invited to submit a book proposal. It was accepted and I was sent a contract—then the work started. My editor, Rebecca England, was wonderful in making very helpful suggestions as well as making adjustments on the deadline because of family health issues. The marketing group, led by Lynn Waldrep with great help from Tara Miller, conducted a marketing seminar and provided other very helpful assistance for my own participation in the marketing process. Someone from New Hope also suggested a change in title from Curing Hurry Sickness to the current title and sub-title—and I think that one change has aided in marketing as much as anything. It is a great title.
T4JYM: Have you written any other books? Do you have plans to write anything more?
JT: I wrote an interactive workbook on listening skills (Listen Up!) that was published in-house for use in a particular conference related to college and university students. Presently, I am reworking that idea at the suggestion of Phill Martin, a staff person with the National Association of Church Business Administration. I am also in the early stages of writing about the various transitions everyone faces. The working title is a quote from English playwright Tom Stoppard: Every Exit is an Entrance (to Somewhere Else). This idea was generated when I was terminated last December from the job I had held from 17 1/2 years, as Leader for the Virginia Baptist Collegiate Ministries Group. This ended more than 39 years of ministry with college students and it was an emotionally devastating experience. But, one of our support staff’s 19-year old son committed suicide. Others I know experienced divorce. My own father died on November 10 – and I realized that all of life consists of some kind of transition. This has been explored in general ways, but I want to focus on how people get through these kinds of problems to come out on the other side of such darkness to experience new and fresh light.
T4JYM: Do you do any other kinds of writing – magazines, newspapers, etc.?
JT: I have written many articles for magazines but have not much of that over the past two to three years. Of course, as an interim pastor, I write a sermon every week and articles for various communication pieces produced by our office and churches. I love words and work hard to find just the right word in the English language to say just the right thing at precisely the right time.
T4JYM: Who have been your biggest influences in life? Who have been your biggest influences in your life as a writer?
JT: Almost too many to mention. I remember my 7th grade teacher, William Stokes. He was also the pastor of a Methodist Church (before they became “United”) in the little town where my school was located. He recognized my love for reading and gave me a copy of Treasure Island for Christmas, a book I still have in my library. Frederick Buechner, Anne Lamott are so gifted in writing and I have loved their work. I also love the way Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal Priest and college professor in George, parses a phrase. C. S. Lewis would have to be in this list. Fellow Mississippians Eudora Welty and Willie Morris must be included. Mystery writers include another Mississippian, John Grisham and Virginian David Baldacci (both attorneys). I admire Pulitzer winner Rick Bragg’s wonderful gift of observing the ordinariness of every day and for telling the story of what he observes very well. His gift was evident even when I knew him as a 16-year-old sports writer for the Jacksonville News in Jacksonville, Alabama.
T4JYM: How do you find time to write, being involved in ministry work at your church? Life is busy and time management is hard to do sometimes. When do you do your best writing and where?
JT: When I was writing “ …Rush Hour,” I wrote something every day. It didn’t always make sense, but that was the advice I got from a friend and from Ann Lamott’s Bird By Bird. I am an early riser (most of the time) and I have written early in the morning, but most of the time, I would write into the night after I got home from work. My “real job” is as a staff member of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board and, although I do keep a fairly busy schedule, I don’t have a committee meeting every night of the week as many ministers in local congregations do. One of my favorite places to write is in my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I have been known to spend an afternoon there, sometimes reading, sometimes writing as an idea hits me. I have a whole shoebox full of stuff I have written related to the transitions project I mentioned above. I am planning to retire from my job sometime in 2005 and I am planning to do a lot more writing then (if I’m not too rushed!).
T4JYM: How has your church shown support in your writing?
JT: As I mentioned, I am an interim pastor, the second one in the past 4 years. Both churches have encouraged me. In fact, I am planning a “signing” this coming Sunday at my current church and a second one sometime in January at the former church. My supervisors have read my book and one has asked for multiple copies to give to pastors as he visits them — so, my colleagues have been very supportive. One of them, Bob Dale, wrote the foreword in the book.
T4JYM: Do you have any prayer partners or accountability partners that help you in your personal walk?
JT: I do have a small group consisting of present and former colleagues. We meet irregularly (busy, you know), but they are people similar to one that I described in the book: they do hold me accountable to the highest level of integrity in my personal and professional life, but they would also go to the mat for me if I were in trouble.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in writing?
JT: In Nike language, just do it. I had never given a great deal of substantive thought to that possibility until I was given the opportunity with New Hope. Now, I am excited about finding a fresh way to share more broadly the things about which I am passionate. My current job responsibility has given me a wonderful opportunity for quality training in a variety of disciplines and I am finding some excitement about exploring ways I may share what I am learning with others via the written word.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing his or her works?
JT: I would suggest, first that one should just write what is in his/her hearts—practice writing and look for ways to state the obvious in fresh and creative ways. Second, I would encourage the exploration of the infinite variety of smaller publishers, looking for those that tend to publish material consistent with one’s interests or passions. Then, contact the publisher, sending samples of one’s writings and pitching an idea. If the hook doesn’t set, go to the next one until it does set. Finally, I think the most important thing is to practice the craft of writing, continuing to tinker with it until one develops a writing style that can be owned as his/her—even if it never gets published.
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