Plow to the End of the Row
It was 2004. While driving to meet my critique group, I happened to catch an interview with Adrienne Young, a folksinger just starting out. She talked about her first album, inspired by some advice she’d gotten while struggling to make it as a musician:
If you want to do this with your life, stay focused and see this through. You’ve got to plow to the end of the row, girl.
That simple phrase – plow to the end of the row – was enough to push Adrienne to continue. It became the title of both her album and lead song.
I can’t quite explain what that interview meant to me, hearing an artist choose to create despite the struggle, to push against fear and all things sensible and make it “to the end of the row.” I’ve carried this image with me for six years now, the plant metaphor standing in for artistic endeavor, the plow the unglamorous slog needed to dig deep and make it to the end.
I recently stopped by NPR.org, wondering if I could find that interview, and there it was, waiting for me. Hearing Adrienne’s words a second time reminded me just how long my row has been, because guess what, friends? I’ve made it to the end. After almost twelve years of writing and hundreds of rejections, I’ve sold my first book.
MAY B. will be published in fall 2011 by Tricycle Press (an imprint of Random House)!
Sometimes I find it funny that impatient ol’ me would choose a profession so bent on forcing me to wait. An almost foolish optimism has kept me working, trusting that the next editor or the next agent or the next story would be the one to launch my career. For years, I’d haunt the mailbox, waiting for something positive to come through. I’d ceremoniously send off manuscripts, chanting, “Don’t come back!” (entertaining postal workers, for sure). I have journals full of “this next editor is a perfect match!” and the like, managing somehow to keep on plowing in midst of little validation from the publishing world.
I’ve made it to the end of a very long, mostly lonely row, one that’s not very straight and loaded with stones. But the soil has gotten better as I’ve worked it, and each little sprout has been stronger than the last. The beauty of all this is I get to start again, take this seedling and transplant it, working alongside others who will nurture it into something better than I could ever create alone.
Thank you, friends, who have encouraged me along the way!
Congratulations!!!! It’s funny because I’m the same way, very impatient to be in such a profession, but it’s something to push through and like you one day I hope to be published! I’m glad that your hard work has paid off, and I’m sure it feels well worth it!
YAY Caroline! I’ve been thinking about you all weekend and I’m so glad you can announce it. Do you mind if I link to you now and spread the word?
Wonderful news – congratulations!!! I can’t think of better advice than “plowing to the end of the row.” I’m glad you’ve finally made it there!
Thank you so much! And Natalie, you kept me level headed when I was anything but. Thanks for that.
Yay yay yay!!
Congratulations, Caroline! I’m so glad that it’s all finally happening for you. :-)))
Now, go celebrate!
WAHOOOOOOO!!! This is so exciting! Congratulations Caroline – I’m so very proud of you for plowing through and seeing it to the end. I’ll do a happy dance up here in Canada for you :)
CONGRATULATIONS!
I always love it when writers hold fast and make their dreams a reality.
What a wonderful post! Congratulations on your book deal. That’s fantastic!! :)
YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy for you! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!!! My favorite post of the week already!!! Congratulations again! Let the happy dancing ensue!
Yay! That is wonderful news! I am truly so very happy for you:)
Thanks for sharing this bit of wisdom. I will remember it when things get tough.
Congratulations!!!! That is the most fantabulous news! You must be so proud. You give us all hope that we too, can realize the dream.
Yay Caroline, I know we have only been following each other for a short while now but I am SOO GLAD TO HEAR THIS NEWS!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! You’re an elevensie (www.livejournal.com/users/2011debuts) CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
And I love that quote. Do you mind if I take it to hang up on my wall?
Yay! How exciting, Caroline! Huge congratulations!!!! I’m so thrilled for you!
YAY – awesome news!!! I’m so excited for you!!
In tears while reading–a beautiful metaphor for what you’ve been doing all these years and I am beyond thrilled at the result.
Carrie, you did it!!!
J
YAAAAAAAAAAYYYY! Did you do the dance? I know there has to be a dance when this happens. Congratulations!
So thrilled to be following your publishing journey.
Congratulations! I wish you many more successes in the coming years! Thank you also for the wonderful and inspiring post.
CONGRATS. :-)
WOW!!! That’s so awesome. Seeing others make it across the publishing ocean is so inspiring. Thank you for persevering.
Congratulations! So happy for you! Best of luck with the publishing process!
Congratulations, Caroline!!! What fantastic, amazing, awesome news. Finally, a good reason for stacking adjectives. :)
Sharing in your joy and wishing you much success!
Writing sure does force us to wait! It’s a good thing I love this as much as I do, otherwise I’d go crazy. :)
Lovely post today, CAroline.
Such wonderful news, Caroline! Our whole writing community is happy for you!
Congratulations!
Congrats, Caroline! Super happy for you!
CONGRATULATIONS, Caroline! That’s wonderful news! You must be ecstatic! It’s been a long journey and now a new one is just beginning . . . how exciting! And thanks so much for passing on that bit of wisdom . . . I’m writing that down!
Woo hoo! That’s awesome!!! I hope you’re doing a happy dance and celebrating!!!!
Wonderful! I’m so happy for you. It’s been a long row, er, road, but you’ve made it to the end!
Congrats!
WooooooooT!!!!! CONGRATS!
That is so cool! Congrats, you must be so stoked! Love that song lyric, plow to the end of the row–I too, am impatient and wonder why I chose to do something that requires so much waiting. These are the rewards–a book! Awesome. I look forward to hearing more about May B.
Congratulations!
Excellent Caroline, congratualtions.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! We are so excited for you Caroline!!! And SO happy that you’ll be a fellow Elevensie! 2011 is going to kick some serious butt!
Congratulations. Your success is my inspiration.
Huge congratulations! I’m thrilled for you! Doing the happy dance!!!! I love seeing my fellow bloggers reach their goals. Glad you plowed till the end of the row. =)
congrats and good for you!
OH WOW!!! I’m so pumped for you!! You took the leap of faith and it paid off (I knew it was just a matter of time anyway)
I can’t wait to read MayB!
And so sneaky how you slipped in that little gem of news casually into your post! Way to go! I’ll be blogging about this soon!
and good job joining elevensies! I’d join, but I don’t think my publisher is on the right list for it.
Congratulations on persevering until you succeeded!
SO excited for you, Caroline! Congrats! So many amazing debuts coming out in 2011. I can’t wait!
Congratulations!!!!!
I definitely want to hear more about the details of what happened, how it felt, and how you’ve since celebrated :)
Congratulations! This is so exciting. It’s always encouraging to hear news like this. You worked for twelve years, and never gave up! I am so impressed. You deserve the success!
This is a bit late (I was away from the blogosphere on the weekend), but…Ahhhh! Congrats! I’m so excited for you.
Also, your story gives me hope.
Congrats to you!!
Congratulations! I’m so excited for you!
I hope you went out and celebrated after you heard the news!
That is so awesome. It does happen!!!
“twelve years of writing and hundreds of rejections”
Simply amazing story of persistence. A big congratulations.
Oh Caroline! WOOT!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!
I am so very happy for you, impressed by your dedication and perseverance, and… HAPPY FOR YOU!!
I love the way you shared it with us, this post unfolded with such honesty and love and hope and beauty. Well written and sincere. Humble and graceful.
This is my favorite post I’ve read in a very long time.
Congratulations!
Love,
Lola
Oh Caroline! WOOT!!!!!! CONGRATS!!!!!!!
I am so very happy for you, impressed by your dedication and perseverance, and… HAPPY FOR YOU!!
I love the way you shared it with us, this post unfolded with such honesty and love and hope and beauty. Well written and sincere. Humble and graceful.
This is my favorite post I’ve read in a very long time.
Congratulations!
Love,
Lola
I cannot even begin to tell you how happy I am for you!
As a farmer’s wife — I understand the sheer and literal beauty of “plow to the end of the row, girl.” ~tears~ And you did!
Thank you, Lord! I dance with you!
Every, every blessing….
All’s grace,
Ann
Like a farmer, may you now enjoy the fruits of your labor while you continue to plow…because as you observed, the soil may turn over easier, but the work never ends.
Congratulations, faithful word-worker!
Keep on writing and chgiugng away!