We were lucky to catch up with Vanessa Fortenberry recently and have shared our conversation below.
Vanessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
What I am cognizant of today as it relates to being a writer, I learned from others. I did not know instinctively how to be a good writer or even a great writer (I am still pursuing “greatness”). When I began writing, the stories were in my head and I penned them, but I soon realized that I needed guidance in the writing process. Scripture states, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge” (Proverbs 18:15).
Initially, I didn’t know about writing critique or support groups. So I invited a few friends and co-workers to my home to provide comments about several stories I wrote. The old cliché says, “If you feed them, they will come!” And, they came. We enjoyed ourselves and I received great comments (good and not so good) about my stories. Thereafter, I searched writing conferences to learn about the writing process and to connect with other writers (“iron sharpens iron” Proverbs 27:17).
Here we are, twelve years later since God whispered to me about my writing quest and I am still increasing my knowledge. I possess a strong desire to discern all that I can about writing, so that I can continue to grow my writing proficiency skills so that I may share with others.
Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have done anything different, except maybe to enroll in a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) program. Now that I’ve recently retired (yay), this might be on the radar. Overall, I believe as a writer, one should not attempt to speed up the learning process. The developmental stages of writing involve many intricate parts, and in my opinion, one should not hurry the technique.
To me, the most essential skills in my writing experience include communication, research, organization, editing, adaptability, and persistence.
• Communication: Anyone can throw some words together. But does it make for a good read? Is it well written (void of spelling and grammatical errors)? Is there an emotional connection with one’s readers?
• Research: Seeking information to acquire expertise in one’s subject matter becomes a necessity, whether writing fiction or nonfiction.
• Organization: I find that my creativity is stalled when I am not organized. It matters not if it’s one’s work space or organizing one’s research resources, etc. Just the other day, I looked at my work space with all of the sticky notes and papers, etc. I decided to rearrange everything. The sticky notes and the papers that were taped around my desk are now in a binder at arm’s reach. I also shifted the position of file containers to better access other essential documents. The end result, I feel liberated. Creativity and innovation thrives!
• Editing: Not a favorite of many writers; but so needed! After editing (to review with fresh eyes) numerous times to ensure the clarity of one’s message, it’s time to seek assistance. If one desires a professional high-quality book, invest in a professional editor.
• Adaptability: As a writer, seek patience and learn to be flexible. Uncontrollable circumstances caused delayed book launch dates for my last two books. Was I disappointed? Of course. But it gave me additional time to prepare.
• Persistence: Writers must possess a strong resolve and show dedication to the craft of writing and all that goes with it. Don’t give up when things get difficult. No matter the situation, continue to show up!
In all honesty, I have been the biggest barrier to my own learning. When I rushed to get things accomplished, I made decisions and mistakes that did not serve me well. Another hindrance, poor time management skills (e.g., planning, procrastination, distractions, lack of clear goals, and/or unrealistic expectations, etc.). The good news, self-awareness of potential issues can empower one to cultivate positive changes.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a Georgia peach and a recent retired educator. I received a B.A. in Music Education with a concentration in Voice and a Masters and Specialist degree in Media. My first ten years as an educator started as a general music, chorus, and voice instructor and I finished my last seventeen years as a teacher-librarian and reading teacher.
As a child I wrote plays, poetry, and short stories. Fascinated with words, I was also an avid reader. So, it was no surprise that at some point in my life I would take my writing to another level. In 2010, while exercising at the gym, God guided my writing journey in the direction of children’s Christian books (to get the longer version, visit my website, www.vanessafortenberry.com). I went home that day and throughout the summer I wrote the first of many motivational stories for children. Additionally, my love of music inspired me to write songs to accompany several of my writing projects. I hope to revisit those projects soon.
In 2012, my daughter-in-love shared with me that my grandson said to her, “Mama, I want to see God.” My grandson’s words touched me. The next morning, I wrote the story, Mama, I Want to See God. But, I quickly labeled it a poem because of the rhyming words. Soon after, at a writing critique group meeting, I shared my poem with members, and they liked it. They suggested that I lengthen the story and get it published. After much prayer, I resolved to increase my rhyming verse story. I’m sure I edited it about twenty-five times over during the course of a year before I felt confident to submit it to a publisher. My publisher accepted my story and more editing took place. Mama, I Want to See God was published in 2014 (BQB Publishing). Thereafter, the series, “Families Growing in Faith” was born with the following titles, Daddy, I Want to Know God (2017) and Grandma, Granddad, We Want to Praise God (2021).
My books answer universal questions that children ask about God. They also impart to young children about God and His love for them. The setting of the words and vivid illustrations are relatable and will inspire, capture, and hold the attention of young readers so that they will aspire to learn more about God and how they fit into His divine plan.
My books are “Kid Approved!” The following message from one of my reading fans validates in my mind that I am meeting the needs of young children through my stories. To say the least, the message touched me and I give all the glory to God!
“Vanessa- I met you at a writing group where I remember you speaking of your book. I noticed the finished product several months ago but when my daughter reported that my five year old grandson said, “I don’t like Jesus. I’m afraid of him. He doesn’t look like my family,” I rushed to the library and checked out your book. He loved it and went to bed willingly to hear God’s voice! Thank you. God is using your work.”
I am honored that God chose me to write children’s books to help grow His Kingdom! I want my readers to know that the “Families Growing in Faith” series offer the following:
• Respond to the many questions that children have about God
• Presents the Gospel message in a kid-friendly format
• Applies Biblical principles to help children grow in faith
• Helps to build and grow spiritual leaders
• Include powerful truths making these books a great resource for families with young children
My award winning books communicate encouraging messages for children and adults. Children, their parents, grandparents, guardians, and/or caretakers will love the rhyming stanzas of a child’s natural curiosity and growing discovery as they read and view the eye-catching images with multicultural characters.
One of my reading fans made the comment on my latest book, Grandma, Granddad, We Want to Praise God:
“Beautiful and heartwarming in words and pictures and is written in a way children will understand and love.”
I am thankful that God is grooming me to glorify and honor Him through my writing.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Providing relatable and memorable stories fulfills my mission of using my writing as a tool for Christian ministry that expands beyond the walls of the church and communicates an inspirational message that serves as a bridge for children and adults.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Not to be labeled as writing a specific genre for a certain audience, I take pleasure in my talent to broaden my writing abilities. About eight years ago, my passion for writing nonfiction commenced when I read two versions of a nonfiction text during story time with my students. I recall asking my students which animals they would include if they were to write their own version of the story. Hence, my love affair with nonfiction began.
During the writing of the story, I visited the public library and also researched online resources. Writing nonfiction took me out of my comfort zone and I made a few mistakes along the way which caused me to go back and authenticate certain information. My oversight proved to be frustrating and time consuming. Nevertheless, I back tracked my steps to get the needed information and continued to move forward.
After three years of working on this story, along with professional editing, I submitted my manuscript to several publishers. No response. I remained hopeful. One specific publisher stated that a part of their submission guidelines was to include an expert review. I researched and contacted a few experts in the topic of my story. I even followed one of the experts on Twitter (I’m not a stalker!) and then contacted him. Imagine my surprise when he agreed to review my manuscript.
However, he indicated that I needed to make some major changes. Back to square one, I mused! I was devastated. I cried about it, I thought about it, I prayed about it, and I took action by initiating the recommended modifications. After all, this guy was an authority in his field and I had researched him thoroughly before contacting him. To say the least, this marked a significant setback, but I picked myself up, and started the process of researching and rewriting.
Six months or so later, I finally received a positive review. I was eager to submit to a well-known publishing company whose main focus is science and animals. Ready, Get set, Stop! Revisiting the publisher’s website, I learned that they changed their submission guidelines. They no longer accepted non solicited manuscripts without representation from an agent. This untimely change crushed my hopes. But not so much that I gave up.
It’s times like this when I make a point to remember the reason why I write. With my nonfiction projects, I want to create stories that are fun to read and spark the imagination of a child. With that being said, I’m bouncing back and plan to make a few changes to my story in an attempt to gain the attention of publishers and/or agents.
“Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
~ Nelson Mandela
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vanessafortenberry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessa_fortenberry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MamaIWantToSeeGod
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-fortenberry-6037a361
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanfortenberry
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0dV0XP3w-pKZ8t16cLPJbQ
- Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7312952.Vanessa_Fortenberry