Delana Jensen Close
always dreamed about writing a novel.
Her vision: a story about a young woman in the early 1900s who has a child — out of wedlock — and who faces scorn from her small-town community. It's a story about staying true to yourself and charting your own path in life, regardless of what others may think.
At age 32, Delana sat down and began writing the book. But she struggled to finish it.
She was busy raising three children and running the family restaurant business. Life was very full.
She jotted down book ideas whenever she had a spare moment — but it was difficult to make progress. She got pulled away by the never-ending flim flam and ballyhoo, all the
demands, pressures, and responsibilities of everyday life.
But she kept thinking about the novel — inspired by a true event in her hometown — and the idea wouldn’t leave her alone. The characters kept knocking at the door of her mind.
A few years ago, she decided to return to the discarded manuscript and try once again.
Painstakingly, she transferred her handwritten notes into a Word document. This took more than two years.
And then...
Finally, at age 95, she finished writing the novel.
806 pages long. An epic story. A lifelong dream: complete.
She pitched the manuscript to a few publishers, but grew tired of waiting around for a publisher to offer her a book deal.
She figured, “I’ve waited long enough.”
She decided to take matters into her own hands and publish the novel by herself.
That book — The Rock House — went on to win the Independent Book Award for Best Historical Fiction.
To celebrate the occasion, Delana threw herself a book launch party inside the retirement home where she lives.
She is now working on three more novels.
In an interview, she shared her advice to writers. It's very simple. Three words.
"Don’t give up."
. . .
It is never too late to finish a project that feels meaningful and significant to you.
It is never too late to become an author, artist, entrepreneur, or anything else you want to be.
It is never too late to give that long overdue apology, take that trip you've been putting off, or finally do that one thing you always promised yourself you would do.
Today is not over yet.
-Alex
PS. Learn more about Delana's story in this article from The Columbus Dispatch and AP News and this interview
from Women On Writing. I was so delighted to discover Delana's story. It brought me to tears.
PPS. Go buy her book, especially if you love historical fiction and romance.
PPPS. What is a project (big or small) that is important to you? Could you carve out a little space? Even if you’ve set it aside for so many years, could you return to it once again?
PPPPS. To anyone who yearns to write a book...
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