Jolina Petersheim on Wisdom from the Writing Journey – Enjoy the Process, Embrace the Stories6/25/2026
 Bestselling author Jolina Petersheim has built a career that spans multiple books, motherhood, and the real-life ups and downs of the publishing journey—and she’s not done yet! In this Q&A, she offers heartfelt, battle-tested wisdom every writer needs for the long haul. From her gentle reminder to soak up each step of the process to keeping the love of story alive, her reflections are both encouraging and deeply practical. Whether you’re just starting out or deep in the trenches, Jolina’s words remind us why we write—and how to keep writing with joy and resilience.  If you could go back to your early writing days, what one piece of advice would you give your beginner self? I received my first publishing contract when I was twenty-six years old. If I could go back in time, I would remind myself to enjoy each step of the process. To really absorb the moments. To not get so caught up in sales numbers or reviews that I lose sight of the joy of getting to place my book in readers’ hands. But honestly, this is something an author can only learn with time. It’s a bit like a seasoned mother telling a young mom, “These are the best years of your life!” or another favorite, “Soak it up! It all goes by so fast!” This is hard to hear when that poor young mom has just spent the entire night up with a colicky infant. Sometimes you can only gain wisdom through experience, so even though I am now a “seasoned mother,” literally and metaphorically, I find the best thing to do in such situations is to smile and say, “You are doing a great job.” What rituals or tools help you stay productive without burning out? I am constantly absorbing language. Reading the books stacked on my nightstand (currently loving the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower!). Listening to audiobooks as I clean or cook or drive. For me, filling myself up with words is as essential as writing them. I also like listening for stories everywhere I go. Just the other day, we were at a pie social here in the Driftless Region of Wisconsin and a woman told me this intriguing story about her star-crossed in-laws (one side Catholic, the other Protestant; one older, one younger; he a horse trainer; she there at the horse races with her boyfriend) who somehow persevered in their love and then immigrated from Ireland to start a horse training business in Los Angeles. It was just so intriguing to me. I feel like good stories are everywhere, if we will just take the time to listen. Do you have a go-to technique that's saved a manuscript? I don’t believe in deleting scenes while I am drafting a manuscript. Instead, I will copy and paste all of those scenes in another document called “extras.” That way, I can pull details from those scenes and plug them back into the manuscript if later editing shows they are necessary. It also makes it less painful to chop, knowing that the material is not entirely lost if I later change my mind.
Revision can often feel endless. How do you know when your book is done? I guess when it sells! I say this in jest because I do believe in stepping away from a manuscript if you feel like you have poured so much effort and time into it without it going anywhere. I also realize a book never really feels “done,” because a book doesn’t always feel like it’s living until it’s being read. It’s a symbiotic relationship between writer and reader. From querying agents to hitting bestseller lists, what was your biggest publishing hurdle, and how did you overcome it? My biggest hurtle happened last year when I went out on wide submission for a manuscript that ultimately did not sell. It was such a lengthy rollercoaster of emotions that really chipped away at my sense of self-worth. However, like I tell my daughters, such experiences are not necessarily bad if we can learn something from them. I learned that I was putting too much focus on being “successful” and not enough on the story itself. I also learned that I have to find my value and identity as a child of God and not as an author. An author friend once told me, “We just take turns,” meaning that one day she might get a great book deal, and I might be struggling, but that doesn’t mean either side will last forever. The only way to gracefully endure such a rollercoaster is to realize where your true value lies. After years in the industry, what keeps you excited about fiction writing? Stories keep me excited about writing. The other day, I received word that I had been accepted into a six-day-long, all-expenses-paid writing retreat. I went out into the garage where my husband was working and said, “There’s still no other job I want more.” I love birth, so I have toyed with the idea of working as a doula (for which I am certified) and then eventually becoming a midwife, and yet though a part of that beautifully transformative process will always appeal to me, I also love the birth of stories. I love how they bring us together. Teach us empathy. Make us laugh and make us cry. Despite the heartache that the publishing world has caused in recent years, I can never lose my love for stories themselves. You have to separate the business of writing from the love of writing itself.  Every writer faces self-doubt. What’s a moment in your career when you questioned your work the most, and how did you overcome? As I had mentioned earlier, going out on wide submission and then receiving a wave of rejections was incredibly daunting. Thankfully, I already had the kernel of a book idea that continued to grow though that season. I am now working on the second draft of that story, which I will be focusing on during that six-day writing retreat I will be attending in August. I would highly suggest that writers keep writing while they are on submission. It helps remind you that you write for the love of story itself, not just to be published (though that is also nice, lol!). When crafting a novel, how do you decide which themes or messages to weave in without making the story feel preachy or heavy-handed? I enjoy using characters to explore questions I have been mulling over myself. In The Alliance series, I explored pacifism in the face of societal breakdown (I have a Mennonite background, which is highly pacifist). In The Midwife, I explored the definition of motherhood: genetics or love. In my work-in-progress, I am exploring if a lie of omission can ever be justified and the ramifications of that lie when the truth is revealed. It’s very important to me that my characters are the ones going on the journey and not feeling like I am beating the reader over the head with my own beliefs. Sometimes I don’t even know what those beliefs even are until The End. Was there ever a time when you had a project fail—a book that flopped, or a rejected manuscript? Did that setback teach you something unexpected about yourself, your craft, or your career? After my rejection last year, I had to come face to face with my novel’s failure and understand that this failure—this setback—did not mean that I myself was a failure. My story had just not found its right home. I still had a gift to offer the world and to remain quiet when I still had stories to tell would be to hide my light, so to speak. It also helps that my two older daughters are actively working on their manuscripts. Resilience is best taught by example.
Looking back on your career, what are you most proud of? I am proud of the fact that I published five books in seven years while simultaneously birthing babies (well, not simultaneously, but you know what I mean), moving, navigating a family member’s intense health challenges, and all of the variables that just come from living. I realize now how very demanding that season was, and I am proud of the fact that I persevered through it. I believe too that my publishing “break” (even though it has ended up being for far longer than I had initially intended) will be seen as a blessing one day, too, even if I cannot always see that in the present. What advice would you give new writers chasing their first big break? Don’t chase. Walk. Contemplate. Look around you. Stop and smell the literary roses, so to speak. Our modern-day culture (especially American modern-day culture) really pushes for “success,” but what value does success have if you rarely see your family? Or if, when you are with your family, the time you have together is often fragmented by stress? Life is often heartbreakingly short. Don’t rush the process. Enjoy each step of the journey and when you are climbing those seemingly insurmountable hills, know that the incline will only make you stronger. If you could leave one word of advice for future writers, what would it be? Read and write every single day. It doesn’t even have to be for a long period of time, but just remaining in contact with language will help keep you in the creative flow rather than always stopping and starting.  Jolina Petersheim is a bestselling author pursuing beauty and truth, one word at a time. Her five published novels have received wide critical acclaim as well as numerous accolades including wins and nominations for prestigious industry awards, starred reviews, spots on year-end “Best Of” and on seasonal “Top 10” lists. In addition, her non-fiction writing has been featured by many print and online outlets. Jolina and her husband’s unique Amish and Mennonite heritage originated in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, though they now hobby homestead in a Wisconsin cabin with their four daughters. Read about their journey by following @modernmarmee on Substack.  This post was complied by Brandy Vallance, a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency, an award-winning author, and Executive Aide for Writing Day Workshops. Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her novel, THE COVERED DEEP, has been featured in USA Today & Writer’s Digest. WITHIN THE VEIL has been called “passionate and riveting” and Publisher’s Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.” Brandy loves helping writers break the chains of fear and self-doubt. You can find out more at brandyvallance.com.  Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference in 2026:
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