Stephanie Kehr
Stephanie Kehr
 

Author / Junior Literary AGent / blogger

Stephanie Kehr

 
 
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Blog

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About

 

Stephanie is an author and Junior Literary Agent for the Cyle Young Literary Elite (C.Y.L.E.) She has a heart for writing and discovering raw stories that capture the heart and mind. Stephanie serves on the publishing board for Illuminate YA Fiction (an imprint of LPC Books) and is a big believer in the power of hard work, chocolate, and audiobooks.

 
 
 

Skillfully crafted stories that speak to the heart and answer soul's deepest questions.

 
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As a writer, 

You try to listen to what others aren't saying...

And write about the silence. 

N.R. Hart

 
I’ve been listening to Hamilton on repeat. First, let’s address that the obvious hero of Hamilton’s story is clearly Eliza. What a queen. 🙌🙌 👸 I’ve been really convicted by Hamilton’s story. His obsession with shaping his legacy, even after he became financially sustainable, really makes me questioning if I’m valuing what’s important. Hamilton started his life in a really hard place. He had to climb the ladder in order to survive. But he never was able to stop climbing, or take time to appreciate what he had. Hamilton and I have a lot in common. I am so goal driven, have workaholic tendencies, and can easily become obsessed with making my dreams a reality. I hope to always be reminded that my dream is now. My dream is today. It’s okay to reach for the stars, but it’s also okay to simply be. Simply appreciate. Simply feel the happiness present in my life now. The American Dream is a blessing and a curse. A blessing to be able to chase it, and yet something we are responsible to recognize when we already have it. Happy Monday, everyone! How are you appreciating today? “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” - Mother Theresa
We’ve been talking lots about breakthroughs, and celebrating the ones that have come to pass since we were here together last year. This one is mine. Taking pitches all day in a room I could barely set foot in last year. I’m so thankful for the love and support in the #writingcommunity and especially in @authorcarolinegeorge and @tessaemilyhall. Looking forward to more breakthrough with these girls. ♥️ “The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.” - Psalm 126:3
My conference season is on it’s way to a close, and I’m feeling so many things all at once. Mostly, for now, it’s relief. I know that come March I’ll be all thrilled it’s started up again. But for now, I’m really ready to spend some time away from the books and the expectations and the pitches I really wish I could pursue, but simply won’t sell. I’m ready to rest. I’m ready to look at my stories, and look at my life, and choose the things that matter for both of them. I’m ready to take a lot more walks, and make more connections in my present world. When I first started agenting, I found there to be a lot of kindness and support in the writing community. Now, there are more sideways glances. More conferences asking me to spend my weekend with them, and later revealing they expect me to do it for free. More men trying to intimidate me into representing a genre I don’t work with, and making sexist comments when I don’t comply. There’s a lot changing in how we do books. And that’s okay. But we need to look at how we’re changing with them. So maybe that’s what I’ll think about this fall. How things are changing, and how we can make them better. And while I’m thinking, I’ll invest in my authors and my books and in each extra quiet moment or quiet weekend I get to spend with my family. And that’ll be okay.
Book contracts have been on my mind lately. Business successes. Comparing myself to others around me—and wanting—tasting a breakthrough, or just something that convinced me all my hard work paid off. I’m learning not to compare my journey with others. Learning to let go of timelines and the “prodigy” mentality. Opening myself up to all the possibilities of life, and letting go of the pressures and expectations of people and jobs around me. It’s just me living my life. Just me. And while other people are accomplishing the big external things, I’m still breathing. I’m still alive. Because that was my journey for the past 7 years—staying alive. It’s so easy to see hard work paying off when it’s out in the open. Harder when that hard work is internal. An invisible—inconsequential, to most—illness that nearly took everything from me. And yet, here I am. I’m the one who bled the illness dry. So maybe I have the biggest accomplishment after all. Or maybe not. Maybe I’m in a different mindset—where accomplishments don’t matter to me anymore—just full health and happiness, and family time, and Jesus. * * And maybe that’s the biggest accomplishment of all. * * I found this postcard inside of a moldy bookstore, so that was pretty cool. Has anyone else accomplished something big and invisible this year? * * “We all have our time machines: memories to take us back; dreams to carry us forward.” - H. G. Wells
May we always choose to follow the Holy Spirit first. “Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.” - Galatians 5:16
Sometimes I get so caught up in goals and dreams that I don’t take time to recognize how beautiful things are right now. I know there’s nothing with pursuing my passion—and I wouldn’t be myself if I wasn’t goal-driven and dream-chasing. But, this week, I’m learning how important it is to take a step back. It’s good to simply be content. It’s good to breathe. It’s good to know that even if I never had anything else, this day—this season—is enough. And I am enough in it. Looking through this lense at my future makes it an easier future to pursue. I can choose to make goals and have dreams—and I will. But I can know that I’m choosing them healthily. Not to fill a void, or distract me from something else. And, I can choose goals knowing that I am loved already by the people around me, and will be loved no matter how “accomplished“ I become. I can choose knowing that I love the world back, too. I am thankful to have a life that already blesses me more than I deserve. ——————————— Does anyone else feel the pressure to be non-stop about goals and futures, and struggle to see the beauty in today?
✨ Human appreciation ✨ I spend so much time pursuing the craft, the business, and the intimacy of writing, that sometimes I struggle to remember that support is equally valued and needed in order to pursue this dream. I’m so glad @authorcarolinegeorge entered my life when she did. The force, passion, and faith she exhibits drives me not only to become a better writer, but also a better person. I am so blessed to have her as a coworker, confidant, and friend. Caroline, I’m always in your corner ♥️ —————————- Tag your writing besties! 👇☺️💕 Who has helped you hone your craft and supported you during your writing journey? ————————— “Anyone who ever gave you confidence—you owe them a lot.” - Truman Capote
Just seeking out the little pockets of grace in today.
My uncle is one of the most inspiring people I know. He’s a stage 4 pancreatic cancer survivor. Most recently, he fought and won a relapse and has been living with no kidneys. Two weeks ago, he and I hopped a tandem bicycle and rode over 20 miles along the Potomac River. For me, it was one of the first times I’ve been strong enough for that king of exercise. For him, it was an easy joy-ride compared to his regular competitive biking. This post wasn’t meant to be a total brag on my uncle, but I guess it is. His exercise, dedication, and resilience is super inspiring and forces me to put everything I’ve got into recovery. I can’t come from this family and not get back up. “Success isn’t how high you fly, it’s how high you bounce.” Rachel Hollis ________________________________________________________ For this week’s #myadventurelist my uncle and I are headed out again to explore Harper’s Ferry. What adventure are you taking this weekend?