Musings on life, writing, and the mysteries of the universe.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Insecure Writers - May Edition!
IWSG - May edition.
During the month of May, rejections for stories submitted through the first half of the year began pouring in. And I do mean pouring. I know writers can struggle with confidence, and I think I can struggle more than most. So my precious, fragile ego took quite the beating.
It does make me nervous, I was thinking that I might be getting close in my writing, approaching the oft-coveted ability to take a story and make the reader get carried away with it. Sigh. So, what does that mean for me? Well, the obvious thing that happens is that I take my insecurity to a whole new level. I supposed I've got a lot of work to do.
So, if it weren't for the great Alex J Cavanaugh, and his Insecure Writer's Support Group, I'd be all alone in my misery. It's good to know there are others out there that allow me the opportunity to vent.
Thanks Alex. Thanks everyone.
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19 comments:
You're not getting enough rejections. Trust me on this. Once you reach a certain level, you're meh. . . meh ... another one . . . meh.
It's meh-tastic
I like Deborah's take on it!
If you weren't getting rejections, it would mean you're not sending out your work.
You have reached a level of excellence. Now find the right publisher who sees that!
I pitched in a blog competition the other day and wasn't chosen for a request. I bet I refreshed that dang page 100+ times hoping to see a request in the comment section.I understand.
I know Rusty how it feels. Hang in there, keep the more amusing rejections (or most useful) so you can tell us about them once your book is accepted (and it will be)
May edition, what happened to June?
Dammit
Rejections suck. Just don't ever give up Rusty, and eventually you'll get there.
Well, you read my post already so you already know where I am on the whole rejection thing. Still, there's no denying that it sucks to get them.
Deborah's take is a good one.
I think this group does make it better. At some point we all will be drowning in rejections. If it makes you feel better, you got there way before I did, so win. :)
It's the May edition because of all the rejections he got in May?
Spin, baby, spin.
Rejections are a right of passage. A terrible, horrible, annoying passage, but what are you gonna do?
Keep at it!
Find a different passage?
I mean, there's some tribe that has a right of passage that drops teenage boys on their head from way up high. Those that don't die or get brain damage are considered men.
Screw that.
I have decided rejections tag team. I could send out submissions for short stories months apart, and receive all the rejections within days of each other. At times like those, I remember the quote by Richard Bach "A professional writer is just an amateur who didn't give up." It just stinks success doesn't run according to our timeline...
lol on the Dammit. It stings. Just keep at it. Keep reading, learning, etc ... I just submitted and am nervously awaiting the R, too. I hope not, but I should expect it. That's what I always tell myself.
In memory of Ray Bradbury, he'd be proud that you're writing and submitting. Keep at it.
Everytime I got a response from a publisher, back when I cared, I said to Sweetie "This is probably a million-dollar contract offer."
It never was.
So I gave up trying to interest publishers in my writing. Now I just try to interest readers.
ALSO:
RE: Your $30 problem.
At the start of the problem, the visitors have X amount of money, and the farmer has Y.
After the initial purchase, Visitors are X-30 and Farmer is Y+ 30.
After the second transfer, the visitors are X-30+ 3, while the farmer is Y+30-3.
V=X-30+3
F=Y+30-3.
V=X-27.
F=Y+27.
At all times, the amount of money in the problem is a constant, whatever amount of money V and F started with. It's impossible to solve the problem without giving information on the other variables, but those equations show that the money always stays stable; for a while it's over on the side of F, with a little tipped back to V at the end.
In other words: your paradox is a sleight-of-hand brought on by causing the reader/listener to focus first on the $25, then the $30, then the $27, then the $5 -- but stepping back and watching it all tells you that there's never any more or less money in the system and it's all a trick.
This is what I do: work out algebra problems in my head while I take Mr Bunches and Mr F to Target.
I still say the wife pocketed the extra $1.
And, look, Briane told my math story!
But there's not any geometry in it, so you'll have to do better, Briane.
You will find the right publisher for your work. Your audience is waiting. Sometimes you have to go through a lot of crapola to get to the really awesome stuff. And if rejections are pouring in, that means there is something epically good in store for your work.
Look on the positive side, my friend, every no brings us closer to a YES. Keep pounding those keys and submitting!
Cheers!
You're totally not alone Dude. And rejections hurt a lot.
.........dhole
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