Tuesday, May 18, 2010

hope from discouragement?

reading 50 Iconic Writers Who Were Repeatedly Rejected yesterday (btw, thank you Nathan Bransford for the link), i was shocked. some of my favorite writers are on this list:

Dr. Seuss (childhood fav, of course. i loved his books.)
Louissa May Alcott
Shannon Hale (wrote The Goose Girl, one of my current favs)
JK ROWLING (no explanation needed. one of the awesomest writers ALIVE TODAY)

and writers that i have read/have gained widespread audiences:

Meg Cabot
John Grisham
Beatrix Potter
Madeline L'Engle
James Patterson
Judy Blume
Stephen King
Richard Adams
Anne Frank

of course, there were many other names on the list, but these were the ones that stood out, for me anyway. if these great writers were REPEATEDLY rejected, clearly the process of getting published is frought with obstacles. clearly rejections do not mean a lack of worth.

actually, (confession time, deep breath) i have to admit that i'm morbidly anticipating my first rejection. (i'm sure this will wear off by the second one, though! so this is just temporary insanity!) but i actually have a sort of sane reason: i wouldn't really feel like a member of the writing community if i never got a rejection--rather than a closed door, it feels like the official initiation. (yes, i realize that this only reveals how young, naive, and completely un-rejected i am, but you can understand where i'm coming from, right? can you honestly tell me you didn't feel this way once?)

anyway, the one thing that i think all writers should remember and may occasionally need reminding of is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. REJECTIONS HAPPEN TO THE BEST OF US--REPEATEDLY.

it doesn't mean your book is no good.

it doesn't mean no one will ever want to read anything you have written.

it doesn't mean that you are any less of an author than 99% of the writing community.

on the contrary, it means that you are a WRITER.

WRITERS are the ones who keep trying despite the rejections.

so don't give up. the world wants to see your book(s). they just don't know it yet.

2 comments:

  1. Oh so true! I don't mind rejections one bit. I know my writing will only continue to improve. Statistically, you've got to pay your dues and get through so many rejections before you land that golden opportunity.

    lol and I agree that it feels kinda like an initiation.

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  2. i just want to get to the stage where i can actually start Getting rejections!! i need to finish a novel so i can query it, lol.

    also, whenever i feel discouraged, i read the Emily books by L. M. Montgomery...but i hope i can keep up an attitude as good as yours if/when i ever get rejected!!!

    <3333

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