June 10, 2009
I got two great rejections today…very complimentary! One was for a short story, and one was for the urban fantasy novel. The one for the novel, especially, was promising. It’s always a good thing, even when being rejected, to receive an open invitation to send more material in future. These are the kinds of letters I keep in my “Encouragement” folder and pull out on days that are especially down, when I feel like there’s no hope. In all seriousness, these are the kinds of things that help me keep going, which is no mean feat considering the long haul and constant rejection that come with fiction writing. One thing I do need to remind myself constantly, though, is this: as impatient and thin-skinned as I still can be, I’ve come about a million miles since the early days, when a single rejection could utterly crush me. I still have so very much more to learn about patience, acceptance, and endurance…but I’ve already come a long way, baby. And that, in itself, is a hell of an accomplishment. That alone is worth celebrating again and again. See you soon.
