Published in in SF&Fantasy Workshop newsletter, March 2003
Taking Stock: Rejection and Hope
by
Ron Vitale
Last year I had a goal of having two stories published (with pay) and joining the ranks of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. I wanted so much to log those professional sales under my belt, but then reality set in: I didn’t succeed. I tried everything I knew possible, sent stories out, rewrote works severely until entire story lines changed, had the works critiqued, but I still had no luck. At the end of the year, do you think I saw myself as a failure or a success?
If I choose to see my glass as being half-empty, then, yes, I failed to meet my goal. But I realize that “you can’t always get what you want” (Mr. Jagger was so right), and it’s important to review your longterm plan. Taking stock of your writing life is a unique experience for each and every writer. No matter if you’re Stephen King or someone who’s looking to break into publishing, reflecting on the past and planning for the future is necessary. Sit yourself down and take stock of your goals. What is achievable (be realistic) and what might not be possible (at the moment)?
Review the Past
Grab a pen and some paper and make a list of everything that you’ve written in the past year. If it’s an article to a newsletter, a novel, short story, poem, write it all down and see how much work you did this past year. When reviewing the list, check through the list and see which pieces you sent out for publication and which ones didn’t make it. If fear of rejection has paralyzed you from writing or submitting work to editors, take this to heart. At one time, best-selling author Kevin Anderson had collected 750 rejection slips and the “Writer with No Future” award before he succeeded. Don’t believe me? Check out his bio at: http://www.wordfire.com/01kja.html
When reviewing the work you’ve done in the past, give yourself credit for trying. For every story that you sent out, that’s one time that you made the effort to break through that publishing barrier. If you haven’t the gumption to send work out, don’t berate yourself. Set a goal (write one story or article and send it out in the mail). Every writer needs to set his/her bar at a different level. Set an achievable goal and run with it.
Coping with Rejection
No one likes to be rejected. If you’ve written five stories and they’re all being rejected, keep trying. Be persistent. Write, edit, and keep sending the stories out in the mail. Remember, you’re not going to succeed if you don’t try. Failure is part of the writer’s code. But by going through the rejection process, you learn to focus on your writing and your goal. If you wish to have a story published by the end of the year, look at the rejection slips as a learning process. Maybe you received a critique with the story? If so, could that critique help you strengthen the work? For form letter rejections, they’re the toughest to swallow, use them to thicken your skin. Talk with fellow writers about their problems with rejection, read articles online about the topic, post your frustrations on a writing newsgroup—just do something constructive. Climbing inside a shell and refusing to submit another story, isn’t going to help you achieve your goal. It’s harsh medicine, but the writing life is centered on rejection (or fear of it) and how to overcome this obstacle.
Have Fun
This might sound a bit simplistic, but take stock of why you started writing. I would think that you enjoyed writing, the ability to transfer thoughts inside your head to a computer or paper, rather than dealing with rejections, increasing postal fees, and waiting months for a reply from a magazine. Writing. What does it mean to you? This question might not be as simple as it appears to answer. If you’re stumped, take the opportunity to write in your journal and discuss it with yourself. Are in you in it for the money, prestige, fame, or is writing fun? Statistics show that very few writers ever achieve great fame and fortune. Keep in mind that any goal is achievable, but remember to not float among the clouds. Focus on enjoying yourself and write because you want to and not because you feel obligated. Writing can be a chore or it can be fun. No matter if you’re working on a thesis, a newspaper article, short story, or novel, each writer will have a different perspective toward each project.
If you’re in the middle of writing a short story and have given up hope, why not write a fun piece for yourself? Maybe you have a hobby that you can write a short article for? This newsletter needs material—why not take a break from a piece and write a short article?
Although looking at life as though your glass is half-empty, might appear more realistic in dealing with goals and problems, how energized will you be when you’ve worked all day, the kids need help, you’ve dinner to prepare, have a big meeting early tomorrow morning, and your story is sitting on a shelf somewhere, waiting to be finished? In today’s modern world, many writers are juggling multiple responsibilities. Many, many of us don’t have the luxury of being able to write full-time.
Again, you have to make a decision: Will you bemoan the fact that you have no time (which I tend to do) or will you make the most of the time you have and write? In my younger days, I had been in midst of a difficult time and a friend had said to me, “Just do it.” I had thought that the advice was extremely trite and too “Nike-ish” for me. But in retrospect, I realize that if I would have simply buckled up, that I would have succeeded faster. And succeed I did, but it took me much longer because of a defeatist attitude I held.
Often, we writers are our own worst enemy. We put ourselves down for our lack of success or effort in working. Taking a step back and rediscovery the joy of writing, might help you get through that writer’s block. No matter how little time you have (I wrote this on my lunch time at work) or how many rejections you’ve received, keep up at your goal. Focus, concentrate on your enjoyment, and keep writing. Sooner or later, you will succeed.
