September IWSG: Rejected

The Insecure Writers Support Group is brought to you by founder Alex J Cavanaugh. This month Alex has the help of these co-hosts:  Toi Thomas, T. Powell Coltrin, M.J. Fifield, and Tara Tyler! Did you notice that I'm included? The second name? Yes, I'm helping! Sign up here at the IWSG website and join in next time. Also, go read some of those posts. 

Question of the month is (if you so choose to use it): What publishing path are you considering/did you take and why? 

I am not using the question this month. Instead, I'm writing about my favorite topic: REJECTION!

I haven’t been rejected in a long time—writing wise. That sounds like a good thing right? I haven’t been rejected in a long time because I stopped submitting my short stories, a long time ago, because of—rejection. By now you can only imagine the huge collection of stories that I have written and have tucked away in a file. 

Recently, I jumped in again and sent out a short story. Guess what? It was rejected.

So I told myself (again) that submitting my work is a waste of time. I'd rather just write. I then told myself that I am stupid to write for others, after all of these years, and I should never submit myself to rejection again. I told myself that my work isn't good enough. 

These are old feelings, old baggage.  The good thing is that I know I'm not alone in those feelings because the writer community that I belong to and the IWSG says so. As far as I know, writers everywhere are rejected from time to time. Even the now famous writers were rejected at one point.

After a rejection of my awesome writing, this is how conversations go...with myself. I mean someone has to talk to me, right? Self talk is good. Right? If I leave it up to random people to talk to me about writing or rejections, um, they opt out of talking to me. They say things like, I have to do the dishes or Christmas shop in March. It happens.

Me: (talking to myself and I) Rejection stinks.

Myself: Being thrown from a horse stinks, too.

Me: What does that have to do with my writing? I don't ride horses. Actually, I did take a few lessons years ago.

Myself: If you are thrown from a horse you must get back in the saddle again, that is, if you like to ride horses.

Me: Huh?

Myself: Okay here’s another example. If you love to play baseball and you strike out, let's say once a game, would you stop playing baseball?

Me: I don’t play baseball, but I might quit. Striking out stinks. I mean what team wants a player who can’t hit a ball with the bat?

Myself: Wow! (Leaves the room.)

I (takes her turn): Myself is saying that if you write and submit your work for others to read, you will be rejected, but maybe not forever. Rejection, dear Me, is a fact of the writing life. Even Stephen King and J.K. Rowling were rejected in their early days. There are readers out there today that criticize their writing. Rejection is a part of of life no matter what we do.

Me: Everybody says that about Rowling and King. But I wasn’t really going to give up on writing or submitting my stories. You knew that, right? Rejection is so personal and hurtful, but I know writers have to keep it going. I was just giving you all a hard time. 

I: (Shakes head and leaves the room.)

Don't be discouraged. Don't. If you are reading this, don't give up. I believe in you and what you do and so will others!

T.