"The pen is mightier than the sword."
~ Bulwer Lyton~
I thought this was some overused blabber, but someone did actually coin the phrase. Overused
or not, it still is a powerful quote.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Word Up Quote of the Day 05172008
"Live the life you love, love the life you live."
~ A T Shirt slogan~
I've adpoted the slogan for my own life and how I live it.
~ A T Shirt slogan~
I've adpoted the slogan for my own life and how I live it.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Word Up Literary Quote of the Day 05102008
"My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way."
~ Ernest Hemingway
~ Ernest Hemingway
Friday, May 9, 2008
Reject Rejection
Writers come in all shapes and sizes and come from different backgrounds. Despite such
diversity, there is a common thread that stitches us together - rejection.
I've been putting words on paper for many years. That's never been a problem for me. The
difficulty set in when it came time to submit my work. I couldn't get beyond my fear of rejection
and did nothing more with the work. I just let it sit there because of that fear.
Though rejection is a shared experienced, there is not any one way to deal it. Not confronting
it, however, can have an adverse affect on productivity and the quality of your writing.
Let's face it, rejection is a fact of the writing life and we must find ways to tame the beast.
It's an important part of the writing process, the trick is to not take it personally. That's the
first step toward accepting it. Editors don't hate writers, simply, your work may not be what they need at the time and it doesn't mean you should give up submitting it.
It's not the end of the world.
Keep writing and sending work away. Always remain confident and steadfast. Rejection will
always be lurking behind every sentence we writers string together and the moment you reject
that concept, your problems will compound.
Once you receive a rejection letter, get back "on the horse." Look to the next place to send your
piece. What may be wrong for one publisher, could be perfect for another (or write an
entirely new piece with a renewed vigor and positive attitude.) Visualize success bearing in
mind that there is a chance that your work may be rejected. I call it a healthy dose of reality.
I find concentrating on the positive side of rejection slips helps. Yes, there is a positive side -
motivation. Rejection motivates me to do better the next time I send my work out. Create a file
for your rejection letters and use it often as a learning tool. Read each one with an open mind and remember that they aren't the final say on your work.
No one likes being rejected and we can't let it get the best of us. Here are a few more tips to keep
rejections at a minimum:
- Be clear about what kind of work your writing is. Editors hate vagueness and lack of clarity.
- Read and research. Find out what the publishers want. Having a clue will always work to
your advantage.
-Target your work for the appropriate market.
-Take the guidelines for publication seriously. Knowing how the publishers want the work
submitted will save you a lot of angst over rejection from the start.
If all else fails, recall the time when you first penned a poem or short story, or whatever it
was, and try to re-capture that moment and the emotions you felt at the time. Infuse that energy into your current work. Don't ever give up, for isn't that the ultimate rejection of who
you are and what your purpose is? So, I say to you, reject rejection and submit!
ATP
diversity, there is a common thread that stitches us together - rejection.
I've been putting words on paper for many years. That's never been a problem for me. The
difficulty set in when it came time to submit my work. I couldn't get beyond my fear of rejection
and did nothing more with the work. I just let it sit there because of that fear.
Though rejection is a shared experienced, there is not any one way to deal it. Not confronting
it, however, can have an adverse affect on productivity and the quality of your writing.
Let's face it, rejection is a fact of the writing life and we must find ways to tame the beast.
It's an important part of the writing process, the trick is to not take it personally. That's the
first step toward accepting it. Editors don't hate writers, simply, your work may not be what they need at the time and it doesn't mean you should give up submitting it.
It's not the end of the world.
Keep writing and sending work away. Always remain confident and steadfast. Rejection will
always be lurking behind every sentence we writers string together and the moment you reject
that concept, your problems will compound.
Once you receive a rejection letter, get back "on the horse." Look to the next place to send your
piece. What may be wrong for one publisher, could be perfect for another (or write an
entirely new piece with a renewed vigor and positive attitude.) Visualize success bearing in
mind that there is a chance that your work may be rejected. I call it a healthy dose of reality.
I find concentrating on the positive side of rejection slips helps. Yes, there is a positive side -
motivation. Rejection motivates me to do better the next time I send my work out. Create a file
for your rejection letters and use it often as a learning tool. Read each one with an open mind and remember that they aren't the final say on your work.
No one likes being rejected and we can't let it get the best of us. Here are a few more tips to keep
rejections at a minimum:
- Be clear about what kind of work your writing is. Editors hate vagueness and lack of clarity.
- Read and research. Find out what the publishers want. Having a clue will always work to
your advantage.
-Target your work for the appropriate market.
-Take the guidelines for publication seriously. Knowing how the publishers want the work
submitted will save you a lot of angst over rejection from the start.
If all else fails, recall the time when you first penned a poem or short story, or whatever it
was, and try to re-capture that moment and the emotions you felt at the time. Infuse that energy into your current work. Don't ever give up, for isn't that the ultimate rejection of who
you are and what your purpose is? So, I say to you, reject rejection and submit!
ATP
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