Friday, August 10, 2007

Another Rejection Letter

About a month ago, I sent out a short story of mine called "Dark As Roses" to Realms of Fantasy. The story isn't all that fantastical. It's mainly about regular people and events, but the main character has the ability to see colors around people depending on their moods, and the core of the story is her struggle to either run from her ability and the complications that come with it, or to embrace it and find a way to live with it. I guess the term for that kind of story is "magical realism," or at least, that's what I've heard.

Well, today I had it returned with a form rejection slip paper-clipped to the manuscript. It's frustrating, but it's so common in a way, to myself and to all writers at some point, that I don't even feel that disappointed. Or, at least not yet. Sometimes it's like I have a time-delay reaction to things.

One thing that gives me reassurance is yesterday I read an interview with Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander, probably my favorite book EVER, and she wrote about getting rejected for years, and how when she got accepted somewhere, she had a party and papered the walls with her old rejection letters. So, it happens to all of us.

As they say the only thing to do is to keep trying, so I think I'll go back to working on rewriting my book manuscript.

Currently listening:
"Angels of the Silences" - Counting Crows

1 comment:

Linda said...

Ahhhh, pooey... I got two (for poems) last week. Wish I had a parrot, perfect fodder for page liner.

Just get even: write. Write more. Write better. And send that baby back into the world - now! Errr, maybe tomorrow when the post-office opens.... peace, Linda