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Lynn Chapman Writer

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    Notes From The Desk

    How do you handle rejection?

    There’s not a writer on the planet who hasn’t encountered the dreaded ‘r’ word at some stage during their writing life. In fact, we’ve probably experienced it more times than we care to remember.

    Every book, tutor or online resource says we mustn’t take it personally – but do we? For me, I see it as part and parcel of the job we do, an ‘occupational hazard’ if you like.

    My philosophy is that if I get rejected, it means at least I’m getting my work out there in the first place to be rejected!

    So I will always keep submitting my pieces to magazines, competitions and the like. Because every time my work is accepted, be it a letter, article or short story (I live in hope on that one!), the feeling of having something published that ‘I’ created, means so much to me.

    I would love to know your thoughts on this.

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    6 responses to “Notes From The Desk”

    1. Crystal avatar
      Crystal

      good idea about your work

      Reply
    2. SUSAN BATTEN avatar
      SUSAN BATTEN

      I think we writers focus so much on rejection because we invest so much in our work: these pieces are our babies, our lovingly curated (hateful word in use everywhere!) and nurtured masterpieces or pet themes.

      If we could be more matter-of-fact, I’m sure we’d suffer less and be more realistic when our work is not taken up.

      “Rejection”, as such, hardly exists today. I’ve probably had two or three messages (over many years of submitting material), telling me they can’t use my piece. That doesn’t mean I’ve been a runaway success! It just means that what we get is a gaping silence. You don’t hear back. That makes a message of rejection something to prize – that somebody has taken the trouble to tell you!

      Come on, writers! Rejection is nothing new. We learn about it almost from birth: being chosen for “best friend”, chosen for the team, our ideas adopted, our work admired… it goes on and on. We cope. It’s pàrt of growing up. We should apply the same robust attitude to our writing work.Turn the page and write something else!

      Reply
    3. Loubythesea61 avatar
      Loubythesea61

      Well, my Mum was the eternal pessimist. She said “If you expect nothing, when you get nothing, it’s no surprise.” I think that helps but it does hurt when you know that you’ve written a quality piece but it hasn’t been accepted. I try to reason it out and then console myself by reclaiming it as just mine, because that’s where it belongs. Writing is such an emotional, personal thing isn’t it?!

      Reply
    4. my word (s) avatar
      my word (s)

      I used to let myself get paralysed by rejections, even though I knew all writers face them. Now, I’m much more able to celebrate the pieces that get accepted and not get bogged down by rejections. I tend to put pieces aside and relook at them after a few weeks.

      Reply
    5. squirreljan avatar
      squirreljan

      This is interesting, Lynn. Rejection is such a dismissive word but in reality it is only the opinion of a few and, not like mathematics and sometimes science (although that is not as ‘set in stone’) it is subjective.
      Writing creatively, as in music/art beauty is in the eye or ear of the beholder. Therefore, it is hard to take a story not being placed or not hearing back as Susan says, personally.
      So, yes, keep submitting and celebrate anything that makes it into print. Don’t let rejection stop our creativity.

      Reply
    6. nikidaly70 avatar
      nikidaly70

      I always try and reframe and tell myself that it’s often down to personal preference and nothing to do with my writing per se. We all like different books – and sometimes we like differnet books at different times. Whoever reads our words and ‘rejects’ them may just not be in the mood that day.
      It still hurts though. I do try to pick myself up, shake it off and then dig into my stubborn streak to keep going. And celebrate the small wins. We’re all doing something most people can’t – and there will be someone out there, who does like our work.

      Reply

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