Ack! Did someone forget to tell me it’s Rejection Week?
With all the talk about rejection in the blogosphere and twitter this week, I should have known better. I should have waited until the weekend to check email. Because, you know, it’s like a virus and if you stay inside and wash your hands and don’t share drinks and take your vitamins, you can avoided the dreaded R.
(Note I can only say the full R-word so many times. It’s kind of like he-who-shall-not-be-named…say it too many times and all sorts of evil hell may break loose.)
My much evolved R recovery strategy has three parts: first, I Whimper. Because no matter how nice, how close, how complimentary, it’s rejection and it hurts worse than a paper cuts between fingers. It. Hurts.
Next comes the Wilt. Picture a sweet puppy in midst of creating an accident on the floor. You glare and those sweet, silky ears just sort of melt against his head and all the life and exuberance…vanished. The Wilt is a mixture of what did I do wrong and I’m a absolute failure. This is the stage when your awesome, supportive critique partners, writer friends and those who know about your secret life as a writer rally around and remind you of your strengths. Yes, you have strengths and now is the time to list them all because you have a mission during The Wilt. You must revisit the R and focus on the WHY. And use your superhero writing strengths to conquer the reasons your work was declined, to prepare it for the world. Your story, version 2.0. Your story, BETTER.
My favorite part is the Whitmans…as in chocolate. Yes, it’s chocolate but that’s not why I enjoy it. There are so MANY chocolates and you never know what you’re getting until you bite into one. Lots of times my girls get into the box before me and take my favorites, forcing me to try something else. Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s a surprise, some good, some not so good. Which is a lot like what happens at this stage in the process, just not chocolate covered.
So what do you do after the Whimper-Wilt-Whitmans stage?
hannah hale 