Welcome to The Blogging A-Z Challenge April 2012! Some of the most popular posts here at The Shellshank Redemption are the Motivational Mondays. So, after consulting the tortoises, we decided to make April our Motivational Month! Please join us for this (almost!) daily dose of alphabetical inspiration. We hope you enjoy it!
* PAIN IS TEMPORARY. IT MAY LAST A MINUTE, OR AN HOUR, OR A DAY, OR A YEAR, BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL SUBSIDE AND SOMETHING ELSE WILL TAKE ITS PLACE. IF I QUIT, HOWEVER, IT LASTS FOREVER. (Lance Armstrong) *
Rejection letter after rejection letter. Tears and more tears. Magazine and ezine and book editors, literary agents, all saying no, thank you but no, not this time, not interested. Self-doubt and more self-doubt. Another class. Another critique group. Explaining again and again why we write to people who don’t understand, who don’t care to understand. Another book about writing. Another agent’s blog. Ignoring the frustration and hurt when family and friends can’t be bothered to read our blog or check out our story or buy the anthology our story is in. Another conference. Another pitch appointment.
All of that? It comes and goes. Some anxieties and hurts stay around longer than others but they do go away. Trust that. It’s hard to see it when we’re smack in the middle of it but believe me, if we can just hang on for one more minute…and then another one…and then another…
Don’t. Give. Up.
I won’t…if you won’t.
I haven't quit yet and I know I won't. I might never get anything more than rejection letters but I'll still keep at it because writing's what I do.
ReplyDeleteM.J. - I hear you. I've said it before - I'd rather go down knowing I at least gave writing my best shot than knowing that I didn't, that I didn't even try.
ReplyDeleteI've got to the stage of being completely at ease with rejection. My tip is to always have another market to send the work to. If the first place accepts, great. If not, it's sent out again immediately.
ReplyDeleteLike M.J. said, writing's what I do too!
Annalisa - I wish I could say I was completely at ease with rejection. The best I can do is accept it as part of what I do. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful. Quitting sounds so much easier at times, but where's the satisfaction in giving up? NOWHERE! Love the motivation. I'm going to hit you up for an interview on my blog next month, if you're interested! :)
ReplyDeleteLeigh - I'm glad you're enjoying the posts! And just shoot me an email (it's on the sidebar under both "Profile" and "Website") about the interview. :)
ReplyDeleteYou've got a deal, I promise I won't either. I've just barely gotten started and have already felt like quitting, but I know that's not an option. Great quote.
ReplyDeleteThat is the BEST quote ever!!! You just made my day :)
ReplyDeleteJulie - we can do it! :)
ReplyDeleteAngela - I'm so glad! :)
Yep, I'm with you. What would I do if I quit??
ReplyDeleteNick -seems like there's a lot of us. :)
ReplyDeleteI so needed this today. Thank you! I'm heading over to click the follow button!
ReplyDeleteJackie - I'm glad this quote/post helped you out. Thanks so much for "following" us here at TSR! :)
ReplyDelete