Tweet If you’re reading this, you want to be published. You want to become an author or be published in a mainstream magazine. Congratulations on acknowledging this HUGE first step! As someone who has walked this path from absolutely no writing experience aside from an internship to working full-time as a copywriter to eventually getting published in newspapers and magazines, I know how simply COURAGEOUS it is to just admit your dream. And I know how difficult it is to want to share it with others who end up telling you why being a writer is a dismal job with…
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Tweet Being a writer requires fierce tenacity. Not just to write every day when there’s no deadline, but because rejection comes with the territory. You could devote eight hours a day six days a week to writing, thousands of dollars in classes, memberships, and coaching, and still get those template rejections. The ones that say writing is subjective so don’t take it personally. In other words, “It’s not you, it’s me.” None of that softens the blow. It’s a dodgy game with few winners. Even the ones who “win,” don’t get the accolades, validation or acknowledgment for the hours of…
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Tweet If you’ve noticed, my site has been dead as of late. See the tumbleweeds blowing? Okay so what’s my excuse? I don’t have any books to reveal or amazing opportunities to share. I’ve been busy getting rejection after rejection. And rejection takes a ton of work and time. It’s a full-time job this rejection thing. But I’m thinking if you found my site, you might be getting a few rejections too. So what do you do? How do you keep yourself motivated when you’re getting daily rejection letters for your manuscript or pitch? I didn’t know either so I…
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Tweet I doubt any writer is immune to the vulnerability that comes with handing over your work to someone else. It’s a brutal business this writing thing. But it’s part of what you sign up for when you decide to be a writer. Recently, my rejections have dug deep into my heartstrings only because I’m getting closer to work that means a lot to me. I’m no stranger to getting rejected for jobs, articles and essays. In fact, my email inbox is flooded with them. But when you work on something that not only takes up a lot of time (time…
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Tweet I’m going to confess something I’ve never told another soul, except my husband. My entrance into being a columnist for The Writer magazine happened in a weird, kind of embarrassing and surprising way. My gateway wasn’t my writing. It was through cartooning. I’m not a cartoonist, as you can see in the cartoon I submitted below. Here are a few reasons why I think I wasn’t jilted for my lack of obvious talent. The editor at the time was kind and open to receiving cartoon submission from a non-illustrator. I was persistent. In fact, I didn’t stop at that first…
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Tweet The deeper you get into your work, the harder it is to separate your self from what you’re working on. You’ll notice that the more passionate, the more involved you are, the more the deep dark stuff of your unconscious seeps out. It’s easier to live life on the surface. That way when rejection happens, it doesn’t hurt as much. You failed, but you didn’t care anyway. But what happens when what you’re failing at means the world to you? It hits at your core, purpose, and sense of self-worth. If you’re writing about a company, it stings a…
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Tweet Pastor Joel Osteen says in one of his television sermons, “All is well.” I’m not religious, but I think his wise words can be applied to writing. That essay you wrote and completed, but haven’t found an outlet has a purpose. It works the same way for the poem you wrote as an angst teen. And although an agent hasn’t yet shown interest in your work, it doesn’t mean you should toss your manuscript yet. One thing I wish for other writers (and myself) is that they would enjoy the process of writing itself. These days we put too…