Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Roll With The Punches




A punch usually is referred to as a delicious fruity drink or being hit in the face with someone else's fist.  When the punching bag talks about "punches"  It's usually not the same thing.

When I refer to a "punch" it's those little obstacles that get in the way, those things that bring you down and make you feel icky.  When someone makes fun of you - that's a punch, when your work gets criticized- that's a punch.  So the question is, how do we fight back all of these punches?

I entered my Women's Fiction manuscript in a contest a few months ago and just got the results...needless to say they weren't pretty.  (And a couple of them said that I have a better YA voice than Women's Fiction..snort)  Yeah, it hurt, these judges were saying the opposite things that my critique partners and friends had told me  So did I cry?  Did I give up on writing completely?

HECK NO!

So what did I do?  Well I told my husband and one of my critique partners that this was my last hurrah for MY PAPER HEART.  I stopped querying over the summer and I said if this contest doesn't do anything for me then I'm shelving it.  It's kind of sad since I really did love this story and these characters, but it was also a hard market to sell with a college aged protagonist and a story that's been told before, but just with my take on it.

HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN has NOT been shelved, that manuscript is just being revised.  I sent my manuscript to a friend just to "read in her spare time" and she actually got it back to me with revision notes and said that she loved the concept.  (An agented writer friend, don't know if she wants her name posted, so it's not).  I was actually surprised to get notes back and am SO excited to have writer friends that believe in me as a writer!

Even if HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN doesn't get me an agent or a publishing contract, I'm not going to stop.  I love writing and I think I'm pretty good at it (who cares what a few judges in a contest say?).  The road to publication is paved in rejection letters and I'm ready to do some walking!

How do you deal with rejections and your "punches"?  Do you need a punching bag of your own?

13 comments:

  1. Great post. Lately rejection has stung a bit more. I'd love to roll with the punches like that LOLCat.

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  2. I love the Pew, Pew, Pew cat. Have you heard of revenge queries? Where when you get a rejection in, you send another query out? The only time rejection gets me down is when I build up imaginary situations in my head. So I don't do that anymore. Take that rejection. Pew, pew, pew!

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  3. I love the Pew Pew Cat but just remember even some of the top authors got rejected a few times before they got a novel published.

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  4. Love the cat! Don't let rejections get you down. Writing is subjective and eventually someone will love what you write. Whenever I get a rejection I just go listen to some happy tunes...and maybe pig out on ice cream :-)

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  5. Doing some major revisions right now, so this was really good timing, thanks! The kitty made me laugh, too, so thanks again. ;)

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  6. Candyland- If I could I would live my life out as a LOLcat, true story. Also, congrats on winning the pitch contest! Saw that the other day!

    Samantha- Revenge queries sounds like a great idea! I haven't sent out a query in awhile, but when I start querying again that sounds like a better option than mass querying!

    Cari- Yeah I know those top authors got rejected and I keep pushing. It stings, but if I didn't have rejection I wouldn't be as entertaining as I am now!

    Nicole- After my first rejection on a full I ate an ENTIRE box of Girl scout cookies and watched a Lindsay Lohan movie. TAKE THAT AGENT, pew pew pew!

    Tere- I'm glad to make your day and so is the LoLcat...animals usually take my spotlight.

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  7. I haven't even started querying yet, and I'm already dreading my first rejection. I like this post. Don't give up, if you believe in yourself then it will happen! :)

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  8. I wondered what your blog title meant, glad to know it's not that you've been abused, lol, oh wait why am I laughing, that's not funny at all.

    Love this post. What a great attitude! I just want to copy it and read it over and over.

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  9. I like you all very much! You make the punching bag feel like...the opposite of a punching bag...er whatever that is.

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  10. Take that, criticism! *pew pew pew* Humor works for me when dealing with negative feedback. You've probably already seen the Simon the Cat videos, but if not, check them out here! http://www.simonscat.com/

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  11. Magan, Magan, Magan...Never, never, never give up. You have a great voice, talent and a whole bundle if charisma to boot.
    My first novel was read, liked then rejected in a similiar fashion. I was ready to shelve it myself when I was offered a contract. So, lace up those gloves girl and fight for it!

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