Well, today sucks.Had a bunch of proposals floating around at various publishers and some of the most promising got blown out of the water today. When optimism is bountiful within me, I like to refer to proposals as lines being cast into the water. Gotta get a nibble eventually, right? Well let me tell ya, there's a good reason why fishermen bring along a whole bunch of beer when they head out for the day. Cushions the blow. Gives you a reason you can count on as to why you're out there.
My first notion was to keep this news to myself. Who wants to hear me whine, right? Then again, this is what blogs are for. Also, this is a big part of just being a writer. Rejection. Big part of any artistic profession or something that involves putting a real piece of yourself out there. Happens to the best of us and for those of you seeking professional advice and want to be a writer, here's some. Grow a thick skin. I like to think I've got a fairly tough hide, but there are days when it feels thin as tissue paper. See...I couldn't even come up with a better analogy than thin tissue paper. I suck! Today is a rough one, but I soldier on.
I keep writing because, as a very good friend just reminded me, that's what I am. Days like this find me drifting between feeling terribly depressed and hissing at the world through gritted teeth that they'll be sorry. Oh yes. They'll come crawling back later and I'LL reject THEM. It'll be GLORIOUS!!! Bwa-ha-hah!!!! Yet another piece of true writer fact from A Christmas Story. Remember when Ralphie hands in his theme and he imagines his teacher fluttering her eyelashes and writing more A+++++++'s than the chalkboard could handle? That's pretty much how I feel when I send stuff out. And on days like this, I'm the little blind kid reveling in the notion that someday everyone else will feel bad for putting me into this lowly state. See why I seriously thought I should keep this crap to myself? Oy.
But this is what blogs are for. I'm venting and it feels good. This is pretty pathetic stuff but kind of funny and that's kind of entertaining to read. Also, I have a lot of folks write to me for advice on writing. This is a part of it, guys. Not a pretty part and definitely not a secret part. Anyone will tell you this stuff. I knew it going in and I've never forgotten it, but it still manages to sucker punch me every time it happens. I always truly think what I'm working on will be huge! That THIS ONE will lift me up so I can carry on with all my other projects. And when the suck kicks in, it's a surprise. This is why Charlie Brown keeps running after that football when everyone in the audience KNOWS Lucy will pull it away.
Today is a rough time, but it happens to all of us. Hopefully hearing that helps some of you other writers feel better when your sucky days come. You're not the only ones. For those of you who haven't had many sucky days and get nothing but good news from your agents / editors...well...I can't really relate to you and you probably have better things to do than relate to me. Heh. Misery loves company. It also loves Jim Beam. Take some solace in that on your rough days and then take a shot. Not too many shots, though. There's still writing to be done.
