Fear of Rejection, Call for Submissions, Student Contest

It happens to most writers to some degree. It takes hold and nothing pours from our minds to our fingertips to the keyboard. Sometimes it’s expressed as writers’ block. Sometimes it’s conveyed in volumes of pages but nary a word is submitted. Other times it’s demonstrated through procrastination. The “it” I’m referring to is fear. Fear that what we write isn’t good enough. Fear of rejection. Fear of failure
This poem expresses the feeling of fear beautifully.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Author unknown

You’ve failed many times,
although you may not
remember.
You fell down
the first time
you tried to walk.
You almost drowned
the first time
you tried to
swim, didn’t you?
Did you hit the
ball the first time
you swung a bat?
Heavy hitters,
the ones who hit the most home runs,
also strike
out a lot.
English novelist
John Creasey got
752 rejection slips
before he published
564 books.
Babe Ruth struck out
1,330 times,
but he also hit 714 home runs.
Don’t worry about failure.
Worry about the
chances you miss
when you don’t
even try.

Fear is part of a writer’s journey. Those who get contracts push past their fears and accept them as nothing more than bumps along the publishing road.

Call for Submissions

TriQuarterly Online has opened for submissions of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, short drama, and hybrid work. “We also welcome short-short prose pieces. We especially are interested in work that embraces the world and continues, however subtly, the ongoing global conversation about culture and society that *TriQuarterly* pursued from its beginning in 1964. *TQO* pays honoraria for creative work.” NB: Query if you would like to “review books or literary events, interview an author, or propose a craft essay.” Submission manager will remain open through July 15, 2011.
Details at http://triquarterly.org/submissions

Student Contest

Merlyn’s Pen
There's an old saying: Laughter is the best medicine. When we laugh, we forget our troubles and our pains. Writing about growing up helps us recall events that challenged, scared, confused or even shocked us. Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like fun. Yet when writing about life-changing events, don't we sometimes find ourselves smiling, even laughing, and acknowledging some “good” that resulted? If they lead to nothing else, these memories can lead to a story -- often a story others will enjoy hearing. Merlyn's Pen and its online readers want to hear your story!

This contest seeks humorous stories -- nonfiction ("true" stories) up to 750 words -- about an event that taught you something important, that changed or shaped your understanding of yourself, your friends, your family, or the world.
Winning entries will be picked from two divisions: High school (grades 9-12 or home-school equivalent) and Middle School (grades 6-8 or home-school equivalent).

Deadline December 31, 2010
Details at http://www.merlynspen.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/43199/search/true