Perseverance

Riding the Rejection Train is a tough route for any writer. Not only is the failure to get a contract disappointing, it also undermines our psyche. We question our talent. We question our choice of manuscript subjects. We question everything related to publishing. But perseverance trumps talent. I should know. I’ve been rejected so many times, I lost count years ago. 

According to Richard Bach, author of JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.” Writing requires an investment of time, lots of time, and energy. Inspiration and a vivid imagination are good components, too. There’s no doubt, writing is work. It’s also fulfilling, and at times, joyful (when an editor calls and says the magical word: Yes).

When I began writing, I read picture books to my students daily, and the stories drew me in to worlds of strange and astonishing characters. Those stories enticed me to write about my own characters. Reading does that to me. When I read I am more compelled to write. Characters, one after another, staked a claim to my brain and refused to leave. Editors passed on all. I lost interest in writing until I picked up the next picture book, the next day. Reading it boosted my creative energy. I kept getting rejected, but sometimes an editor would ask to see something else I had written. My heart fluttered with hope. Finally, I hooked an editor and held my first book, ONCE UPON A DIME. Now, I’m striving to garner the 52nd contract.            

Every writer is different. Some become discouraged more easily than others, but all writers get rejections. The more we write, and the more we read, the better writers we become. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Magic Dragon, a quarterly publication, presents writing and art created by children in the elementary school grades in a magazine of quality four-color printing and graphic display. We believe that our objectives are special – to encourage the development of creativity in children and to provide a medium to share their creative efforts. Our conviction is that encouraging children in the elementary grades to be unafraid to express their creative ideas will increase their chances of becoming adults unafraid to apply a creative approach to all aspects of their lives and work.

Submission guidelines at http://www.magicdragonmagazine.com/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Genre: Short story or nonfiction up to 5,000 words. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: November 30, 2018.

Deadline: November 30, 2018
https://www.servicescape.com/short-story-award 

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com