Rejection is nothing new for a writer, in fact, one has to expect it. I'll admit, I felt disillusioned when I got my first rejection email for a short story. Still, it doesn't stop you from trying again the next day with something else. Stephen King used to keep a nail impaled on his wall so he could tag all of his rejection slips as a reminder, and now look at him! For me though, getting that first 'no' was the wake up call that told me that I'm now taking my career ambitions seriously. I would never have tried to send something off a few years ago in fear of getting turned down, and because back then writing was still something I couldn't see myself doing full-time. Things have changed.
I Don't Want to Do This Anymore
For the longest time, I didn't think I could make it as a writer. School was a bust, college was great except that media really wasn't my passion and uni told me nothing except that writing is the only thing I should do. That's when I decided I was going to become an author. And I still believe that, more than I used to. I guess you could say that 'you' is your own worst enemy, I think that's doubly true for an artist of anything. We're constantly criticizing ourselves, we think we're not good enough and we think that highly successful authors were either born with their talent or they got fantastic grades at school. Well, that's not true. You don't need a high degree in English to be any good at it, you just need a love of language and a keenness to write and read. Well, at least that's what I tell myself. You know what though, I don't want to ever feel like I've mastered the English language, because then they'll be nothing to aim for. With every story I write, I want to try and do something new. For example, my new novel is the first story I've ever written that features supernatural elements. I'd never dream of doing that, but lately I've been thinking a lot about fatalism and ghosts and that's crept its way into my story. And that's fine by me.
My writing lifestyle transformed when I looked at it as a job instead of a hobby. Yeah, at heart it's still that hobby, but with the ambition of a publishing future, it's become so much more, and because of that I'm taking it more seriously. I'm thinking more about the clarity of the story and wondering more if a magazine or anthology out there would take it. Reading too has helped my grammar. Everything I know about sentence structure, the lyrical content of sentences, finding a voice and punctuation has come from reading loads. Reading is instrumental with writing, you can't do one without the other and expect results. You know, you can't make good films if you don't watch them? Or you can't music well unless you listen to a load of music? I don't know, but reading and writing is a must if you ask me.
My writing lifestyle transformed when I looked at it as a job instead of a hobby. Yeah, at heart it's still that hobby, but with the ambition of a publishing future, it's become so much more, and because of that I'm taking it more seriously. I'm thinking more about the clarity of the story and wondering more if a magazine or anthology out there would take it. Reading too has helped my grammar. Everything I know about sentence structure, the lyrical content of sentences, finding a voice and punctuation has come from reading loads. Reading is instrumental with writing, you can't do one without the other and expect results. You know, you can't make good films if you don't watch them? Or you can't music well unless you listen to a load of music? I don't know, but reading and writing is a must if you ask me.
A Road Untouched
The picture on the right is me winning my first writing competition. When I sent it off, I didn't know where'd be, just not in the top three. Then, with a phone call, it turned out I did win. Quite a surprise, but more than that, proof that a scrawny little whippersnapper like me can win something to do with writing. So, it was quite a big deal for me. OK, the presentation itself sent my heart hammering and I can't smile for photos, but it was still great to feel some kind of success with something that I want to do for a living. One win won't change my life, but it's something and for me it's more than winning that counts. I make it a rule to never reread a short story I've sent off for competitions until after the verdict because I'll be extra critical about it. If I sent one off in the first place, it would have been pruned and edited as best I can. But, that annoying voice in my head will argue otherwise if I go back. Needless to say, that voice can shut the hell up with this one.
I'm sure they'll be far more failures than successes in the future for me, but I'll wade through it. If you want something bad enough, hopefully nobody will say enough to make you stray from the path you want to take. I know what I've got to do and quite often it feels like I'm getting nowhere, but if I could read the future then maybe I wouldn't complain, or maybe I would! Still, this does prompt those fatalistic thoughts, such thoughts I hate but either way, this is a good thing and I'll just keep writing and see what happens I guess. If nobody else in the world believes in you, then you've got to believe in yourself. Otherwise, you may as well quit.
Or something like that.
If you want to read my short story, 'The Strangers We've Become' check out the Yeovil College Reading Group blog.
Songs of the Week:
I'm sure they'll be far more failures than successes in the future for me, but I'll wade through it. If you want something bad enough, hopefully nobody will say enough to make you stray from the path you want to take. I know what I've got to do and quite often it feels like I'm getting nowhere, but if I could read the future then maybe I wouldn't complain, or maybe I would! Still, this does prompt those fatalistic thoughts, such thoughts I hate but either way, this is a good thing and I'll just keep writing and see what happens I guess. If nobody else in the world believes in you, then you've got to believe in yourself. Otherwise, you may as well quit.
Or something like that.
If you want to read my short story, 'The Strangers We've Become' check out the Yeovil College Reading Group blog.
Songs of the Week:
- 'Language' by Porter Robinson
- 'Intro' by The XX
- 'A Metaphor for the Dead' by Anaal Nathrakh
- 'I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore' by Rise Against
- 'From Heads Unworthy' by Rise Against
- 'Ready to Fall' by Rise Against
- 'Wessex Boy' by Frank Turner
- 'Oh, My Sweet Carolina' by Ryan Adams