Hello World

Hey folks, welcome to my brand new blog, The Daily Rejection.

You might ask yourself why I’d want to name my blog after something negative, but the answer is simple: rejection is something every single one of us has experienced. It’s a universal truth for just about every living being on this planet. Chances are good that at some point in your life, you’ve been rejected for a job. Maybe Joe Perfect had a better resume than you. Maybe Cindy Sunshine had a more bubbly personality during her interview. But the outcome was the same – someone was chosen over you.

It’s a fact of life, and it happens to the best of us. In jobs, in relationships, in our ideas, for our artistic creations. If you haven’t been rejected, you’ve likely spent the vast majority of your life living inside a literal cave, neanderthal style, with no contact to the outside world. Yet even in a cave the bats might avoid you – rejected by a tiny flying mammal.

But of all those who experience the woe of rejection, it seems writers top the list of recipients more than most.

I’ve got an ever-growing stockpile of “Thanks but no thanks” letters from agents. In fact, my email account has two sub-folders; Literary Submissions, and Rejections.

While sifting through a folder full of endless “No’s” can be depressing, it’s also an invaluable learning tool. Furthermore, it’s guaranteed admission to that darkest of circles that bonds every writer on the face of the earth: the Circle of Rejection. I don’t care what anyone says, if your writing has been accepted on the very first try, then you ain’t a real writer. You’re some secret government experiment cooked up in some underground lab and frankly, you scare me.

Jokes aside, I hope to help budding authors like myself find a place to commiserate about their own tales of woe, as well as help combat those ugly Rejection Blues and the ever-present and infamous writer’s block that likes to rear its hideous head far too often. I hope to turn the abundance of negatives into silver linings of positivity. To do this, I’ve come up with a theme by day.

Inspiration Monday – Post about anything that inspires you to write, to be creative, to think. This can be a good book, your favorite movie, a random act of kindness you might have witnessed, a YouTube video, whatever floats your boat.

Try It Tuesday – Create your own inspiration by giving yourself something more to write about. Try something new, be daring, be adventurous. Whether your idea of “adventurous” is skydiving, or just taking the long way home, it doesn’t matter. You do you, just “You” turned up a notch.

Rejection Wednesday – Post about your latest rejection. Share it with pride. It’s a writer’s badge of honor. These are the battle scars that will make your victory all the sweeter.

Excerpt Thursday – Share a favorite excerpt that inspires you, whether it’s from another author, or even something you wrote that impresses you. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with impressing yourself. In fact, I believe in doing it often.

Focus Friday – This is the day to write something, anything. Write 100 words based on a prompt, write another chapter of your latest novel, blog about the burrito you ate at Chipotle, compose a haiku. I don’t care what it is. Just WRITE.

Share It Saturday – Are you ready to submit your work to an agent or literary magazine? Then do it, for Pete’s sake! If your work isn’t ready, then simply share with a friend. Even if it’s just a one-paragraph excerpt. Get another set of eyes on that puppy! (Note that I most likely won’t be blogging for Share It Saturday, since I’ll be sharing my work with you on Focus Friday. But I greatly encourage you to let your own work see the light of day).

I hope you’ll enjoy going on this long, arduous journey towards publication with me, and listening to my musings and semi-coherent ramblings along the way.

Until next time, happy writing!

JB