motivation – The Daily Rejection (A Writer's Woe)

I recently counted up the number of rejections I received on one novel. It’s called THE SOUL ACCORD, and it’s an action-packed, Young Adult supernatural thriller with a killer twist and guess what? It’s been rejected 37 times.

Thirty. Seven. Rejections. And that was only from the most recent round of queries.

I had shopped the novel around a few years ago, added a good 60-some rejections to the ol’ collection, and shelved it for two years after receiving my infamous THISCLOSE rejection.

Whelp, with a new determination, I rewrote the sucker. We’re talking a 70% overhaul. Key scene shakeups, the removal of whole plot elements and the addition of others, all while changing main character names and the story title. And what do I have to show for all my hard work?

Thirty. Seven. More. Rejections.

Continue reading “Rejection Wednesday #2”

“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”

That is one of my favorite quotes from a very quotable man, and an excellent writer: the one and only Mr. Stephen King.

The excerpt is from his book, On Writing, and if you’re a novelist, whether aspiring or on your 20th story, then this book should become something of a bible to you. It’s paragraph after paragraph of inspirational quotes, practical advice, humorous anecdotes, and just about everything you need to inspire you to hone your craft and never give up. A surprisingly motivational read from the King of the Macabre, and yet it shouldn’t be so surprising. Because like every novelist before and since, Stephen King had to deal with rejection and feeling as though his writing was sub-par to his published peers. He too had to climb a figurative mountain to get to where he is.

Continue reading “Excerpt Thursday #1”