Writing isn’t in
itself scary. But there can be rather worrisome moments. If you don’t believe
me, check the heart rate of any author who has just sent out a bunch of
queries. Or even worse, when the query response has come back and it’s sitting
in your e-mail inbox, unopened, waiting.
Rejection can
sting, so perhaps that’s why it’s so scary to submit.
One day nearly five
years ago, I was walking my dog (This will connect back to writing, I promise).
Anyhow, Lucy, in her excitement to smell some awesome aroma, stuck her head
into a shrub. This particular plant had a branch that stuck straight out—which
poked Lu in the eye.
She was fine, but
to this day (Note: five years later), Lucy refuses to walk past that particular
stretch of shrubs.
Moral of the story?
Sometimes things
(rejected queries) hurt, but it’s foolish to let something like that paralyze
you. Keep sending.
Second moral of the
story?
Chihuahuas never
ever ever forget.
Happy writing!
Sweet! My daughter's name is Lucy, and that is by far the most common comment I get about her name: "Oh, my dog's name is Lucy!" HA! :D
ReplyDeleteI try not to be askeered of the inbox. The worst thing I will read is NO. There's always hope for the next one.
Good analogy. After all, the whole querying process can sometimes be about as enjoyable as getting stuck in the eye with a stick. (Good luck!)
ReplyDeleteI'm actually excited to start querying. I've got one final pass through edit to do, then I'll be ready. Maybe in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure once I get the first few rejections, reality will set in though. But at least this time, I feel more confident about my story then the first novel I queried. It's definitely a live and learn experience.
Great story!
ReplyDeleteI like the story! We don't learn from things we don't like. :)
ReplyDeleteaw, poor puppy!
ReplyDeletethe best way to be accepted is to improve from rejection and keep trying! great story!
My beagle went sprinting into the woods once in pursuit of a rabbit, and came back with a stick poking out of her eye socket. She didn't even notice.
ReplyDeleteThere was no permanent damage, luckily--we took her to the vet, they surgically removed the stick and gave us some antibiotics to make sure it didn't get infected, and that was the end of it. But still.
Moral of the story? My beagle could really learn something from your chihuahua.
Love the analogy!
Poor traumatized puppy :( Great story. I agree we can't let rejection get us down.
ReplyDeleteMy problem isn't the rejections--it's the no response. Dozens of queries, and only two responses in the last year.
ReplyDeleteI think the numbers are a little skewed.
Lauren
Ouch, poor dog. We can't let rejection get us down. While it may have happened, I don't know of anyone who was accepted on their very first query so we all need to be prepared to keep walking by that shrub.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if the dog has the right idea. LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. :)
"If you don’t believe me, check the heart rate of any author who has just sent out a bunch of queries."
ReplyDeleteOr in my case, a writing contest, which is what sent me to the cardiologist for an ultrasound and heart monitor (not to mention all the blood work! Yuck).
Your poor puppy!