Wednesday, June 7, 2017

IWSG - quit? Hell no!

Here we are again - a loyal band of word warriors - or is that worriers? The question, very tentatively suggested is have you ever considered quitting the writing game. My answer is unequivocally no. It has quit me on occasion but I have never considered quitting it.  But I'm only 65 and I started late - I was seven or eight. So who knows?

Sure, I haven't hit pay dirt with this writing racket but I never found true love until I was fifty (our loveversary is on St. Jean Baptiste Day thus month). I'm a late bloomer.

I will take a moment to remind myself and my readers (hi Margot!) that I've had several plays hit the stage; I've had poetry both published and awarded; I ran a successful and wildly fun mystery entertainment biz for over 25 years with my two best friends, and I won an essay contest (national) when I was in grade 7!

Seriously - I can't imagine stopping writing. I have a friend who did. She, like me, had a good profession, but loved to write. She wrote and had published a great book of short stories. Then she poured her heart into a novel that had a story that was similar in its idea to one that got published to great acclaim just as she was finishing hers. She burnt it and quit writing.  It was one of those things that still gets discussed in hushed and amazed tones by writers back home.  Another possible reason for this calamity may have been that her closest friend was published and published and published.  That can get old if you let it.

I did have an epiphany this month I'd like to share. I got a rejection from a publisher last week. What was abnormal about this was my reaction - I felt completely okay. When I was talking to another writer pal I mentioned this and realized that my equanimity was due to feeling very happy with both my manuscript and my query package. When I got the rejection I merely shrugged and thought 'that's the way the cookie crumbles'.

I'm not writing much these days though. I'm two months out with my bionic hip and sitting at my desk is still too tough for any length of time. I do plan on getting 15 packages out in the month of June. Some will be for Bright Angel and some will be for some poems, a couple of short stories and a few essays. Also, a friend and I are writing a mystery to be performed at a local museum. Lots of fun!

And I continue to hand sew a series of dolls with elaborate back-stories .




6 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Jan - that experience of burning your novel (well I know you didn't) - but how sad - bet she regrets it ... but there's no turning back. Just glad you've been through the process, and even though it was a rejection ... the next time it may well not be. Your mystery at the local museum sounds lots of fun ... and you sound busy ... look after the hip and create more dolls with backstories ... cheers Hilary

Anonymous said...

Hi back at you, Jan! And you know, you have a very good point about attitude. It really is all about perspective, isn't it? I couldn't imagine stopping writing either, even though I have THOSE DAYS, as we all do. If you're a writer, you write. Oh, and happy upcoming loveaversary!

Pat Garcia said...

Hi Jan,
It hurt as I read that your friend burned her manuscript. That really hurts. However, I love the fact that the rejection you received didn't bother you. Now, I know I'm normal. The same thing happened to me in May. I received a rejection and for the first time I didn't freak out because I know the story is outstanding. I didn't try to do another revision to make it better. Deep within me, I know it is only a matter of time.
Thank you so much for sharing this little part of you. It encouraged me.
Shalom aleichem,
Patricia
Everything Must Change

Carol Kilgore said...

You've accomplished a lot! Kudos.

Those dolls look amazing. I understand why they have backstories. Each is unique.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Good stuff!
That's sad that one writer quit. She'll always wonder.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

When you can shrug off those rejections, then you know you can survive anything. You've accomplished enough to know not to worry.