I'm Grateful For...

Having one of those days where I can't think of anything witty to write about.  Who am I kidding?  I'm having a month where I can't seem to write anything good at all but still trying to write through it.  I just read this on Writer's Digest, a guest blog entry by author, Jessica Anya Blau.  She was talking about rejection and I was struck by her advice of finding things to be grateful for when dealing with this wonderful experience of writers.

So, I will focus here on what I'm grateful for:

-my husband's support of my writing (wait, no, my husband in general!);
-my funny, mischievous kids;-);
-the glorious fall weather in Kentucky;
-my sweet Goldendoodle doggie, Coal (even though he currently has one of the kids' socks in his mouth);
-books;
-my MacBook Air;
-great friends and a great support system; and
-writing!

I realize as I write this, I could go on and on which is a wonderful thing in and of itself.  I suggest this exercise to you when feeling low or when dealing with the dreaded rejection.  There's always something to be grateful for.

Now, back to trying my hand at writing something...anything.  Wish me luck!

Writing Through It

There comes a time in all my stories when I struggle.  I lose focus.  I lose interest.  My creative juices dry up.  I'm not as excited to get out my computer.  I'm in one of those times now.  I'm tired and cranky and feeling a little lost.  Maybe it's work.  Maybe it's all the ballgames I'm off to on a daily basis.  Maybe it's just me, but I just don't have it right now.  Argh!

It's likely one of the most frustrating things for a writer to experience, second to rejection of course.  I guess it's what has been referred to as writer's block.  For me, it's not about the ideas drying up.  That, at least, never happens.  It's about losing the spark.

I read a blog post today about seeking the spark when reading and writing.  I've experienced the spark before.  In reading, I remember the first time I read Susan Elizabeth Phillips (still one of my favorites).  Her writing made me forget about anything and everything else.  I loved her characters and lost myself in her stories.  Natural Born Charmer and The Great Escape are two of my many favorites.  The first, I read on vacation and couldn't even put the book down.  I stayed up alone into the wee hours of the night reading until I finished.

It's happened in my writing too.  Someone else described it as an obsession and I can agree with that.  I get so excited.  So stoked to get the words on paper, I can't stop.

I haven't felt that in a long time.  But, I can't give up.  I just have to keep going until I find it again no matter how frustrating it might get sometimes.  I have to write through this time.

If you've got any solutions, I'd love to hear them.

Walking Away From Your Manuscript

I've pondered these questions a bit lately.  How do you know when to hold 'em?  Know when to fold 'em?  Know when to walk away?  Anyway, you catch my drift.  I've written a lot over the last few years.  One thing I don't have a problem with is finishing a story from beginning to end.  Now, that certainly doesn't mean they're good, or that they work, or that they're long enough.  At the end, there are often a lot of problems with each one.  With three of them, I actually went so far as to edit, polish and submit with no luck.  Each time, I tabled the manuscript after a few rejections and then I moved on to the next.

Did I do the right thing?  I don't know.  I read recently about Kathryn Stockett's tenacity in submitting The Help.  Trust me, you have to read it here.  After 60 rejections and 5 years (5 freaking years!), she finally got an agent and sold the book and the rest is history.  She wrote she simply could not give up on this book.  I haven't felt that yet.  Haven't had that kind of passion and confidence in a story.  I have plenty of passion for writing.  It's my sanity.  As I've said before, I do it because I have to.  I'm a writer. I now wear that label proudly, but...How do I know which one is my The Help? 

I would never think myself as talented as Ms. Stockett.  That's not what I'm getting at.  I just want to feel the commitment to one story she felt.  I want to work and work and make better until I get to my ultimate goal-to be published.

Maybe some day.  For now, I guess I'll hold 'em and see what happens.

One Query, One Rejection

I've been writing a lot about rejection lately because it's on my mind a great deal.  Having finished a 105,000 word manuscript, I felt ready.  I entered the Suzie Townsend contest, Can You Handle the Truth?  I knew I could handle it.  I don't cry anymore when I get rejected.  A big step, let me tell you.  It's a bit silly I cried in the first place but when something is really important to you it can happen.

So I queried and I got rejected.  She did give feedback as she promised and it was actually very helpful.  My query needs work.  She didn't comment on the pages which tells me she probably didn't get that far.  For now, I'll focus on the query.  I will continue to submit.  It's what we do, right?  While I submit, I'll keep writing.  It's an ongoing process we have to be committed to.  It is key to learning and getting better.  I feel I know more now than I did a week ago.

I'd be interested to hear if anyone out there entered the contest and if they felt it was helpful.  I'd also be interested to know if there are other contests you know about like this one.