I am well used to coping with rejection. You need to be, if you want to be a published writer. But being rejected when you apply for a creative writing course is a whole other level of rejection. At least that's what it felt like two weeks ago. I was gutted.
I am bouncing back, though. All kinds of silver linings have occurred to me, not least the fact that I shan't have to shell out £1600 (or whatever it was) on course fees. Another silver lining is that I shall have time to garden and cycle as well as rewrite the novel. Yet another advantage is that as I'm now officially a has-been and a loser, I don't have to worry about keeping up a front for PR purposes. (I can hear you saying - 'OMG. When did she ever worry about doing that?') I can let it all hang out. Yay!
Assuming I wasn't rejected on the grounds of age and my limited years of earning power ahead, one reason for the rejection could be that the selectors of the lucky 15 course participants didn't think my novel was marketable. Actually it's deeply unfashionable. It certainly doesn't fit the spec the literary agent mentioned to me in the summer. According to her, the current trend is for psychological thrillers. I told her I'd read that Up-LIT - e.g. Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine - was the genre du jour but she said it definitely wasn't a trend.
Dave and I get a mail order catalogue from Postscript Books, which deals in good quality remaindered books such as those by Mary Beard and Alan Bennett. Most of their stock is non-fiction. And some of the titles take your breath away in terms of "How could anyone imagine there was going to be mass market for THAT?"
Ijudging from this, it's much easier to get an unmarketable book published if it's non-fiction. Perhaps I should disguise mine as that. The trouble is I rarely read non-fiction. Even the two titles I've mentioned on here this year - The Hidden Life of Trees and Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race - are sitting on my bedside table unfinished. I lose heart if there are no characters and no plot.
I'm going to leave you with the most inspiring video I've seen this year. It went viral recently so you may have already seen it. I think it contains a message for me.
7 comments:
Well, I’m glad to hear you’re over the rejection - there must have been a lot of competition for just 15 places - but please don’t call yourself a loser. You certainly are not!
Thank you. It was probably hyperbole, for effect, but I do appreciate your arguing the point. Dear Anonymous.
Lemons into lemonade with such grace and creativity.. what were those selectors thinking ? Your baby bear video is very hard to watch, but I trusted your judgement and hung in for the duration
Dear Sue, just an idea - could you start doing podcasts or vlogs so that I can hear your voice and not take what you say so seriously? Lol! I do it all the time and then feel a twit when the penny drops. Or perhaps just add a sound track. Whatever. But don’t stop blogging. Thank you.
Vlogs: oooh, that's an idea. I will have to give it some thought...
Hi Sue - yes I know you said quitting NOT quilting but you might be interested in this article : https://www.bonjourquilts.com/blog/?fbclid=IwAR3dofIp79AzluoxSaRXNAy9ZTqYA-XKdQAOxr3hPLxINLUNgfzpXiNn3nQ (talks about the cost of setting up and marketing quilting business)
and on vlog - not sure how much more work it would involve for you than what you already do - depends on how comfortable you are to be on camera but for myself - having been recently added to a whatsap group with the purpose of videoing ourselves practising the BSL we have been learning - OH my! I guess I might get more comfortable over time watching myself back... perhaps not.
Jenetta
Thank you for the link, Jeanetta, and for your thoughts on vlogs. They sound attractive but I do t see it as my way forwards.
Post a Comment