An undeniable reality of being a writer is dealing with rejection. Sometimes, it feels like a cruel joke that completing a piece can give you such a high while letting another read it can beat you to the ground. Sadly, rejection is a very integral part of the writing life (as is being a sensitive person - yet another cruel joke). But, if you want to keep writing and eventually succeed at it, it is important to not get bogged down by all of those rejection letters and emails. Here are just a few ways I "keep on keeping on" in the face of rejection, even as a very sensitive person, and maybe they can work for you, too. 1. Do at least one (non-writing) thing each week that you can be proud of. That's right. Put the pen/keyboard down for a minute and think of something else you can accomplish. When the rejection letters pile up, it is so easy for that negative self-talk to weasel itself into your brain. I'm worthless. I'll never make it. I should just quit. You know you've had those thoughts. To get out of the funk that rejection causes, it's important to intentionally do things that can boost your self-esteem and make you feel good about YOU again. For me, some weeks, my big accomplishment may be something very small like catching up with the laundry or organizing a closet. The activity doesn't matter, what matters is that it is something that gives you a sense of pride and it is something that you can do without the approval of others. This week, I took the time to make a birthday cake for my husband, and I'm still smiling about how it turned out. If you can do something that makes you happy and makes someone else happy, well, that's just a bonus! 2. Have writer/artist friends or join a writing group. I'm blessed to live with another artistic person so we can vent our frustrations to each other whenever we need to. My husband is a chef and chefs may even deal with more rejection than writers do. Think about it, everyone with taste buds thinks they are qualified to be a food critic. Anyway, it is very important to have these relationships in your life so that you can avoid feeling completely alone in your sorrow. If you don't already have other artist or writer friends, joining a writing group can be just as helpful. Not only does it get you in touch with like-minded people, it gets you out of the house, which brings me to my next strategy.... 3. Step away from the computer! When you start to feel yourself getting bogged down by rejection, use that feeling as an opportunity to take a much-needed break. Go outside, talk to people, breathe in the fresh air, do something that clears your mind. Sometimes the best ideas for your next article/poem/short story/novel will come to you when you're not thinking about writing at all. 4. Learn from constructive criticism. Unfortunately, not everyone who sends us a rejection letter is going to take the time to give us feedback. Every once in a while, however, you may get lucky enough to hear the reason why your work wasn't chosen. When someone offers you constructive criticism, take it, think about it, and learn from it. In an earlier blog post, I wrote about how grateful I was when someone corrected my use of the word "leftover". It wasn't fun to hear about my own mistake, but you better believe I'll never misuse that word again! 5. Look to the greats. While many of our favorite authors and artists may seem perfect to us, the truth is they were often recipients of rejection letters, too. The famous rejection stories of writers and artists like J.K. Rowling and Walt Disney are told so often that they have almost become a cliche. Even so, they teach us the lesson that all writers/artists must deal with rejection no matter how great they end up becoming. Listening to The Beatles Anthology discs is one of my favorite ways to lift my spirits after a rejection. On these discs, you hear about how The Beatles were turned down by Decca Records. You also hear recordings of "One After 909" and "Eight Days a Week" with false starts which is a refreshing glimpse of the incredibly hard work that goes into creating art as well as the reality that we rarely get things right the first time.
When you're a writer or an editor, you sort of involuntarily join the grammar police force. Everywhere you go, you have the ability spot grammatical errors whether you want to or not. It's a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing to be able to correct mistakes for others and to protect the public from gross misspellings and cringe-worthy grammar no-nos. However, it is, in a way, a curse to have to see these errors glaring at you wherever you go. The most painful one is probably the quotation-marks-used-for-emphasis mishap. If you've seen this sign in a restaurant bathroom and wanted to leave the establishment immediately, congratulations! You're one of us! EMPLOYEES MUST "WASH HANDS" BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK Yikes. One such misuse of the English language unexpectedly found me in a residential restroom but, thankfully, it was without the germ-ridden implications. Actually, it was a motivational wall decal that was purchased from an actual store. Yes, fellow officers, these are being sold for money: While the intentions of this decal are good, the misuse of the word "everyday" saps the decal of its inspirational meaning. The word "everyday" is an adjective meaning common or ordinary as in, "I wouldn't wear my everyday shoes to a wedding." Since you can't wrap up an adjective and give it away at Christmastime, no, everyday is NOT a gift. Every day, however, is certainly a gift! That's why it's called the present, right? Ugh. The duties of the cliché police will be discussed in another post. In closing, I would like to say that I applaud you, fellow officers, for your attention to detail and confidence in bringing these errors to light. It's a shame that we don't get to wear official badges. Throughout my life, I have been appreciative of the grammar police pointing out my errors and teaching me a lesson or two. I'll never forget the time I wrote a poem with the phrase "leftover emotions" in it and a friendly critic taught me that the word "leftover" means yesterday's dinner. However, not everyone in this world will be so grateful for our services. As the great Jim Gaffigan once tweeted, "Whenever you correct someone's grammar just remember that nobody likes you." It's a tough job, but someone has to do it! Grammar Girl is one of my favorite online resources for grammar rules. Read her take on "everyday" vs. "every day" here.
Listicles. They're everywhere you look. It seems like every time I read a blog post it is either a listicle in its entirety or it contains a list somewhere in the post. Facebook friends are sharing them left and right and they've even descended upon Medium.
Listicles are attention grabbing, they're quick and easy to read, and they are the "Readers Digest Condensed Version" of anything you'd ever want to know. As a web content writer, the listicle is a great tool to have in my kit. If I'm ever stuck for an idea for a blog post or online article, the listicle is my go-to format. Whatever the subject is, I know I can pop one of those bad boys out in about 20 minutes. When I'm done, I feel pretty efficient and that's a great feeling. I also know that since the general public is addicted to them, my work will be read. And that's why I love them. The truth is listicles are a dime a dozen, anyone can easily read them just as almost anyone can easily write them. They don't dive too deep into anything so you don't have to even have to know what you're talking about to write them. This is why, as a fiction writer, I hate them. I hate them because writing them does not take me out of my comfort zone. They don't require any extra creativity or research. They don't push the envelope. They are safe. While this may be ok for web content writing, a field that values efficiency, it does not foster the right attitude for fiction writing. It's easy to fall into habits with our fiction writing. When we find a "formula" that works, it's very easy to use it over and over again to save time and to guarantee an acceptable outcome. However, the best fiction challenges us, it confuses us and surprises us. In order to be a writer of that kind of fiction, we must dare to be experimental and bend the rules. The listicle approach to fiction writing may work to a degree, but abandoning it can stretch our creativity in ways we never thought possible. Great fiction has no "one size fits all" formula the way web content tends to, which makes it a challenge to work on both simultaneously. It can be done, however, when we put away our "listicle lens" when working on our fiction in favor of a kaleidoscope. When I sat down to pen (with an actual pen, by the way), a writing assignment for my short fiction class at Notre Dame 8 short years ago, I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into. I was given a writing prompt and, with it, I was to write a short story. At first, the prompt seemed impossible. I had no idea how to go about it. But, I sat down at my desk with my pen anyway and, suddenly, there he was - my protagonist!
At the time, I didn't know that this 5 page short story would slowly evolve into a complete, 50,000+ word novel. My protagonist and I have grown together throughout the process. We've been through thick and thin, we've dealt with periods of separation, and we've worked through countless struggles on the page and off. Now that I've finished fleshing out the story and I have put the black pen down in favor of the red, he and I don't seem as close as we once were. Editing is tedious and a bit dry. Through my editor's eyes, he is a particleboard cutout and I am sanding the edges. Through my writer's eyes, however, he was as real as any other human walking down the street. The other night I found myself working through a problem in my head. I was frustrated, angry, and unable to make a decision. I looked at my weary face in the mirror and felt very alone. Just then, as suddenly as he entered my world for the first time, there he was once again, smiling, as if to say "Hello, my friend". What would he do if he were in my shoes? I asked myself. If this were his problem and not mine, how would I, as an author, have him solve it? Solutions, options, strategies became more clear to me. I was no longer angry and frustrated, but comforted, as if I really had been talking to a friend. I realized then the importance of the relationship between the author and the character. What makes a character compelling, complete, and intriguing to the reader? To me, I believe it is that very relationship. The fact that the author knows that character so very well that he or she can write them into existence, not just for themselves, but for the world. I've been writing web content alongside my novel for the past five or so years. During that time, I've wrote, workshopped, and edited my novel while simultaneously cranking out articles and blog posts about everything from work boots to electric trains. As I continue to generate web content for modest amounts of pay, I've come to realize how much this venture has unexpectedly helped me with my fiction writing goals. So, here's my list of the top five ways writing web content has made me a better fiction writer:
1. It has forced me to think creatively and be a creative problem solver. Sometimes I get an assignment that requires me to write about something I either a) know nothing about or b) am not interested in whatsoever. The reality is that I still have a deadline and, yes, I still have to complete the assignment. So, instead of whining about how tedious the task is, I try to find creative ways to flesh out the piece. I ask myself questions like, "how can I manipulate these keywords to write something that interests me?" or "how can I make this relatively dry topic something people would love to read about?" True creativity can really blossom when you're working with limitations. It's sort of like writing a sonnet or a sestina in poetry. 2. It makes me consider my audience. When writing fiction it's so easy to get caught up in your own fantasy world that you've created. Sometimes, you become so immersed in this world that you forget about the real world, in other words, the world that your readers inhabit. Writing web content is all about creating content that real world people will want to read and share, so of course your audience is always on your mind while writing. When the end goal is to get published and sell your book, you would be wise to consider your readers while writing fiction, as well. 3. It taught me to be concise. Web content needs to be written for the fast scroller, the multi-tasker, the reader with ten tabs open at once. For this reason, web content needs to get straight to the point or readers are going to drop off before getting to the final paragraph. This is important in fiction writing, too. When you start to get too long-winded, you put the audience to sleep...not good! This idea has helped me to clean up my longer than necessary descriptions and to cut out pointless dialogue. 4. It forces me to write every day. Being a successful web content writer means working every day. There's always something to work on in the web content writing world and, the more you write, the more money you can earn. When no one's paying you, it's very very easy to take a day off, a week off, a month off, or even a year off of working on your fiction. What I've learned, however, is that these breaks do not serve me well. In fact, the more web content I write, the more efficient I get. It becomes second nature, I get inspired faster, I write faster and I write more quality content. My writing muscles get a workout so, as a writer, I get in shape. My mindset becomes this: I'm already writing every day for the web, so why not add a little fiction work to it? In other words, I'm already dressed for the workout, so why not run the extra mile? 5. It helps me to choose my words carefully. Of course, I don't always get to choose the words. The keywords for SEO, anyway. But, that brings me to my point - the importance of individual words. Keywords are just that, key words. They are the words people search for, the words that catch a reader's attention and the words that come with the promise of information. In fiction, words can be just as powerful. They can convey a feeling, a smell, an image, etc. If a work of fiction is a castle, each individual word is a brick. I want to choose the strong ones, the attractive ones, the ones that are going to hold the most weight if I'm going to build a castle that is going to withstand the elements, and look good doing it. So, maybe someday my fiction will take me somewhere. Until that happens, I'll be writing about skin creams, OSHA standards, and maybe even commercial kitchen equipment - and learning a ton in the process. A while back I wrote a blog entry about my initial thoughts on Medium. Now that I've really gotten my feet wet over there, I've found that I only have more questions and more thoughts about it. It truly is a fascinating network. I found I'm not the only one who muses about Medium. In fact, many Medium users muse about Medium ON Medium and sometimes those are the most entertaining stories to read. They write about ways to improve the network, what stories should and shouldn't be posted, how to start conversations with other writers, how to get more views, how to get a bigger readership, and on and on and on.
As a writer of fiction and poetry, the question I've been asking now is is there a place for poetry on Medium? It is a well-established home for fiction and non-fiction, of course, and I do occasionally see some poetry. But, does that poetry get read or just skipped over? Poetry is certainly a dying art and an art that is often under appreciated. I periodically post poetry on my blog, but I am reluctant to share it on Medium. In some ways it just seems out of place. Another reason, is that it is so deeply personal and close to my heart, much more so than any of my fiction writing. Do I want it out in the open like that? What we really need is a community like Medium that is just for poets and their poetry. That way, we'd all understand each other at least on a basic level. We would know how hard it is sometimes to share a poem with the public, we could talk about getting poetry published and if it is even a worthwhile pursuit, we could talk about WHY we even write something that it seems no one even wants to read (because we HAVE to, of course), and on and on and on. I guess the question I'm asking is not so much is there a place for poetry on Medium, but is there a place for a poetry anywhere in the world today at all? Everyone knows that one of the perks of being a teacher is having the summer off. Of course, I look forward to my summer vacation every year but when the craziness of the last month of school is over and all of a sudden I have very little to do, it is sort of a strange transition. I actually have to get used to having a lot of free time. I have to admit it's nice to get the house clean, relax outside on the porch, work out on my own schedule and read books that I've been looking forward to reading all winter long. However, when the rest of world is working and carrying on with their normal lives, some summer days can just get boring and lonely. So, when I'm not teaching and I'm not writing, I have to find some hobbies to occupy my time and keep my mind somewhat sharp. This summer, I started creating a few succulent arrangements. I'm not good at taking care of house plants and most of the ones I've tried to grow just end up dying. The beauty of the succulent is that it is nearly impossible to kill and it requires very little water. So, if I forget to water it for several days or if I go out of town, I don't have to worry about killing my plants. There is a wealth of information about succulent gardening online and I've gathered tons of information. What I've learned is that half of the fun of arranging succulents is finding unique containers for them to thrive in. I've been picking up glass and clay containers at thrift stores for as little as 25 cents. Another thing I've learned is that succulents can be easily propagated. I'm currently trying my hand at propagating succulents right now (you can see them in the photo on the left). Apparently all you have to do is break off some leaves and new roots and a new plant will begin to sprout. How cool is that? If all goes well, I should be growing enough to replant and arrange into containers so that I won't really have to purchase many more plants. For the past week or so I've been getting to know medium.com, a new blogging platform designed for writers. When I first dove in, I had some pretty mixed feelings about the whole thing. However, as I have explored the site more and more, I've discovered what a useful and, honestly, entertaining tool it can be for a young writer.
If you don't already know, Medium allows users to share "stories". They can be about anything, any topic, in any style, in any form. There is no word or character limit like there is on Twitter, so you can write your heart out f you so choose. You write your "story", publish it, and it becomes visible to the other users who can choose to follow you, recommend you, and respond to your work. My initial hesitation about using a site like this was that I immediately felt as though it was a place where writers were encouraged to just give their work away for free. And, in truth, when you publish a story on Medium you are giving it to the community for no monetary reward. Seems kind of disheartening, doesn't it? It may take hours, days, weeks, months, and so on to write a great short story or a great article. Shouldn't we writers get paid for our hard work? Of course my first instinct is to say "yes". Then, I started reading the stories. Most are well-written, well-researched, and thought-provoking. They are written by writers who, you can tell, care very deeply about their craft. Sure, there are a few stories in the mix that aren't as strong, but, on the whole, the home page is a delicious buffet of intelligent content. Scrolling through and reading the stories on Medium doesn't feel as silly as browsing Buzzfeed, as intrusive as scrolling through the news feed on Facebook, or as random as checking Twitter. In fact, for a person with a true love of reading, it can be quite addicting! All of a sudden, using Medium didn't seem to be about giving away my hard work for free. It was more about being a part of a community and contributing to something meaningful. For that reason, I've decided to continue to use it. As of now, I've only published one of my short stories on it, but I hope to post more soon. In the meantime, I will savor the words of of other writers, like myself, who have families and day jobs and other responsibilities, but still make the time to write. When Luke, the 19-year old counselor at Camp Sunny Acres began playing Für Elise on the old piano in the mess hall, a crowd immediately formed around him.
“Do you take piano lessons?” 9-year-old Isabella asked, wide-eyed. Luke smiled and let out a tiny laugh. “I did,” he said as he continued playing the familiar piece. The children with their skinned knees and tie-dyed shirts were quieter than they had been all day when Luke gently tapped at the keys of the piano that was so out of tune it sounded like a honky-tonk. They didn’t care and neither did he. As he meandered through the theme, which was easy, and the subsequent sections, which were also easy, he wondered when the last time he’d even played piano was. He wondered how his fingers could even remember this piece. He thought about all of the hours he’d spent as a little boy memorizing lengthy pieces and wondered where those memories went. He thought about Rondo Alla Turca and Mozart’s Piano Sonata in C and how he couldn’t even conjure up the opening measures. Consumed by the music, he remembered that weepy Moonlight Sonata and how playing it could make him feel uncontrollably melancholy despite anything that was happening in the world around him. Now, the real sadness lurked in the fact that he had utilized so little from his musical childhood. When did the music lose its value? Thought Luke. He supposed it was when he began filling out those college applications. Once the acceptance letters rolled in, thoughts of where to attend and what to study began to crowd his once fancy-free brain. It got worse from there. He somehow had to decide what he wanted his career to be. Would he study medicine or business? Law or economics? Looking at it this way, all of those commonplace options seemed more promising than becoming a musician. Sure, he could have tried to become a concert pianist or even a pop musician, but he knew for certain there was no room in those fields for musicians who were simply good. No, he would have had to have been spectacular. And, truth be told, he wasn’t. So, what did that leave? Struggling for coffee house gigs and playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D at someone else’s wedding? Working this summer job was distracting and irrelevant enough. Unable to get a real internship, he settled on earning some cash at Camp Sunny Acres. At least it was kind of fun most days and the forest was beautiful. As Luke approached the final bittersweet note, the crowd of campers had already began to dissipate. The smell of hot dogs and baked beans drew them to the serving line. The fade-out of Für Elise gave in to the clamoring of dishes and trays and the usual sound of laughter and voice in the mess hall. When Luke looked up from the keyboard, he saw that little Isabella remained by his side. “I wish I could play the piano,” she said. He smiled warmly and, in his best counselor voice, he told her, “Maybe someday you will.” But, inside, the voice of the future accountant or lawyer or director of marketing only sighed and said, “I wish I could, too.” This story can also be found on Medium |
Rachel Boury BaxterWriter: web content by day, fiction by night. Archives
October 2016
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