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Ten Rejection Rituals For Writers by Aaron Edwards
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Ten Rejection Rituals For Writers |
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Education
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You get the envelope in the mail. You've been waiting for weeks, maybe months. The return address of the magazine promises the possibility of more mail from them - with checks included for your writing. You rip open the envelope, only to find a form letter thanking no thanking you for your writing. The balloon of hope that buoyed you up deflates in an instant, along with your hopes for your writing life. Rejection hurts. Many writers think about rejection so much that they are afraid to even put pen to paper. This is a crime - a theft of writing before it is even born. How do we deal with the suffering that comes with hearing no, no, no, time and again? Over the years I have had my share of rejection and coached writers through this painful part of the writing journey. Here are a few rituals, or acts, that you can do to move forward from the big bad No! 1. Write an encouraging letter to yourself. Remind yourself why you write and that it is worth any suffering. 2. Write another letter that expresses your emotions to the rejecting editor (then throw it away). 3. Revisit a former writing success such as a contest won or a prior publication. Gloat over your previous victories and know that they are just the beginning of your success. 4. Spend some time free writing on your experience with rejection. Start with the prompt, when I was rejected.... 5. Throw a tantrum. Grab a big pillow and pummel it with all the force of your disappointment and anger behind it. Rant and rave about the unfairness of it all. 6. Exercise. Go for a walk or a run or a bike ride, or whatever you do to get into your body. Offer up your sweat to the rejection. 7. Some people save their rejection letters. You may want to add it to a file or... 8. Burn the rejection letter, and with it, all the disappointment. 9. Call a writer friend and tell them about the rejection. You may ask them to recount your strengths as a writer and a person. Make sure this friend is able to offer unconditional reassurance as part of your rejection ritual. 10. Do any of the above rituals and then get back to whatever you were writing. You must keep going! What are your methods for handling rejection? formatting service
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Rejection, Rituals, Writers,
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