The Gifts of Rejection
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
The Gifts of Rejection
When I look back at the times in my life when I have been rejected from having what I thought I wanted – parental rejection about not attending that party, a boyfriend’s decision to walk away, a friend’s betrayal- I realize now they were all blessings in disguise. Something better awaited me and in each case, I was ultimately very grateful it didn’t turn out the way I thought I wanted it to.
Rejection a part of life and it certainly is a big part of a writer’s life. ( Click to Tweet)
As I shared in this post, I received a very enthusiastic reception from one agent at the Writer’s Digest Pitch Slam. She liked my pitch and requested the first 100 pages. Exciting!
But that’s as far as it got. Within a few days of sending it, I received her response: “I’m sorry but I’m not interested in addiction/medical memoirs.”
Ouch! Yes, it did sting. Momentarily.
The interesting thing is that while I was waiting for her response, I cranked out another 5,000 words. I was re-energized by my own story.
So I thought I’d share what I consider the gifts of rejection. The way I figure it, if you don’t put your work in front of others, you won’t even have the opportunity to be rejected.
Rejection means you are trying. (Click to Tweet)
This article by award-winning author and popular speaker Cindy Sproles, “Five Ways to Forge Ahead After Writing Rejection” summarizes the lessons very well but I’ll put my own spin on them.
The Gifts of Rejection:
Rejection is a validation that I was brave enough to expose my writing to another person.
Since I survived this rejection quite well beyond the momentary sting, I know that further rejections will be tolerated and I will move on.
Rejection is an opportunity to do inventory on my writing and look at ways to enhance my story. In this case, I am asking myself, how can I develop a more compelling hook, one that will keep my reader reading beyond the first few pages?
I can and will move beyond the rejection and keep writing.
The awareness that one person’s opinion does not make or break my story gives me permission to stay true to my story while also paying attention to ways my story can be better.
How about you? How have you moved onward from rejection? Has it motivated you to keep writing? Do you have any other gifts of rejection to add to the list?
I’d love to hear from you. Please join in the conversation below~
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This Week:
Monday, 9/25/17:
September 2017 Newsletter: Updates, Memoir Musings, Max Moments:
“Celebrating the Autumn of Your Life”
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Next Week:
Monday, 10/02/17:
“A Year of Community, Courage and Cancer: Interview with Memoirist Antoinette Truglio Martin.”
Antoinette, a breast cancer survivor, is the author of a memoir, Hug Everyone You Know:A Year of Community, Courage and Cancer.
