Writer's Notes
REACTING TO REJECTION
By Eilis Flynn
Published or unpublished, sooner or later, you face rejection in one form of another—whether your publisher has just passed on your latest proposal or the editor to whom you submitted a manuscript decided it didn't fit her publisher's current needs. Your heart's broken, you're dejected, life can be so UNFAIR! Well, yeah, but you'll get over it—there's always next time. Take a few minutes to get over it, and here are a number of ways to make yourself feel better, ranging from:
Painting What We See Within: A Look at the Insides of Art Therapy Visualize your frustration and paint it. Here's an essay that was written by a Bryn Mawr college student, giving some insight on how, when words fail you (temporarily, of course), painting pictures can be a handy substitute. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/f03/web3/l1updegrove.html
If words don't fail you, here's a website that calls itself "the writer's and artist's on-line source for misery, commiseration, and inspiration." http://www.rejectioncollection.com
If your eye strays to the kitchen, here are some comfort food recipes that may help assuage the pain. http://www.recipezaar.com/r/282
And when you're ready to get back on that saddle (or sit in front of your computer), from Georgia author Stephanie Bond's archive of articles, you can take your revenge for a few seconds with a rejection of your rejection. http://www.stephaniebond.com/PDF%20files/Writers%20Articles/Reject%20Your%20Rejections.pdf
Feeling better? Now get back to work!
Copyright Eilis Flynn 2005