Posted by Anne Marie Becker Jan 25 2012, 12:01 am in perseverance, Winter Writing Festival
Winter Writing Festival WEEK TWO Check-in
 Congratulations! You’ve made it to the second checkpoint in the writing marathon that is the Winter Writing Festival.
I have the privilege of hosting the second-week check-in. And it is indeed a privilege. I’ve *met* some awesome new friends and hung out with some *old* ones in the Chat Room. Whether you’re producing new words or editing old ones, come join us for some writing sprints. The link to the chat room, as well as the times, are listed at www.rsswwf.com. The energy there has encouraged me to produce some major wordage this past week.
It’s also a privilege because I love to see how many writers are hanging tough out there. Those who met their goals in Week One, I applaud you. Good job.
But Week Two… well, the marathon gets tougher as we hit the middle. Did those who didn’t meet their goals in the first week give up? Or did they persevere and say “well, it’s a new week, I can do it this time.” I’d love to hear how you’re hanging in there, or, if you’re not starting off so well, how we can help you plan to get back on track.
Third, it’s a privilege to host today because I get to hand out some fantastic prizes. Here is the list of offerings for Week Two:
Anyone who checks in today can win:
- Kismet’s Kiss or The Source of Magic (eBooks), PLUS the novella Swords and Scimitars (eBook, due out Feb 2012), Cate Rowan
Swords and Scimitars is a novella about the immortal founders of verdant Teganne and desert Kad, two rival realms divided by magic—and bound by blood, mistrust, and love. The chronicle continues in the award-winning fantasy romance novels The Source of Magic and Kismet’s Kiss.
- 1 signed set of all three hardcovers in Darynda Jones FIRST GRAVE series: First Grave on the Right, Second Grave on the Left, and Third Grave Dead Ahead (out Feb 2012) by Darynda Jones
  
Those who met their weekly goals (earned at least seven points this past week) are ALSO eligible to win:
 Diane Kelly writes romantic mysteries featuring feisty heroines, quirky sidekicks, and sexy leading men, with humor that leaves readers laughing out loud. Diane’s manuscript for Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure won the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart award. Her manuscripts have received more than two dozen RWA chapter awards as well. Diane’s fiction, tax, and humor pieces have appeared in True Love Magazine, Writer’s Digest Yearbook, Romance Writers Report, Byline Magazine, and various other publications.
Bev Pettersen is the author of award-winning romantic suspense novels, including: Jockeys and Jewels, Color My Horse and Fillies and Females. When Bev broke her leg galloping at the track, a friend brought a Dick Francis novel to the hospital and she was hooked. Horses had always been a integral part of her life, from Pony Club as a child and later within the dynamic world of horse racing so the combination of books and horses was irresistible.
- A 2012 Writer’s Diary / illustrated weekly planner
- $10 Starbucks card and pretty mug (with Godiva Dark Chocolate French Vanilla Truffles!) (Donated by the fabulous Ruby Sis Danniele Worsham, a.k.a., Dani Wade)
And here’s the really good news… if you didn’t make your goal this week, there’s always next week! Happy writing, everyone. I hope I’ll see you in the chat room sometime. Good luck to us all as we embark on Week Three – we can do it!
Please check-in in the comment trail of the regular Ruby site (if you’re on the Festival site, scroll back up to the top of the page and click the blue title line “Winter Writing Festival WEEK TWO CHECK-IN” to jump to the right place) and let us know how you’re doing – whether the result is good, bad, or ugly. And if you’d like to be eligible for the awesome swag and prizes, make sure you start your post with “I MADE MY GOAL.”
Posted by Cate Rowan Dec 22 2011, 1:28 am in inspiration, muse, perseverance, taking risks, writer's life
I don’t know about you, but for me, 2011 was quite a doozie.
In January I was diagnosed with a parathyroid tumor. It turns out that it had been doing crazy things to my body for years. In April, just before I underwent a surgery that yanked it out and cured me (thank goodness!), I self-published my second fantasy romance, The Source of Magic. In the months since, I’ve been thrilled to watch Source‘s sales surpass even those of my first novel, Kismet’s Kiss. But while this summer was a giddy time career-wise, September, erm, “blessed me” with a very difficult personal situation.
A few months later, I find myself living 1000 miles away from the state that had been my home for eight years. I’m in a truly nutty but special place at the top of a mountain, with (yes, I’m biased) one of the best vistas in the world. Okay, I may not have an oven, or even hot water every now and then, but at least I have one helluva Room with a View.
I’d originally hoped to be announcing the release of a new fantasy romance short story today. I’d envisioned 1500 words in the style of a fairy tale, but “Swords and Scimitars” has a mind of its own and is refusing to end where I’d planned…or heck, even take the same GPS route.
I’m realizing that sometimes it’s okay to take that new path, even when my life might be, well, simpler if I’d stuck with the old one. One of the gifts I’m trying to give myself these days is patience. After all, when I began 2011, I had no idea what was awaiting me. As I’m ending it, I’m so glad I’m where I am today.
During this hectic holiday season, I hope you get a chance to breathe, look around you, and remember what’s good and beautiful in your life.
What wonderful things did 2011 bring you? What do you seek from the brand-new year to come?
Posted by Anne Marie Becker Sep 14 2011, 12:01 am in golden heart finalists, guest author, perseverance, writer's journey
 I’m honored to host debut author Donnell Ann Bell on the Ruby blog today. Donnell is not only supremely talented, but also an amazing source of support and encouragement to other writers. Her novel, THE PAST CAME HUNTING, will be released by Bell Bridge Books on September 15th. She’s here to share her experience with “door-closing, window-sliding” moments.
THOSE DOOR CLOSING, WINDOW SLIDING MOMENTS
Hi, Ruby Slipper Sisterhood, thank you and especially to my friend Anne Marie Becker, Author of the fabulous ONLY FEAR, for inviting me to visit today. It’s so fun to have friends who are debut authors at the same time as my book, THE PAST CAME HUNTING, from Bell Bridge Books is coming out. We can annoy and pester each other, and all you old hats in the business will never know it.
Seriously, though, today I want to talk about the path to publication and the realization that things happen for a reason. Have you ever wanted something so badly, the very topic consumed your every waking moment? I can see you all nodding out there, yes, my book’s publication or I want my series to hit the New York Times Bestseller list, or … I want to be Darynda Jones, when I grow up.
Well, yes, as writers we all have these dreams. What I’m talking about is that heart-wrenching, gut-tingling need for something to happen, e.g., when your college or high school sweetheart finds someone else, or your beloved relative passes on, and you’d do anything to change that outcome.
I’ve had two such events in my life. I was engaged at 21 to a man I thought I couldn’t live without. Unfortunately our relationship was so tumultuous, my friends and family constantly warned, he’s not the right guy for you. Still, no one could tell me–I had to work through it (even as my mother threatened to push me off a balcony during William Shatner’s presentation of DEATH TRAP, when I’d decided to go back to him.) Sorry, Mom.
Years later, when my daughter was going through a break up very similar to the one I’d endured in my twenties, I was able to call upon this time in my life. I was able to say, “I’ve been there, sweetie, and this too will pass. Here’s my story.” I have a good marriage now, and my daughter could see I’d survived just fine. When I was able to comfort and reassure her, a huge weight fell from my heart.
I call events like these door-shutting, window-opening moments.
The second event was in my thirties when I decided to go to court reporting school. I’d found my niche and my chosen career as I rapidly progressed from 80 words a minute to 225 words a minute taking down testimony. I aced my academics, and passed the written state boards for my Registered Professional Reporter’s exam, and I was proficient whether inside the courtroom during trial or in an attorney’s office during civil litigation.
Unfortunately, I injured my left hand in a fluke accident, which took that dream immediately and irrevocably out of my grasp. Devastated, I went to work at a newspaper for far fewer dollars than I would earn as a court reporter. My editor quickly noticed I had an excellent command of the English language. Later, I became an assistant editor and finally the editor of a parenting magazine. Another door shut had led to an open window.
You can see where my nonfiction career has led, and that’s pretty special and exciting to me. Do I regret that I never got to practice my trade as a court reporter? Absolutely. Would I trade it for my fiction career? Absolutely not.
So how about you? Do you, like me, analyze the events of your life? Have you ever had doors closed in your face, only to realize they led to window-opening moments? I’d love to hear your stories.
 About THE PAST CAME HUNTING: Fifteen years ago a young Colorado Springs police officer arrested a teen runaway accused of aiding a convenience store robbery and attempted murder. She was innocent, but still served prison time briefly. Her testimony sent the real criminal to jail for much longer. Now she’s a young widow raising a son, and the man she put in prison is free and seeking revenge. She moves to a home in a new neighborhood—then learns that her next-door neighbor is the by-the-book officer who arrested her. Now he’s a Colorado Springs P.D. Lieutenant. Like it or not, he may be the only one who can protect her and her son from the past he helped create.
Donnell Ann Bell is the recipient of numerous awards for her fiction writing and the co-owner of Crimescenewriters, a Yahoo group for mystery/suspense writers, which is 2,000 members strong. Donnell was raised in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment and today calls Colorado home. www.donnellannbell.com
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To Regular Readers of the Ruby Blog:
You might find the following fun facts about the Rubies useful on our Blog Anniversary, coming up September 21. Keep your eye on this space for the next few days to learn more!!! (Fabulous prizes just MIGHT be involved…wink, wink!)
Vivi Andrews has contracted 12 ebooks.
Liz Bemis is a history geek who rides a white draft horse in a joust show.
4 Rubies are currently expecting babies (and we don’t mean the book kind!).
Addison Fox writes about astrological heroes.
Liz Talley writes for HQ Super Romance.
Posted by Gwynlyn MacKenzie Jul 22 2011, 12:01 am in guest author, motivation, perseverance, Staying sane, writer's advice, writer's life, writing through setbacks
I’d introduce our guest, but I’m pretty sure you know her. So without further ado, please welcome New York Times Best-selling Author, Madeline Hunter.
 Is there a writer somewhere in the world who has not experienced disheartening setbacks? I haven’t met her yet. Life as a writer is an emotional roller coaster, even when things are going well. So learning to deal with setbacks is a life skill that it is essential to master.
No one knows this better than unpublished authors. Since all authors are at some point unpublished, that means we all know this. However, even for an author who thinks she is experienced in handling setbacks, there can be the one that flies in from left field and hits her in the gut.
We can argue over which are the worst ones. Is the tenth rejection in a row the worst, or the rejection that comes after something raised your hopes? I personally think the latter is more dangerous, because I know writers who never overcame that kind of setback.
Posted by Gwynlyn MacKenzie Jul 21 2011, 12:01 am in perseverance, Trouble, women's strength, writer's life, writing through difficulty
Yes, I know the Coming Soon area has advertised this post as “I LOVE New York.” That was the plan—until life intervened.
The gal who took the photos I need had a family medical emergency. Adding to her stress for a few pictures struck me as beyond ridiculous. The topic isn’t life changing, and is certainly not more important than her dad’s health.
As I started to panic about a substitute topic, however, I realized the circumstance had already provided one, and it’s relevant to women and women writers everywhere.
Posted by 2011 Golden Heart Finalists Jun 24 2011, 12:01 am in 2011 finalists, perseverance, writer's advice
Over the course of the summer, the Ruby-Slippered Sisters are giving the 2011 Golden Heart finalists an opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their writing life. Today’s guest is Robin Perini, a double finalist in the Contemporary Series Romance – Suspense/Adventure category for IN HER SIGHTS and STOLEN LULLABY. Please join us in congratulating her and welcoming her to the blog!
 Seven Golden Hearts – Seven Lessons to Sold!
I’m so honored to have been asked to guest on the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood blog. Thanks so much for having the Starcatchers (2011 Golden Heart® Finalists) visit and share their stories, advice and inspiration. I’m following some amazing women, who will be a tough act to follow.
I thought a lot about what I could possibly say. Not because I don’t like to talk. My critique group and friends will tell you that for an introvert, I yammer much too much! But, you see, during the past eighteen months all my dreams have come true. After being a Golden Heart Finalist seven…yes—a dubious distinction if ever there was one—seven times, I’ve finally caught my falling star, and now it’s soaring. These days, there are moments when I am speechless.
How did this happen? How did I go from seven Golden Heart finals in three different categories to sold? I’ve looked back and found seven lessons I’ve learned since that very first final in March of 1999 with a vampire romance when vampires were…pun intended…dead.
Lesson 1. Study the craft…always. This may seem obvious, but life can interfere with writing and learning, as I’m sure many of you know. Over the last decade I’ve worked full time, gone to school at night for my master’s degree, and survived a serious illness. The most important thing I’ve done, however, is study the craft of writing and storytelling. I’ve been lucky enough to teach an amazing online class with author Laura Baker called Discovering Story Magic. The class required me to analyze other writers’ stories. One of the best ways to learn is to teach. I highly recommend developing workshops that require you to understand the craft. It’s been a blessing to me. This advice goes hand-in-hand with my second bit of advice. Never stop learning and growing as a writer.
Lesson 2. Revision is more important than writing. Somewhere along the way, I figured out that I can write. But that didn’t get me sold. It got me a lot of contest wins and finals. What makes the sale? In my case, it was revision. And I’m not talking about change a word here or there, I’m talking about understanding what makes a dramatic story and making the tough choices. Like cutting out that paragraph—or scene or chapter or character—you love so much, because it simply doesn’t drive the story forward. Understand your strengths and weaknesses enough to play to your strengths and deal with your weaknesses. If you can step far enough back from your writing to recognize how to strengthen your story, you will find the path an easier one.
Lesson 3. You’re not alone. Writing is a solitary career, but it doesn’t have to be lonely. Develop a support system within your family and friends. Ask and accept support (which I’m not particularly good at, by the way). Lastly, give to others, in whatever way you can. Friendship and relationships are a two-way street. Sometimes you need the help and sometimes your friends need you. But let people in. You’ll be glad you did.
Lesson 4. Trust yourself. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder how I’ve fooled everyone for so long. Don’t do it! Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself. Listen to your gut. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I had to really decide who I wanted to be as a writer. I tried writing numerous books in numerous subgenres. But I finally discovered the kind of stories I really want to tell. I love optimistic stories of suspense. I love heroes and heroines who grow and change and win. I love poignant love stories. That’s what I do. Heart-stopping suspense and heart-wrenching romance. That’s a Robin Perini book. Know who you are as a writer. It will help when you doubt yourself.
Lesson 5. Persistence. One of the reasons this year’s class chose the name Starcatchers is because of the song…”catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away” Our class is full of writers who have faced the odds, and have come through trials and tribulations. They inspire me. They remind me that I can do this. Our motto could be, “Never give up, never surrender.” Our song could be Tubthumping – “I get knocked down, and I get up again.” Don’t get me wrong, there are times I almost quit. Once I stopped writing for several months, but then I dreamed the stories again. And I knew. I am a storyteller. I am a writer. Are you? If you want something badly enough, don’t let the setbacks stop you. Learn more, grow more, find your path, find yourself. You’ll be glad you stuck with it. I know I am.
Lesson 6. Figure out how to make writing part of your life. One of the changes I made in the last eighteen months is to really look at my priorities. I realized I had to make more choices if I wanted to have a career as a writer. One very difficult choice was to cut back on teaching writing classes. I love teaching, I love sharing my passion for the craft of writing, but teaching now comes second to writing. I also looked at life and determined when I could write so that my production was consistent and predictable. I chose to write every day. Weekdays, for ninety minutes before work (even if it means getting up while it’s still dark outside). I write for at least four hours on weekend days. This has become routine, and it works for me. Find out how to make writing part of your life so that when you sell your book, you know that your writing career is integrated into a life where you still have time for the important people in your world.
Lesson 7. Give it your all. My two grandmothers were huge influences on my life. One of them told me, after reading my first book, that I had a gift. Just so you know, this manuscript will never see the light of day, but she believed in me, and I will be forever grateful. My other grandmother told me that if I wanted to write badly enough, all I had to do was give it all my heart and soul and strength, and I would succeed. She was right. Listen to her.
Some might say that being a Starcatcher has been lucky for me. Perhaps. To me luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity.
So, yes. I am lucky, because I had two grandmothers, and have a wonderful family and generous friends (as well as a fire-breathing unicorn or two) who taught me how to catch those stars and run with them.
Seven Golden Hearts. Seven Lessons. Two Sales. And counting…
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Robin Perini’s love of heart-stopping suspense and poignant romance, coupled with her adoration of high tech weaponry and covert ops, encouraged her secret inner commando to take on the challenge of writing romantic suspense novels. Robin’s strong characters and tightly woven plots garnered her two Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® finals in 2011. Her Golden Heart Finalist, In Her Sights, will be one of Amazon’s Montlake Romance’s launch titles on November 29, 2011. Her Golden Heart Finalist, Stolen Lullaby, will be published by Harlequin Intrigue in May, 2012. Robin loves to interact with readers. You can catch her on her website and blog at http://www.robinperini.com or interacting with her via Facebook. (www.facebook.com/RobinPeriniAuthor), Goodreads or Twitter (@RobinPerini). Her agent is Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Posted by 2011 Golden Heart Finalists Jun 3 2011, 12:01 am in handling criticism, perseverance, writer's journey
Over the course of the summer, the Ruby-Slippered Sisters are giving the 2011 Golden Heart finalists an opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their writing life. Today’s guest is Jennifer McQuiston, a finalist in the Historical category for THE WIDOW ANABILLA. Please join us in congratulating her and welcoming her to the blog!
The Power of Peer Review
I am so excited to be here, you can’t even imagine! It is so generous of the Rubies to offer this opportunity to the class of 2011 (cue matriculation music here), and I am looking forward to meeting many of you at RWA in New York!
So, who am I? I am an infectious disease researcher, and like many of you, I have a day job I love. I work at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and my special area of expertise is tracking and preventing diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans. But days spent writing scientific journal articles can make even the most dedicated scientist long for a HEA, and I found that merely reading about it wasn’t satisfying enough – I wanted to create a world on paper.
I approached writing my first book in much the same way I have always approached a scientific question: research. Armed with a litany of facts about a Victorian dress and diet, but having absolutely no concept about things like character arcs, I set off. I sat. I wrote. I spit out a 90,000 word novel that revolved around a cholera outbreak in 1854 London. Mere days after writing “The End”, I sent it off to a chapter contest to see if it was any good. My first contest in 2009 saw my manuscript returned with the following scratched across the top: “Is this even supposed to be a romance?” What the heck? Of course it was a romance. It wasn’t my fault the contest limited me to 30 pages, when the real relationship and the oh-so-romantic cholera epidemic didn’t heat up until page 294!
I sat. I fumed. I took a step back and reconsidered things. I began to see that the contest judge wasn’t being mean – she was giving me something akin to a part of science I understood very, very well. Peer Review. The scientific laugh test. The thing you have to get past to publish your work. Once, on a scientific paper I had spent weeks writing, I received a comment back from an anonymous peer reviewer. “The author purports to be an epidemiologist, but appears to have trouble with simple mathematics.” The reviewer was peeved because he or she couldn’t make the numbers in my table add up to 100%. It might have been harsh, but it was an accurate review – I hadn’t double-checked my numbers. I can promise you, I never made that mistake again. I similarly discovered, in the moment of getting back those comments from my first-ever writing contest, the power of an honest critique. Even better, thanks to my experience with the scientific peer review process, I was prepared to handle it.
What had I been thinking? No one besides this poor, hapless judge had ever seen my first manuscript – not my mother, not my husband, and not even my best friend. That judge probably deserved a medal for slogging through it, but, like scientific peer review, the process was cloaked in anonymity and I had no way to inform her that I could do better. I set out to correct my rookie mistake (a.k.a. Book #1). I read every excellent novel I could get my hands on. I joined my local RWA chapter, Georgia Romance Writers. I began to seek out readers and people who would provide me with similarly harsh feedback to that contest judge. The best thing I ever did was match up with an extraordinary critique partner (you know who you are RB!) who wasn’t afraid to tell it to me straight. Most importantly, I sat my butt back down in front of my laptop and wrote Book #2. And you know what? With my next attempt at writing, I not only finalled in that same chapter contest, I won my category. Take that mysterious contest judge!
It has been an incredible, educational journey. Along the way, I have regularly seen colleagues around me turn inward, seen them reject the process of receiving and processing criticism. I get it – no one likes to be criticized. But in my personal experience, it has been as vital to the process of improving as a writer as getting the words on paper. We are so lucky to have writing help in the Romance community, with contests and conferences and workshops. But even more important than learning how to write, I think, is learning how not to write, and that is where critiques come in. Not only do you have a chance to test the strength of your work in the minds of people who are smarter than you, this step is vital to make sure that your work is of high enough merit to be ready for agents and editors.
I would love to hear from you about your experiences with peer review and critiques, either good or bad. Does it motivate you to work harder, or does it make you want to curl into a ball and reach for an entire pitcher of Sangria? Either reaction is fine, as long as you don’t stop writing. I believe I would have never been lucky enough to final in the 2011 Golden Heart without that first soul-numbing critique. Oh, and if you are out there, mysterious contest judge #4, I have only one more thing to say: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Posted by 2011 Golden Heart Finalists May 31 2011, 12:01 am in perseverance, taking risks
Over the course of the summer, the Ruby-Slippered Sisters are giving the 2011 Golden Heart finalists an opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their writing life. Today’s guest is Bria Quinlan, a finalist in the Young Adult category for SECRET LIFE. Please join us in congratulating her and welcoming her to the blog!
 Through all the talk (and mocking) over the last month about the Rapture that was supposed to happen on May 21st, part of me felt horrible.
Here were people willing to give up everything because they believed something so strongly. They were willing to get out there and tell person after person because they knew it was true. They knew they were the ones who had to make those around them believe.
There’s something amazing about that. Something just absolutely awe-inspiring about believing something that strongly –especially in the face of so much doubt.
I’d been thinking about beliefs since the beginning of the Arab Spring – thinking about America and myself and my life and my beliefs…
And my writing.
Do I believe?
Posted by 2011 Golden Heart Finalists May 27 2011, 12:01 am in facing rejection, handling criticism, motivation, perseverance, writer's journey
Over the course of the summer, the Ruby-Slippered Sisters are giving the 2011 Golden Heart finalists an opportunity to introduce themselves and share a bit about their writing life. Today’s guest is Julie Brannagh, a finalist in the Contemporary Single Title category for LOVE AND FOOTBALL. Please join us in congratulating her and welcoming her to the blog!
Between a rock and a hard place: Rejection and persistence
You’ve finished your masterpiece. You’ve checked it over for typos and grammatical errors; you’ve formatted it to the best of your ability. You either slid pages into a big, sturdy envelope, or you pasted them into an e-mail and hit “send”, with your heart in your throat.
Twenty-four hours to multiple months later, you open your mailbox or fire up your e-mail program to find a hissing cobra in the midst of an innocent-looking letter. You’ve been rejected. Whether it’s the first time or the 150th time, it hurts, even if the editor, agent, or contest judge in question made constructive comments, such as “loved your writing” or “I’m looking forward to reading your next project”.
 I’ll never forget my first rejection. I pitched at RWA’s Chicago-North’s conference a few months after finishing my first book. I was terrified. Rose Hilliard was gracious, thoughtful, and asked me for a partial. I felt like I won the lottery. Of course, the day that self-addressed, stamped envelope showed up in the mail, it lay in the middle of our kitchen table like it would bite.
My husband asked, “Do you want me to open it?”
“No, no,” I said. “I can do this.”
Rose wrote me a letter I still treasure. She told me what I did right, and what I needed to work on. She saw something in my writing, even if she didn’t buy the book. I resolved to keep working.
I’ll also never forget my worst rejection. LOVE AND FOOTBALL, named a 2011 Golden Heart finalist, was deemed “stupid” and a “waste of my time” by a contest judge. I’d like to thank her. After all, she lit a fire under me. She was wrong, and I would prove it.
We’re heading into rejection season. Those who are attending National will be meeting with editors or agents face-to-face that have the power to accept or reject the manuscript we poured ourselves into. Contest deadlines loom as well, complete with judging comments that can be helpful, or incredibly destructive. The 2011 Golden Heart finalists e-mail loop jokes about the “East German” judge.
One of the things that set those who eventually publish apart from those who continue to write and edit the same three chapters is handling rejection. Let’s face it, everything any of us has ever written is the most brilliant thing known to mankind until someone else reads it. Do we take the constructive suggestions from our critique partner/group and others who know what they’re talking about? Do we persist in the face of numerous rejections, or do we decide that maybe, this just isn’t going to happen after all?
There’s a lot to be said for persistence. After all, people who give up don’t ever get what they want. Writing is no different. Those who don’t write, don’t edit, don’t polish and don’t submit get no rejections, but they also don’t get published. I try to remember the following. I hope you will, too.
- Make an agreement with yourself: You have 24 hours to mope. During those 24 hours, you are allowed to shed a few tears, rage with your loved ones or your critique partner/ group about the injustice of it all, eat chocolate till you can’t stand it anymore, or take to your bed with a comfort read. Twenty-four hours. That’s it. Get your butt back in the chair, and write.
- If you can stand it, read any comments a day later, and let them sit for awhile more. If someone told you your writing was “stupid”, I give you my permission to substitute, “even better with a few edits”. If there were other comments, think about whether or not they may apply. If they do, and you’ve heard it from more than one person, you may want to make a change. If there is nothing positive about the rejection, shred it, or print it off and burn it in the fireplace. Don’t let someone cruel have free rent in your head.
- Give yourself a reward. The lovely and brilliant Mary Buckham says that she went out to dinner every time she got a rejection. She was home with little kids at that time, so it was an undertaking, but she did it. Mine’s a cupcake. If you don’t want to reward yourself with food, try something new for your office, flowers, a glass of wine. Whatever works for you.
- Do not give up. Do not let someone else steal your dream. Do not believe that just because one person didn’t like your work, someone else won’t love it. Keep writing. Keep showing up at that empty page every day.
When I’m really down in the dumps, I remember the following. I hope this helps you as much as it has me over the years.
Jane Porter wrote for fifteen years before getting published in 2000. There are four million copies of her books in print.
Susan Mallery amassed fifty rejections in an eighteen-month period at the beginning of her career. She is a multiple New York Times bestseller.
Susan Wiggs says she wallpapered a bathroom in her house with rejection notices. She has been published since 1987.
Anna Campbell wrote for twenty-seven years before selling. She set the romance industry on its ear with the publication of CLAIMING THE COURTESAN in 2007, despite the fact that some clueless contest judge once wrote in huge capital letters across the first chapter of her book, “HARLOT! HARLOT! I WILL NOT READ ABOUT A HARLOT!”
Cherry Adair had seventeen unpublished manuscripts when she published her first book. She is also a New York Times bestselling author.
Laurie London published her first book, BONDED BY BLOOD, earlier this year. A contest judge didn’t like Laurie’s vivid descriptions of setting. Interestingly enough, the setting in Laurie’s books are as vivid and well-written as her characters, and was one of the elements that helped her sell so quickly. Laurie’s second book, EMBRACED BY BLOOD, is out this July.
Vicky Dreiling says, “All rejections sting, but some are tougher to take. The rejection I got from an editor for the first book I ever wrote crushed me. I had done massive revisions without promise of contract. As I read the editor’s four-page letter, I knew she was right. Though that rejection hurt, I learned a great deal from the experience. I like to think that every rejection is one step closer to the right agent and the right publisher.” Vicky’s historical romance, HOW TO MARRY A DUKE, debuted January 2011. Her next historical, HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, will be out in July 2011. Visit her website at: www.vickydreiling.com
You may be shaking your head and asking yourself, “What does this have to do with me?”
Among the 2011 Golden Heart finalists, Robin Perini just announced she sold her finalist book, after seven Golden Hearts. There are 12 repeat finalists from 2009, and at least one that is a five-time repeat finalist. Bria Quinlan got 150 rejections on her first book. Another finalist amassed sixty rejections with three different manuscripts, but found her agent. The majority of 2011 finalists have been working for 5+ years towards publication.
Rejections suck. Nobody likes them. Fortunately, they teach all of us persistence. If we let others, no matter how well-meaning, dissuade us, we’ll never make it in an industry that requires those involved to keep trying, working, and creating.
“Never, never, never, never give up.”
-Winston Churchill
Julie Brannagh dreamed of writing a book her entire life, and finally did it in 2005. She is currently writing her sixth single title contemporary. Her third manuscript, LOVE AND FOOTBALL, is a 2011 Golden Heart finalist. Feel free to share your worst rejection in the comments, or she can be reached at authorjuliebrannagh at gmail dot com.
Posted by C.J. Chase May 23 2011, 12:01 am in conference, Networking, perseverance, submission tips
Conference horror stories. We’ve all heard a few, or more. Remember the one about the overly-eager writer who slipped her manuscript under the bathroom stall and interrupted a poor editor’s private time? Or was it an agent? I did a quick Internet search on writer+manuscript+conference+bathroom and got over 500,000 hits. Seems more than one writer has tried this way of getting noticed. Of course, there’s getting noticed, and then there’s GETTING NOTICED. Do you really want your dream editor or agent associating your manuscript–that one you poured your blood, sweat, and tears into–with … bathroom functions?
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