Ow! My eyes!

Did you ever stare at something so long it hurt your eyes? Or stare at the eclipse :) ?

That’s how I felt after looking at just one picture book manuscript after over an hour.

It may not sound like much, but there were four colors of Sharpie markings all over it based on three critique partners feedback, and my own edits. So, yeah, OW MY EYES HURT!

I made changes onto Scrivener on my iPad, and began looking through that. But, the damage was done.

They didn’t literally hurt, it was more focus. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

I tried to go to some poetry.

But, no.

I tried another manuscript.

Nope.

Maybe next time I’ll set a timer if I know I want to look at just one 450 word manuscript. Take a break after twenty minutes, do something else, then get back to it. Of course, I’d have to set a timer for my reward time.

I do have an app called ‘Be Focused’ which I LOVE, but haven’t used in quite a while. I have it set for twenty minute work periods, with five minutes of reward rest, then it resets itself. I’ve used it successfully in the past, I just need to get to it again.

Would it have helped the other night?

Who knows. But it wouldn’t have hurt.

Critique Group

I’m beginning my new critique group in about a week. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been with a group. I had a critique partner- it’s not steady, which I like. It’s more, “Hey, can you take a look at this?” I’ve also traded critiques through a couple on-line exchange groups I belong to. The group, five of us, got together through the #PBChat hashtag on twitter. We seemed a good fit based on where we’re at in our writing.

I am a bit nervous- in the past I felt my critiques were weak compared to what I was getting back, or that I didn’t have enough time. With both kids in high school, and no travel soccer or trumpet lessons to drive around to, I’ll have more time on my hand.

My space is also kicking ass in the past couple weeks. I’ve gotten myself down here to work on various writing related things. I even used my old Olympia typewriter! The doors-for-walls add enough separation to give me the privacy I need (and also blocks off the only TV in the house) and my family actually has been knocking on them when they need me :) They also give me more wall space to keep myself organized and add random, small pieces of art that I love to my area.

Having this space, and a routine already in place, coming into this school year will benefit my writing, and my sanity. And let’s be honest, I can’t afford to lose any more fo that…

Do you have a critique group?

Do you have any suggestions or ideas for a CG?

Let us know below!

Revise and Resubmit

Within a few weeks of each other, I got the best rejection ever from a small press and a revise and resubmit from an editor!

Both had negative comments about the same thing.  Luckily, I’d started working on it after the rejection, and had some ideas by the time I met with the editor at a conference at The Highlights Foundation.

The meeting with the editor was part of a paid critique for the Eastern PA SCBWI conference a couple weeks ago. We spent the meeting time discussing what to do, what it needs, and it’s strengths.  I was asked a few more times during the conference if I’m going to resubmit- I took that as a HUGE positive! 

 And now, as each day passes, even though I got a response thanking me for following up, and being swamped, I have doubts.  Did I send it too soon? Did I not have enough eyes on it? 

Those doubts creep in, like the darkness as a campfire slowly extinguishes.

I checked my phone often- did I get an e-mail yet? Now? Now?

So, what do I do? What should you do?

Get back to work on the next story, and wait. Patiently or not, you wait. (GIF)

Failing

A big part of being a writer is rejection. You have to have a thick skin to take rejection for your entire career.  I haven’t experienced the lousy ratings part of rejection from book reviewers as I haven’t had anything published outside of two self-published books (no longer available). I didn’t have any negative ratings on them, which was nice, but also only had a handful on each. 

The rejection I want to write about is having manuscripts rejected...again, and again, and again... 

I have these stories that I’ve worked on for years- literally for two of them- three years for one, five years for the other. I have them at a point where readers and critique partners have said, “They’re ready.” Two words I’ve wanted to hear for years, and in a span of two months, I heard it twice for two different manuscripts. 

The next step is sending it out to the world- agents and publishing companies that accept unsolicited submission. That’s what I’ve been doing since August. 

I’ve sent then out to twenty-three agents and small presses over that time.  Some are still within the time frame of auto rejection based on time passed. But, thirteen were a ‘no’ because of outright rejection, or because of hearing nothing but crickets, even after a friendly poke.

I’ve been doing okay with them. One made me laugh because I got rejected within hours, and another within four days, including Christmas.

But a recent one got me more that the others. 

It wasn’t an agent, and it wasn’t a publisher. This one was for a contest that would have helped improve a third manuscript that is ‘close’ to being ready to send off to the world. There were sixteen mentors, and 500 people submitted to them. I thought my chances were good, I thought I would be one of the winners this time.

But I wasn’t. 

It hit me harder than I thought. And I feel like I’m failing.  Are my stories not good enough? Am I getting too old to start? 

That’s where I’m at.  

I’m happy as hell for those who won, and I can’t wait to hear about their journeys. But I’m jealous, too. 

Am I a failure? No. Just rejected.  Rejection is temporary.  And rejection is a stepping stone to lift yourself higher, to boost you to work harder, and pushes you to get yourself out there even more.  Find more critique partners, send to more agents and publishers, write more. 

Failure is only permanent when you give up. That, I will not do.