Mmmmm, rejection. Got my very very first agent rejection a few days ago. It was pretty cool, actually, as he detailed what he didn't like about it (which apparently, is the sub-genre).That's the next best thing to an agent taking you on, as 90% of time it's form letters. Which, thinking about it, this might very well have been. Meaning this agent gets a bevy of humourous fantasy novels involving dancing pandas. Damnable saturated markets!
I know in my head that I'm going to getting alot more of these rejection letters. But, you know, it still sucks. In some ways, it's the only objective assessment of one's work. The willingingess of someone to stake part of their income on you. Because the fact of the matter is, no one you know... or probably no one you know, is willing to say "Guess what, this sucks. Hard. Like, enough to pressure wash the Empire State building." Which is also a nature of the craft. Doubly so if you are attempting to write things that are funny. Sometimes when writing, I feel like the papa fish in "Finding Nemo", the blank computer screen leaning ever so slightly in and saying "So, you're a 'humour' writer eh? Say something funny..." with that expectant pause.
I'm reminded of a really pithy, if simplistic Heinlein's Rules of Writing:
1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must not revise except to editorial direction.
4. You must send out what you have written.
5. You must keep sending out things you have written until they sell.
Let me tell you, 4 and 5 are a complete bitch.
I know in my head that I'm going to getting alot more of these rejection letters. But, you know, it still sucks. In some ways, it's the only objective assessment of one's work. The willingingess of someone to stake part of their income on you. Because the fact of the matter is, no one you know... or probably no one you know, is willing to say "Guess what, this sucks. Hard. Like, enough to pressure wash the Empire State building." Which is also a nature of the craft. Doubly so if you are attempting to write things that are funny. Sometimes when writing, I feel like the papa fish in "Finding Nemo", the blank computer screen leaning ever so slightly in and saying "So, you're a 'humour' writer eh? Say something funny..." with that expectant pause.
I'm reminded of a really pithy, if simplistic Heinlein's Rules of Writing:
1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you write.
3. You must not revise except to editorial direction.
4. You must send out what you have written.
5. You must keep sending out things you have written until they sell.
Let me tell you, 4 and 5 are a complete bitch.
Comments
I have a ton of links for writing, if you don't have any (or enough).