Rejection Blues

Pockets is one tough magazine to crack. I've entered their annual contest three times and every time my story has placed within the top ten. They hold the manuscript for a year or more, and I always hope that my story will fit in one of the themes they choose, but in the end, they don't accept my stories. Their letters are encouraging, but it's still a disappointment. Does this stop me from submitting to them? Nope. Hope reigns eternal.

A few years back, Mel Boring (then web editor at ICL), asked for some numbers on a writing forum. How many submissions? How many acceptances? Rejections? All I can say is that from the folks who shared, it was clear that the person with the most rejections also got the most acceptances. So keep your work circulating. What isn't right for one publisher will be perfect for another. But if it sits in a pile at home, there is no chance of an acceptance.

Must take my own advice and send my stories out.

What do you do when you get a rejection?
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Atlas Shrugged

I prefer not to discuss politics in a public place, but gosh, this article is so good, I just have to share. Thoughts?

Anybody else here who has loved the works of Ayn Rand? Or am I alone here? When I read her books, it was the first time that I was able to articulate and clarify some of my own thoughts about how to live your life. So much of what she says resonates deeply.
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The Great Critique

I should've posted this before so that more people could sign up if it had slipped their radar. Better late than never, I suppose.

Wed. night, Jan. 14th, I will be critiquing nonfiction manuscripts at the Great Critique offered by our local SCBWI chapter. You can go here and register.

The Great Critique was my first visit to our local SCBWI. Molly and I were already in a critique group together and she kept encouraging me to join SCBWI, but I didn't feel ready because frankly, I didn't feel like a professional writer. Molly persisted and I finally agreed to go with her to the Great Critique.

I brought a picture book manuscript, which was very kindly reviewed by Kathryn O. Galbraith. Her biggest criticism was that it wasn't really a picture book at all, but had flavor of a chapter book. A couple of years later, I was submitting the revised manuscript as a chapter book. I got a few good rejections (more about that in another post), but no takers. I've submitted pieces of it as magazine stories and some of them have been accepted. Ever since that first Great Critique meeting, I've been receiving helpful comments on making my stories better, every year. This year I'll be the one encouraging and helping other writers. It feels like I'm coming full circle.

As a result of that first meeting, I finally joined our local chapter (they call this being a subscriber) and have learned so much from so many of our local authors and visitors. A couple of years later, I felt professional enough to join the parent SCBWI (I am a member). This organization is the only one I know of that is devoted to educating and networking children's authors and illustrators. If you are one -- join it. Don't wait to feel professional like I did. Consider it an investment. SCBWI especially geared toward the beginning writer.

So what are you waiting for? Go join.
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Winnie's War, Elvis and Bellybuttons

I first heard about Winnie's War on the Blueboards. I have already read two wonderful young adult novels set in the same period of the flu pandemic: Fever by Laurie Halse Anderson and Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson and it's a fascinating period in history. Winnie's War is geared toward a younger crowd, so I am looking forward to seeing how Jenny Moss deals with it. Plus, it is set in Texas, so I suspect there might be a hurricane involved as well.

And lucky me! I won an Advanced Reader Copy of Winnie's War. Thank you Jenny. It's a lovely birthday present.

That's right, I share a birthday with Elvis! As does Miss Erin. For the longest time, I think until I came to the US at age 14, I thought that Elvis was Indian. Tee hee. That's because my mom told me so. I don't know why she would think that, but it stuck in my head. I even had fantasies about being his daughter, since both my brother and sister told me I was adopted ... from a poor and ugly old woman (I wonder whether this is something that all older siblings say to their younger ones). No matter that I look a lot like them and my parents. So, if I were adopted, who's to say I wasn't Elvis' daughter?

The things kids believe. My mom told me that babies were born from the bellybutton as well.
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Ten Honest Things

"Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to 7 other bloggers."




My friend Bish awarded me this a while back and I completely forgot about it. Sorry Bish.

1. I have an excellent memory -- hey, I did finally remember this award.
2. I stutter and there were times in my life when it was all I could do to literally spit out the words. Thank goodness for writing.
3. I enjoy writing letters -- have been doing it since I was a wee little girl, thanks to a fractured family.
4. I am a very good listener -- even strangers tell me their stories without any prompting.
5. I can curl my tongue into three petals.
6. I hate eggs unless I prepare them myself. And liver. Oh, brussel sprouts, too, even though they look like cute little baby cabbages.
7. I love babies -- plants, animals, rocks, you name it -- except perhaps baby cockroaches.
8. I am curiouser than a cat.
9. I have read my school books for fun. Still do. Will read my kids' school books as well.
10. I am still reading picture books.

Many of you have already played, but if you haven't, consider yourself tagged. Let me know so I can read ten honest things about you as well. Thanks, Bish.
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Gifts and Goals

In celebration of Epiphany, we received gifts of gold (well, fool's gold), frankinscence and myrrh from our Catholic church. If you recall the Bible story, these were the gifts mentioned that Magi from the East brought to the infant Jesus.

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It makes me realize (a small epiphany, if you will) that stories are gifts, not just the stories I write exclusively for my family as proper gifts, but the stories I share more widely. I have been given many gifts. I hope to develop these gifts and use them wisely.

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So, to nurture these gifts, I will:

1. Have one-on-one time with each family member every day.
2. Pray every day.
3. Walk every day.
4. Write every day.
5. Be kind every day.

This reminds me very much of Jacqui's list. She said that it looks so dull compared to the big changes many people propose, but she rightly concludes that it would be wonderful to do these things every single day. Of course, I agree.

My hope is that with this dailiness I will:

1. Grow closer to my family.
2. Grow closer to God.
3. Be more fit.
4. Write a novel and a dozen shorts.
5. Be a better person.

by the end of the year.

Please share what you would like to accomplish this year, writing or otherwise.

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Blessings for the New Year

The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!

Numbers 6:24-26
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