Another Day, Another Rejection

I received another rejection today for my young adult novel, and I have to say it’s my best rejection yet. Mary Kole’s response to my manuscript was both kind and encouraging — proof that agents are not heartless beasts searching for any reason to trash your work. (I never believed this, by the way, but I think it bears mentioning that an agent or editor can reject your work AND be a good person, just as your work can be rejected AND be good work.)   So, I was honestly more encouraged than dismayed at this most recent rejection, except that my work seemed to fit particularly well with what she was looking for. But, if she didn’t love it she didn’t love it, and now we can move on. Next up, March! (I haven’t yet decided what my March submission will be, but I have a long list of possibilities and it’s just a matter of zeroing on one). It helps to know that every time I submit something, I’m getting closer.

Today was my first session of the senior college class I’m teaching this year. I always start my writing classes with a few tools for busting writer’s block. Today, I had my students write without letting their pen stop for ten minutes; then followed that up with mapping; and then did free writing inspired by my collection of bizarre postcards. About a third of my students are repeats from last year, so I’m trying to vary things a little while still giving a solid foundation to the new students (and it’s nice to know those students who did return found the class worth taking again — many of them spoke highly of it during our introductions). At the end of the session, one of the new students who seemed unsure about what exactly he would write came up to me and said, “I never knew writing could be so fun!”

And that’s really step one toward any successful writing journey.