The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Very Beginning...

        I got great news yesterday about the upcoming Listen to Your Mother show. Although a friend and I both got a "no thank you," we did get a free ticket for the show. And, the librarian at my school was one of the 13 writers chosen. Dr. Jenny Gray is one of the 2015 cast members, which makes me so excited.

        What's that? You didn't even know I submitted, much less auditioned? I kept it on the down-low because I knew that, given a pool of writers who have not been a part of the Listen to Your Mother experience, my chances were slim. Laura, Ellie and Naomi--I was sure--would give first priority to first-time performers. Fresh meat. New blood to run in the LTYM veins.

         One reason why I submitted was because of my story last year. In 2014 I was one of the cast members, and my story was a sad one. I don't usually do sad. My natural arena is funny, or at least I think what I write is funny, so I wanted to give the LTYM ladies a taste of Sioux's silly side.

         Submitting... sharing... getting rejected. It's all a part of a writer's life.

         However, for my friend Jenny, it's only the beginning. (If you're old like me, perhaps at this moment you can hear Karen Carpenter singing, "We've only just begun..." I can, because I wore that 45 out until the grooves were no longer groovy.) This is is her first foray into the writers' world. She's working on a collection of stories, she's optimistic, and she's only just begun.

         I have my first rejection letter (and it's a real letter. It's not a form letter) and I have my first check that I received as payment for my writing (it was only $10). Both of them are framed. Both of them are reminders of where and when I began.

         What was the beginning for you like? What was your first validation... your first rejection? Rejected minds want to know.

18 comments:


  1. Can't remember beginning...just eased into it somehow. Rejections to numerous to remember. Yesterday I submited and today I got rejection. That might be the fastest one ever!

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    1. Claudia--I got a rejection the next day after submitting as well. In my case, I guess it stunk so badly, they had to get rid of it quickly. ;)

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  2. Sorry about the "no thanks," but congrats on making the effort! The submission is always something to be proud of. Just by submitting, you've already done more than the majority of people who say they want to be writers. So, kudos!

    My first rejection was on a ms for a children's fantasy novel way back in the early 1990s, when things were still done by snail mail. The rejection was a nice personal letter wherein I was asked to please submit other work for their review---which, unfortunately, I didn't have, and I was too naive to realize what a great offer that was. But it was enough to encourage me to keep writing, which I eventually did after a break of many years. I actually have another completed kid lit novel which my critique group suffered through for a long time. lol They gave me a ton of great feedback, though, especially my Yoda (Cathy C. Hall), so I may revisit that book once I get these romances off my plate.

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    1. Lisa--Do you think that--if you took a break from romance writing and worked on some kidlit---that it would make your romance writing even fresher (if that's even possible ;) once you returned to it? Does switching gears help us? I'm curious...

      I love that a rejection letter kept you going. Great story!

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  3. I love the line, "grooves were no longer groovy." I'm sure it was a close call, but I guess I just assumed they rotated the cast each year...which means you almost did the impossible. My first writing success was a contest I won in high school. My mother was the only person in my family who knew how important writing was to me, so when I got my $25 prize money, she told me to spend it on something significant so I'd always remember. I didn't, but those words became the treasure I'll never forget.

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    1. Tammy--Paid for your writing when you were in high school? I'm impressed.

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  4. My first acceptance was an essay I wrote about--wait for it--how bad a writer I was. :-) I would make the poor Mr. Hall read my stories (and honestly, they were BAD), and that was long before he became the Beneficent Mr. Hall. (He still doesn't read my stuff, but he'll happily drive me somewhere so OTHER people can read it.) :-)

    I got $25 for that funny essay but I'd had a ton of rejection before that. I still get a ton of rejection, most of which I haven't got time to dwell on.

    Most. There was one, though...:-)

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    1. Cathy--That last line intrigues me something terrible...

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  5. I'm a lousy (and lucky) submitter, and haven't had more than 5 rejections in the five years I've been writing. But then again, I am too lazy to do much submitting.

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    1. Kim--I know what you mean. I was moaning about a particular editor not publishing my stuff, but when asked if I had submitted something lately, I had to admit... it had been a long time.

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  6. Why is there no Listen to Your Father? We dispense sage wisdom.

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    1. Michael--Some man has to step up and organize it. Any takers out there?

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  7. I sent a few pieces to Byline Magazine at the beginning, and it thrilled me to have them select them for recognition (but no money). I sold an essay to Cup of Comfort and nearly fainted with joy. I love writing, but the validation of receiving monetary compensation for my work was monumental.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat---There IS something about getting paid, even if it's a nominal amount.

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  8. My first real rejection was from one those women's mags like Redbook or Women's Day, back in the 1970's. I remember it was about the musings of a writer while she was doing dishes, soapy water sloshing all over. I didn't submit again for many years. But I've been published somewhere between 30-40 times now, though rarely paid.
    My first pubs were of poems in eleventh grade in the high school literary mag. I loved it so much I was editor the following year.

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    1. Marcia--I was the editor of my school newspaper in 7th grade. It was great fun.

      I'm impressed. You were writing in the 70's? I was too chicken back then...

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  9. Of course I'm going to talk about my VALidation. Because I'm Val! See that I did there? I'd say one of my big moments was placing 89th in the 80th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition, Memoirs/Personal Essay category. Let's relive my glory year, shall we?

    http://unbaggingthecatsone.blogspot.com/2011/10/let-long-horns-blare-huzzahs-from.html

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    1. Val--Didn't Bruce Springsteen write a song about that?

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