My First Rejection

It wasn't a rejection. Not really. Actually, it's something I'm rather proud of. I was a finalist in the Gatekeepers' Post contest on Wattpad.com. I did not win. This would be the first time something like this has happened to me in the writing world.

Now comes the great part. It's because this is the first thing to happen to me in the writing world. Ever. I've written for years, but mainly in my room in the dark. A few select friends privy to my scribblings. This marks the very first time I have done ANYTHING outside my comfort zone. Never before have I introduced my writings to people I didn't know, or on such a scale. And it has done things for me that I could not have anticipated.

The book I submitted, THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN, was born just about 5 years before the beginning of the contest. It had taken on many forms, and was re-written about once a year. But this time, it was different. I had a deadline. I had an audience. I got feedback while I was writing, re-writing, and revising. And I got a chance to live like a real writer, to work everyday on something I felt passionate about. And for the first time, I found others who enjoyed my work. Others who didn't have to be wheedled into reading it.

So today, I could be really, really upset. I could cry, throw my manuscript into the trash, rip it into little pieces, or any number of other cathartic things. But I'm not. I'm working on another project, giving that one a break. I'm practicing the art of the query letter, so that when the time comes to share it again, I'll be prepared.

Because this isn't bad. It's not the end of my success as a writer. It's the beginning. Rejection means that I'm trying, and that I have something I believe in enough to put out there. And eventually, after what is sure to be a long road, success will come. And rejection will only serve to make it sweeter.