Fighting the Great Depression

When I first thought about writing this blog post, I was going to focus on everyone else. I've been helping with #Nestpitch and getting the next round selection ready for the final posts that the agents can request off of. I thought about the people who already looked at the blogs and realized their names weren't on the list. I know what it feels like. I've been there. I'm still there. It was that moment that I realized that maybe this post is more for me than it will be for the rest of you.

Rejections are hard and constant rejection is like having someone kick you in the face while you repeatedly beg them for more. We put ourselves through this with hopes that something great waits on the other end. And even when we reach that something great, getting signed by an agent or a contract with a publisher, we're still open to those rejections. The many back and forth edits to make your manuscript better, the various competitions we enter, or our books are nominated for, and comments from reviewers that can almost hurt more than an actual rejection letter itself.

Getting a lot of rejections or rewrites can lead to a funk. How do you combat that funk? I'm still there. I've surrounded myself with a writer's group that won't let me wallow in the funk. I have a best friend that won't let me disappear. Surround yourself with people who will pump you up when you're feeling down. Remember that everything is subjective, which is so cliche and often heard in this industry, but I'm going to say it anyway because it's true.

And when all else fails, surround yourself with inspirational quotes.

Remember, if writing were an easy profession, everyone would be doing it. Surround yourself with a group of people who won't allow you to quit or give up. And above all, believe that your words, the story that you've written, is needed in the world. You wouldn't have been inspired to write it otherwise.