Trying to be considerate of rejection while writing

Status
Not open for further replies.

K-Fred

Registered
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Do you think this is an unhealthy or healthy behavior? On one hand, it seems like you might end up convoluting the story you have in mind that you haven't tapped into yet if you're working around fears of rejection. On the other, it seems a bit necessary in ways. I think it really depends on your approach to writing. If you're writing it for yourself already and you know where you want it to go, it's good to consider possible criticism if you can do it without being too hard or too lenient on yourself.
 

jcwriter

Splish splash I was takin' a bath
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
737
Reaction score
143
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
You seem to be using the words 'rejection' and 'criticism' interchangeably; they are distinctly different.

In the writer's orbit, rejection occurs when an editor or agent returns a finished piece (be it a poem, short story, or novel) to you with a "no thanks, not for me" note. These should never be taken personally (easy to say), because the reasons may range from the quality of the work to the prevailing market to the agent/editor's workload; and the writer usually never knows what really triggered the rejection. With nothing specific to reflect upon, all the writer can do is note the fact and move on.

Criticism is a beast from a different zoo. It's also a necessary part of the process, one that can shine a healthy and unbiased light into corners the writer never realized were clogged with cobwebs. Of course not all criticism is beneficent; it's up to the writer to recognize the difference, accept what helps, and toss the other stuff. Hard or lenient doesn't enter into it.
 

Fuchsia Groan

Becoming a laptop-human hybrid
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 27, 2008
Messages
2,870
Reaction score
1,399
Location
The windswept northern wastes
Yes. Trying to avoid every single thing you could possibly be rejected for is a losing game and will quickly drive you mad. There is no single winning formula that will get past every gatekeeper.

But let's say you get a useful piece of criticism, like "You're writing for teens, and your sentences and paragraphs are really long and convoluted. That doesn't fly in the current market." That you can work with. Is it possible you'll end up querying some agents who prefer a more long-winded prose style? Of course. Again, there's no magic bullet against rejection.

But on the basic level, getting honest feedback on whether your prose is clear, readable and grammatical is always a great idea. Lack of said qualities is a very common reason for rejection. (And by "grammatical," I don't mean the King's English. I just mean it's correct enough to make for an easy read, with no recurring errors like tense shifting or subject-verb disagreement.)
 

K-Fred

Registered
Joined
Apr 9, 2014
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Yes. Trying to avoid every single thing you could possibly be rejected for is a losing game and will quickly drive you mad. There is no single winning formula that will get past every gatekeeper.

I feel this is essential advice for beginning writers. Especially ones as self-conscious as I am. :p
 

Antonin

▐п╣�▀╪? ╧ы§�Й!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
1,880
Reaction score
170
Location
Amongst decaying factories
I wonder if that nagging feeling with ever go away. Sure, I might be writing a book that I think is a special little snowflake, but even if it is, there's plenty of other things to fret over.

In the end I just think you gotta learn to ignore those thoughts while writing whatever you want. Those annoying voices in our heads will probably always be there. Once we get an agent, there's still editors and whatnot to think about
 

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 4, 2009
Messages
22,617
Reaction score
7,294
Location
Wash., D.C. area
I still haven't learned yet when those little "they're going to hate it" voices push me to write better and when they hold me back from doing something really cool with my writing. My first writings were too "critics be damned" and unpublishable. My current writings are technically sound but too sterile. I'm trying to work toward the middle.
 

Jamesaritchie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
27,863
Reaction score
2,311
I do write for myself, but I expect as much from my own writing and storytelling as I expect from any book I buy. Just because I'm writing for myself in no way means I'll settle for an inferior story.

Writing for yourself is the best way to avoid rejection, if your personal standards are as high as they should be.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.