Rejection and the
Psychedelic Furs
By The Grim Reader
You dedicated months, years
even, outlining, treating, and writing your story. The time finally arrived for
you to send it out into the world. Armed with business envelopes, manuscript
boxes, and a hundreds of stamps, you cautiously handed it over to the USPS. You
had nothing but faith that some mysterious agent, producer, or
publisher would be overcome with the same passion you felt for your baby.
Instead, you became an unwilling player in the waiting game. Everyday you
checked the mailbox or jumped at the ringing phone, hoping against hope
that some Head Honcho came to his senses and wanted to offer you a sweet deal.
But only surly telemarketers seemed to have your number and the mailbox spit
out only bills.
Suddenly, one magical day, you got a letter from the Big Daddy Superginormous
Management/Publishing/Production Company. That was is it! The moment you had
been waiting for. With wild-eyed excitement, you ripped that sucker open.
You knew right away that the news wasn't good-- a form letter starting with
"Dear Writer." The rest went like this:
"Thank you for your submission, but we are not producing, representing, or
publishing your type of material at this time, blah, blah, blah."
Or:
"Thank you for your interest in us, but we are not interested in you. Good luck,
blah, blah, blah."
No matter how confident or skilled a writer is, rejection letters still pack a
powerful punch to the gut. Since there is no guarantee that even the best
efforts will yield positive results, the only thing a writer can do is suck
it up and use these helpful hints.
Acknowledge your present greatness.
It takes tremendous courage to put yourself out there. Despite fear and definite
possibility of failure, here you are, living outside the comfort zone.
You could be doing so many other things that would yield quicker, more tangible
results, like getting that accounting degree or marrying the rich geezer around
the corner.
But, you decided to dream BIG. Good for you.
Don't take it personally.
The rejection was just an opinion from another
human being. That's all. Learn to separate your self (ego) from
your work.
Listen to criticism.
If you are lucky enough to
receive suggestions on how to improve your work, consider that a gift.
Creative work is like a new lover. The tendency is to overlook its flaws and
exaggerate its positive points. However, our friends view our lover in a
different light. They see how she/he picks their nose when we aren't looking,
the special way she/he berates a waitress because the ice water is too cold, or
cheat on us with the cashier at Blockbuster.
That is why an outside opinion is great. It gives us the opportunity to see our
literary work through another's eyes. Sometimes we are surprised with the
interpretation or that she didn't like it as much as we thought she should.
Take the advice you can use and disregard the rest.
Keep writing.
Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Oh, did I mention rewrite?
And start a new project.
Understand rejection is the nature of the beast.
Rejection has always been part of being a
writer. Accept that and move on.
See rejection as a spiritual exercise.
The Grim Reader is not about to turn
this into a Sunday school sermon. But, if everything supposedly happens for a
reason, maybe the rejection you're facing is part of a bigger plan. Maybe you
were rejected because:
- It's not your time.
- You need more preparation or skill building.
- Rejection, ironically, may help you develop a more secure sense of self.
Fiction writing and screenwriting are part of the entertainment industry. That
environment, in particular the Hollywood-type of environment, has to be
navigated with great care. You had better know who you are before you enter it
and be okay with that. If not, others who are stronger or more influential will
make you into what they want you to be.
Moreover, success has been known to be destructive to some. Everyday problems
such as drugs, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and dysfunctional relationships
are amplified when success and money enter the picture.
Just look at rejection as a waiting period making you stronger for the potential
obstacles you might face.
Get clear about what you
truly want.
Write down your desire. Then write down the "why" of the desire.
For example:
I want to sell a screenplay so I can make a lot of money.
Then take that further:
I want to make a lot of money so I can buy a house.
Further:
I want to buy a house so I can have my own space and be free to live in that
space as I please. That is the true intention.
Now send the desire out to whatever you call God, the universe, your higher
power, or quantum physics.
From our example, visualize
selling your screenplay and enjoying that house.
But, be warned that things have a funny way of working out.
1. You may find you get exactly what you desired.
2. You may get the reason you wanted the desire (true intention).
3. You may get what you desired in a different form than you expected.
4. You may get the desire and/or intention when you're ready for it.
5. You may get the desire and/or intention when it aligns with the will of
others' needs, desires, or intentions.
Take some inspiration from the Psychedelic Furs.
"You can never win or lose if you don't run
the race." ("Love My Way")
In other words, don't be scared of writing and submitting that material. You'll
regret missing an opportunity that could potentially change your life.
The Grim Reader is a screenplay consulting and
book-to-script development service.
The Grim Reader specializes in stories "that go
bump in the night"-- thriller, horror, mystery, supernatural, and sci-fi.
If your story is not of the "bump in the night"
genre, The Grim Reader will service it with the same care and professionalism
you deserve.
Visit
www.thegrimreader.com
for more details.
