Writers--Don't Give Up

 When we read books by prolific authors, or see the names of writers in anthologies numerous times, or recognize the name of an author when reading a book review, all we see is the result of their writing life, the part that makes them happy. 

What we don't take note of in the above is the many down times these writers and others have experienced. A fellow writer once cited a statistic that has stayed with me. He said, "The average acceptance rate is one out of every twelve submissions." That statement could make many a writer throw up their hands and swear they'll never write anything again.

I certainly hope very few will do that. As writers, we need to accept the fact that we will have more rejections than acceptances. At least, most of us will. I'm very proud of the number of stories I have had in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology books, but there were many more stories I submitted to them that never saw print. 

Is it terrible to become discouraged? Of course not! We're human and trying over and over to be published and not making it hurts. It hurts us, it angers us in some cases, and it helps us stop believing in ourselves at times. 

One trait a writer needs to develop is Determination. Maybe an attitude of 'I'll show them!' would help foster that trait. 

Our poster today says: 'Go over, under, around and through, but...never give up.' It's easy to say, but more difficult to put in practice. One thing that factors in here is how determined you are to become a published writer. 

Those rejections tend to knock you down for a bit, but the determined writer picks himself up and moves on. If one publication rejects you, move on to another. We've all heard stories about famous authors who received multiple rejections for a book that eventually became a best seller. Keep in mind that an editor is one person, or a reading committee is only a handful of people. If they say no, maybe somebody else will say yes. You'll never know that unless you keep submitting. 

Rejections come for a variety of reasons. Perhaps, the publication has already published something similar, or it doesn't fit their theme, or you send a horror story to a romance magazine, or the writing lacks something. This last is one you have control over. If you feel your writing is not up to standards editors expect, one of the best things to do is to join a writing critique group. But do it with an open mind. Expect that your work will be criticized but that those doing it are trying to help you become a published writer. The criticisms are to help you, not hurt you. A good attitude on your part is necessary if you are to gain something from a group like this.

The road writers move along can be a rocky one, but if the writer is determined and pledges to not give up, it can be rewarding. Keep today's poster advice in mind: 'Go over, under, around and through, but...never give up.'

Essay Published Today at Books by Women

 

My essay, 'Writing from the Heart', won third place in our Kansas Authors Club state writing contest Theme Category in 2023. The theme was "A Moment to Write". Today, it was published at https://booksbywomen.org which is a website for and about women writers, the books they have published, tips on writing, interviews and much, much more. Please do click on the link and spend some time there. You'll find loads of things of interest to women writers. 

My essay is below. When you write 'from the heart', you must bare your soul, and I did so in this piece. 

Writing From the Heart

Almost every day, I find a moment to write. A moment and more that take me away from everyday tasks and immerse me into a writing life filled with words from my heart.

I write essays, poems, and stories detailing the events that bring basic emotions into my life. Pain, anguish, joy, and hope visit me through the years, some of those feelings more intense than the others. My words spill onto the paper or screen, paragraph upon paragraph, a coping mechanism. At times, I become driven to put emotional experiences into words, both for myself and for others to read. My writing releases a sort of power that helps deliver healing or satisfaction. Four overwhelming emotions, four chapters of my life—pain, anguish, love, and hope.

Pain begins in childhood with a father who masters both verbal and emotional abuse. No marks on my body, only those buried deep inside. These wounds have scars that no one can see, but I know they are there. Each time a tirade began, and he told me how undeserving I was, my stomach clenched, and I steeled myself, willing the barbs to bounce before penetrating deep into my soul. Sometimes, they didn’t touch me, but other days they hit the mark, leaving me shattered on the inside but stoic as far as anyone else could see. It is years and years before I am able to write of my pain. A scene in a movie startles me into action. I watch the screen in horror as a man describes childhood abuse in vivid terms. I cannot reach home fast enough. Thoughts are spinning through my mind like a whirlpool in a river. I find paper and pen, and the words begin to appear, while tears slip down my cheeks, unchecked. I write verse upon verse of a poem, ending each with the word pain. The floodgates have opened, and my pain flows away until I feel cleansed and have forgiven myself. Writing about this intense feeling frees me forever. I’ll never wonder again if it had been my fault. The power of the words I write wipe away long-held scars.

Anguish tightens its tentacles each time I bury a child. Once is terrible, twice is more than the heart, mind, and body can absorb. Oh, I most likely look fine on the outside, maybe a bit worn down as I stand before an open grave, eyes fixed on a tiny casket nearby. But inside, anguish is chasing anger which is hunted by incredibility which has tripped over the deepest sadness this twenty-seven-year-old woman has ever experienced. All these feelings whirl faster than the tigers chasing one another in a beloved children’s story. Instead of melting into butter, they become lumps of sorrow. Like all wounds, time buffs the sharp edges of my anguish until it softens and subsides in a tiny corner of my heart, becoming only a dull ache. It takes many years until I am able to write of this part of my life, and suddenly the wound is no longer so deep. Time and my own words work together as I find acceptance and begin to heal.

Years later, we spend a week-end with a toddler granddaughter we love. She reaches out to her grandfather and me with chubby arms and a sunlit smile as we say our good-byes. As my husband drives us home, emotion rises within me in such strong waves that I can do nothing but grasp pen and pad and write of the joy this small child has brought. My poem compares her to golden sunshine, soft waves kissing a shore, gentle breezes skipping in a door. I write that I hear her in a robin’s pure sweet song and in silver drops of summer rain. I have found her, I write, in butterfly wings, in a green meadow’s sparkle after a shower, amongst all of God’s wondrous things. When I finish writing, I feel satisfied, and the pad with the poem remains on my lap all the way home. Much later, the poem wins a contest.

I write also about hope, a wish to be a writer that finds fulfillment more than fifty years after my birth. I send a devotional essay to a writers’ anthology telling of a strong desire to write that gets side-tracked when I attend college, become a teacher, marry, and raise my children. I keep the hope alive until middle-age when it turns into reality. I make time to write. I read about writing. I take classes and attend conferences before submitting my work for publication. Inch by inch, I move from hoping to be a published writer to seeing my work in print many times. I write that patience and perseverance are key to my writing successes. As I write that initial devotion, my reasons for writing rise before me clear and strong.

Yes, writing has served me well. Words from my heart have expressed great joy, soothed my anguish, washed away pain, and recorded my hopes and dreams. If they also bring encouragement and pleasure to others, perhaps I am twice blessed.

I continue to find a moment to write during my senior years on a regular basis. Those many moments have some of the best ones in my life,

Submit Your Writing. Do it Now!

I had happy news yesterday. Several poems I submitted were accepted for a book about bedtime poems for children, coming out next month. The poems were ones that have been in my files for quite a long time. I'd subbed a couple of them to children's magazines earlier, but they were not accepted. So, back in the file folder they went. I was going to send just one or two to this new anthology but decided to send the lot. They might take a couple, I thought. What a surprise that they wanted all six, especially when I read that they had an overwhelming response and were not able to accept all the submissions received. 

If I'd left those poems in the file, they'd still be sitting there gathering dust or growing whiskers. The point here is 'If you don't submit, you cannot be published.' It's as simple as that. Conversely, it's not always a simple thing to submit your writing for publication. 

So, what's the problem? There are many reasons writers do not submit their work. Take a look at the following thoughts followed by one suggestion: 

 1.  It takes time:  First, you need to do some searching to find a place where what you have written fits. You should send an article on knitting to a handicraft magazine just as you would only submit a gardening essay to a  publication that deals with that subject. Once you find a market, you had better spend time checking and rechecking the submission guidelines. I cannot emphasize that step enough. Many submissions get tossed because they simply did not follow the guidelines. Next, you need to get the submission ready to send, whether by e-mail or snail mail. Guidelines often give how-to on this part of submitting, too. And finally, you need to record (somewhere, anywhere) what you sent, where you sent it, and when. So, yes--it takes time.

2.  Success is not guaranteed:  Darned little in this life is a sure thing, and submitting your writing to objective eyes is definitely a gamble. The odds are that more of your work will be rejected than accepted, especially in the early stages of your writing life. Convince yourself that you're not alone in this. We all know misery loves company, but your own misery after a rejection always runs higher. Take a chance. One of the submissions will eventually be accepted. Who knows, you might even have beginners luck and hit the jackpot on the first one. A nice dream you say? Well, it does happen occasionally.

3. Discipline is needed:  We all need discipline in many aspects of our lives. You had to learn to discipline yourself doing homework from grade school on. Submitting your writing is no different. It, too, requires discipline. Your spouse can't do it for you. Your kids can't do it for you, and neither can I. You know who must be the responsible one.

4.  No time like the present:  Don't promise yourself you'll submit your work next month or next week. Do it now. When we set the time line too far ahead, it's pretty easy to slide right on by. Do it now. And don't stop with one submission. I have numerous submissions out. All publications have different response times, so you need to keep the submissions going.

5. Watch for Calls for Submissions:  Make a habit of looking for calls for submissions. You'll find them in many writing newsletters and in groups on Facebook and other media platforms. 

6.  Start writing a new story:  This is a biggie. Once you send a completed piece of your writing to an editor, get started writing a new story right away. Keep the wheel turning and before you know it, you've established a habit.

You're a writer! You're special! Believe it!

About Creative Nonfiction

 

Lee Gutkind is the founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine. He also wrote a book titled You Can't Make This Stuff Up, which is a guide to writing creative nonfiction. 

Mr. Gutkind gives a simple definition of creative nonfiction. He says it is 'true stories, well told.' He uses this explanation on the banner of his magazine. 

There's a little more to it than that, however. We hear and read the term 'creative nonfiction,' but does everyone know a definition that has more depth than the one on Mr. Gutkind's magazine banner? 

Creative nonfiction is a true story told using fiction techniques. Nonfiction, of course, tells us that the story is true. The 'creative' part of the term might lead people to believe the story is made up, which totally contradicts the nonfiction part. Think of the 'creative' part as using fiction storytelling techniques rather than writing a piece of nonfiction that does nothing but give the facts. 

Some examples of creative nonfiction are memoirs, personal essays, and feature length articles in magazines. Fiction writing tools like dialogue, scene setting, characterization, vivid descriptions and more are used to relate a true story. 

Nonfiction that dwells on facts alone is fine in some instances, but switching to using the same facts but in a more creative way, writing using fiction methods, offers a more interesting read. Speaking personally, creative nonfiction is more satisfying to me the writer. A scientist might prefer to write pure nonfiction with facts, experiments, and statistics. Other writers would probably prefer adding those fiction tools to make the piece of greater interest. A memoir with nothing but the facts of what happened in the author's life probably would not appeal to editors or to readers. Using fiction methods makes the true story more realistic and something more easily related to for the reader. 

If you have a little extra time this weekend, use a search engine to find articles on 'writing creative nonfiction' or stop by your library to check for books on the same. Or, purchase one at your favorite online bookseller. You might discover you've been writing creative nonfiction, but you weren't aware that your writing fit this category. 

The Occasional Writer or...?

 

To take Edgar Rice Burroughs advice in today's poster, you need to be a certain kind of writer. Let me introduce you to two writers. Samantha is an occasional writer. Veronica is a serious writer. 

Samantha enjoys writing stories and poems. She is also a social butterfly, never saying no to a time to gather with friends. She also loves to shop and hits all the sales in town. Besides those two time drainers, this woman has two children whom she cares for, cooks for, shops for and more. When Samantha has s little free time, she gathers her thoughts and sits at her computer desk to write a new story on her laptop. She becomes absorbed in the project and has her first draft finished just in time to change clothes and meet Glenna for lunch. The next week, she is totally involved with getting summer activities lined up for her children, attending several meetings, and hitting the sales for summer clothes for her kids. It's a month before she gets back to proof and edit the story she wrote. She wonders if she'll ever have time to get the story polished and work on submitting it to a publication.

Samantha is a occasional writer, for sure. She thinks about writing a great deal, but somehow she seldom finds time to actually write. If she's satisfied with the amount of writing she is doing, it's fine to be that occasional writer. She will probably have very few publications to her name. That's alright if she doesn't have the drive or passion to write more often. If she had those two things, she would cut back on her social life and shopping to carve out more writing time. It's her choice.

Veronica is a serious writer who spends a great deal of her time writing essays, stories for kids, poetry, and articles on the craft of writing. She sets time aside for writing but still manages to take care of her two children and have an occasional lunch with friends, or a shopping spree once in a great while. Veronica has a long list of credits in the publishing world. She's also placed in numerous writing contests. She knows that the more she writes, the stronger her writing becomes. 

Veronica is an extrovert, just like Samantha, but she budgets her social time so that she has more hours to write. She is passionate and driven to write. She feels the need to write almost as much as she does to breathe. She gives up some things in order to devote more time to writing. It's her choice.

Neither Samantha or Veronica depends on their writing income to survive. If they did, both would be in big trouble. Even though Veronica is a serious writer, she is still a part time writer. People who write for a living must devote many hours to this occupation just as someone who works in an insurance office or an import-export firm or as the County Treasurer. 

Samantha and Veronica are not real people. Even made up, they are examples of two different kinds of writers. Is your writing world similar to one or the other? Are you satisfied with the time you give to writing? If not, can you figure out how to carve more time for writing out of your busy life? We're all different people, and we should do whatever works for us as individuals. It's your choice.

My New Year Greeting For Writers

I think most writers are also Dreamers. Why not? We can dream about the novel we'll write this next year. Or the essay that lands in The New Yorker. Maybe a poem that wins a $2500 prize in a contest. Or a Grant or Fellowship bestowed upon us. 

To dream about a big accomplishment in your writing life will serve to inspire, to push you into doing your best. It's not enough to only have the dream; you also need to pursue it. You can do it by keeping a steady stream of finished pieces of your writing moving through the days and weeks and months of 2015. 

No slacking off--make that one of your smaller goals for this year. No giving up--there's another. No pouting over rejections. Instead, be as objective as you can and figure out what needs to be done to the piece that didn't make it.

Maybe you won't reach those dream goals but it's perfectly alright to aim high. You might surprise yourself and hit that high someday. 

Note that the quote in the poster mentions efforts and achievements. It takes the first one to attain the second. We don't receive much of anything in this life without putting forth some effort. Those great achievements don't just appear. They require lots of hard work. A cliche works here--blood, sweat and tears go into those successes we have in our writing lives. The success would not be nearly as sweet without them, would it? 

As we face a brand new year, I wish each of you dreams come true and multiple achievements gotten through your own efforts. Waltz throught 2015 collecting gold rings from the carousel over and over again. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR