On Writing and Rejection

Source: englishmuse.com via Emily on Pinterest

Things have been difficult lately, so when I saw these Jane Austen postcards I had to buy them. School has been insane. So many students, so many papers--when I have free time I hardly have the energy or brain power to sit down and write. Yet, I've still been diligently submitting things to magazines and websites but for the past year the answer has been a collective "We enjoyed reading this, but it's not quite right. Send us your stuff in the future."  It's definitely better than a flat out no, but now what? I write things that editors like but they won't publish it. 

I know that because writing is such a fundamental part of my personality, I'll continue to write. But at the same time, writers, or artists of any kind, need  an audience. I don't care how much you may claim to do it for yourself, that's fine and I'm sure you do, but to come full circle, to have closure, you need to have people see what you've done. I'm beginning to understand that that is an important part of the creative process. There needs to be some kind of recognition in order to feel like "yes, I have created something worthwhile."

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this and in all honesty, I know that even if/when I do get something published it won't really change things. I'll have that lovely self-satisfied feeling of accomplishment, a nice high that will last a couple of days. I'll call my parents and they'll be happy and excited. I'll post something on Facebook and some of my friends will be happy and excited, even if they never read it. I'll say to myself "Ok, this is it. Now you've really done something." And then...then things will go back to normal. I'll keep teaching, keep grading, keep writing, keep living until the next high, which may take days, weeks, months, or even years. Intellectually, I always knew that this was part of what it means to be a writer, but when you are in the middle of it...well, nothing can prepare you for that. 

More soon. When I have time.