The willpower to keep writing in the face of rejection is an elusive strength. Some days, I’m ready to “jump back on the horse and ride again” after a rejection. Oher days, it feels like I’m ready to give up and invest my free time in another passion.
This happened to me last week-end; I had submitted what I thought was one of my strongest picture book manuscripts, based on a story which I got published in a fairly prestigious kids’ magazine. This rejection was so formulaic and so swift, I wondered if the agent had even taken the time to read past the query letter. Then I realized, rejection is what keeps me going in the pre-published phase of my writing life- the achievement of sending out my work on submission is a form of writers’ fuel. It almost feels like muscle memory. And who couldn’t benefit from that?
margaret.r.zotkiewicz 