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Reality Check Have I slipped into the twilight zone?
- Thread starter Marc Joan
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Boo.
A Turing Test for writers??? now that could be interesting.
Talk to yourself if you are suffering rejection, I do it all the time, sometimes to the concern of others, especially on the train.
Talk to yourself if you are suffering rejection, I do it all the time, sometimes to the concern of others, especially on the train.
Was thinking more like...
'Have you read game of Thrones?'
'Yes'
'Really?'
'Yes'
'Have you read game of Thrones?'
'Yes'
'Really?'
'Yes'
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You are spending far too much time on the internet
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Went there specially.
E-s-p-e-ci-al-l-y and because I am my doppelganger and it's nearly tea-time.
E-s-p-e-ci-al-l-y and because I am my doppelganger and it's nearly tea-time.
I love the Oxford comma. It is incredibly useful when you want to make a long list, include phrases in a list, or if you simply want to make that last item stand out. The Oxford comma is particularly helpful if someone is trying to read your work aloud, if the ideas contained in your writing are complex, or if you want to annoy the shit out of someone who hates the Oxford comma.
Ah, I suppose I told and showed in that response. Perhaps, if you're feeling particularly disconnected from the world you could take a walk down a busy street, send out a few hundred query letters, or hang out here in Litopia. (see what I did there?)
I'm feeling the same way. Last month, I submitted half a dozen short stories to various pubs, and then silence. At this point a rejection would be reassuring.
I keep humming the theme music to the Twilight Zone!
An now I'm about to disappear - virtual me, anyway. Maybe not disappear, fade is probably more accurate because there is the phone and various commercial establishments offering access, but I will not be settled and with my own Internet access until early June. Maybe, when I return, someone will have tried to contact me.
Talking of The Twilight Zone, there's a memorable episode called A Nice Place to Visit, which is one of the most thoughtful pieces of drama I've seen. It should be watched by anyone who's struggling through life, especially we writers who are looking for our lucky break.
The premise of the plot is an intriguing one: imagine how you'd feel if everything you did worked in your favour, that one perfect day followed another without end...how would that make you feel?
This link explains exactly what happens, but if you don't want to read spoilers watch it on Youtube first:
The premise of the plot is an intriguing one: imagine how you'd feel if everything you did worked in your favour, that one perfect day followed another without end...how would that make you feel?
This link explains exactly what happens, but if you don't want to read spoilers watch it on Youtube first:
I, too, feel rejection letters are important to my sense of well-being. Though I'm not sending out queries for my novels at the moment, I've made sure to keep short stories going out, if only to keep the rejections coming in. Rejections acknowledge your existence, your effort, and your humanity. I'm not sure publishers and agents recognise how important that is to authors slogging away in silence at their computers.
Same thing here, Marc. It's like I've made it onto some kind of list. And not the good kind...
Give me your addresses, and I'll send you a snarky rejection letter.
Give me your addresses, and I'll send you a snarky rejection letter.
Can we somehow turn this into a paid service for dejected writers? Is that too sadistic?
You're not alone! The "three months" or "12 weeks" period that publishers and agents stipulate is coming up soooooon. And no-one's replied :-( *feeling unloved* Tell you what, let's send each other rejection letters. Things that say, "I didn't fall in love with it. I didn't want to marry it"...
Dear Dejected Writer,
Thank you for your submission, whose title I can't remember. I was impressed by your sample chapters. You write with a strong voice, and your characters are lively and realistic. The plot progressed well, and there were some intriguing elements. In fact, your manuscript was perfect in every way, but I just don't think it's a fit for Boffo Books. Because of the small volume of titles we handle, we need to be confident that every title is commercially viable. Yours, while good, isn't the sort of book our readers--divorced men over the age of 45 who enjoy cross dressing, cricket, and vegetarian sushi with avocado--would buy. Remember that this is just one opinion, and you may have success with other publishers. Good luck with your manuscript.
Kind regards,
Mona Carbondale
Underpaid Intern
Thank you for your submission, whose title I can't remember. I was impressed by your sample chapters. You write with a strong voice, and your characters are lively and realistic. The plot progressed well, and there were some intriguing elements. In fact, your manuscript was perfect in every way, but I just don't think it's a fit for Boffo Books. Because of the small volume of titles we handle, we need to be confident that every title is commercially viable. Yours, while good, isn't the sort of book our readers--divorced men over the age of 45 who enjoy cross dressing, cricket, and vegetarian sushi with avocado--would buy. Remember that this is just one opinion, and you may have success with other publishers. Good luck with your manuscript.
Kind regards,
Mona Carbondale
Underpaid Intern
I do hope that you are taking the publishing industry seriously!
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