In a time where things feel as bleak as ever, it's important to find the good news where you can find it. Being grateful for what I have and for the positives in my life is an important part of my day-to-day way of being. I can't say I'm always really good at it, but I do try. Recently I had a strange new positive way of looking at a situation that would have deeply bothered me before.
It started with getting a not-so-great feedback on a story. I am deep into the revision process at this point, so instead of ruminating about it for long, I just accepted their feelings and moved on. Honestly, I knew that it was entirely possible they just didn't like it. That it had less to do with my writing but more with it not being the kind of story they enjoy. And I was okay with that. My stories aren't going to be liked by everyone. At the same time, I'll try to take what I can from their advice and apply it.
This felt like a major step forward for me. I can't always expect to roll with the punches that smoothly all the time but to do that even once was remarkable.
A few days later, I received a rejection letter for another story of mine. Well, this kind of rejection was one I was pleased about. I was a quarter-finalist in Ruminate Magazine's 2022 Fiction Contest. So while my story was rejected, even to get that far is pretty cool. It also left me with a feeling that likely that particular story may just see publication soon.
Looking for the positives isn't always that easy. Even in the midst of these moments, it would have been easy to feel really negative about both moments. The funny thing is at the moment I'm working on an article that talks about dealing with bad days. One of the tips I've discovered is shifting your perspective. As hard as it is, sometimes that shift can lift the weight of a potentially bad moment and give you a positive view of things. It's not always possible for me but I'm working on it.
What's your good news lately? If the good news isn't easy to find lately, how do you shift your perspective when faced with a bad moment?
Nicole: congratulations on being a quarter finalist in Ruminate's Fiction Contest! That's fantastic news, and a great boost. I know their contests are extremely competitive. I would take it as a sign and get that piece back out there as quickly as possible. :)
ReplyDeleteI'd given up on an essay that had been rejected 4-5 times after finding out from contest readers that the piece read like fiction. Then a couple days ago, I found out the piece was accepted by a prestigious publication AS IS. I'd submitted it in Oct '21! I thought they forgot to take my submission off of "in-progress" on my Submittable queue. That goes to show you that each publication's tastes are different, and just because your work was rejected a bunch of times doesn't necessarily mean that you need to revise it. It might just be a matter of finding the right home. I learned not to give up in my work and believe in it a little more. :)
Angela,
ReplyDeleteHa! I knew someone would love that piece.
Nicole,
Just plugging away at rewrites over here so I'm taking my joy from Angela's great news. No, wait. Two of my covers are up on Amazon. It always feels real once that cover is there.
@Angela - I took it as a sign too! I feel really good about resubmitting. And congrats on your piece!! I tend to write off the "in progress" ones too if it goes on to long so now you gave me renewed hope :)
ReplyDelete@Sue - Covers being up feel so legit! That's definitely good news.