 Contrary to what our feelings tell us, rejection is a valuable gift.
I know it doesn’t feel like it when you are in the thick of it. If you can step back and look at the rejection from the outside, you will realize you've been given something both necessary and actionable. Here are three tips for transforming your rejections into golden opportunities both in your writing and your life. 1. Focus on the Positives The silver linings are there if you will look for them. This goes against our nature. We would wallow in the misery of the moment, maybe even look for a dose of sympathy, rather than put on our big kid pants and find that positive message. I know the gut-wrenching feeling of putting my hopes in a submission and having it dashed with a three or four line form response. But look for positive. Not always, not even mostly, but sometimes within the rejection, you will find that glimmer. Here’s one I received. “While I enjoyed some parts, it didn't hook me as much as I wanted it to. I am going to have to pass.” I could moan and take it personally. But even though they rejected me, I was paid a compliment. They enjoyed some parts. That means I got some of it right. I’m not a total failure! At the very least, I'm doing something to which people are paying attention. That's positive and that gives me hope. 2. Learn from the Negatives We take rejection personally. It’s hard not to do, but there is a better way. Take the rejection instructively. I once had an agent write back and tell me this. “While your story work is certainly exciting and your narrative is compelling, the characters get lost and do not stand out within it.” Thank you! I just learned something about myself and my writing. I now have something to work on. That leads us to… 3. Channel Both Positives and Negatives into Forward Action So what do you do when you are rejected? You take what you’ve learned and apply it. As in the example above, you take another look at your writing and figure out a way to make the characters stand out. The next manuscript you work on you will put extra effort into your weak areas. In other words, you'll GROW! Next time you face rejection, take these three tips and see what exciting things come out of it! Something to add? Continue the conversation below! Sign up for my newsletter here.
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 Okay, so the title is dramatic, but absolutely true. This one concept may forever change the way you describe your settings. I was about halfway through my last manuscript when I realized this important concept. (Are you ready for this mind-blowing revelation?)
When you portray your setting, include one sentence describing what the location smells like! I know, so embarrassingly simple. But here's the craziest part, it works. Once I figured this out, I went back through my novel and sprinkled smells, odors, aromas, etc. throughout the work. We as writers often jump through hoops describing the shapes, the colors, and the temperature ad nauseam. Often we neglect this wonderful chance to deepen our scene. WHY DOES IT WORK? The answer is simple. Adding a description of a smell is shorthand for a much broader experience. Here's an example. "The shed smelled of cut grass and gasoline." Your mind automatically fills in the gaps and assumes this is some sort of garden shed and probably has a lawnmower as well as other lawn manicure tools without ever expressly stating it. Just think back to when you've smelled the faintest trace of an aroma, maybe a perfume or a favorite meal, and it took you back to another time and place. A closing thought. This is one thing that I wouldn't overdo. One sentence per scene, not more. Give the reader a whiff of the locale, and then move onto other descriptions. Next time you're building that setting, use this easy trick to take the reader deeper into your world. Something to add? Continue the conversation below! Sign up for my newsletter here.  In my last blog post, I outlined several reasons why a writer may struggle with writer's block. Now I want you to shift your focus and offer some constructive suggestions for unlocking writers block and creating your best work yet. Here are seven tips for going from stuck to full speed ahead! 1. Get Rested and Healthy There is no negotiation on this one. Never underestimate the effect your physical health has on your mental ability to create. Think of rest as the fuel that propels your creative engine. When your body and mind are functioning smoothly, your writing will reflect it. 2. Let Go of Some Activities We say we don't have time, but the truth is we've scheduled too many things into our lives. The first thing I would recommend you look at is your TV watching schedule. That is the easiest place to claim more time for the time bank. For you, it may be something entirely different. Whatever it is, pare it back so you have more time to focus on your writing (or like mentioned above, resting). 3. Revisit Your Outline Sometimes you need to take a step back, read through your outline, and look through your characters. Look at the forest, not just the trees. When you do this, you may realize that your writer's block is a warning sign that you're going in the wrong direction. You may need to deepen your characters or invest additional time in your story structure, not just hitting daily word counts. 4. Meet New People At the heart of every story is people. If your story is blocked, you may need to broaden your understanding of people. The best thing you can do is get to know interesting people. Talk to them, hear their stories, and hang on to each detail. They will give you a well of knowledge from which to draw. 5. Do New Things Recently, I visited a city I've never been to before and had some great experiences. I drove an ATV (quad) for the first time, wrecked it in a stream, watched a comedy from the early nineties, and got caught in my vehicle at a red-light dancing "The Robot." I have a deeper appreciation of life than before I went on my vacation. You don't necessarily need to travel, but wherever you are, be expanding your horizons by doing new things. 6. Keep Writing When you are struggling with writer's block, the last thing you want to do is write. But that's exactly what I'm suggesting. Writing anything. Write recipes for a cookbook. Write poems that don't make any sense. Write short stories in a genre you despise. Even if you have to crack open somebody else's work and copy it down verbatim, write it out. Put one word in front of the next. Don't give up. The writer's block will go away, and you will find yourself pounding the keys again. 7. Consider Collaborating Writing is a solitary affair, but you always have the option of working with somebody else. My nature is to balk at this kind of partnership, but thought-sharing can be invaluable. I just started a collaboration with a friend (not because of writer's block), and I've found it to be a terrific learning experience. Note: be choosy with this option. Only pick somebody that you can work with and trust. Writer's block is a multi-faceted problem and may require a multi-pronged approach. But whatever the cause, once you come out from under that cloud, you may even look back and be thankful for the writer's block. Why? In retrospect, you may find that the dynamite that knocked the log-jam free shaped you into a better writer. Have your own story about writer's block, share below! Sign up for my newsletter here. |
AuthorJonathan Polasek is an Archives
July 2016
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