Writing

[den]

Should writers take rejection slips personally? Should editors take writer's comments personally?

I've practically given up writing. I still pop out the occasional story but I don't have time to spend on serious writing. Everything I write now, and have written in the last 2 years, has been either academic papers or silly bloody journal entries.

The Novel is on hold. It's a complete story but still needs finishing. There are other stories in my head.

-A fleet of alien ships are wondering what to do
-an anthropomorphic flying fox is tired of having a broken arm
-Mavrik wants all his short stories "joined together."

It would be nice if writing was fun again.

Comments

Writer's Block

[ursuscal.livejournal.com]

I know exactly what you mean.

As for taking editor's comments seriously, I do so only if they are constructive ("I suggest you expand the first section to give more depth to the character.") If it's just opinion ("I didn't like it") it's simply subjective, and is rather unprofessional of an editor to say.

28+ years as a technical writer has given me a rather tough skin when it comes to editorial comments, especially when the typical technical manual is "gang-reviewed" (where 10 or more Chimpanzees -- and marketing monkeys -- take turns giving useless critique). I always chuckle when the first lot makes edits, only to have the second lot undo them. The end result is that the manual stays exactly the bloody way I had it to begin with -- only 8 weeks later. When I get outright pinheaded reviews, like some wannabee journalist who gets irate because I have "too much passive voice," though, I come unglued. I recently reprinted a guide from a prestigious University discussing active versus passive voice, and the first thing it said was: "It's a matter of personal choice. Neither is more correct than the other." I left it on the idiot editor's chair along with a "Have a nice day" note.

I, too, am suffering from writer's block right now. I've been trying to get a grip on my book "Seamy Sacramento: Historical Scandals in the Golden State's Capitol." One imbecile actually had the gall to tell me that it should be "Capital" and not "Capitol," because the State Highway Department consistently misspells the name on the "Capital City Expressway" signs. Sigh. That's actually one short chapter in my book.

I know that if I could simply have a few months to be left alone with Wabbit and my PC, I could get most of the damned thing done. I have already taken most of the photos for it. But, no, the drivel I deal with everyday here at "work" leaves me too tired to work on it when I get home...

[hafoc.livejournal.com]

It's a pity. I like Mavrik. But if you're like me, if you start to feel you have a duty to write, you'll just make the situation worse. There's only so much you can force yourself to do before the well runs dry. It is not reasonable to expect yourself to devote the time and effort to writing you'd devote to a full-time job, when it ISN'T your full-time job.

As for whether writers should take rejection letters personally, I'd say no. But being human, we will, and sometimes we'll have to rant about it to stay sane. I just hope we can return to even keel as quickly as possible.

As for whether editors should take it perosnally when writers rant, I'd say no again, but again, being human, they will. I just wish they'd have some mercy and tolerance toward us, recognizing that in this relationship they have far more power over us than is good for us-- or for themselves.

[haggis-bagpipes.livejournal.com]

I write a fair bit...Nojak the Rogue is my true tour de force, it's like 11,000 words, or 17 pages of A4 and still nothing like finished yet. And it's so filled with amusing moments that I still read over it and get amused...and I wrote it several years ago.
And yet I can't help but feel that it would be rejected by an editor if I sent it in.
But then again, I didn't write it for the editor to like it, I wrote it because it was fun. And so should everyone.
The true writer is too busy writing to worry about whether or not he'll get published or not...

[bookofnights.livejournal.com]

I enjoy your writing, so I too hope that you start enjoying writing again :)

[copperwolf.livejournal.com]

I understand not feeling like writing; I have a few characters bumming around in my mind and not much motivation to put them into words. I just wanted to say that I very much enjoyed the Mavrik stories.

[oceansedge.livejournal.com]

I meant to respond to this last night, but I was tired and groggy... saved me a lot of trouble, most people have reitterated the points I was going to make.

Writing shouldn't be a chore, however.... making time for it, is part of taking care of ourselves. We write because we must write, it's part of who we are, part of our souls.... So there is sometimes the conflict that making time for ourselves is somehow selfish, and we feel guilty about making time for it. But, to not make time for it, can leave the soul dissatified and unhappy and frustrated.

I think pretty much every writer WANTS to be published, wants to share the story, but that's not why we write, again, we write because we need it, as much as we need to breathe. To quote Stephen King, "I've never written anything, be it good or bad, for the money. I've never returned a cheque uncashed either. I may be nuts, but I'm not CRAZY. Still I've never written anything for the money."

In my experience, a good editor, does make me a better writer. I've been blessed to have a couple I really LIKED working with.... with whom 'polishing' the story was a joint effort, we treated each other with respect. I know it's tempting in frustration for writers to think editors are out to get them, and take it personally. It's hard not to, the creative process is such a deeply personal and often nakifying one.. that we can take it badly when someone criticises. Still its not meant personally, sometimes ya just have to take a step back, swallow the indignation, and take a good look at what is said, and then judge the value of the comments for ourselves, whether it's something we can learn from or not. Take the rest and throw it out with the dross, it's only one person's opinion.