Writing holds many challenges, but lately I have mostly just
been trying to make things shorter. I wrote a short story that came out over
8,000 words, and then discovered that to enter it for competitions and
collections, it needed to be 5,000 words or under. I whipped out my editorial
scalpel and set to work. I wrote a synopsis of 813 words for my novel to enter
it for a competition, but then found that for another competition, I needed to
shorten it to 300 words. Having just completed that task, ruthlessly chopping
out anything extraneous, I feel editorially invincible. From force of habit, I
am already mentally reducing the contents of this paragraph into something more
concise: I write short things.
To be honest, it is nice to feel I’m skilled at something,
as rejections have been trickling in following my attempt to get some writing
credits to my name – rejections and prolonged, discouraging silences. Sigh.
Moment’s self-pity, followed by self-imposed pep talk – onwards! Improve!
Persevere! Have faith!
Ah well, if all else fails, I could start a business taking
in people’s novels and editing them down into tweets.
Hi Sophie, There's always so much backlog for the things I have to read - hence I've only just read this post - that I think being able to write concisely must be underrated! I'm sorry to hear you've been getting rejections, but I'm glad to hear you have found the courage to send it out there. Keep going and the right ears and eyes will find you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn. Yes some rejections but more great echoing silences. You have to take a moment to feel the soul-destroying self-doubt, then pick yourself up and keep going!
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