When I look back at how my writing went in 2011, I see I’m going to add my voice to the chorus that says this year really stunk up the joint. Just about the only thing I got better at was gathering rejections, which is actually a good thing, because it led to making my second sale.
First I declared that I wanted to use this year by exploring the funny side of writing. I did a lot of exercises, the results of which I mercifully did not inflict on you. I revived a fairy story I had drafted and set aside with a note to make it more ridiculous. In my writing groups, we did a few more exercises that made us laugh as we read them to each other. I was so encouraged by this, I even posted a few attempts at humor on this blog. If you squint hard enough, you might even detect that I was trying to be funny.
Meanwhile I finished a cosmic little poem and sent that off to be rejected. I also submitted the story about the end of the world that was kicking my ass at the end of 2010. That one took so long to be rejected, I looked at it often to realize that I had sent it out about three-quarters baked. So when it finally came back, I spent a day revising it. Considering my record of tearing stories down to the scaffolding and rebuilding them, that’s pretty amazing. My shortest re-write ever!
But right about halfway through the year of writing humor, my back brain decided it had had enough. It reared up with a sequel to a novel long mired in rewrite, and sent me obsessively down the stone mazes of my favorite world ruled by murderous sorcerers. Just when I thought I had found my way out, another wave came along and pushed me back in. That led to way too much world-building. I mean when you complain three months in a row that you’re spending too much time world-building, it has to stop. Which it has.
As for this blog, it has become more than anything a gardening blog. That’s probably why, as the garden started changing less from day to day, it became harder to keep posting here every day. I’m plotting to do some major overhauls here, starting with the title. First, I need to figure out what I want to do.
So I’m writing a couple of poems while I regroup. They’re short. I can finish them And I’m coming full circle back to my goal of 2010: FINISH MORE STUFF!
Writing scorecard for 2011:
Poem sold: 1
Poem (a different poem) finished: 1
Story re-finished: 1
Rejections received: 19 form, 7 personal, 1 no response, 1 site went under. Total: 28.
Compare that to 2010:
Stories finished: 2
Story sold: 1
Rejections received: 12 form, 9 personal, 1 withdrawal. Total: 22.
Writing Every Day 
This writing gig is hard!! Good on you – maybe more rejections is a sign of more possibilities – getting yourself out there more increases the chance of more successes.
Thanks! Sending things out to be rejected is the last step where I have any control over what happens — or doesn’t.