Scathing is not a complete sentence.

[wednes]

I got a rejection of my newest short story today. It was pretty harsh. I suppose I should be glad that someone took the time to read it and offer insightful commentary; but a lot of it really stung. A few things strike me as preferences rather than absolutes, but I don't know. Does everything really have to be a complete sentence? I hope not. Can a room smell like stale sorrow? I daresay it can.

Anyway, such things shake my confidence to the core and I didn't end up working on my new novel at all tonight. I made hats for the girls in Group instead. I made one girl a hat 2 weeks ago and now everybody wants one. Happily, I have all night tomorrow to work on my new scary story.

The story in question is up, unlocked at wednes_writes. Maybe some of you can tell me if its got a weak opening and closing. I'm not saying it's flawless, but goddamn; I don't think it was worthy of a mighty blasting and not one nice comment.

Wait, do editors or potential publishers bother saying nice things about rejected stories? Maybe that was overly optimistic of me.

So yeah, if anybody needs a hat they should let me know. ;-]

Comments

[gifgal.livejournal.com]

id like to see a pic of these hats you make! id buy a pink one if its cute :)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/loom_knitters/36782.html#cutid1

[itches]

'Wait, do editors or potential publishers bother saying nice things about rejected stories?'

They say bad things. If they take the time to actually tell you why your story sucks so much it gave them cancer, then it's a good sign and means the story stood out from the crowd. Most people just get a reply saying "Fuck off and Die".

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That's how it was for the novel. But I don't know much about the short story market. What you suggest sounds very reasonable to me. Thanks.

[trav28.livejournal.com]

Sometimes crit can help but others it can pull the ground out from under your feet. I've had a few instances that have made me want to hang up my camera but sometimes it can make me all the more determined to carry on. I hope you stick it to the man and keep going, kiddo :)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I plan to.
It's just so demoralizing and came at a time when I was already feeling kinda low.

BTW, your work is awesome. I can't imagine someone badmouthing it. *shakes fist*

[leemoyer.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the sting-y feeling and I hope the feeling passes quickly. It sounds like you are being admonished for ticks that pros get away with all the time.

My humble suggestion is that you stick ruthlessly to the "rules" of full sentences, and use less figurative language. If Demosthenes could learn to talk with rocks in his mouth, I strongly suspect you can live within "the rules" long enough to fool those that insist on them. And besides, you might learn more about writing within those confines than without them. After all, the Hays Code forced Hitchcock and others to obey ~ and transcend ~ the rules.

Sometimes editors will say something nice, but usually only on longer acquaitance. That they said anything at all is actually a compliment (no matter how annoying/saddening and hateful).

Keep it up.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That's sage advice. It won't kill me to write in complete sentences (except for dialogue...people just don't talk that way).

[leemoyer.livejournal.com]

Go go go!

[maxverbosity.livejournal.com]

I have had a few editors try tact in my career as a writer - most who don't care for my stuff have let me know in frightening detail.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

LOL

I suppose that is likely to be the norm.

You're compiling a new book now, yes?

[maxverbosity.livejournal.com]

Yeah, though work has slowed thanks to the big chunk of overtime they are letting me work right now. That money feeds the family, so it comes first. Hehe. The writing will follow, hopefully.

[groovesinorbit]

Well, the room smelling like stale sorrow was another part I liked. This might, actually, be my favorite thing you've written (I didn't read Sadie). A little bit of editing, and it's going to be killer.

Rah, rah wednes!!

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Didn't read Sadie?!?

So it'll be fresh when you buy it!
Coooooool.

;-]

[groovesinorbit]

*grin* Indeed.

[fyreangel.livejournal.com]

Seemingly you're getting much better with the crochet thing! ;) I'm assuming you're reading patterns ok? If so, you should pick up a copy of Stich N Bitch - The Happy Hooker. Really cool book, very cool crochet patterns. It's all geared towards people UNDER 70 ;)

[wednes.livejournal.com]

ACtually, I'm still knitting with the looms. I can follow patterns okay, and have been meaning to try to make slippers. Everyone keeps asking for hats though, and since I can make one in about 2 hours now, I've been making a zillion. ;-]

I found a scrap of that purple yarn you sent me long ago. It totally made me smile.

[spiralwitch.livejournal.com]

i'm sorry about the crap-bashing about your story. it sounds as if it were overly harsh and unwarrented. :(

but i like your hats. you make them all on the loom?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I do indeed. Looming is really simple, even for the yarn-challenged such as myself.

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

The "rules" of writing say that every sentence must be a complete one. The rules also say not to start a sentence with conjuctions, such as "but" or "and". Writers do it all the time, to great effect. And only a pedantic dork would say that a room can't smell like stale sorrow; personally, I think that's beautiful imagery. I'm *guessing* you got a fairly young/new editor just out of I Read The Stylebook School, or perhaps someone who is really not suited to reading for a fiction writing base. I learned the rules in junior high and high school, and by the end of high school and college we were studying how to break the same rules on purpose.

Besides, that's what an actual editor is FOR. ;-)

Want depression? Go pick up any Piers Anthony book and read for grammatical errors and crappily-constructed sentences, and even spelling errors. AUGH. And yet he churns out books regularly. Sigh.

Hang in there. At least the editor took the time to *be* scathing instead of reading the first two pages and throwing it on the slush pile.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

See, that's exactly how I felt about it. I didn't want to come off all high and mighty when I'm just getting started in the business. Some of her criticisms seemed reasonable, and some were just lame.

I'm on the fence about the "take out every possible word" rule as well. I just think it depends. Luckily my novel publisher has no such bug up his ass.

Oh, Strunk and White, you do thwart me so!

[lirrin.livejournal.com]

I am a believer in the "take out every possible word" in my own writing. The more flowery I get, the crappier my writing gets. I'm just not cut out for it. Plus, prone to running off at the mouth. (See? Not complete sentence, but you knew what I meant, I'm sure. Totally.) As for someone else's writing, if I read it and am not going "AAAA! AAAA! Too many adjectives!!" then it's all good for me. Rules schmools.

[squamous.livejournal.com]

Rejection letters can suck, I am psyched for you that you are sending things out to even get a reading. Think how many don't. Think how many don't even finish a story. My consolation on the letter would be, it's not like the person reading it knows everything. You're getting an opinion, hopefully but not necessarily from a professional. Take from it what you can for sure, maybe go back and reread and ponder some time from now, see what you agree with and what you don't. But keep writing.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's the plan!

[thehula.livejournal.com]

I love you.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Best. Comment. Ever.

[taryneve.livejournal.com]

Just try another market for the story. Someone else might like your style more.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

That's the plan!