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Frame This One: Rejection Letters

Frame This One: Rejection Letters

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“Did you keep your very first rejection letter?”

That’s an awkward question. My answer usually begins with the caveat: “Okay, please keep in mind, I was only 13 at the time …”

(Spoiler alert: No, I didn’t.)

I vaguely recall wandering around the schoolyard at recess, feeling sorry for myself and lamenting the untimely demise of an otherwise promising writing career. (Ah, the self-centered melodrama of the adolescent mind.)

Fast-forward to 2020: A fresh rejection letter arrives, and really makes my day.

A statement like that deserves some explanation.

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Write/Query/Pitch: Setting Goals for 2020

Write/Query/Pitch: Setting Goals for 2020

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When it comes to writing, I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions. Most resolutions in my world have more to do with becoming a better humanoid.

If—on the other hand—the topic is “setting writing goals for a new year,” count me in.

Creative writing goals range between a no-brainer (Write. Edit. Revise. Repeat.) and the steely-eyed demands of setting Measurable Productivity Goals.

My learning curve on queries and pitching “live” over the past couple of years has been informative. I’m still scratching the surface—probably more than I realize—but what I’ve learned will impact my goals for 2020. More on that later.

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