My favorite rejection...weird but definitely true.

I finally got my last e-mail reply from my first batch of queries and I have to say it's my favorite rejection. Weird, I know. How can someone have a favorite rejection? Well, my first one was just a flat out no. The last one one I got (before my last last one) was a little nicer saying the usual "Thank you for thinking of us" and "It's a great story but not for us." But this last one really struck a chord with and I realized something has to change.

I actually got constructive criticism from this one agency. I have been waiting forever for them answer and yes, it hurt a little for it to be a rejection but at least since it was a rejection they told me what made them choose what they did and what I should do to make it better.

They told me they think I have something and they were engaged by my plot and my premise but they felt that my writing was chunky and felt unfinished like it was a first draft, which I thought it wasn't. Then they told me I should consider going through it again before submitting it anywhere else because they think I have talent but obviously if the writing isn't fantastic no one will ever glance my way.

You see why I like it? They didn't just tell me no, they explained why it is a no and now I know what I need to work on to make it better. I don't want to have a book published if it's not my best work. I don't want the readers to feel that it is unfinished. I want them to love it. That agency helped me see what was wrong with my work and now I can go back and try to make it better. That rejection was probably a good thing to happen to me even if it was a rejection and I am still without an agent.

So I have decided to go through it again and fix all my common mistakes and try to liven it up and make it feel less chunky. I am also going to make Dawn, the Witch Hunter Trilogy available on inkpop.com, well just a few chapters. I put Princess of the Rebellion on there a while back and I got some tips for that one so maybe I will get the same for Dawn.

Princess of the Rebellion was the first book I wrote and for now I have lost faith in it. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But I needed a break from it and I'm just not ready to go back to it. I will someday because I already have a sequel planned for that one. But like I said, I don't feel like writing it so I'm not going to waste my time because if I don't feel it I know it won't turn out good.

So, I have revamped Dawn. I am starting at the beginning and attempting to make it even better than it was before. I started with the first six chapters and decided to make a new cover. I really hate my first one. The same thing happened for PotR and my second one for that was way better. I definitely feel my new cover for Dawn rocks. It has everything to do with the story, not that anybody would know that because no one has read the story, but I feel it is a perfect fit. A new beginning for this story.

10 Writing Commandments

My 10 Commandments for writing. (I am not saying you should be following this. This is just what I think of when I write.)

1. Thou shall not plagiarize.

Come up with your ideas. Yes, some are going to be like others but they will be able to tell the difference if you are plagiarizing someones work.

2. You should always write straight from the heart.

What comes from your heart is always more interesting then just blah writing. If it comes from the heart we will know and feel it through your words.

3. You should never not write when you are in a 'mood', use that emotion in your writing.

Emotion is the best took you have besides your mind. People feel the emotions of the characters when they are reading. If you are putting your emotions into the text it will be more real then just saying "I am really upset." Instead use how you would be upset. Real emotion works.

4. Writer's Block? Doesn't exist unless you let it.

I have heard many writer's say it exists and the same amount say it doesn't. Personally I believe it's what you make it. Maybe it's writer's block and maybe it's just your head saying "I just don't feel like writing at the moment." If that is the case, stop and do something active and see if you can get right back into it. If not, do some free write. (Free write is where you just type whatever you are thinking about at the moment.)

5. Don't walk away until you are satisfied.

If there is something you want to do, do it. Don't worry about word count, or chapter size. Just do it. If you walk away from something without being completely satisfied that could possibly be how other people will feel. If you aren't happy with it then fix it until you are. Make it the best you can.

6. Come with a new bright idea.

There are a lot of books that get compared to each other. It's the way it is and for writers it sucks when you have created something completely on your own and people continue to accuse you of knocking off of someone else. So try your best to make it your own and create new ideas that you haven't seen

7. Beware of Book Karma.

I don't if you believe in Karma but I do. Do good to other writers and Karma will reward you. Don't steel books off the internet without paying for them, use a library. Don't buy knock off book merchandise. Let the authors get the credit they deserve by going through the official channels to buy stuff.

8. Edit until you cannot edit no more.

As I said in my last post, editing your own work is important. No agent/publisher will even look at your query letter or manuscript if it looks like a jumbled mess that makes no sense. Yes, editors edit your work but it's not just their job to catch typos. If you don't know what they all do then you need to do some more research on this career choice.

9. DO NOT bug authors about how they got published or if they can help you.

Some may answer you when you ask but others will tell you they can't help you. Being an author is a job and they have such hectic schedules that they won't be able to help you (most don't even read unpublished work). If you are serious about being a writer then you should do the research on how to become one yourself. It's how they made it to where they were and it could possibly be what gets you to where you are.

10. Don't let rejections put you down. Throw it away and move on to the next.

It is very rare that someone will get their first response as a yes. Chances are the first one you get back will be a rejection. Don't let it get to you though. It could be a long time before you get someone asking for more and letting each rejection get to you could make you stop what you're doing and give up. Rejection hurts, I know. But if you give up the one that was supposed to be next could have been THE ONE.

What do you think? Am I missing something that you think is important? Let me know, I would love to hear from you.