Rejection: My First Big Cry

I'm not an emotional person, nor am I particularly sensitive. When I got my first rejection, I shrugged and thought, "Oh well, on to the next one." It was the same with my second, third, and fourth. I started to think I was a little too calm. Couldn't figure out why I had such a good attitude about someone telling me in a form letter they weren't interested in a year's worth of work.

One day I was folding the laundry, and got rejection number five. Again, I shrugged my shoulders and went back to my laundry. As I started folding my pants, my eyes started to water, and my nose stung. Next thing I know, I was bawling my eyes out. I mean flat out wailing. Poor Hubby didn't know what to do. He'd never seen me act that way before. It took an hour before I stopped crying and went into self pitying mode. Now one of the things I dislike most is people who throw pity parties. I had a blow out extravaganza.

The next day, things were back to normal. I couldn't believe the way I had behaved. I still get rejections, but I have never felt the way I did that day again. I'm back to thinking, "Oh well, on to the next one."

Comments

  1. You have such a great attitude, Shawn! But a good cry now and again does wonders to blow out the cobwebs that collect, kieeping all those not-quite-good-enough answers, even the non-writing ones, in our heads.

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  2. Oh gosh, I have been rejected so many many times - perhaps hundreds of times. Yes, it bothers me, but not all that much anymore. A good cry is okay. We like to think we have a thick skin - nah.

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  3. I agree with Kristina. Crying can be constructive. It's not always a bad thing. It releases pent-up stress. =)
    Good Luck. I hope your next cry is one for joy!

    --Kara Ashley Dey

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  4. I feel your pain! We've all been there, done that at one time or another.Sometimes the despair just piles up and it becomes too much. I'm glad to hear you rebounded and are still putting your work out there. It only takes one yes, to make you forget all the no's!
    I'm sure that one yes is coming soon!
    Roz Lee

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  5. You're in good company, Shawn! I'm sure every writer has experienced a total meltdown because of a rejection, at least once in their career. The trick is to keep on going.

    My husband the actor, when he doesn't get cast in something, always tells himself it's their loss, not his. And I have to feel he's got a good thing going. So repeat after me - "It's their loss, not mine...their loss, not mine!"

    Hugs!

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  6. Sigh. Been there, done that too. Some of them just hit harder than others, or it's the accumulation of rejection. My last one, I swear I went through all the stages of grief: crying, self-pity, anger, indifference. Still working on the acceptance part :-) Hang in there!

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  7. There's nothing wrong with an occasional pity party - as long as it is gone by the time the sun comes up the next day!

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  8. Thanks for stopping by everyone. Nice to know I'm not the only one to melt down after a rejection.

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  9. I'm with Julia. No thick skin here! I thought I'd stopped by before, but my comment seems to have...gone somewhere else. I think we all have meltdowns at one time or another, whether we're emotional or not.

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  10. Shawn~
    A cry like that is necesarry, I think, in this biz. It's so personal. It's not like anything else, except maybe the other arts. Keep your chin up.

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