Photo: constant-content.com

BEING A WRITER

We writers are creative folks and we're proud of the stories we've written. But when we receive a rejection, it can feel personal—almost to the point of making us wonder if we should change how we write in order to be accepted.  

This year I've faced a lot of rejections.  At times, I feel like giving up writing.  Maybe you've felt the same way.  

Despite the rejections however, I try to stay positive by writing new pieces, submitting to new agents, studying the market, and by attending webinars to learn more about the publishing business.  Occasionally, I run across inspirational articles.

On that note, I'd like to introduce you to an amazing article "Creativity as an Act of Defiance" by Grant Faulkner.  This piece is empowering, especially if you've faced rejection and are having doubts about your writing.  Below is an excerpt and a link for the entire piece.  May it encourage you and keep you on the writing path.

According to Grant Faulkner: 

"The underlying purpose of deciding to write is to bring forth this mysterious and sacred gift within ourselves, to touch, revere, and express the truth of the way we see this crazy world.  

"Then we have to go even one step further. Being a writer carries with it its own assortment of masks. (What genre do you write in? Who are your favorite authors? Do you have an MFA?) We have to ask ourselves who we are as writers— what rules do we want to follow, and what rules do we want to break?

"If you put your story in a cage of others’ rules, your imagination will always reside behind bars. 

"Therefore, in order to feel the full strength of our creativity, I believe at some point we have to be defiant—defiantly ourselves, you might say. We have to declare, “I am a writer”—say it proudly and loudly, say it with grandiosity and verve, I AM A WRITER—and accept the circumstances of living in whatever Outsiderdom befalls us. 

"In fact, I think rebelling against the rules is actually an act of love and reverence for your voice. Pushing up against the supposed gatekeepers of taste can strengthen resolve.  A writer needs to create with an outlaw sheen to boldly escape the snares of others’ expectations."

I hope you'll look into reading the entire piece.  Most writers face rejection and have doubts about their writing.  Faulkner definitely has a way with words and his article may make you more confidence about your writing. 

✌ and ♥

For the entire article: Grant Faulkner: Creativity As An Act of Defiance

Grant Faulkner is the co-founder of 100 Word Story, the co-host the Write-minded podcast, and an executive producer on America’s Next Great Author.

Spring Fling 2025

2025 Spring Fling Writing Contest - Honorable Mention

La Danse du Printemps – The Springtime Dance   

 

One spring day in a forest in France, Giselle laid flowers where she and Mama once 

danced. Mama used to pirouette around the lilac trees. Giselle smudged away 

tears, thinking of her mother's ballet:  

                                                               those leaping jetés,

                                                the quick-stepped piqués,

                                                                       the tippytoe pas de bourrées.

  

“Mama, I miss you and La Danse du Printemps.”

 Gisele felt loneliness as sharp as a thorn.  

 A breeze dried her tears. It tousled her hair. It tickled the brim of her hat.

Then the breeze whispered: Giselle.  

 “Mama?”

“Oui, ma chèrie. Yes, my dear.”

“I am sad without you.”

“Je suis toujours avec toi. I am always with you.”

“But I feel lost.”

 

Leaves unfurled and rustled. Treetops flowered. Lavender blooms perfumed the air.

Mama’s voice sailed through the breeze and Giselle rose to her feet. 

                                                             Jeté.

                                                                          Piqué.

                                      Pas de bourrée.

 

Giselle felt as light as a petal, pirouetting a lilac ballet.

                                                                                                                                          Photo by Nick Wignall

CONQUERING WRITER'S DOUBT 

I'm part of a fabulous critique group.  We call ourselves Friday Minds and we meet on Zoom once a month to discuss our manuscripts.  Over the past two years, Friday Minds has become a close-knit group that genuinely cares for one another.  We can count on each other for honest critiques.  

We are however, free to seek others for support and critiques.  That said, I connected with a writer on Twitter who helped me work on tweets for a picture book pitch session.  She helped me make my pitches stronger.  Seeing that she offered critique services and wanting to repay her for her time and efforts, I decided to pay her for a mini-critique of several picture books.  

The pieces I had chosen had already been reviewed by Friday Minds, and then revised and polished.  In fact, some of them were being queried.  I was curious to get another opinion and expected to hear good things about them. BUT... 

I was surprised and disappointed that she noted they were too heavy on lyrical language and not strong enough on plot. 

I WAS CRUSHED. I love writing lyrical picture books—a good number of agents have even complimented my style.  But her feedback had me reeling.  Feeling incredibly low.  Though I had been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, in The Christian Science Monitor and Highlights and had received awards from Writer's Digest, I began doubting my work.   

I couldn't return to my writing.  And I've been writing every day for over 20 years!  

I turned to the prolific Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon and many other masterpieces.  We're friends on Facebook, but I wasn't sure she'd respond to a question.  Still, it was worth a try.  I sent her a message wanting to know how she felt about less than positive critiques.  And she wrote back!  Jane said, "I am in a critique group.  I always listen, often take notes on what was said and solve it their way or my way.  But just as often, I decide I prefer it my way."  

Her note made me feel better.  Two days later, my critique group met online.  When I shared my experience with the group, one of them said:  "That is ONE PERSON’S opinion. Your work has received so many “thumbs up” — not just from us, your CPs, but from the contests and other readers, etc. Take a deep breath. Try to look at the comments as objectively as possible.  Are there examples in your drafts where she had a point?  Are there examples in your drafts where she’s wrong?  Any work you potentially may still do on any of them is completely up to you.  An agent told me (in a workshop earlier this year), don’t make changes until your MS has been passed on/rejected at least half a dozen times."  

Another critique partner knew the critic and pointed out that she had not been published nor was she represented by an agent.  This got me questioning the critic's expertise.  

As I sorted out my feelings on the less than glowing critiques, a sad memory popped up. When I was nineteen-years-old, I was interviewed by three professors to determine my eligibility for the prestigious Medical Technology program at the University of Kentucky. Only 25 students would be selected.  After the fifteen-minute session had ended, the professor accidently left her comments on the desk, and...I took advantage to read them.  She had written that I was aloof.  Seeing that word made me freeze.  Aloof?  That was so not me.  Yet, that's how she saw me in the short time we had spoken. She never took into consideration that I was young and scared.  Luckily, the two other professors were warmer and easier to chat with and long story short, I was admitted into the program.  Nonetheless, that one opinion troubled me for a very long time.      

It took me years to figure out that some people's assessments may be way off and totally incorrect.   

After listening to Friday Minds and feeling more encouraged after reading Jane Yolen's advise, I decided to edit a few lines of my stories, but only the parts that I thought actually needed some attention.  Gradually, I regained my confidence to return to writing, every day, like I always had.  

I learned a lot from this situation.  In the future I will check credentials to see if a critic is qualified to give thoughtful reviews.  I will be weigh the remarks carefully and trust my heart on how to revise.  I won't let a negative critique ruin my day.  Should self-doubt raise its ugly head, I only have to remember what my critique partners have said and what agents have told me about my work.  I only have to remember it comes down to believing, believing in my writing and trusting the gut feeling that tells me: YOU have created something wonderful.  

And nobody can tell me otherwise.  

✌ and ♥