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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.