Inspiration | Reflection
Aiming for Rejection in 2022
In response to Coffee Challenge: Why I want to be a better me in 2022
“When you give yourself permission to communicate what matters to you in every situation you will have peace despite rejection or disapproval. Putting a voice to your soul helps you to let go of the negative energy of fear and regret.” ― Shannon L. Alder
The Aim
My aim for 2022 is to run away from my comfort zone like it’s a building on fire. Where am I running? To the land of rejection, where I will settle in 2022.
Why rejection?
My focus in the upcoming year is to submit my writing to literary magazines and journals. One outcome of submitting your work is rejection. If I make a goal of 50 rejections, for example, that means I’m living outside my comfort zone, which could mean my work is rejected or accepted.
Submitting my work=possible rejection or possible acceptance.
Not submitting my work=dead end. No possibilities.
Letting fear take hold means rejection of it all. Remaining safe and comfortable. No worries. But it leads to a dead-end to my dreams of being traditionally published.
The Reason
I’m tired of playing it safe because of the endless “what-ifs” running throughout my head, fueled by insecurity.
At the beginning of 2021, I started submitting my fiction work around the literary world. I received a handful of rejections right away. I stopped submitting, thinking my work isn’t good enough yet. And yes, maybe that is true. But I froze myself in the zone of safety and comfort, afraid of feeling that rejection sting again.
Then one day I received an acceptance from a publication I forgot I submitted to. It was for one of my flash fiction pieces which they published on their website later that day.
Acceptance feels much better than rejection.
But remember, when you exit your safe space to put yourself out there, rejection doesn’t mean it is against you as a person. Feedback, criticism, corrections do not mean to stop altogether. It means to regroup and try again.
Earlier this year, I began reading submissions for a literary magazine with the goal of understanding the process better. As a slush pile reader, I dish out many more rejections than acceptances.
Yes, many stories are not quite ready. They may need one more round of editing to fine-tune the story. Or it’s not the right fit for the magazine. But it’s never about the abilities of the writer because any piece of work can be strengthened with a dash of time and distance from the project.
At the end of next year, I’ll be graduating with my MFA in creative writing with a publishable manuscript saved on my hard drive. The next step will be to query literary agents. Rejection will be a part of this process. And thus the need to prepare for the land of rejection.
The Resolution
I need to make rejection my comfort zone in 2022 to make my writing dreams come true.
My writing goal in 2022 is to collect 50 rejections from literary magazines and journals. I will focus on writing flash fiction, short stories, and creative nonfiction.
As we slip past Christmas heading towards the new year, I will research literary databases on all the places I want to submit and create a spreadsheet to track my submissions to stay accountable.
By wording my goal as “collecting rejections”, I’m removing the sting and negativity that comes with the word. The focus of this goal is to put my work out there with the possibility of acceptance or rejection. I can’t achieve either without the act of submitting my stories.
I’ve learned over this past year, if you reject yourself before anyone else can, you will never grow. You will remain stagnant, which stings even more than rejection.
The Vision
Take this time to envision how you want next year to go, professionally and personally. Write the steps you must take to achieve that vision. Listen to how you speak to yourself.
Are you your biggest critic or biggest supporter?
Speak to yourself the way you would speak to your child or best friend and see how a simple change in mindset can change your path.
My path to rejection may place me on a whole new journey I can’t even imagine.
And that is my hope for this new year, that we all aim for something bigger than our dreams.
The Inspiration
I wrote this article in response to Winston’s writing challenge. Why not put your fear aside to write your response to the question, what is your new year's resolution for 2022?
and a huge thank you to Trista Signe Ainsworth for creating Thank You Notes as a home to spread your writing wings. Have you read her latest Thank You Note?
✍ Written by Ellie Jacobson, @2021 all rights reserved.
✨ I’m a freelance writer and editor from Minnesota, writing my first novel, a psychological suspense novel. Are you a writer? Check out Sparks, my newsletter filled with writing prompts to spark your creativity.
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