The Dreaded Letter
We’ve all experienced it, receiving the dreaded rejection letter. Writers don’t like them, but in this field it is as inevitable as a breakfast cook receiving an order for pancakes. You put all your creative energy, time and effort into crafting the words just right. You spend hours formatting, proofreading and researching. When you feel the work has met the guidelines specified, all the errors are checked and you’re confident this piece will meet an acceptance you submit it to the respective editor. Then, after waiting what feels like an eternity, the white envelope finally lands in your mailbox sporting the address information you carefully inserted on your SASE. Upon opening it, the first words you see are, “We’re sorry, but we’re unable to use your material at this time . . .” Yes, after all that, a rejection letter.
Rejection as Art
The first time I heard the phrase, “the art of rejection,” I thought the person uttering those words wasn’t thinking clearly. How could something as depressing as rejection have anything to do with art? Art is something of beauty, something of creativity, something that is enjoyed by the masses. How does rejection fit into that category? Then I thought about it for moment. Yes, it is possible to put a spin on rejection and turn it into an art form. Why does rejection have to be a negative thing? Why not turn something that makes us feel down and turn it into something useful and positive?
The Writer's Block Project
About three years ago, I was given a challenge by a colleague of mine. She had started collecting rejection slips, but didn’t know what to do with them after receiving so many from all over the world. She thought about calling it a “fish tank project” and putting all the slips on display in there. No matter how much she tossed this idea in her mind, she couldn’t make it come to fruition. So, she passed it on to me. The idea intrigued me. I thought, if I could get enough rejections, I could display them in art museums (or anywhere else willing to display this) far and wide. And so dawned the day of The Writer’s Block Project. I decided to call it The Writer’s Block Project because my goal is to fill plexiglass or acrylic cubes with rejection slips. Some will be on display in a manner which they can be read, while others will be amassed in a huge pile.
A New Art Appreciation
This project has come to be very near and dear to me as I discover just how many other writers out there can relate to this inevitability. Since the beginning, the project has transformed in many different ways. What started out to be a small “fish tank project” has grown into something that can be appreciated by more than a few individuals. Would you like the opportunity to participate in this experience and donate your rejection slips? Find out more about this project by visiting http://www.geocities.com/poemwriter1
Those Were the Days
Not only does this project help writers feel more positive about what they’re experiencing, but it also helps them surge on in a continuing effort to keep writing and submitting their works. I think what has been most interesting about this project to date is how many “form letters” go out to writers in response to their work. Gone are the days of taking the time to address each individual writer and point out specific reasons why their work didn’t make the grade. Gone are the days of red-pen editing and returning work to these prospective writers.
Why? There simply isn’t enough time! The amount of submissions the average editor receives for review is much greater than the days of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Isn’t it interesting how much things change, even in the world of the freelance writer?
Copyrignt 2003 Jenn Hollowell