Last week’s trend continues. Several days of great writing, but several days of no writing as well. It didn’t even out. Hopefully I can do better after this semester hits week five… that’s when the first break is, and by then I should have the wrinkles ironed out.

I got my first real rejection today. I say “real” because a decade or more ago I sent a manuscript off, but I didn’t follow the right guidelines. It also wasn’t really ready for market, and is now in the back of the drawer.

I had planned and expected to receive many rejections along the path to publication. I even planned to make some kind of inspirational collage out of all the rejections I received. After all, don’t most successful authors get rejected dozens or hundreds of times before they find the right publisher? I think I was getting a little spoiled in that three anthologies (Precipice and Felt Tips are out, the third is Urban Fantasy and will come out later this year) did accept my stories. I also thought my story was great, though, of course, if you’re submitting something anywhere you had better think it’s great! If you know it sucks, no one else will want it either.

This stings. I thought I’d prepared myself for rejection, but it still hurts. I feel like a giant bubble has popped.

Today, I can wallow. But tomorrow, this is behind me, and I return to writing.

More feast than famine this time.