Rejection

It turns out that writing the novel was the easy part. Even the gut-wrenching critiques, the countless revisions and rewrites – easy.

Writing a query letter, compiling a list of potential agents – not so hard.

Hitting the SEND button to launch my precious idea into the inboxes of those agents – borderline traumatic.

Receiving a request for a full manuscript? Exhilarating!

Waiting for a response: excruciating.

But the absolute worst part comes at the end of the rollercoaster ride – you know the part where it feels like the bottom drops out and then you come plummeting back to earth? That’s rejection. Make that Rejection, with a capital R.

I've been here before, but it's still a shock to hit the ground so hard.

This afternoon, I received a note from one of the agents who was considering my manuscript. She said she was “passing.” Funny: with that one word, it felt like my novel died a little death.

So I thought I’d briefly mourn the loss of that hopeful prospect by sharing a moment of silence with all of the other aspiring authors out there whose stomachs are in a constant state of upheaval.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a rollercoaster to catch...the next one might just be the thrill ride I’ve been hoping for.