Today I have fellow TWRP author, Gail MacMillian, sharing about taking acceptance and rejection in stride. Be sure to check out her newest release, Counterfeit Cowboy!
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Hmmm! Words of wisdom that have proven important in
my writing career. Never let either
rejection or acceptance overwhelm you.
Both can be imposters that tend to make both aspiring writers and even
some established ones view their work through a distorted prism. I recall a successful actor commenting on the
fickleness of fame and thought “Yes, but failure can be equally misleading.” Sometimes a story one editor rejects, perhaps
even a tad unkindly, will meet with high praise after another’s reading of the
same piece.
That being said, I
love to write and will continue to write, acceptance or rejection be
damned. It’s what I do, a major portion
of my raison d’etre and there isn’t an editor or critic on earth who can
successfully quell what I call my positive addiction.
I admit I’m
superstitious regarding my work in that I never allow anyone to read it or
criticize it before it’s sent winging off to an editor. I don’t want to risk being shot down by
anyone less than a professional whose opinion I respect. (Furthermore it avoids the egg-on-face
scenario of being asked about the story by friends and family if “the
masterpiece of the century” fails to find a publishing home.)
I’ve written ever
since I learned how to form words into sentences. Although I’ve worked at other jobs over the
years, raised three children, and started university when my youngest entered
school (finished when my eldest got her degree), writing has always been my
career of choice. I haven’t gotten rich
but then I’ve met many interesting people that I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered and found satisfaction in a
way of life I love.
I recommend the
writing life to anyone who can take acceptance and rejection equally within
their stride, who can find satisfaction and contentment in their own company,
and, most importantly, who was borne with that innate, insatiable desire to
WRITE.
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Counterfeit Cowboy
Romance / Western
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
“Nothing but a
counterfeit cowboy.” That’s how
veterinarian and horse farm owner Dr. Shelby Masters contemptuously describes
the number-one male country music singer.
Strapped for cash when her prize stallion is stolen, she is forced to
spend six weeks with the man, teaching him enough to do his own riding in the
western movie he’s signed for.
Jordan Brooks can sing
and play a guitar but he can’t ride a horse.
He has a month and a half in which to learn and he just might give
strait-laced and distanced Shelby a few lessons of his own. For instance, how to make the most of warm
summer’s night on a moonlit beach…
Purchase Links:
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About Gail MacMillan
A three-time recipient of the prestigious Maxwell Medal, Gail MacMillan is author of twenty-two books. A graduate of Queen's University with post graduate work in Expository and Narrative Writing at the University of Western Ontario, Gail has had numerous short stories and articles published in Canada, the United States, and Europe, several of which have won awards. Her three books about Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers (the first co-authored with Alison Strang) have met with excellent reviews and are selling well worldwide. Two of her canine books, Biography of a Beagle and Ceilidh's Quest have won Maxwell Medals from the Dog Writers' Association of America in NYC as the Best Dog Books in their category in 2002 and 2007 respectively.
You just can't take it personal. Or let it go to your head.
ReplyDeleteIf we did, NOTHING that received a rejection would get published. It's tough exposing our minds in such ways & have it torn to shreds by agents / publishers.
DeleteGotta keep truckin' on if it's what you love - if it's a passion that won't keep quiet.