So, last week I tried something I’d never tried before. I have a manuscript that has slowly swollen from a collection of short stories to a “composite novella” to a novel of intertwining perspectives. Back when it was still novella-sized, I contacted a literary agent who had liked my work before, to ask her if […]
Self-Doubt
Pushcart Prize Nomination: How Big a Deal Is It Really?
So on Thursday night last week I was having a really, really annoying evening due to a series of circumstances that involved, to name a few, my kids, paper airplanes, and the Spanish postal service. (These things are not necessarily related to each other.) As I tend to when I am tired and out of […]
How My Own Fictional Character Supported Me Through Rejection & Self-Doubt
As readers of any of my blogs may have gathered by now, letter-writing is one of my favorite ways to process things. I write letters to people that I never intend to send; I write letters to myself as though they’re from other people I feel a need to hear from; I write letters to people who […]
How I Declared Myself a ‘Rejection Expert,’ and Other Stories of Creative Reframing
An expert at getting rejected? Whoever heard of such a thing? The idea was crazy–and so empowering.
But What If I Actually Suck?
Can greatness be measured objectively?