Search This Blog

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

My Literary Performance in Gloom

In case you are sitting around wondering about how your own personal literary performance (whatever that means) matches up, the poetess Donna Quesinberry has a serious exploration for you on the topic over at the examiner.com in an article called Rating Personal Literary Performance.  Here's a highlight: "So how do you rate your literary performance? By the progression you make, without stress, without writer's block, without angst. If you are writing, publishing, and writing again-you are successful. If you haven't been published yet, you don't stress, you access your submission market, you re-submit. In other words, you continue to write and work with a rejection being something to put in your journal and then let go of. Don't hold onto negativity. That is a barrier to success." Bah.

3 comments:

Poet's Lament said...

As the author quoted here - by "a writer" - I have to say, I'll put this in my journal, blow up my imaginary balloon, prick it with a needle and then let go of it.

Nice of you to visit, hurl, then walk away without discussion, without conjecture, without anything other than a post to berate that isn't even followed up with room to discuss or share opines.

Oh...but that is what this blog is all about. More grumbling and less functioning.

Wonderful!

Writer, Rejected said...

Dude, the joke's on me. That's why the "Bah" at the end. It's my stab at sarcasm. I'm a negative old washed up (as you allude to with the quotation marks around the word "Writer"). I didn't mean anything personal. I think you have a good outlook and I am a jaded douche. That's all. Plus nice use of sarcasm; yours was clear. Mine was not.

Donna L. Quesinberry said...

I'd never refer to anyone as an old washed up anything - I think we all have natural qualities that move with us throughout the years, especially as writers.

As far as rejections - the reality is - rejections are changing. The world of writing is as well.

With the god-zillion (charge so low a rate that they are free) outsource service writers from around the planet - while I applaud the existential capability to provide work around the globe - it is a horrid affair when service writing is being turned into a zero cents on the dollar profession.

Then, many of the "recognized" non-rejected personalities who hail positive reputations, but is with multiple blogs where dailies are posted, making them appear to be so due the proactive acclaim - we may learn those dailies are outsourced to the other side of the planet at rates even starvation would recoil from.

Oftentimes these folks are published matter-o-factly and they are admired for their continuous, unrelenting, work that seems...almost inhumane in as far as, "Where do they find the time?"

While others who toil independently - without a wealth-based origin receive rejection after rejection and the myth continues that every "good author" has received rejection letters.

Personally, I find it somewhat nauseating as this new monstrosity of publishing derides the up and coming (unless a political agenda price-tag enters the picture) for the wealthy who receive the writing world limelight (regardless of talent and most often ghostwritten - at unadulterated lower than low wages).

But that is my personal rant/vent on rejection and as far as your blog ... no thanks for the clarity. I totally understand the angst.

~D.