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VIDEO & DISCUSSION

Watch this inspirational writing video By Rae Dover

Then comment below to discuss the following points;

Writing on the hop

Unusual things you have used to write on. Do you carry a notebook?

Rejection

How do you deal with rejection?

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Writing on the hop. Unusual things you have used to write on. Do you carry a notebook?

I have written on all manner of paper related items – I really enjoyed trying to remember the pre-tech world I started writing in and all the items I used to write on. Share your lists with us here.

Boxes (recycle bins are great for that), beer mats, receipts, toilet roll, tissues, the sole of my boots, skin (arm, hand), aeroplane sick bags, ticket stubs, paying in slips, newspaper, magazines, leaflets, brochures, till roll, waitress pads, paper bags/sandwich bag, plastic bags, banana skin, straws, serviettes, disposable gloves from garages (plastic), pencil cases, the end pages (blank) in print books, maps, paper towels, bandages, shopping list pad, post-its, memo pads and business cards.

Nowadays I carry a A6 notebook, I am onto my 3rd one. I sometimes catch an idea on my phone using either text, memo or recording.

Rejection

How do you deal with rejection?

Rejection is inevitable. Learning to accept rejection, essential. I used to imagine I would create papier-mâché art from my rejection slips and host a gallery event. This was back in the day when I was a young writer and all submissions were postal. Nowadays, rejections in email form would mean I would have to print them first. I wouldn’t waste the ink.

This is not to say that rejections are a waste of ink, the best can offer advice or help you realise the weaknesses in your writing. Equally, rejections may come from what is right for that publication or issue. I have had poems accepted on the third submission that were rejected elsewhere.

I will happily resubmit poetry three times before I consider an edit – my submitted material has already been through the editing process. After that I may look at the writing and see if more work can be done.

Finally, I do not take rejection personally. It isn’t personal. Most editors don’t even know me, so how can it be personal? It happens. Sometimes writing is published, sometimes not. That is the way it is.

The other good piece of advice I have picked up is to send something straight back out for submission. Do NOT let one rejection stop you, or two, or many.

There are wonderful lists of successful people who failed first time, read one here;

http://www.budbilanich.com/50-famous-people-who-failed-at-their-first-attempt-at-career-success/

Over to you… Creative Commons