Well, I've gotten the first rejection on my nonfiction.
Ouch - that stung! I found myself saying, "but she only read the first fifty pages! She didn't even get to the best part!" Yeah, spoken like a true amateur, I know. And then I cried. And pouted. And hid in my room (okay, I'm actually still in there...). But finally I gave in and reread the rejection letter to see what good I could glean from it.
It was a very constructive and personalized rejection, for which I am grateful. There were a couple of lines of; "I know you can do better than this", which were killing, but also some positive feedback. The one major suggestion included was that I rewrite this as fiction,
based on a true story. This isn't the first time I've gotten that suggestion. Matter of fact, several people have suggested the same thing.
I've been very stubborn about absolutely not doing that.
This ray of hope following closely after made me seriously reconsider my stance:
..."if you were to make this a fiction piece, and use that same voice as in the first chapter, it would be an awesome, compelling book and I'd want to be first in line to consider it for publication..."
In truth, I needed to get the real thing down on paper, in all it's questionable glory. It was terribly painful, and even more therapeutic, and for what it's worth, writing it was a refining influence on my immortal soul.
But that's done now. I've faced the demons and survived to, literally, tell the tale. I've honored my father and my mother, like the Good Book says.
Putting it in print the first time felt like it almost killed me in places. Do I dare consider the seeming blasphemy of doing it again as fiction? Now that I've conquered it once, can I reshape it, make it my servant, .....rewrite it? Do I have that kind of strength?
I'm not sure. But I do know that I can handle a good dose of humility, uncomfortable and irksome as it may be. And if this trusted source, among the many others who have suggested the same, thinks it is a good idea, then perhaps I should be pliable enough to at least give it a darn good try.
So thanks to all who have supported, critiqued, read, and even rejected, the nonfiction. All that's left to say is:
Here we go again!
