Rejection sucks

Of course it does, but it feels good to say it anyway: Rejection sucks.

A writer friend is going through a particularly rough time with rejection, and it has me thinking about the topic.

I remember when I started writing my novel, I used to say that I couldn't wait to get to the point when I *could* be rejected, because that meant I had completed the book and I was submitting it. Rejection is part of the business -- the nature of the beast.

I have since been rejected a few times, but I've never gone through anything as bad as my friend. So, in preparation, I Googled the topic of dealing with rejection and found these two links.

The first, www.RejectionCollection.com, bills itself as "The writer's and artist's on-line source for misery, commiseration, and inspiration." It goes on to say: "Rejected again? Don't despair. Join your fellow writers and artists to laugh in the face of rejection. It may not make you feel any better, but it's better than banging your head against the wall."

The second is a letter from John Kador posing as a job applicant rejecting a potential employer's no-thank-you letter. It doesn't perfectly fit a writer's situation, but it is funny. "I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your rejection."

To quote Adam Savage on Mythbusters: "I reject your reality, and substitute my own."