STAYING AFLOAT IN THE VAST SEA OF WRITERS
It’s often hard to want to keep writing.
What helps my hope stay afloat amidst the sea of rejections is a contest. Throughout the year you can usually find a number of contests. The few I’ve entered are Pitchwars, Revpit, Write-Mentor, and SunvsSnow (to name a few of many). Contests give a writer something to look forward to. Be it a goal that has guidelines and feels more tangible or merely concrete deadlines. If I know writers at all, the not knowing or just dancing around waiting patiently for some sort of communication from agents, is absolutely killer. Knowing you will receive concrete answers from a contest can be soothing.
Twitter is an excellent tool to help you communicate with and/or find others who are participating in these contests. You may also begin to feel like you are part of the writing community when you start reaching out to other writers. Writers generally help give each other support when they need it, which helps you fell less lonely. We all can relate in one way or another.
Personally, Twitter has been hit or miss for me. I have a few people who I’ve grown close with and we support each other, but sometimes it makes me more anxious seeing the alarmingly large number of other writers out there trying to do the same thing I am. It makes me feel insignificant and like I might disappear among them all. It’s no wonder that I haven’t heard back from agents, or that I haven’t been picked up yet. There are thousands upon thousands of other writers reaching out! And all I can say to that is to try and kick those thoughts as far away from yourself as possible. They’re toxic.
Ergo, in entering writing contests I think it can help the number pool become smaller, which may help your anxiety if you feel the way I do about things.
But what happens when you don’t even win those contests? What if you aren’t runner up? What if you literally get nothing from it?
Let’s be real. Your heart breaks just a little more each time.
The last contest that I participated in did a number on me. I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I have begun to wonder whether I should give up on my dream of being represented by an agent and then one day published. But I’ve learned (and am still learning) to ride the waves. When I’m at a low, I’m LOW. But sometimes someone will throw me a line and I can pull myself up. That’s why I try to reach out to other writers and participate in things/events. Because you never know when one of them is going to be your lifeline. Artists of all sorts have to learn how to ride the roller coaster of emotions, of creativity. And really, I suppose it isn’t a matter of learning so much as just making sure you hang on.
Don’t settle. Keep trying. Keep learning. Keep practicing your art.
Writing can feel like a race against time. I’ve got to write that book and get it published before someone else publishes my idea! But it isn’t a race. It’s a journey. A freaking tough journey. And maybe the ending won’t be what you hoped for. Maybe it’ll deviate along the line. But don’t give up. It will be a regret you won’t be able to run from.
Hang in there. Find as many lifelines as you need to keep going. Contests, fellow writers, literary magazines, conferences. Just don’t give up.
Here are a few links to the websites that offer these contests each year:
http://www.michelle4laughs.com/2017/12/announcing-sun-vs-snow-for-2018.html