October 09, 2011

A Rejection I'm Glad to Get

Have you ever had a great idea that refused to materialize when you set to work on it? I'm talking really fun here, just imagining what it could be is enjoyable.
After spending a couple months on one of these 'great' ideas, I had what I considered to be a good first chapter for my epic, imaginary time and space novel written. I had a full vision of where it was going; yet suddenly; I ran into a solid wall that blocked my finding how.
After a week or two of getting nowhere on it, writing but rejecting scenes and notes that didn't quite measure up to what I had, I moved all parts of it to the unfinished folder on my computer, because I couldn't justify spending trying to spruce up the tale that seemed to have died.
Now this was just shortly after I had given up on the other book I recently had the guts to get published. That one, The Speed of Darkness, was enjoyable to me after not looking at it for a good long time, so perhaps I thought, that other one would work now, too.
And yes, I still liked what I had, but the ending seemed just a little bit too short. Fine, I decided, I'll just pass what I have to a couple publishers as a short story, and if I ever decide how to continue it; I can write a sequel.
Of course now, this was last month now that I sent it to someone who asked me to wait until some date in November with no contact before I considered it rejected; so can you guess what happened?
The very night after I sent it off, I had the thought of how to continue it. We're talking one of those fun 11:30 p.m. frantic note writings in the dark that makes me glad my computer screen glows so I don't have to worry about my room light switch.
The continuation!!
I was only left hoping what I had already sent wouldn't pass the prospective editor's evaluation. Not enough hope that I felt I should contact them to withdraw my submission (even what I have planned now doesn't complete the story so it wouldn't hurt to have part published), but I could certainly see that it would all be stronger if presented together. I put off trying to write it until I knew if I should write it as part of what I had or if it needed the right structuring to stand alone.

This morning I got the email, apologizing that my story didn't make the cut. One of the reasons why they gave was that it ended quite abruptly.
This rejection gives me the opportunity to immerse myself once again in my fantasy world of Tehar. Thank you for the rejection Bewildering Stories.

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