Monday, March 19, 2012

Try, try again

'Tis a lesson you should heed,
Try, try again.
If at first you don't suceed
Try, try again.

Thomas H. Palmer

I am terrible at trying again. I can't actually think of something I have stuck with, hobby wise, for an long period of time. I quit ballet after a year, I quit softball after a season, I quit gymnastics after a few years, and I quit the piano. My mom always said if I didn't do it right the first time I just gave up.

I have been working on a book for more than a year. I have edited it so many times I have lost count, and really thought it was close to ready, maybe even there. Then I sent out a query. On the positive side I got back a personal letter telling me specific things to fix about it. The problem is she didn't like the voice of my main character, said it was too modern for the historical time period.

So now I am fighting my instincts to give up, and force myself to try again. I know so many people have queried hundreds of times and continued to fix their books, to perfect them. But others got it right the first time. So if we have to keep trying, do we really get it.

People have to work on anything they really want to be good at. If it were a musical instrument, and I had a bad performance, I wouldn't just give up. Or a bad interview wouldn't make me stop looking for a job. Still it is rejection, and rejection is always hard to take.

I guess at some point or another we all have to get back on that pony and ride.

2 comments:

  1. Don't give up! I know it is hard to take criticism and rejection, especially when you have worked so hard on something, but just remember it is meant to help you, to make your book better.
    If this is something you really want, you will find a way to work through it! So, don't give up!!! It will all be worth it in the end! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. There would be so many great books that we would not have been able to read if the authors would have given up quickly. I'm very impressed with how far you have already gotten. Keep going and I promise to be one of the first to read and rate on goodreads!

    ReplyDelete