A little tantrum thrown by a forty-year-old woman.

I am never writing again.

Never, ever, ever.

I will not write a grocery list. I will not sign a birthday card. I will not even sign my checks.

A little "x" is all anyone is ever going to get from me again. And I may not even do that much.

My latest "I reject you and everything about you" letter was from someone who took the time to actually go to my website. They read a piece where I happened to mention that I felt rejection letters are often sent my trained monkeys who are paid in bananas.

They sent my "you suck" letter written as if they really were a trained monkey! They even signed it "submission monkey".

I will close now. I have thrown a fit, which is what I needed to do and I thank you for listening.

I'm on my way to a very high water tower wearing only a clown wig and shoes.

Oh girl...let that rejection fuel your determination...don't let them get to ya...I mean what do they know? They think bananas are a meal...k? WE know how funny you are and what a great writer you are...sooooo....go forth young woman and write!

JJ

Amen queenie.

Tell us who sent that rejection letter and we'll get the queen's combo after them.

OOPS, that's revenge, isn't it? I think I posted something about that not being acceptable behavior..didn't I?

Sher, hon, please remember: "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Do not let ONE opinion get the best of you and your commitment to write.

You can either give up or strive to achieve your goal. What will it be?

Dots...some may call it revenge...I call it looking out after our own...

Somebody upset one of the sistahs...

I say let's sick Bubba, Earl, and their cousin Leonard on um...what say ye all?

JJJ

JJ,
I agree with you and Dotsie.
On the other hand one of the professionals in our writing group told the beginners that you will probably receive a hundred rejection slips and then finally receive a yes. She had heard this somewhere and told us it happened to her.
There's always hope. I'd ignore the letter and move on. My husband has one saying that I really love. Rise about it.
Maggie

oh yeah...couldn't agree more Ms M...

Rise above it is very good sounds advice...

and if that doesn't work, THEN we'll send in Bubba and team....k? how's that? teehee...

JJ

Rise above it huh? I've risen above so darn many rejections that I am at least 5 stories high at this point in time and its cold and lonely up here. Sometimes I wonder just how high I have to rise before someone wants to publish something I've written...I am reminded of the fact that when Steven King (remember him?) wrote Karri, he threw it into the trash. His wife found it and took it out and put it away. A few years leter she gave it to him and he sent it to a publisher. The rest is and was history. We all know about his biggest success, Karri...Apparently he has hundreds of rejections as does C.J Rowlins who wrote the biggest books of all times, Harry Potter. If it's meant to be, it'll be.... but WHEN??

I am coming out of my writing retirement to write this one little thing and this is really, really it.

I can't really call Bubba and Earl to defend me 'cause I dated Bubba and divorced Earl. Maybe if you could find a Bobby Joe.

No wait a minute. Dated him, too. Only reason I didn't marry him was 'cause he didn't ask.

Ya'll are very kind, but this kind of rejection calls for an entire tub of Betty Crocker frosting, one spoon and my fat pants.

Well I still say they are mean, heartless people and I officially put a pox on their children...I hope they grow up ugly and flat-chested...

JJ

Don't be upset Sher, writer's rule, not monkeys.

You keep right on writing

Louisa

Dear Ladies,

My name is Tanner. I'm Sher's adorable Yorkie.

She is still on a writing strike, but I wanted to thank you all for your encouragement and offers to rough up those evil rejection letter sending monkey people.

I'm sure she'll be better soon, but currently she is holed up in a corner with chocolate all over her mouth muttering something about number two pencils and an editor's nose.

The cat and I leave her alone entirely and the people in the house only go near her if they first show her the Betty Crocker frosting tub. Every time she threatens to disassemble her computer, Mr. Man. distracts her briefly with something shiny and she goes right back to her corner.

I'm worried if she doesn't pull out of this soon, she's going to weigh approximately 400 pounds and do nothing but sit around the house reading old copies of "True Story" magazine.

If she ever shows up here again, please don't mention that I can write. I don't think Mr. Man could find a tub of frosting big enough to fix that.

Regards,
Tanner
aka "Sweet BaBoo"

Tanner or Sweet whichever you prefer, wanted to welcome you to the smarter half of the Boomer group we animals. I'm Reeta and my sister is Rosee, we to are Yorkshire Terriers but there are many of us of all different breeds and we even have cats in the group but the most famous of us with our humans seems to be some silly bird named Sammie. She can sing opera and talk and our mom just melts over her antics. Well excuse me but does she have a pedigree or has she won any dog shows, I think not. Anyhow be very careful because you're mom will probably fall for her too....

Thank you, ladies. I appreciate your encouragement.

I wrote this morning. It's not my best work, but it felt good anyway. I'm hoping I can actually get more out this weekend.

Whew..... maybe the long, dark "writers blockedness" brought on by intense meanness on the part of an evil three-horned editor is finally over.

Sher, great to hear it. What did you write about?

Fun with Rejection can be found at
Rejection Collection

well Sher? You fan club awaits! What did you write? And by the way, how is the conference going for you all? You need to tell everyone here about it too.

Hugs,

JJ

Dear Monkey - don't you have some organs you can donate? I mean, other than a heard which you, obviously, don't have.

Dear Sher - dltbgyd. it starts out thusly: don't let the _____________________...

Frosting is a Good Thing, especially when it's chocolate!

Dear Monkey - so I don't spell check. Sue me. I meant, you don't have a heart...it's a HEART you don't have.

LOL! Danged old rejection letter monkey anyway.

Jaw-Jaw, I've decided I'm limiting myself too much in my writing. I got to a point in my life where I decided I'd never write another serious word... no matter what. I'm discovering that's quite impossible. I can't define myself as a writer as just one thing, so I'm letting it all flow and I feel much better.

That sounded corny, didn't it???

I've added just a couple of my more serious works on my website, being careful to leave the super heavy stuff buried somewhere in my computer, never to see the light of day. One that I was blessed to write was a review of The Passion of The Christ and I've added it to the site.

I figure from now on I'll just write what I need to write and let the frosting cans fall where they may.

Okay, this whole post is scaring me. I've been praying for guidance this week, heavier than usual. Yesterday, on a whim, I stopped by the local video store to rent some movies. I got The Passion of Christ. It was a last minute decision. I of course watched it first, cried and apologized over and over to God for us. Then...this morning, an editor of a new magazine with whom I've had some dialogue, called me and wants me to write an article for a January issue on a very famous evangelist....NOW...you are talking about a review you wrote on The Passion...

I'm thinking, "okay Lord...I hear ya!" Prayers answered...signs are given.

JJ

Sher,
I just finished reading your review. Once again I cried. You said it for me. I thank you for writing this.

JJ

Sher,
your review is so powerful that it gave me goosebumps. I am one of the few people who haven't seen this movie yet, but now I intend to go get myself a copy today!

Ya'll really blessed my heart with your kind words.

I saw the film the day it opened here in my little corner of Kansas. As I had no concept of how powerful it would be, I promised prior to seeing it to go the very next night with a friend of mine that didn't want to go alone.

So, I saw it two nights in a row. I could barely have a conversation for about a week after.

The difference in the first time I saw it and the second? The second time, it was all I could do to stay in my seat at the end. I wanted to jump up and down and scream, "Yes! We win!" I was overcome with a feeling of victory.

Powerful review, Sher.

Extremely powerful.

JJ - do as you're told girfren. take a deeeeep breath and just do it. if you need me, I'm here.

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