I’ve heard, “Just write what you want. Your readers will find you.”
My response, “Balderdash!” I’ll explain.
I wrote this with you in mind. I considered my word choice, the sentence cadence and the emotions you’d feel. Not because it’s marketable or because some guru said so, but because I believe that’s what purposeful writing is.
Are you still with me? Writing does have personal cathartic value, but that’s not why I write.
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I’m doing something a tad unusual.
I’m excited to participate in the Writing Process Blog Hop. I don’t do blog awards, but this is different.
This fits with my blog’s purpose to encourage writing and writers.
It also interested me because there were no rigid rules as to when I had to fit my post in either.
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According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, a rejection slip is: a printed slip enclosed with a rejected manuscript returned by an editor to an author. Most 
times I agree with Merriam-Webster. It’s my preferred dictionary; but in this case, they are not up to date. They obviously don’t know that rejections are done ten times more efficiently today by email.
Since rejection is something we all deal with at times, I enlisted four writers and asked them each to write a little about how to handle rejection and keep writing.
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Is it true you learn more from your failures than your successes?
What can we learn from difficult times?
Can rejection solidify your commitment to your goals?
Everyone identifies with failure, hard times, and rejection. I may have inherently realized how tangible they are, but I understood it more when I wrote about rejection last year in a post titled, “Receiving and Rising above Rejection.” That post was shared,
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Do you ever wonder if you have the brilliance to be a writer?
Or look at the elitist literature types and think you’re not refined enough?
Is there only one chance to make a good impression?
Let me give you some hope and some help. Some help by saving you a few steps. Some hope by sharing with you some of the silly mistakes I’ve made…and why they don’t matter that much.
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Have you ever wished you had an idea stash?
A stash is something stored away, usually in a secret place, for future use. Imagine you have to write a story, so you dip into your magical stash and grab a few ideas. You need to write an article or query for a magazine with a fresh angle, so you sneak into your idea reserve and develop an outline from one of your many choices.
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Do you know what the common thing about all creative people is? They’re all different. That’s the difficulty with trying to teach someone writing. The way I do it may not work for you. Have you even been told you don’t write the right way? There are rules for grammar, punctuation, and organization. Those are the agreed upon road signs that let the reader know where they’re going. But, how you write is as individual as you are.
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I’m going to tell you something personal.
In the past 22 months, I’ve lost 50 pounds. People have noticed, and it’s a good feeling. Often someone blurts out, “What did you do?”
I listened to my doctor’s advice, and decided I was going to do what was necessary. I researched nutrition, learned to cut hidden sugars and fats, and I exercised. Then, I told a few people so they could keep me accountable.
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In my last post, I described trying to write when it just wasn’t happening as “swimming in spaghetti”. A couple of people commented on that being an apt and original way of 
describing the experience. It also fit me because I’m Italian and could picture just how difficult it could be tangling with spaghetti.
However in my original draft I simply had “sinking in quicksand”.
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You know that feeling.
You’ve been writing for an hour and you’re not sure if any of it is usable. Each word you write feels like you’re swimming in spaghetti. Every time you pound the keys, the grip around your gut gets tighter. How do you know when to highlight the text, hover over the delete key and punch it?
If any of the following scenarios apply it might be time.
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