Down, but certainly not out!

Today's 100 words:

Some rejections came in yesterday for writing I had submitted to a journal. At first I was sad, of course, and drowned my sorrows in beer--(not really!)--but then I decided that the best thing to do was to devise a plan. So first, I'll send a thank-you note to the editors because they gave me personal feedback for which I'm very appreciative. Second, I'll polish and submit more writing to them. Third, I'll study other markets. Fourth, I'll edit and resubmit my rejected work to some of those markets. Fifth and most important, I'll continue to write.

Now, I could let myself wallow, which would be my natural inclination, but why? It's not productive. Instead, the rejection and the editor's thoughtful feedback have spurred me to write more and try harder. Perhaps surprisingly, I don't feel rejected or that my work is not good. I do feel like I'm getting a fresh start, a new way of looking at my writing, and new opportunities to realize my publishing dream.