That’s the attitude we should have. Did it go our way, no. But will we be better for it? Probably. At least we should if we keep our chins up and pull out the constructive parts of the rejection.

Thanks for the great post Stephanie.

No, sorry, but my point is that you don’t want milquetoast characters, and you can’t insist on milquetoast writers. Nor can you insist that grown adults change their personalities. You can’t tell someone that painful events like the rejection of work that means a lot to us shouldn’t hurt so much. To do that I’d have to cease caring about writing entirely. Negativity? I’m negative about some of the things that happen along the bumpy road of publishing because some of the things that happen on that road suck.

I know I’m making a bigger deal of this than was intended, but I try to imagine anyone telling Norman Mailer or William Styron or Doris Lessing to not be so negative. Feels a bit infantilizing suddenly. I create, I have my ups and downs along the way, and I’ll feel about that however I please.

There, I’ve been negative in a public place where people can see it. Shocking!

It takes a while to reach that point…sometimes years. But sooner or later if you’re in publishing long enough you really do stop giving a damn about the negative and you do focus on the positive.

But yup, I agree. Negativity shows through if one lets it fester. It’s a waste of time as well. Get it out of your system and then do something about it. If you’re getting rejections, keep writing so you can improve your skills. If you get a bad review, think about how you can do better on the next book. Apply this philosophy to all areas of your life, and realize dwelling will only drag you down.