I have been rejected a fair bit. Not as much as some, probably because I lack enthusaism for cover letters and really just hate trying to market myself to publishers. As a Comm Major, I've picked up this weird ability to format the way I speak to people to maximize my own gains. I'm a manipulative person in that regard, and it generally only happens in the work place because there is such a kalidescope of different personalities, you have no choice but to alter how you speak in order to prevent a total co-worker melt down.
You can't do that in a cover letter. You're writing to a complete stranger, trying to present your personality while still maintaining a sense of professionalism. What if the reader has an amazing sense of humor, and you have an amazing sense of humor? You could be best friends, if only you knew one way or the other.
I get rejected a fair bit, but I think if I were in a room surrounded by publishers, I could boldly step forward and tell them exactly what they wanted to hear in a way theywanted to hear it, while still maintaining a sense of who I was... Am... Whatever. I don't care.
It was an awful couple of weeks as I had to put my elderly cat down. I miss him something terrible, and in a way to honor him I wrote down his story as best I could and sent it to the only place I thought it might truly be appreciated. For those of you that aren't Canadian, the Vinyl Cafe is a radio show where Canadian author Stuart Maclean tells us stories about the misadventures of Dave and his family. They are humour examples of literary fiction, reflective of the world of a family as it progresses through the stages of development. Children grow up. Pets live and die. Jobs are won and lost. Morals are gained. And during each radio show Stuart has a story exchange, where listeners can send in their stories, be them happy, sad, angry or frightful. They simply must be true.
Stewie was the truest cat I knew, so I sent in a bit about how he came to be my cat. Today I received word that the story had been shortlisted, and while it might not necessarily be said on air, it was approved. The possibility is there. Somehow it seemed appropriate to me that the story go to the Vinyl Cafe. It is the only thing I have written that holds completely true to how I feel about the loss of my cat. Who knows if it will be heard by anyone else, but the fact that it was read aloud and given the chance to move up in the que gave me a little boost of confidence.
Stories must hold something true to themselves, no matter what the genre or topic it covers. No matter the violence or laughter or horror that occupies the pages, there should be an element of truth buried under everything, motivating the movements of the characters. Perhaps these little bits of truth are what helps us develope true and thoughtful characters. If they are motivated by the same sense of injustice or horror that we as the authors feel, then perhaps the characters somehow mold themselves into true and honest reflections. Maybe that is exactly what my story lacks. There is a flourish of emotions from chapter to chapter, and little sense of what drives the character beyond what I made them do.
How do we tap into this? How do we relate our feelings and emotions with the unconventional situations that we place our characters into? I'm not an intelligence officer or a girl on the run. I haven't suffered extreme loss beyond my cat. So what is driving me to drive the characters? Food for thought.
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