And back to normal

The day after I get an acceptance from a literary publication, I get another rejection which I expected. Back to normal indeed. Or back to jadedness?

Published!

After so many rejections, when you get an acceptance, sometimes you just want to cry because you feel like someone finally gets you.

The feeling of submitting your writing

It’s scary. It’s exciting. It’s relieving.

For me, it’s a feeling of accomplishment, going to the post office and dropping off the envelope in the bin (or clicking the send button for email/online submissions). I should’ve taken a picture of the envelope, but yesterday, I sent out a creative non-fiction piece to Prairie Fire‘s annual writing contest. I had been meaning to send it out, but only got to it the day before the deadline (because of school. Of course). It’s always a good feeling for me; I can see how it might be a scary/bad experience if you’re sending off something you’re not sure of or something you don’t feel is very strong, but that’s what re-writes are for. I did a small re-write before I sent my piece in, and I felt really good about it.

Will it be good enough to win? I have no idea. I’m not counting on it, given that there are so many talented writers out there. But is it a start? Can I say I tried?

Damn right.

Post-submission feeling

It’s a minor sense of accomplishment, but also of sending something off into the world, like freeing doves you’ve raised and nursed for years to live out in the fierce world. It’s a feeling of relief, where you can sit back and just sigh, “Ahhh…”