by Stephanie
Today, I wanted to pass along this brief interview from Morning Media Menu with Julia Glass, the National Book Award winning novelist. In the nine-minute-long interview, Glass reinforces the qualities that every aspiring writer must possess—first and foremost, determination. Before winning the National Book Award for her debut novel, Three Junes, Glass encountered the same repeated rejection—including the dreaded form letter—for quite some time. She admits surprise at not giving up after at least seven years of sending out her writing, only to have it rejected. Seven! She emphasizes the important lessons that a rejection can teach you, and the persistence and patience one must have in order to not be worn down by the system.
I feel like this is one of those things that can’t be stressed enough. Sometimes, it really does take countless rejections to find that one pair of eyes who is looking for and falls in love with what you’ve written. It may sound far-fetched but it does happen, and Julia Glass’s case is no exception.
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Finding that one set of eyes is like standing on the beach and looking for one specific grain of sand. I am determined to find it though, so I'll keep looking.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Also to keep in mind: writing evolves. Keep writing, rewriting, and finding the next thing that lights you on fire. Staying curious, optimistic and passionate -- though difficult in the face of pass after pass -- is really a writer's only option.
ReplyDeleteVery encouraging! I love her saying that the two things that got her through were determination and denial.
ReplyDeletethanks-- this is nice to hear!
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