The purpose of this post is to direct you to an excellent post over at Olivia's Oracle about the truth about short stories - rejections and acceptances.
And I got another shot of a barge as it sailed past the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook on the River Stour this morning.
The sight of that somewhat made up for the amount of ginormous spiders occupying the hide - I wonder how many bird watchers they've eaten over the years . . .
Thanks for the link, I'll go and have a look.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo, although the thought of all those spiders made me shiver. Eugh.
You'll know how many people they've eaten by the skulls littering the hide...shudder.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link Teresa. And of course thanks to Julie for the original idea of 'fessing up to our story tallies!
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased if we've helped, between us, to offer other writers some encouragement to get beyond those rejections. x
Bird watcher eating spiders?! Where?! Aaaaghhh!
ReplyDeleteYes you've got to keep writing and sending those short stories out if you want to get published.
Julie xx
Great blog-link and lovely photo - although I do have an aversion to the water!
ReplyDeleteI've spent time in bird hides and never even considered the possiblity of spiders though I bet I will from now on. Mind you, I once took my son to Hampton Court and only afterwards found out about those Cardinal spiders who live there that are supposed to be as big as dinner plates
ReplyDeleteIt's comforting to know that rejection is something we all have to cope with. And yes, we just have get on with it and keep sending them out. Not only do we have fewer magazines now but it seems to take longer and longer to get a reply. I really do hope the trend changes and mags go back to publishing fiction. I met someone the other day (a non-writer) who told me she'd stopped buying a certain magazine because it didn't have a short story any more. I was tempted to hug her - but I didn't (just pointed her in the direction of WWFS and FF).
ReplyDeleteRejections are no fun, but if every piece we wrote was instantly accepted, would we try so hard to write stories worthy of acceptance?
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, could you persuade your friend to write to the editor and tell him/her? If they have enough complaints, they might change their minds.
I seem to be getting nothing but rejections at the moment, so it's good to know I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteThey made me shiver too, Debs! My skin still crawls when I think about them waving their long legs at me!
ReplyDeleteThe skulls were handy to stand on to look through the holes, Tam!
You’re welcome, Olivia! I thought your post was lovely!
Absolutely right, Julie.
I love the water, Karen. I seemed to spend my whole childhood chasing the tide in and out! I must have been permanently water logged!
It is an old hide, Kath – the roof has gone! I suppose the spiders ate it – I mean moved in and took it over! I’d not heard of Cardinal Spiders . . . ugh!!!
I had a count up, Elizabeth and in the early 90s I was writing fiction for more than twenty UK magazines! Next time you see your friend give her a hug from me!
True Patsy!
Hope that changes for you soon, Helen! There do seem to be a lot of them about right now.
A couple of years ago, Woman's Weekly cut back on their fiction quite dramatically, introducing the "book club" with usually only one supporting story. I remember it because, prior to that happening, I'd only ever submitted stories to WW (being a beginner in the women's fiction market). That was when I discovered Womag's blog and found out about all the other outlets that I've been trying ever since. But the point is, WW eventually went back to their serials and two stories per issue and they said it was because they're readers had missed them (and presumably let them know).
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry about the spelling mistake. I do proofread properly when submitting stories, honest!
ReplyDeleteYes I think it was Reader Power at work, Kath!
ReplyDeleteI didn't notice the spelling mistake until you said . . I won't tell anyone! Between you and me I think I'm the world's worst proofreader!
Thanks for the link - will pop over.
ReplyDeleteLovely photo, but am shuddering in horror at the thought of those spiders.
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You say spiders and I start looking around. I wonder what it's like to live in a country where the range of venomous eight legged creatures isn't enough to give the kiddies nightmares? Welcome to Australia: bite or be bitten ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kath. I am off to look up Cardinal spiders. The ones here in West Wales are like dinner plates, and they fight back!
ReplyDeleteHow are you fitting in your writing, Teresa, when you appear to be taking school holidays off?
I couldn't handle Australian spiders - well I couldn't handle any spiders, but you know what I mean!
ReplyDeleteNo less writing time, Lynne - just making the most of time (and good weather) with Lachlan before he starts school week after next.
But I am taking this weekend off - Roxy's 2nd birthday tomorrow!
Lynne, I read about these Cardinal spiders in the Daily Telegraph years ago. I've never seen a reference to them since and have sometimes wondered if it was a spoof. Apparently when Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court, he imported expensive timber from abroad and the spiders came too. Unfortunate, because he was the first recorded arachnaphobe. There is a story about a policeman stopping the traffic to allow one to cross the road!
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