Rejections, Edits, and Other Facts of Life

For those of you who may not know, being an author is a thrilling, maddening, exciting, depressing, rewarding, crazy job that only someone slightly mentally unstable would want.

Writing is the only thing I've ever really wanted to do. But it was a dream, a time consuming hobby, at best. And then I had my first short story published. I about died of happiness. What happened next? My mom asked me to write a chapter for a book she was working on, and her publisher loved it. Now, my actual words are sitting on a local B&N shelf! *pauses to do happy dance* And then my awesome husband got a promotion that allowed me to stay home with Stitch and write during nap time! Almost immediately, I got an offer on Blood Bound, which I'd been working on forever. I decided then and there I was going to die a happy woman.

But then I got a rejection letter on a story I'd worked really hard on. Sure, I've been rejected before. But...but...but... now I was published. I thought those days were behind me.

And then I received the first round of edits on my beloved Blood Bound. My editor went out of her way to remind me that they chose my work, and I had a lot of potential. But not only did her edits amount to a complete re-write of the first half of my book, I also have to rewrite my entire planned sequel (which I was quite proud of myself for finishing so quickly). And my brilliant idea for a book cover turned out...well...like crap.

I wanted to curl up and cry. For ever and ever and ever. Who thought writing was such a good idea anyway?

But now, with my first round of edits basically done, Blood Bound is way more awesome before, and I can't wait to dive in and redo the sequel with my new, improved plot. And my cover (which I can't show you yet) is so stinking cool. I'm back to short story writing as well. I may have been rejected, but it made me a better author. I'm trying new and different writing styles, and I have ideas for an epic fantasy novel!

In conclusion, if this sounds insane to you, DO NOT WRITE. But, if it sounds fun, exciting, or like a normal life, then by all means pick up a pen and join me in the loony bin!