Part F: Facing Frustration

Following on from yesterday's post, today I'll focus on facing the frustration that ferments within us after receiving those foul rejection letters.

Firstly, and foremost, I do not feel like a failure. Rejections do not foreshadow failure, fellow writers. Have faith in that first, before you try to figure out anything else. Agents' findings are fickle. Why else would one agent fancy a full manuscript and another feed you this line: 'sorry this isn't right for us'? It's just the fashion of the business.

Fundamentally, if agents had fixed rules for finding clients, it would be most favourable. But they don't, and we must have faith that there is one agent out there with our field of vision.

But, that doesn't mean that I feel fully fearless after getting a full request, because following on from that full request, other rejection letters frightfully fall from the sky. Then I think, maybe the agent that requested my full will flout it. I fret for days. I file my nails, filling in time with futile tasks, waiting for a response. No, I still haven't got one. "F@*k you, computer!" It could feasibly be months. So, I fret until I fold from my own foolish fuss. But deep down I still fondle the frail hope that they'll fancy it - faith in this agent will forevermore float fervently in front of me like a fire fly, until it fades into fairlyland as a fuzzy flashback.

So before I file my nails to the bone, I fascinate myself with my following feat. I fill my mind with a fresh story. There's no other way to do it, I'm afraid. I know it's simpler said than done, but come on - we're writers - it's our finest flair - feel your keypad and type with finesse - it's therapeutic and a fabulous fix for frustration, believe me. It's emotionally fulfilling and distracts from fear.

That's how I face frustration, folks. I face facts and get back to work. How do you face frustration?