Bean Sawyer on handling rejection
Bean Sawyer is a poet and craftswoman, whose Welsh hideaway includes ‘the giving tree’ . Here she is, giving some advice on how to get over rejection. Like everyone else, writers dread rejection. Unlike everyone else, we actively seek it out by sending our most precious, exposing works to complete strangers whose good opinion we crave. Here’s Bean on what happens when they say ‘thanks, but no thanks.’
Bean is not only a poet, but a stained glass artist. I was very touched to receive this panel from her – full of references to my boat life, my former work in archaeology and specific details from poems of mine. If you want to join her in Cardigan for a stained glass session in February, have a look here. For my own tried, tested and now widely taught method for keeping track of submissions and rejections, look here.
The Bell Jar 
If my work comes home I feel desperately sad for it, but glad it’s safe again, so I can give it some TLC and find a better home for it. I’ve just realised I’m treating it like a rescue cat – and maybe that’s not such a bad thing
I actually got to the stage where I was delighted that a piece had been rejected, so I could send it out again without going to the trouble of writing something new! Possibly not the best approach.
This made me smile, on a day which began with not one but two rejections! (Seriously?!) At least I get them both over with at once! “Like everyone else, writers dread rejection. Unlike everyone else, we actively seek it out by sending our most precious, exposing works to complete strangers whose good opinion we crave.” Thanks for your excellent Advent series!
I’m glad it made you smile, sounds like you needed it with a double rejection whammy! Good luck with your writing, somewhere there’s a place…and all that!