First thing I saw when I woke up yesterday was a new email from the agent. Unfortunately, it is not good news. Turns out that although the agent agrees with me that my revisions have improved the story, he isn't sure my story is strong enough to capture a publisher's attention, which could simply mean he's not that excited about representing the story. Or the story isn't his cup of tea. Or the story stinks. There were no more helpful suggestions. End of the road with this particular agent. I will be getting a lot of this kind of news throughout the year if I'm serious about this project.Since I manage Depression I am always on the lookout for triggers. Events that might disappoint a person with a healthy mind may send a depressive into a deep well of misery. By keeping tabs on my feelings I can prevent myself from slipping into a funk when I recognize the signs. It wasn't until this afternoon as I read the rejection that I suddenly realized I had set myself up for a world of hurt this year. Most successful authors received dozens upon dozens of rejections before making it. If each rejection triggers an depressive episode, I'm in trouble.
We can't have that. In the spirit of managing my Depression by shining a light on it, I've made the above graphic to announce my failure. That may seem counterintuitive, but I found the process cathartic. Why hide and sulk when I can stand on a desk and announce it boldly? I am determined to see this project to the end. Depression and low self-esteem will not rob me of success again.
Now to write for ADDaboy!. I mustn't lose a beat in my progress. Then later I will choose three agents to mail my story out to. I may revisit #tkahk again down the road, but for now I need to let it rest and move on to #snkrz, my early middle grade novel. This will be challenging to remember to continually send out #tkahk while trying to keep positive so that I write in #snkrz daily. Despite my ADHD, it is a necessary skill to develop.
Got any tips? Leave them below in the comments and I'll write them up in an article later for others to learn from.
