Cintia asked Joe Hart:

I'm an aspiring writer, but I'm dealing with two things: I get discouraged every single day because 96% of manuscripts are rejected, and I haven't had an idea for years, literally. There's too many people wanting to be writers, and knowing there's so much competition just kills me a little every day. When I get motivated, immediatly something appears about the industry that kills it. Any tips on how to deal with this?

Joe Hart Hi Cintia, sorry to hear you're dealing with this. I know rejection and conflict within the industry can be a real creativity killer, and sometimes there's no getting away from it. The one thing I've focused on during my career that's helped drown out distractions and lessen the sting of rejection is simply finishing the project I'm working on. So many times it feels easier to give up and walk away from a project, but that's exactly when you should push forward. I would focus on a smaller piece of work first, maybe even some flash fiction, then a short story, and so on. Sometimes the bulk of the work itself can be daunting and leveling up from something shorter might be easier to finish and gain confidence back. I know you mentioned you're struggling with ideas as well- my only advice there would be to keep searching for something you absolutely fall in love with. Let the characters ramble on in your mind until you have no choice but to put them on paper. Hopefully this helps and I wish you the best of luck in your future work. Remember, no matter how many writers there are there's always room for another story in the world. Take care!

flag