I used to think of myself as a patient person. I mean, they used to praise me for my patience when I was a kid. I sat nicely with my hands folded and waited my turn; I never pushed in lines, didn’t squirm and leap out of my seat when I had the answer, and […]
Writer's Life
When Do I Walk Away?
LET’S TALK ABOUT QUITTING. (I know, I’m just full of sunshine and daisies these days.) “When do I walk away?” is a question everyone faces at some point in their lives. Whether it’s a troubled relationship, a crappy job, a grueling education track, or anything else, there comes a time when you have to make […]
Rejection Survivor Interview: Kaelan Rhywiol
A previous Rejection Survivor interviewee, Elizabeth Bell, suggested a long time ago that I write a post about coping with rejection while dealing with mental illness. I struggled to figure out how to address it on the blog, though, because the blog itself was born from my own process of therapy, and it’s impossible for […]
How to Brace Yourself for a Tough Rejection While Holding On to Hope
I have often made the case on this blog that we should avoid what I call “prophylactic pessimism”: expecting the worst in order to numb ourselves to disappointment. But this raises the question: if we’re hoping for the best, but not necessarily expecting it, is there any way to prepare ourselves for coping with a negative outcome […]
Rejection Survivor Interview: Brian Gehrlein
A new pastime of mine in recent weeks has been stalking Twitter for writers talking about rejection and accosting them with a link to the blog and occasionally a request for an interview. (Is this what people call “promotion”…?) And I have to say, I have yet to regret extending that invitation. I always learn […]