behindtheax

brown envelopes

I got another rejection yesterday. At first I was a little sad to see that brown envelope with my return address on it, lying on my hallway floor, just below the mail slot. As I picked it up and started opening it, the phone rang. It was my husband and so I was half listening to him while I read the letter, then I completely had to interrupt him, “Holy Frig, Greg, this is like the best rejection letter I ever got.” He laughed and said, “I’m glad you see the positive side of things.” I read him the letter and he paused and said “Wow, that is pretty good.”

It said, “Our reviewers found it had merit, but decided it was not quite suitable for publication … The following comments were recorded by one of our readers: “I admire the idea controlling this. It reminds me of Wells’ “The Door in the Wall” or some of A.S. Byatt’s realistic fantasies. The story needs sculpting however. It needs to be lightened, quickened. Don’t feel you must explain so much or reveal by way of exposition, where action and dialogue would achieve the same and even more with fewer strokes.”
I love this letter. I just hope I’m able to learn how to do, what they are suggesting I do.

It's still pretty good though for someone who spelled axe wrong in her blog title.

Which reminds me of a quote that I read a week or so ago in the Writer’s Almanac.

Mickey Spillane was once asked why detective Mike Hammer is always depicted drinking beer. He said, "Mike Hammer drinks beer, not cognac, because I can't spell cognac."

I thought that was a great line.

posted by mary j. @ 8:46 AM