February 2013 IWSG Post -Exacting Revenge Without Getting Blood On Your Hands

Happy Wednesday, peeps!

I love Wednesdays, especially since I joined The Insecure Writer's Support Group. So, it is with a happy heart that I write this post about REVENGE.

If you're scratching your head, wondering what the???? Scratch no more, because this topic, deranged as it is, is sure to rescue anyone suffering from rejection. This post may spare hours and $$$, many are about to spend at a therapist's office. Yes, I know, the couch is comfy, but dignity is at stake, so put away that tear towel, and tune into your screen.

Did anyone out there get a rejection this week--a form letter--from Mrs. Ooh-la-la? Or maybe it was a heart-felt note, telling you how perfectly your prose fits her current list, BUT she wasn't impressed with your sample chapters, so she had to PASS. Well, bless your heart. I know exactly how you feel. Has it happened to me? Of course. Too many times to count.

Rejections have a way of knocking the sparkle out of our dreams, and if we let that old monster, Doubt, have its way, a simple, "No thanks." can easily morph into, "Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me, so I'm gonna eat a ..."  Then the next thing we know, we're lying on the floor, in a fetal position, crying for our mommies. But, I've got a better idea.... NO! YOU CAN'T BLOW UP THE LITERARY AGENCY. Mrs. Ooh-la-la, doesn't deserve to die. Maybe it'd be funny if all her hair fell out, or if she broke out in shingles. Then, maybe her rejection wouldn't sting so bad. And while we're dishing out wrath, what about that lady at the supermarket? (the one who clearly saw you waiting for that parking spot, but zipped in front of your car and resigned you to the cardiac-arrest section) Because of her, you'll be late cooking supper, cleaning the dishes, and bathing the kids/cat/dog. Thanks to her, you may not even get to write tonight.... WHAT?!?!? OF COURSE YOU'LL WRITE!!! YOU'LL TAP OUT FIVE PARAGRAPHS... ABOUT THAT LADY. Yeah, only you'll call her... Suzy, and instead of blond hair, she'll have black. Poor, poor, Suzy, the lady with a pig's snout and blisters on her eyelids. She never saw that alien ship coming--the one that sucked her into space, leaving an empty parking spot for you to nab.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Yeah, I'm immature...but hey...at least I know how to get even without earning a life sentence in prison. And guess what? This cool method of REVENGE makes for interesting characters, not to mention it throws me into a furious fit of writing. And if I'm writing, my writing gets better. So, before you all stick a, SHE'S NUTS--JUST LIKE TAYLOR SWIFT!!!, label to my forehead, ask yourself one question...Is she CRAZY or a GENIUS? I vote GENIUS!

If you still don't get the point to this post, I'll be serious for a minute. We all have bad days. Sometimes we're down due to rejections, lack of time, or maybe someone was just plain rotten to us. On more than one occasion, I've taken people I loathe and thrown them into my stories. Writing is such a great outlet for our emotions, and it's safe. So, the next time you're down, go to your keyboard, and let it all go. You may be surprised what comes out. Oh, and don't forget the disclaimer...This is a work of fiction....blah, blah, blah.

For more inspiring posts, click on the links below.
Insecure Writer’s Support Group, hosted by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosted  Stephen Tremp and Julie Flanders.
 
Until next time, happy writing or whatever makes you smile. :)