The big R

As writers, we've all had our share of rejections. Sometimes, it's a form letter. Other times, there seems to be genuine thought put into the notice. The end result is the still the same: another person tells us no.

I know all the stories of authors who faced years of rejections before going on to make it big (J.K. Rowling springs to mind), and I know that we like to tell each other that rejections aren't personal, aren't a reflection of our writing, and are totally subjective.

But. Sometimes rejections dominate our vision, and it feels like they become endless.

How do you deal with rejections when your heart loses sight of all of the above consolations? Have you ever faced a rejection that left you feeling like your work and your person had been denied? I've had a number of rejections (far more than acceptances), and I usually take them with good grace, telling myself "it just wasn't the right time/place/person/piece of writing." For some reason, my ability to let rejections roll off my back is missing today, and I need some outside advice.



So how do you deal with the big R? What tricks do you have to shift your focus and remain positive? And how do you find the light at the end of the tunnel?