Perseverance or Stupidity?

I had commented on my goals loop that I received two rejections from the requested partials on MOGG. One, y'all already heard about: agent couldn't think of editors who would be interested in the story. Okay, fine. In the second, the agent just didn't connect with the main character (agent 'fessed up after I sent her an email thanking her for her time and asking if she'd be interested in the second story). Uh, no. When an agent can't connect with the main character--it isn't going to miraculously happen in the next story or the next.

Of course my rejection generated numerous {hugs} and private comments from some of my friends.

Okay, fine, thanks for the hugs, but I've already moved on.

Lord knows I'm used to rejection, so it really doesn't bother me. What does bother me is having to tell my kid that no one wants to buy Mommy's stories. This hurts more than the rejections themselves. Whodathunk it??

One thing this does teach my kid is perseverance.

But when does perseverance become plain old stupidity? When do you stop crashing head first into the cement wall of publishing? A couple hundred rejections? A thousand? When do you, as a writer, draw the line? Never?

This is a question every writer has to ask him/herself. Sometimes changing genres helps discover your true voice. Sometimes changing point of view--some women can write men like nobody's business or a man writing a woman's POV. The only way to find out is to test the waters.

Changing genres can be scary. But it isn't nearly as scary for us unpublished writers as it is for published ones. Many published writers get the opportunity to write in different genres under another name. I have one online friend who just got a contract under a pseudonym. Good for her!! Don't get me wrong I think it's awesome she's able to do this.

The part that I'm disgruntled about is the publishing company is touting her as a 'debut author'. Uh, no she isn't, she had numerous published books under her belt. I wish her well in her new endeavor and will buy all her books, no matter her name, but don't pull the wool over the buying public's eyes and tell them she's a debut author.

*Sorry, but this 'marketing' just gets my goat, thus I've wandered off topic.* *sigh*

So do you 'reinvent' yourself as a writer if you keep getting rejections? Do you keep writing? Keep plugging away? What does this ramming my head against the wall really tell my kid?

Is this perseverance or is this stupidity?

I like to think it's the former, perseverance. I just hope that some day it pays off and I can prove to my kid that with hard work, you can find your silver lining.

Write on!
--I tried to get this on the blog tomorrow, but it insisted on putting it up today! Damn you, computer!