I have to say, for a rejection it was one of the nicest communiques I've ever gotten from a stranger. Here's an excerpt:
"For a previously unpublished fiction writer, your writing is excellent, the storyline fascinating, the details believable, the conflict gripping."Now, as it turns out, I didn't resolve the main conflict in the story in the very short word count available, and the editor kindly pointed this out in rejecting it. Can't really argue with that, to be honest, and you'll notice it if you take the time to read the story. Flash Fiction is a tricky format and I'm a novice.
On the bright side, the editor closed with this encouragement:
"While I can't accept "Tinkertoy Genii" I sincerely hope you will continue writing and submitting and studying the craft of flash fiction writing as I truly believe it is valuable in honing a writer's all-around skills. I look forward, as well, to receiving more submissions from you in the future."I have a couple other ideas that I've written up as rather clunky vignettes that might work in the Flash Fiction format, so I'm going to give those a go in the near future while working on the Illyria novel.
Anyway, after several days of being sidetracked with other work or getting stuck on setting issues, I sat down this morning and wrote 2,000 words for the second chapter and got this pretty positive rejection letter, so I'm feeling much better than I was at this time yesterday.
3 comments:
I am so jealous of this rejection you have no idea. :)
Yeah, I'm such a glutton for compliments that I could just sit on this rejection for a while without working up the nerve to write anything else and submit it. Sad but true.
That is an editor with a soul.
Congrats on the encouraging words, and do heed the ed's advice to keep writing and submitting. That's what it takes.
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