Writers coping with rejection

Do you want to become a writer but you fear the pain of rejection? Well, according to many famous writers their experiences of rejection were ultimately their biggest learning curves; their success ultimately depending on the motivation they gained from rejection letters. This article on aerogrammestudio.com gives aspiring writers an insight into how notable novelists and poets coped with rejection. Here is a selection of my favourite quotations:

 'I love my rejection slips. They show me I try' - SYLVIA PLATH

'Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.' - KURT VONNEGUT

'I got a rejection letter from an editor at HarperCollins, who included a report from his professional reader. This report shredded my first-born novel, laughed at my phrasing, twirled my lacy pretensions around and gobbed into the seething mosh pit of my stolen clichés. As I read the report, the world became very quiet and stopped rotating. What poisoned me was the fact that the report’s criticisms were all absolutely true. The sound of my landlady digging in the garden got the world moving again. I slipped the letter into the trash…knowing I’d remember every word.' - DAVID MITCHELL

Ever had second thoughts?

If you're a perfectionist, you might just have something in common with one of your favourite authors. Back in May, some of the bestselling current authors ( such as J.K. Rowling, Margaret Atwood, Seamus Heaney - to name but a few) were encouraged to annotate first editions of their most notable or popular novels which would then be auctioned in order to raise funds for English PEN.

The Guardian's gallery of images of the handwritten notes makes for interesting viewing. Some authors have used the opportunity to reveal how their own personal memories feed into their writing. Hilary Mantel, for instance, describes her sensory experiences in the following handwritten anecdote in an early edition of Wolf Hall: 

Here, Mantel writes that she got the inspiration to write about 'the smell of cedar and spices, sombre, distant, desert-dry' from exploring medieval churches in Norwich, 'There is or used to be an ecclesiastical museum in one of Norwich's many medieval churches, & many years ago I sneakily lifted the lid of a chest & inhaled this unforgettable perfume. Richer than I could ever have imagined'

When annotating a first edition of The Remains of the Day (one of the best novels I've read over the last few years, and it was only when I was sat in a classroom analysing it did I really begin to appreciate its message), Kazuo Ishiguro gives the reader insight into the choice of setting part of it Salisbury. The place is apparently special to the author because of a long bike ride he went on at the age of 15.

Ishiguro writes, '...Salisbury has always held a special magic for me. It made sense it should be Steven's first stop too'.

Also, take a looks at Ishiguro's fantastic illustrations!

Nonetheless, some of the writers have used this opportunity to express their regrets and second thoughts about their work. Yann Martel seems to have a bit of a 'WHY did I write that moment?!' when he reads over the Author's Note section of Life of Pi - 'Never liked this first line'

Seamus Heaney, too, reveals a temptation to revise a popular poem:

So, it would seem that even some of the most successful writers have tempting desires to perfect their work even years after it has been published and reached notability. Maybe every writer has a perfectionist side to them?

Want to see more? Follow the link to the Guardian website above.

Explaining the connections between Bret Easton Ellis's novels

Ellis fans! Here is a step-by-step guide to the connections between BEE's novels and a clear mapping of the recurring characters that feature in all of his books from Less Than Zero to Imperial Bedrooms.

Click here!

Not only has the author of this article created a clear guide for new fans to navigate Bret Easton Ellis's work, but it is interesting for those who have read the novels in the past too.

Burton and Taylor

Dear reader, my sincerest apologies for leaving this blog alone for a short while. I admit I was always one of those children who would start a journal and always lose sight of writing anything meaningful in it. My excuse? A sudden rotten summertime cold in the current South-East heat wave and a stunning hiatus in Pembrokeshire has stopped me from updating this blog. I know, such a bad excuse. Forgive me. But at least I have returned with an abundance of things to talk about. First up - BBC4's latest goodie.

I wanted to talk about the recent ‘Burton and Taylor’ BBC4 biopic starring Helena Bonham-Carter and Dominic West. This TV film got me through an afternoon tied to the sofa whilst feeling sorry for myself under a mountain of tissues with Lemsip virtually on tap. The biopic played on the tension between on-off-on-off lovers, combined with glamour that convincingly transported me back in time. In addition, the film also played on the experiences of the infamous actors in the public eye, in turn resonating with current adversaries facing modern celebrities.

However, although the piece was beautifully written and effectively gripping, it was very difficult for me to believe Bonham-Carter as Taylor. This underlying fault to the biopic was in no way  due to HBC’s acting abilities, but my inability to look past her pale and pixie-like looks and see Taylor’s unforgettable classic looks. Nonetheless, it is difficult to argue against West and Bonham-Carter’s dedication to portraying one of the most fascinating twentieth-century love affairs in its latter stages.

As this film finished, I was left wanting more. It is sad that the BBC will no longer be making similar biopics in the future.