Wednesday 12 September 2007

Multiple Personality Syndrome

Introducing PHOENIX RENDELL, no need for applause. Okay, there wasn't any, oh well, more of a blip than a bang. After all this is not American Idol, more about that in a few paragraphs.

Lost amid the deep bog that is the second draft of my children's novel, The Evil Emporium, I've decided to use a pseudonym, a la Lemony Snicket. Phoenix is taken from the title of my horror novel 'The Maiden Phoenix', and Rendell is a family name.

Catherine J Gardner, talking about herself in the third person and feeling quite disconcerted, will continue to write short stories and plug away at her very dusty novels and may even attempt to write another horror novel, after all she does have three notebooks full of ideas.

And now onto the above mentioned, American Idol.

Today I read a thread on an online writing forum that suggested that many unpublished writers were like the disillusioned throngs who enter American Idol. Or The X-Factor for fellow Brits. Talentless and adding to the already swelling slush piles. No doubt. I'm not here to defend them or my own writing, heck until one of my novels is published, who am I to say whether I'm awful, mediocre, okay, or a genius. Ahem! And yes I do intend to clog up the slush piles for some time.

My point re American Idol/X-Factor is the difference in rejection. While theirs is loud and sometimes brutal and accompanied by a bucket load of tears and other emotions; rejection for the writer is much quieter. Not necessarily kinder, but without doubt quieter and often goes unnoticed. For me rejection is an A5 brown envelope, written in my own handwriting, with a form letter or compliment slip inside, followed by a weight sinking in my stomach. Then the compliment slip is filed away.

And nobody takes any notice at all. I can't decide if that's better than, or worse than, the outpouring of emotions that accompanies the slayings on television.

3 comments:

Madeleine said...

Interesting to compare unpublished writers to American Idol contestants. I've never thought of that. On one hand, they have a lot of guts to get on national TV, but we take rejection day after day. So, I think writers are better! Plus, what writer has ever made as much money as (insert pop singer here)?

(moonslice from AW)

Robin Lemke said...

Hello, Catherine!

Thank you for stopping by my blog - I'd be thrilled to have you link to it and will do the same for you. :) I love psychological stories and horror as well as mystery, so it will be fun to add your blog to my blogroll. :)

Robin

Cate Gardner said...

Thanks Robin, much appreciated. Your blog looks amazing and I'm looking forward to reading past posts and future posts.

Moonslice from AW (I'm guessing that's the addictive Absolute Write) thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

Cate