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| Something cheerful on my desk to cheer me up |
Dear Mr Royle,
BOLLOCKS TO your submission for our Emerging Writers’ Short Story Competition. This year’s entries were UNIVERSALLY PITIFUL AND YET unfortunately on this occasion we are LOATH to progress any further with your submission.
Nigel and Nick came to mind as I perused my hefty letter of rejection for a Tas Arts grant yesterday.
I allowed myself a few hours of walking round the house feeling a bit glum because maybe I’m not so bloody marvellous as I like to think. Then I put my head down on the table for a bit and stared at what looked like a speck of dandruff on my trouser leg. It seemed like an apt position in which to try and be philosophical about everything.
It’s not the rejection itself that I was struggling with. Reading through the informative feedback, I saw how my application wasn’t strong enough. That’s okay, I’ll be better prepared to apply again next year.
It’s not bringing any income into the household, even though I contribute in many other ways. And it’s because what you do is central to your sense of identity, and I’ve had enough jobs where I’ve sold my soul in order to earn a crust, and I have a sense of dread about ever having to go back there. I want to do something I’m genuinely interested in, that I can invest myself in.
So it’s back to the fall-back plan. I’m off tomorrow for a couple of meetings in town, to see if I can’t do something related to what I really want to do, that earns me a little bit of money.. and self-respect. Ideas range from the quite sensible to the really fairly out-there. I'm staying open-minded.
You need to write about foxes on aboriginal land on old growth forest allocated for chipping to get any government money down here Fiona.....either that or be related.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame, Fiona! I was so sure you had a chance as well, considering the Tasmanian theme and your brilliant writing style.
ReplyDeleteBut in any case, there's always next year, as you say, and I have no doubt there's a place for your book in the world on a bookseller's shelf. Just remember that you are definitely as bloody brilliant as you think you are and keep on keeping on.
P.S. I read the following in the Assessment Panel feedback: "In many applications the projects seemed to exist in isolation, and not show a planned creative pathway. The question on the application form ‘why this project now?’ was designed to tease out these issues." Tease out these issues? Why couldn't they just say what they bloody well wanted in the first place?! ;)
What a very pertinent comment, Katy! I thought exactly the same. My own planned creative pathway is to get out of the bloody kitchen and feel less like I have a child shackled to my ankle, and I think that's valid but I could hardly put that on the application form.
ReplyDeleteAnd indeed, if they wanted to 'tease' something out, they should have been more specific about what. 'Why this project now' doesn't indicate what they say they wanted at all. I answered with a lot of points about this being Tasmania's time for tree-change stories with a food theme for the overseas market. Personally I think that's a lot of boxes ticked, but if they wanted my 'planned creative pathway', then I agree, it would have been handy if they'd asked for it - instead of just hinting with a question that might 'tease it out'.
Enough! Moving on.
Please email me! I have a question about your blog :)
ReplyDeleteHeatherVonsj@gmail.com