Neil on Rejection

I'm on a plane, or train, or boat, or sitting in some transportational waiting space right now, so let me offer wisdom from another right now. You wanna be a writer. Well, get your ego on. Says Neil... (And, yes, I know this has been quoted many, many times. That doesn't mean I can't do it too, right? It is Neil I'm talking about here...)

"It does help, to be a writer, to have the sort of crazed ego that doesn't allow for failure. The best reaction to a rejection slip is a sort of wild-eyed madness, an evil grin, and sitting yourself in front of the keyboard muttering "Okay, you bastards. Try rejecting this!" and then writing something so unbelievably brilliant that all other writers will disembowel themselves with their pens upon reading it, because there's nothing left to write. Because the rejection slips will arrive. And, if the books are published, then you can pretty much guarantee that bad reviews will be as well. And you'll need to learn how to shrug and keep going. Or you stop, and get a real job."

--Neil Gaiman

It's true. All true. Smart guy.

(He, by the way, posted a one word comment on my blog a few days ago. "Hurrah!")