The story nobody wants.

Two weeks ago, I wrote a post about a story that nobody wants. I made a promise in that post that if it got rejected a fifth time, I'd post it here. This week, I'll make good on that promise. That first publishing credit will have to come from something else.

Ari Shaffir, the stand-up comedian, had his first special air on Comedy Central a few months back. I came to appreciate Shaffir and his story by listening to the Joe Rogan Experience. Shaffir's story is inspirational for anyone struggling through any creative endeavor. The title of his special is "Paid Regular." A milestone for anyone working the LA comedy scene is to go from being an open micer to a paid regular at the Comedy Store, which Shaffir did before he went on to film the special.

I think the writer's struggle is similar. Right now, I'm in my open mic stage, writing for anyone who's interested -- but mostly writing for myself. It's not about the money. Any published author will tell you the money's not that good. It's about being read. Being a published author is a lot like being a paid regular. It means you're a professional with the platform. Your work is out there. You've created something people can connect to. And that's my ultimate goal.

Check back tomorrow for the story.

Rejection.

“The nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing.”

— Stephen King, On Writing

I wrote a piece of flash fiction several years ago. It got under my skin, and it hasn't worked its way to the surface. Enough time has passed where I don't know if its good or bad. But I do know two things: 

1. It's important to me.
2. Nobody wants it.

That hasn't stopped me from submitting it periodically. It was first rejected by Glimmer Train for its emerging writers contest. Then rejected by Glimmer Train a second time for its micro fiction contest. Wish I had those fifty bucks back.

It was then rejected a third time by a literary journal I can no longer remember. And a fourth time, today, by another. I'm waiting to hear back from a fifth publication.*

I write this to you, dear reader, with no malice, no bitterness, and no self-pity. This kind of rejection fuels me. I'm not who I was when I wrote that story four(?) years ago. I was punching above my weight like I had something to prove.

I'm literary -- jab-cross, jab-hook -- I have vocabulary and a world view -- jab-cross, duck, cut -- I don't have an MFA but I can say a lot with every little -- hook, hook, duck, jab-cross.

That writer was brave, but he was misguided. He had no technique. Maybe I'm still misguided. I don't know. I'm still not published. But I've learned from every glove Rejection has landed on me. One day, I'm going to drop his sorry ass to the mat.

* I promised myself if the story didn't get picked up on the fifth try, I'd publish it here. And I'm keeping that promise.

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”

— Samuel Beckett