I LOVE So You Think You Can Dance. It's one of my favorite shows. This year they are changing up the structure of the show and instead of having a top twenty they're having a top ten. Only five girls and five guys are going to be on. Although they cheated a bit and had six boys. Each of the top ten are going to be paired with a former contestant from previous seasons. This last week they had the episode where they delivered the news to the people who made it and to the less lucky people who didn't make the cut. It was heartbreaking. These people have studied dance and are amazing in their own genre of dance and are versatile enough to be passing at the others styles as well. They survived rounds of grueling auditions, made it to the last round this close*holds thumb and index finer an inch apart* to having their dream come true only to be cut.
I think being cut from the competition at any point would have sucked but it has to be more painful being close enough you could almost hear the studio audience cheering your name, feel the heat of the lights and seeing yourself on the stage and realizing you just weren't good enough or just not what they wanted.
I think we as writers understand this. We practice our skill, learn our craft and send out our queries. Getting a rejection from a query sucks, off a partial hurts a little bit more but to have a full rejected is painful. I remember two lovely agents who read my full and both liked it but one rejected it (after telling me how much she liked it) with no feedback and the other had signed a project too similar to mine to be able to represent me. I think those rejections were the hardest because I was so close (in my mind) to my goal. What about you? Any rejections that hurt more than the others?
7 comments:
Rejection does stink. In a way it makes any positive responses all the better though. Knowing all too well the bitter sting of a "no thanks" make the yes all the sweeter. That being said, it doesn't make getting rejection any better in the moment. Just keep moving forward I say! Onward into the perpetual publishing sunset! Eventually all the hard work will pay off! And if not, as Annie would say, "there's always tomorrow."
Sure, some rejections hurt more than others. There's the agent or publisher you really admire. There's the request for a partial or full that becomes a rejection.
You make a great analogy. We're all reality show hopefuls in our own way.
Lani,
Thanks for your review of this show. I haven't watched it this year due to them getting rid of all the bad auditions. I thought those were hilarious. I also miss that judge w/ her horsey laugh as she was so funny.
That's tough when an agent rejects a full manuscript. You think you're so close, then, oops, that chance is gone. But I've learned that no matter how many rejections I get, I'll keep trying. It's all I can do. It's not my loss, it's not their loss, it just is.
Heck ya-if there is no justification for it, it's more aggrevating than anything. If it comes from someone that you admire or trust, it hurts more.
I don't understand getting rejected or dumped:-) but I understand why I dumped or rejected someone. Its not that they weren't good its just that I wanted something better. And I deserve that. Each relationship I learned more about myself and what I truly wanted.
Rejection hurts pride but betters your progress. Writers stories wouldn't be the way they are without rejection. Each rejection makes you a better writer and a more creative thinker.
Plots become stronger, characters become more interesting and readers become more devoted.
If you can't take rejection then you are always destin for failure.
My Husband likes it, too.
Rejection, grrr!!!!
Me no like. : (
I like your blog, though Lani! And I like you! Go girl!
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