Wednesday, June 24, 2009

JULY ONLINE CLASS: KEEPING UP YOUR SPIRITS AFTER REJECTION

DATE: July 1 - 31
INSTRUCTOR: CHERYL ST.JOHN
COST: $25.
REGISTRATION VIA PAYPAL: http://cheryl-stjohn-workshop.blogspot.com
REGISTRATION OPEN IMMEDIATELY


INSTUCTOR BIO:
Cheryl St.John has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her first form rejection came at the age of fourteen when she sent a short story to Redbook Magazine. After several years and many more submissions, she graduated to rejections actually signed by editors and agents. She can, in fact, brag that the best agents and editors in the business have rejected her, though she’s always hoped they wouldn’t remember her name if she met them face to face today. Those first submissions are embarrassing to look back on, but all part of the learning process.

After finding a local RWA chapter and honing her craft for a number of years, she finally got the call in 1993. RAIN SHADOW was a 1995 RITA finalist, and won an RT Achievement Award. A writer of both historical and contemporary romances, Cheryl has written for Harlequin Historicals, Intimate Moments, Duets, Special Edition, as a regular contributor to the popular Montana Mavericks series, and is most recently writing for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical line.

ABOUT THE CLASS:
Many wrongly assume that an author with over thirty books under her belt no longer deals with rejection. Wrong. Her record, only a couple of years ago, was eight rejections in one twelve month period. Cheryl believes her sales are a percentage of the number of submissions. Rejections are frustrating, sometimes hurtful, occasionally learning tools, but always an accomplishment in themselves. How many aspiring writers do you know who have never submitted anything? Or have submitted the same manuscript so many times, there’s nowhere left to send it? Or who gave up after one or two rejections? If Cheryl had given up any one of the times she thought about it, she’d never have published that first book or all that followed. What she said to herself each time, was, “What if it’s the next one, but I give up?”

She understands your yearning to have someone tell you if you can do this—tell you so you can stop beating your head against a wall if it’s hopeless. There’s no prophetic genie that can do that, however. There’s only that drive on the inside of you, that hopeful spirit of tenacity that pushes you through the tough times. It has to come from inside, and you have to know that you know that if you quit today, you’ll never be the person you know you can be.

FORMAT:
The class will be conducted via subscription to a private yahoogroup. Two lessons per week, followed by questions and answers. Entire archived class will be available for one week after the ending date.

We’re always advised not to take rejection personally, but how do we do that when writing is so intensely personal? Cheryl will be sharing tips on how to react and what to do about those rejections. She’s looking forward to answering your questions about staying motivated.

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