Life throws many types of rejections our way. How should we face them? Head on? Or do we run in the opposite direction? I wrote a blog about the roller coaster life of writing and wanted to share it with you.

This blog first appeared on the ACFW website.

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV)

Picture this . . . you’re sandwiched between friends, holding onto the safety bar with a vice grip. The car moves up and up. Your jaw is clenched. You reach the top and—

Do you remember the thrill of a good roller coaster ride? What emotions rocketed through your body? I bet, if you’re like me, excitement and fear intertwined with each clickety-clack of the wheels as they climbed to the top. Right?

And then the car plummets. Whoa! Your stomach lurches and screams deafen you, leaving you breathless.

Remember?

To say the life of a writer is a roller coaster ride would be an understatement. It can be an uphill battle with rejection after rejection. It’s what we do with each no that matters. Let’s take a look.

We go to a conference and get that coveted business card from an agent and/or editor. We’re on top of the world. We polish our submission, get our email ready, and hover over the send button. (Do you do that too?) Will this be “the one”? You hold your breath, say a prayer, and click send.

And wait.

Finally, our email chimes, announcing the arrival of that long-awaited answer. We’re at the top of the roller coaster.

We click open.

And plummet.

Another rejection.

Or is it? A friend once told me that each no is just one step closer to “the one.” This is an awesome way to turn a negative into a positive.

How should we handle rejection?

Let’s be honest. It stings a bit at first, but we pick ourselves up and learn from whatever feedback we’ve been given and keep going.

We persevere and press toward the mark. How?

Keep writing. You know what they say: Practice makes perfect. The more we write, the better we become.

Read. Every good writer is a good reader. We should not only read books in our own genre but also in others. Glean from each author.

Perfect the craft of writing. Whether we’re veteran writers or beginners, there’s always something we can learn. Read books on writing. Take courses. There’s valuable information out there we can use to our advantage.

Enter contests. This is an excellent way to get feedback on our writing and our current manuscript. However, remember it’s subjective. Look for a pattern in the judges’ feedback and go from there.

It’s tough facing rejection. I know there are days I want to jump off the roller coaster and quit, but like life, we take every rejection or trial and figure out where we can grow from it. It only makes us stronger and gets us closer to the mark.

Closer to fulfilling His plan.

Writing for Him.