I’m quitting writing

Did she literally say that?

I wouldn't give much weight to one opinion.

But speaking from experience, writing is a skill people can learn. Maybe one needs to be born with talent to be the next Brontë, but for the rest of us, if you have a story you want to write and you don't think you have the skill to do so, start (or continue) learning.

It does take work, though, so you have to be motivated.

Well, you're in great company then. Walt Disney was told he has no imagination. Ernest Hemmingway was told that his prose was tedious and offensive. John Le carre was told he doesn't have a future as one agent handed him off to another.
Have you ever gone to a con and watched one of those demonstrations where agents show you how quickly they reject manuscripts? They can blow through a pile in a few minutes flat. The agent probably read less than a page, and so all they can judge your story on is the opening hook and the technical quality of your writing. Great thing is technique is easy to learn and refine, and openings can be changed quite easily. I wouldn't take it to heart. Put it up on share your work, and let the community see where you can improve, but if you enjoy writing, then carry on doing what you love.

Rejections are awful. One thing I've heard over and over as my friends begin to query is "I didn't realize it would be this bad, Liz!" Many of these are people who consider themselves confident in their writing and impervious to criticism from strangers. While I'm sure not everyone responds badly, the vast majority of writers I've talked to get demoralized by rejections to a degree they did not expect.

The thing is, you're never going to please everyone. And published or unpublished, sometimes the person you're not pleasing is going to be in a position to smack you in the face with their opinion. One way or another, you need to figure out how to work around the fallout.

Writing is a long game. Publishing is a longer one. If writing is a thing you want to do, vent about your rejections and move on. (Rejections never end, even for published authors - it's a coping skill you need to develop wherever you are in the process.) But as the others have said, it takes time and perseverance, to a degree that's not everyone's cup of tea. You choose what's best for you and your life, and that choice will be different for everyone.

No matter what, though, I'd suggest not making a decision until you've given yourself a few days to process. And even then? This is one of those decisions that doesn't have to be final. If you choose to stop, you can always choose to start again later.

Hmm... I wouldn't give up just because of one opinion.

Hell, I've quickly figured out that if a person listens to every critic, and does exactly what they suggest... all they're likely to end up with is another blank sheet of paper.

Now, I'm not you, Seth, but I'd sit down and write out exactly what this person could go do to themselves, being both creative and imaginative. I'd do my very best to convince anyone who read it that the anatomically-impossible was indeed feasible.

And although I'd ( probably ) never send it to the agent, I'd still file it away for future reference.

And then I'd keep right on doing what I was doing, trying to improve at it, and find another agent to submit the improved version to.

But that's just me. It's up to you to choose your own course of action.

O.H.

quitting is not the proper way to look at it. it's not like you are playing in the NBA and decided to end your professional carer.

you can stop writing, for now, and when ever you want you can go back and write again, just start writing.

how much you write and how often is up to you.

I can't tell you how many times I've said the exact same thing. "I'm done with writing!" But the funny thing is, I can't imagine what would be going on in my head if it wasn't for writing. This was just one rejection from some bitter person you've never met. If you love your writing, there has got to be someone out there that loves it too.

But that's just my opinion. If you need to take a break...or actually quit, that's up to you.

Some agents gripe about receiving rude replies after sending rejections. I guess they deserve it.

Personalized rejection, or a very, very snarky form letter?

Hugs.

Did the agent actually say that, or are you reading into it? Because I've never heard of a reputable agent telling a writer they were talentless and wasting their time.

Haha, EVERYONE gets one of those at some time in their career. Usually early on. It's like the Boss of the (very early) Game Level, and if you pass it you level up.

Maryn said:

I agree that's most unprofessional and no competent agent would say it outright--but I knew someone at my very first (now defunct) writing community who got such a letter. He sent a hardcover to that agent every time he had a new book out.

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Yeah, I think it's fair to say that most agents are professional - certainly all the ones you'd want to work with are - but as with every other profession, some of them are...less than personable, shall we say. It's truly not worth letting such people get under your skin (and yes, I know first-hand how hard it is to actually do that, but still).

Maryn said:

Another factor to weigh in the big decision whether to quit ("And this time, I mean it!") is whether you enjoy writing for itself rather than for publication.

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I've been tempted to start a thread asking people why they're here, why they write, and what their goals are.

I personally just want to learn the technical aspects of writing so that I can do it properly. And by that I mean things like formatting, properly tagging dialog, etc.

There's also the aspect of getting to know what readers expect to see these days.

I grew up reading comic books, and a lot of old pulp fiction titles... The Shadow, Doc Savage, Justice Inc./The Avenger, and so on. And I can tell ya, many of those would NOT get published today. Between the repetitive descriptions, cliches, and general way they went from point "A" to point "Z" just wouldn't cut it.

And then there's Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp... All favorites of mine that I'm pretty sure would get no traction today, at all.

The fact is, I have no real interest in being published, at this point. That may change eventually, but even if it does, I'm not someone who'll ever have a nervous breakdown over a rejection letter, since I write for me, not some agent, editor, or publisher that's only out to make money. Also, although I'll take the fortune, if it comes, I don't want a damn thing to do with FAME.


Anyway, I guess everyone has their own reason for anything they do, and I am curious about various people's reasons and expectations in writing and being here on the forums.

Finally, I will add that if a person is simply looking for a career... then maybe they do need to re-evaluate their ideas concerning writing, and their desire and aptitude for it.


Thanks for listening to me ramble. And Seth, I hope you find a comfortable and appropriate solution for YOU.



O.H.

Oblivion_Rain said:

I just received an email from an agent telling me I was wasting my time with writing. I have no talent to speak of. She’s probably right. Time to drown my sorrows.

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That's a weird thing for a professional agent to say. Are you sure you're not interpreting these words from a harsh rejection? ALSO...it's all subjective. What one agent might hate, another might be looking for. What were the actual words from the agent? ALSO...no point letting other people tell you what dreams you should or shouldn't chase. If you love writing, if you're passionate about it, keep doing it. Keeping getting better. Keep not taking no for an answer.

First, as others have pointed out, if the agent actually said that and you aren't 'interpreting' it, then she's an asshole and unprofessional.

Second, assuming we stick to the message rather than the specific wording, one such rejection doesn't mean anything. You will always get some people saying whatever you've written is crap. You have to look at the overall responses. And more importantly, try to figure out specifically what's not working, then fix it.

Virtually everyone on this forum who has sold a book had to first query one or more novels that didn't get any traction. Everyone who has sold a book did so by keeping at it.

Do you like writing? If so, keep writing. You'll get better at it.

It's a shame that happened. Some people are harsh, either because in their minds they're "helping" or because they actually like hurting people.

"Talent" for writing is a nebulous concept, and while I agree some people have a natural aptitude, writing CAN be learned. Maybe those with outstanding natural talent rise to the top and become your J.K. Rowlings, your N.K. Jemisons, your Gillian Flynns, but there's nothing wrong with being a middle-list author than never makes the headlines. Heck, there's nothing wrong with writing books that only a handful of people ever read, if you can garner your sense of worth from the accomplishment rather than the acclaim and pay.

I once got a rejection from a contest stating things like "The writer doesn't understand basic prepositions and needs to take a basic English course." Trust me when I say there was absolutely NO problem with the prepositions in my submission, and while my writing may be lacking in description, or flow or other aspects, the English vocabulary and grammar were excellent. (And seriously, prepositions? Who pays that much attention to someone's prepositions. Sorry, once I get started...)

That same manuscript, which that judge gave 95 out of 150 total possible points, was scored at 146 by another judge. (I guess Judge 2 needs to learn about basic prepositions... Sorry, sorry...)

Anyway, the point is that either you are a writer, and you will continue to write and improve your craft over time, or you're going to give up because of this agent. Only you can know what the right choice is for you, but if writing is important to you, then press on and be better.

In general, one shouldn't feed Mogwai or make major career descriptions late at night, after midnight.

lonestarlibrarian said:

Personalized rejection, or a very, very snarky form letter?

Hugs.

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This is actually a good question. I participated in a twitter pitch contest once and was excited when an agent requested more material. The rejection then came back suggesting I hire an editor or at least join a writing group to help me master the basics of craft. I was devastated because I'd had a writing group and beta reader go over my work already, and because I'd previously gotten feedback in workshops from professional writers, a couple of agents, and even an editor, that my craft was very good. I'd never received feedback from anyone that my basic writing skills themselves were bad.

Then I found out that other people who'd participated in the same contest and gotten requests from that agent had gotten the exact same rejection letter. The suggestion to get an editor etc. to help with basic writing skills was simply a form letter. I don't know why some agents send out form letters that sound like they are giving personal feedback, let alone feedback that is so targeted and possibly inappropriate. Some do, though.

It's possible that the rejection letter the OP received was an even worse example of a terrible, misleading form letter. It's incredibly snarky, but some people aren't very nice. There are also folks who think that nastiness builds character and strength (in the recipient). It is, in my opinion, a terribly misguided world view. Some people do take harsh criticism as a challenge. They are pretty rare in my experience, and they don't tend to be just starting out. For most, that kind of feedback is discouraging, if not outright destructive.

You've gotten a load of good advise - take it. If it helps, I'm 74 ,been writing most of my life, gotten tons of rejections, and I have been published. If that is your goal, and you have the right internal fire, a herd of elephants won't stop you.

You've had some good advice on this thread already. In brief, I'd say don't quit if you enjoy it, and especially not on the opinion of one person - also, writing skill CAN be learned, and can definitely be improved.

An anecdote that may help to illustrate that one opinion isn't worth much on its own: I'm trying to find a second agent at the moment, and recently received a rejection from an agency who informed me that they didn't think my work was publishable. OK, it was a form R, and may have been poorly chosen, but as an author of three already published books with a big five publisher (the debut in particular had excellent sales) I know for a fact I am publishable. So one person's opinion is just that - one person.

I read a lot of books. I think some are pretty average, and that the writing is bland. When I look up those books on Goodreads I often see loads of reviewers saying how brilliant the writing is and how exceptional the book is. Basically: what you got is one person's opinion.

An example: I hated "Ready Player One". Loads of people loved it. There's something for everyone. Do not let one person's opinion stop you from doing something you enjoy.