tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post8944808721728832481..comments2023-10-31T16:37:29.340+00:00Comments on A Salted: FailureAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00597852661913928616noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-49654662630504647022013-07-24T10:08:19.571+01:002013-07-24T10:08:19.571+01:00Kellie, I really do recommend it. So rare to find ...Kellie, I really do recommend it. So rare to find a book that actually is useful. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00597852661913928616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-18353182619418755982013-07-18T19:46:52.163+01:002013-07-18T19:46:52.163+01:00Very late commenting on this... I love this post/d...Very late commenting on this... I love this post/discussion though. I actually bought The Antidote, but foolishly lent it to someone before reading it, which was 2 months ago. I'm tempted just to buy it again as I have a big tendency in general to view all of life in terms of succeed/fail, which just causes me to be super pissed off about things that are probably irrelevant, actually.kelliepiehttp://twitter.com/kelliepienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-72892421764464312172013-06-03T10:46:31.350+01:002013-06-03T10:46:31.350+01:00Rachel - it was so helpful to me to hear from all ...Rachel - it was so helpful to me to hear from all these fine writers that they too entered but "failed". A good conversation to have, I think.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00597852661913928616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-83448627698621542302013-06-03T10:45:17.153+01:002013-06-03T10:45:17.153+01:00Frances - I like your style!
Dan - interesting t...Frances - I like your style! <br /><br />Dan - interesting that you have been able to see that change in yourself. I am definitely "fixed" in my thinking, and really need to be more ok with failure. Even though I find Burkeman's quote wonderful, there's part of me that feels I'll never be able to accept failure as me pushing against the limits of where I am, because I'll always be resentful of my limitations. Any excuse for self loathing!<br /><br />Also, I'm never as good to satisfy myself even. There's that awful gap between what I sense is the story and what I am able to make the story. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00597852661913928616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-86230580627455414832013-05-31T00:10:22.529+01:002013-05-31T00:10:22.529+01:00I definitely see failures as a learning opportunit...I definitely see failures as a learning opportunity and a challenge to do better next time. I don't think I've always felt this resilient, however. There have been one or two comps that my failure to be shortlisted for left me feeling crushed and rubbish. Mslexia, I've decided, just isn't that into me. I'm OK with that. Onwards, next challenge.<br /><br />The Burkeman excerpt you chose is helpful, as was the candidness from other writers about their failures; knowing I was a failure along with so many writers I admire made me feel successful somehow. Great post.Rachel Fentonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10046917627054462214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-45022893756129635542013-05-30T22:25:04.820+01:002013-05-30T22:25:04.820+01:00Really thought provoking post. Having just 'lo...Really thought provoking post. Having just 'lost' a competition I was heavily invested in I can relate. What is most interesting though is how much of myself I can see in the quote you post from The Antidote. The 'fixed theory' perspective pretty accurately describes my view of my writing prior to 2008. I pissed away a good number of years writing and not subbing and, worse, just not writing, ham-strung by the view, along with an overly critical view of my first drafts which I thought should be beautiful slices of brilliance if I was any good. And lets not even talk about how I figured it wasn't worth the effort as I would never be as good as the writers I love. <br /><br />Since enrolling on my first writing course in 2008 I have worked hard to foster the incremental view. I'm still not as good as the writers I love, and I likely never will be, but I am much better writer than I was five years ago, which tells me that if I keep doing what I am doing I'll be a better writer still in another five. The key factor in helping me achieve this is comparing my writing to my previous work rather than anyone else's. If it ain't better than me a month, six months, a year ago I go back to blank screen and start again. And each time we sub to a new, more respected market/prize and get rejected we fail better. I suppose if we writers are doing things right, we'll never be happy with the work, and as we move on and up the arenas of our failure will actually show the new levels of our success. dan powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14131553102349479513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13140037.post-62875224332456810232013-05-30T10:22:51.175+01:002013-05-30T10:22:51.175+01:00I tend to assume the shortlisters are idiots - thi...I tend to assume the shortlisters are idiots - this has got me through many a short story competition 'failure' :) But really, competitions are lotteries. However good your work is, not everyone will like it - and chances are, the longlister/shortlister will simply miss what's good about it.Franceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05784368659732794251noreply@blogger.com