Tooting My Horn Tuesday: Rejection has its Perks

How funny is it that the one story I finally get accepted is about rejection?

Believe me, the irony smacked me upside the head. But not enough to knock the excitement out of me! My short (very short) story about Tracking Rejection will be in the Bylines Calendar for Writers, 2009! Fame! (Positive: My picture will be in the calendar! Negative: My picture will be in the calendar.) Fortune! (Okay, it’s five bucks. But I get a free calendar!) Publication! (A Calendar! That’s a first.)

I suppose I owe something to all that rejection that’s been piling up. After all, I wouldn’t have written that little calendar story otherwise. Now, what I need is a picture of a horn, but instead I’ll show you one of the pics I won’t be using in the calendar. Haven’t you always wondered what being smacked upside the head by rejection/acceptance looks like?

(And hey, it’s for a calendar!)

Finding Something Friday…The Power of the Letter

I found something totally cool today, thanks to Sandy at Cool Stuff 4 Writers dropping her newsletter into my inbox.

HBO and the U.S. Postal Service have teamed up to bring you an opportunity to receive a free e-card. Why HBO? Because John Adams is an HBO Film, which you can watch this month, assuming you get HBO. Unfortunately, Mr. Hall’s beneficence doesn’t extend to providing that particular premium cable service at our house. But I’m sure I’ll rent the movie someday.

And why would I watch the movie John Adams? Because I’m a bit of a history geek. And because John Adams was a prolific letter writer, whose letters to his wife Abigail provide an invaluable glimpse into colonial America and our early history.

I love getting letters, don’t you? There’s something extra special about the written word. And you can get a totally cool card (FREE!) to send as your next letter if you check out this website. You can also enter a sweepstakes for a free trip to Colonial Williamsburg. And even though I’ve been there, I’d happily go again if I won. Not so sure Mr. Hall would go with me, but that’s another story.

Speaking of another story, maybe you can come up with a good one for this month’s Cool Contest challenge over at Cool Stuff 4 Writers. Check out the details here and enter for a chance to win 25 bucks.

So there you go. Fame and Fortune on Friday. And something tells me the beneficent Mr. Hall is going to a get a very cool card in the mail very soon. Even if I can’t get HBO.