I decided that it was time to start the process of getting published. I had a few stories that upon re-reading them several months later didn't mortify me, so I started sending them out (after a few more edits, of course). Those three semesters I had spent in creative writing courses at the U of M had prepped me for what to expect—rejection.
But I was used to being published! I started writing as a wannabe music critic, using student papers as the forum where my opinion mattered. I hadn't taken any formal writing classes, so my foray into journalism was one of trial-and-error. All my stylistic mistakes are on record, but likewise, as I continued to improve, my flashes of insight were printed, too.
So how unusual it is to receive rejection letters, when my writing has been getting the OK from editors hungry from content. This is a different scene, I had to remind myself, time to pay your dues all over again.
When I was writing about music, I knew how to pull strings to get onto guest lists. In the Winnipeg literary world, I have no pull. My involvement with this blog is entirely selfish—I want to schmooze. I need professional help—as a writer, I mean.
Keep reading: to see who I meet, what I learn, and how I attempt to use this blog for career advancement.
As of today, I'm still emerging.
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Ashley Sy is a Winnipeg born and bred freelance writer specializing in arts, music, and culture. She has written for Stylus, The Manitoban, and MyWinnipeg.com, and has begun copywriting for the Regina-based firm Benchmark PR. Currently, Ashley is working on getting her short fiction published—she fully embraces the classification of emerging writer. You can hear Ashley every Saturday night on 101.5 UMFM, on her pop-punk nostalgia show, Parking Lot Rock.
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