Grist for the Wrist

Posted on by ginadaggett

Last week, I got a rejection for one of my poems. It was a piece of writing that poured from my heart. When the notice arrived, I was reminded of this Stephen King quote:

“By the time I was fourteen, the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing.”

This rings so true for me, as I believe much of being a writer—and being successful, in general—depends on how we manage rejection and failure. When I first started putting my work out there, a rejection used to disappoint, but now it’s grist for the wrist (as one of my old professors used to say). It simply means I’m writing. And must continue working hard.

Stephen King Quote Nail

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Published by ginadaggett

Gina Noelle Daggett is an award-winning writer, editor, producer, designer, tv host, speaker, and columnist in CURVE Magazine. A cum laude graduate from Pacific University’s Creative Writing Program, Daggett has been freelance writing for years. Throughout her career, her words have appeared in the Vancouver Sun, The Province, Portland Tribune, Portland Monthly, CURVE, Girlfriends, Just Out, A Cup of Comfort for Inspiration and many other publications. Her debut novel, Jukebox, was published by Bella Books in 2010. While Jukebox was a work-in-progress, it won a grant from POWER UP. She has adapted the novel into a screenplay, and will be producing and directing the film through her production company. Post-publication, Jukebox was also the recipient of the Alice B Lavender certificate for debut fiction and was a finalist for the 2011 Golden Crown Literary Society awards. As a creative writer, Daggett is perhaps best known under the pen name “Lipstick” in the popular national advice column Lipstick & Dipstick featured in CURVE. Voted the No. 1 column by readers, Lipstick & Dipstick have also published a book: Lipstick & Dipstick’s Essential Guide to Lesbian Relationships (Alyson Books 2007). Daggett is the Founder of Chateau Entertainment | Creative, a design firm and a production company. She serves as the Creative Director and currently has numerous projects in various stages of development. This year, she is the co-host for season 3 of Hot Pink Shorts, produced by Convergent Media. It is currently airing on OUTtv in Canada. When she’s not pounding the keys of her computer, Daggett is pounding the tennis court pavement, playing hockey, snow skiing or beachcombing for sea glass. Daggett splits her time between Whistler and Vancouver, BC.