Rejected.

When you write and submit as many stories as I do, the rejections are inevitable and although a 'no thanks' is never the news you want to hear, you do get used to it after a while.

This week was a little different for me though.

There has been a steady stream of polite rejections thrust through the Telford letterbox this week and, while not an entirely unusual experience, one stuck out and annoyed me a little bit.

I won't name the market in question, although those with experience of said magazine will probably know the one I'm speaking of. Anyway, they returned a story I'd written and turned it down on the basis that it was 'too far-fetched'. Now, normally I don't disagree when a magazine points out the flaws in my stories and I appreciate the critique, but this time I wholeheartedly disagreed.

I won't go into too much detail about the story (I've subbed it to another market) but it dealt with a husband with an over-active imagination and a big fascination with shows like Midsomer Murders who is certain he's just witnessed a crime of his own. His wife has her doubts though and the story deals with him trying to prove her wrong and uncover the truth - which, as is usual in my stories, isn't as sinister as we're first led to believe.

In hindsight I realised that the story probably wasn't the best match for the magazine I'd submitted it to - it's darker than a lot of stories I've read there, but far-fetched? I don't think so. In fact, I'd go as far as saying I'm not very good at writing far-fetched...

But I'll stop complaining now - I've had three acceptances this week with Fiction Feast, The Weekly News and That's Life in Australia so I have reason to celebrate... but isn't it funny, how, even after all the rejections we Womag writers get, one can stick out and rub you up the wrong way?

(PS: I promise I won't be huffing and puffing in every blog, and I'll try to avoid blowing any houses down next time.)