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The R-word just won’t go away. I’m talking about rejection. Writers know it well.

As an independent author, rejection is just a painful part of the game. I didn’t mail my manuscript to a hundreds of publishers like other authors, but I did mail it to several over the years. And, well, you know the rest.

However, my story is a little different because I finally got a “nice” rejection from a major publisher. And when I say nice I just mean the editor liked my book, but those with the decision-making power did not. The one who liked my book encouraged me to keep writing. So that’s what I did. I took my bruised ego and hurt feelings and decided that I had enough encouragement to find another way to get published.

I surmise many of us who opt for partner-publishing or self-publishing decide the same thing. We just don’t have the patience, interest or heart to sit around and wait to be discovered. But somehow we find the money, time and determination to get it done.

Now that my novel, “The Second First Lady,” is out, the R-word is still an issue. I made a call recently and it wasn’t exactly a rejection, but it was an honest “call us back in a few months.” Yet it felt like the R-word at work.

Just because you finally have your book in hand doesn’t mean rejection will leave you alone. It’s challenging to get press coverage. It’s tough to get people to buy your book. And if you’ve ever sat at one of those vendor tables as people walk by, you know what I’m talking about.

Sometimes it’s tough to be taken seriously.

But I’ve decided to face the R-word head-on, not run from it. I tell my kids that life isn’t fair and rejection happens. I tell them they have to tough it out sometimes and do whatever it takes to get what they want. So I’m taking my own advice and putting on my game face, doing what I have to do to get what I really want.

My stories – and your stories – are just as amazing and engaging as those who have the big publishers behind them. The world just doesn’t know it yet.

So, c’mon Mr. R. Give me what you got. I’m ready.

Vanessa W. Snyder is a writer, National Board-certified teacher and mother of two daughters in Washington, D.C. The author of a new novel, “The Second First Lady,” and co-author of titles in the “50 Ways to Christ” series, she can be reached at vanessa@blackdoorventures.com.

Don’t you just love saying and hearing it?

It’s such a wonderful word but not always easy for writers to find.

Admittedly, I’ve never truly had writer’s block.  (I’ve had a few cases of lazy block but that’s another blog). I love to write so much I can almost always come up with something to say.

But today I’m thinking about what inspires me and maybe what inspires me will inspire you –to write.

Lately, I’m feeling pretty inspired. I think the reason is because I’ve decided to slow down a bit so I can see, think and absorb the intricacies of my life and those around me. When I’m not moving too fast I can hear what my kids are saying and I can see who they really are. In fact, I learn a lot about myself by watching my kids.  A good friend of mine, Kimberly Parker has created several books from listening to her kids.

And I’m not just watching my kids. I’m watching and listening to the kids I teach. Good educators should do that anyway. If we don’t hear and see them, I don’t think we can truly teach them. The teens I interact with are full of stories, experiences and insights to feed my never ending writing appetite.

As a wife, there’s plenty to hear when my husband speaks. I think that’s why I decided to make the main character in my novel a male. Somehow I got inside the male mind and created a character. I’ve gathered so much from listening to my husband of 20 years — and my father, brothers, cousins and friends.

Then there are the people I interact with daily. These interactions may be fleeting. Others might be significant. When I take the time to engage with people I learn so much. These interactions somehow find their way into my characters and plots. In my creative mind I can embellish and twist these moments into stories that will move and inspire others. But they wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t slowing down enough to hear.  Characters really do summon you. While writing The Second First Lady, I couldn’t take a break because my characters wouldn’t let me.

Need inspiration?

Slow down. Look. Hear. Listen.  Write.