REALITY CHECK

By Rex Hurst

A lot of times when we’re all starting out as writers - no matter what age we throw our hat in the arena - we often stumble about trying to find our place in the vast and crowded literary marketplace. Everyone wants to be the next Harper Lee (except I don’t think Harper Lee wanted to be Harper Lee) and produce the great literary novel that fills the minds of generations with soulful insights. But that’s probably not going to happen.

In fact, let me assure you that the email inboxes of various “legitimate” agents and “serious” publishers are full of proposed great American novels. Maybe five percent will make it to market. I myself fell into this trap, sending serious story after story to these various despots, these self-proclaimed last bastions of literary merit in the West, only to be rejected and spit on at every turn. In reality these places are filled with nepotism and incestuous relationships, so if you’re not in the club, you’re not even considered.

As such I found myself adrift, constantly questioning whether I had talent or not, that's when I wrote my first horror story - or rather novel. It was supposed to be a short story but took on a life of its own. Well I put that together and it was snapped up by the first publisher I sent it to. With that encouragement I wrote up my next one. It too was immediately accepted by the publisher I sent it to.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that I had found my niche. Out of desperation, out of anger, out of sheer exasperation I found it. My point is if you are stuck in a rut, can't get anything published, try writing in a different genre. It could be that you haven’t found your niche. Romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, crime, and so on. Try your hand at a bunch. See if you can’t get a nibble from a different type of story.