My love of birds, 5000 rejection letters

And why you should NEVER give up if you want to be a published author

Photo by Ivan Botha on Unsplash

Hello!

A very warm welcome to yet another flurry of new subscribers this week. I am always grateful to have readers, new and old, here with me and hope you enjoy this post, which looks at why you should never give up if you want to be a published author and another passion of mine. Birds. Those beautiful feathered friends who seem constantly to follow me around wherever I go. And what a pleasure it is to have their company.

It is the beginning of February and it feels different. January is a long, dreary month and I am not sorry to see the back of it. When I went for a walk around the village yesterday, there were definite signs of Spring. Pretty snowdrops, heads bowed, like delicate pearls scattered on the mossy banks and hedgerows. Their beauty always takes my breath away; a magnificent display of fresh, new growth pushing up from the earth. A sure sign that Spring is on the way.

Birds were busy too, flitting in and out of hedgerows, probably scoping out nesting sites as we made our way along the country lanes. It was cold but dry and a freshness put a spring into our steps. I have always been fascinated by birds. I am fortunate to have a selection of garden birds who keep me company on the long days I spend in my room, writing. A glance out through the window will sometimes reveal a fat Wood Pigeon cooing on the fence, or a small Blue Tit pecking at the peanuts we hang out for them. Blackbirds scoot along the grass, stopping occasionally to pull a pink worm out from the lawn and sometimes, a big, fat pheasant will wander in, his beady eyes darting back and forth, his superiority showing in every confident step as he struts up from the riverbank.

THE BEAUTY OF BIRDS by Rosy Gee

Iridescent feathers fanned in glorious display
Regally parading his fluorescent plumage
The Peacock’s fan shimmers with hues of indigo
Deep emerald green and dark blues
Superbly displayed in unrivalled beauty
Save for the sweet-tasting nectar sucking
Hummingbirds hovering above delicate blooms
Drinking in with elegance and skill
To sustain their motionless perfection
Equal almost to the Weaver Bird which
Creates a home for its offspring from grasses
Woven neatly into a nest suspended from
A tree branch, precarious and perfect
As a tiny Wren creates a mossy dome to lay
Tiny speckled eggs in, her pert tail upright
Strident song bursting forth from her tiny breast
And a Shoveler that scoops up aquatic insects
Crustaceans gleaned from sandy estuaries
A Pelican’s baggy pouch stores fishy prey
And pretty-as-a-picture pale pink flamingos tip-toe
Through lakes dancing in tune with feeding time as
An owl swoops with open wings, talons outstretched
Ready to pounce on unsuspecting vermin at night and
Kestrels who spy their meal from high up in the sky
Plummet when spotting a field mouse to devour
In sharp contrast to the haughty elegance of a Hooper Swan
Paddling its huge black webbed feet underneath its
Virginal white feathers and elegant, elongated neck
Majestically gliding on golden waters silently
Capturing the wonder, the beauty of birds

Nature is wonderful; awe-inspiring in its beauty and as the dank, cold winter earth warms with the rays of a watery sun, bringing with it new life and hope. It’s my favourite time of the year as new life bursts through and out into the open, bringing hedgerows alive with colour. I can’t wait for daffodils and crocus to burst through and join the snowdrops. A sign that winter is behind. Oh, the joy of feeling the sun on my skin, warming me through. That first warmth that makes you tingle with excitement at the prospect of long, hazy summer days ahead.

5,000 rejection letters

I read an article in The Times yesterday about a crime writer who had tried, and failed, to sell her novel to publishers for 25 years. Now she has sold almost 6 million copies! You can read all about how Angela Marsons discovered Bookouture, the online publisher. It is an incredible story. One of resilience, patience and determination. Like so many writers, she knew that she had to write. Whatever the consequences. Hats off to her and her well-deserved success.

I am not sure I could have withstood that many rejections. At what point would you have given up? I guess, deep down, never is the answer. I probably would have licked my wounds and stopped writing for a while. That has happened in the past. But that drive, an inner need to write will always be there. Whether our books find a home on the shelves of huge bookstores, online digitally or whether they never see the light of day, at least we can say, ‘I have written a novel/non-fiction book’ whatever your passion. I did it!

If you would like to read more of my poetry, I have two books available which include poetry and some short stories. My first book, A Collection of Poetry Sprinkled with Short Stories was well received and continues to sell well on Amazon. My second book Short Stories Sprinkled with Poetry is also available on Amazon.

But Angela Marsons’ story gives us all hope. Light at the end of a sometimes long and dark tunnel. Keep going, keep getting your work out there and above all, keep writing!

Have a great week, and thank you for being here.