Stories of rejection can be empowering if they have happy endings. I realised that when I shared the story behind the story of Sisters at New Dawn. I think, since writing is such a solitary affair anyway, knowing that you aren't amassing those rejections alone makes you feel warm, and a little less alone. So, here's the story of Dragonflies and how it came into being. It's the story of the rejections I accumulated before being shortlisted for the Scholastic Asian Book Award. The book is out now, available in India, and now is as good a time as any to write about it. Not naming any names here because that's not what this post is about. Publisher One I sent my manuscript to the first publisher on my list in 2013, shortly after I had my first collection of short stories, The Story-Catcher, published. (Yes, you read that correctly. 2013. Seven years ago.) I did … [Read more...]