This was take from a post on Tumblr that I found interesting and wanted to share! (And I did some of my own Googling and added to the list.) It just goes to show that someone telling you that your writing isn't good doesn't mean anything. People just think differently from each other. ;P
Sylvia Plath: There certainly isn’t enough genuine talent for us to take notice.
Rudyard Kipling: I’m sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.
Emily Dickinson: [Your poems] are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities.
Ernest Hemingway (on The Torrents of Spring): It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it.
Dr. Seuss: Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.
The Diary of Anne Frank: The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the ‘curiosity’ level.
Richard Bach (on Jonathan Livingston Seagull): will never make it as a paperback. (Over 7.25 million copies sold)
H.G. Wells (on The War of the Worlds): An endless nightmare. I do not believe it would “take”…I think the verdict would be ‘Oh don’t read that horrid book’. And (on The Time Machine): It is not interesting enough for the general reader and not thorough enough for the scientific reader.
Edgar Allan Poe: Readers in this country have a decided and strong preference for works in which a single and connected story occupies the entire volume.
William Golding (on Lord of the Flies): an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby Character.
Herman Melville (on Moby Dick): We regret to say that our united opinion is entirely against the book as we do not think it would be at all suitable for the Juvenile Market in [England]. It is very long, rather old-fashioned…
Jack London: [Your book is] forbidding and depressing.
William Faulkner: If the book had a plot and structure, we might suggest shortening and revisions, but it is so diffuse that I don’t think this would be of any use. My chief objection is that you don’t have any story to tell. And two years later: Good God, I can’t publish this!
Stephen King (on Carrie): We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.
(Especially ironic because dystopias are all the right now, right?)
Ayn Rand: It is badly written and the hero is unsympathetic. And this from another: I wish there were an audience for a book of this kind. But there isn't. It won't sell.
Joseph Heller (on Catch–22): I haven’t really the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say… Apparently the author intends it to be funny – possibly even satire – but it is really not funny on any intellectual level … From your long publishing experience you will know that it is less disastrous to turn down a work of genius than to turn down talented mediocrities.
George Orwell (on Animal Farm): It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.
Oscar Wilde (on Lady Windermere’s Fan): My dear sir, I have read your manuscript. Oh, my dear sir.
Vladimir Nabokov (on Lolita): …overwhelmingly nauseating, even to an enlightened Freudian … the whole thing is an unsure cross between hideous reality and improbable fantasy. It often becomes a wild neurotic daydream … I recommend that it be buried under a stone for a thousand years.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was turned down so many times, Beatrix Potter initially self-published it.
Lust for Life by Irving Stone was rejected 16 times, but found a publisher and went on to sell about 25 million copies.
John Grisham’s first novel was rejected 25 times.
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) received 134 rejections.
Robert Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) received 121 rejections.
Gertrude Stein spent 22 years submitting before getting a single poem accepted.
Judy Blume, beloved by children everywhere, received rejections for two straight years.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle received 26 rejections.
Frank Herbert’s Dune was rejected 20 times.
Carrie by Stephen King received 30 rejections.
The Diary of Anne Frank received 16 rejections.
Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rolling was rejected 12 times.
Dr. Seuss received 27 rejection letters.
C.S. Lewis received over 800 rejections before he sold a single piece of writing.
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was rejected by 25 publishers.
Sylvia Plath: There certainly isn’t enough genuine talent for us to take notice.
Rudyard Kipling: I’m sorry Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.
Emily Dickinson: [Your poems] are quite as remarkable for defects as for beauties and are generally devoid of true poetical qualities.
Ernest Hemingway (on The Torrents of Spring): It would be extremely rotten taste, to say nothing of being horribly cruel, should we want to publish it.
Dr. Seuss: Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.
The Diary of Anne Frank: The girl doesn’t, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the ‘curiosity’ level.
Richard Bach (on Jonathan Livingston Seagull): will never make it as a paperback. (Over 7.25 million copies sold)
H.G. Wells (on The War of the Worlds): An endless nightmare. I do not believe it would “take”…I think the verdict would be ‘Oh don’t read that horrid book’. And (on The Time Machine): It is not interesting enough for the general reader and not thorough enough for the scientific reader.
Edgar Allan Poe: Readers in this country have a decided and strong preference for works in which a single and connected story occupies the entire volume.
William Golding (on Lord of the Flies): an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: You’d have a decent book if you’d get rid of that Gatsby Character.
Herman Melville (on Moby Dick): We regret to say that our united opinion is entirely against the book as we do not think it would be at all suitable for the Juvenile Market in [England]. It is very long, rather old-fashioned…
Jack London: [Your book is] forbidding and depressing.
William Faulkner: If the book had a plot and structure, we might suggest shortening and revisions, but it is so diffuse that I don’t think this would be of any use. My chief objection is that you don’t have any story to tell. And two years later: Good God, I can’t publish this!
Stephen King (on Carrie): We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.
(Especially ironic because dystopias are all the right now, right?)
Ayn Rand: It is badly written and the hero is unsympathetic. And this from another: I wish there were an audience for a book of this kind. But there isn't. It won't sell.
Joseph Heller (on Catch–22): I haven’t really the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say… Apparently the author intends it to be funny – possibly even satire – but it is really not funny on any intellectual level … From your long publishing experience you will know that it is less disastrous to turn down a work of genius than to turn down talented mediocrities.
George Orwell (on Animal Farm): It is impossible to sell animal stories in the USA.
Oscar Wilde (on Lady Windermere’s Fan): My dear sir, I have read your manuscript. Oh, my dear sir.
Vladimir Nabokov (on Lolita): …overwhelmingly nauseating, even to an enlightened Freudian … the whole thing is an unsure cross between hideous reality and improbable fantasy. It often becomes a wild neurotic daydream … I recommend that it be buried under a stone for a thousand years.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit was turned down so many times, Beatrix Potter initially self-published it.
Lust for Life by Irving Stone was rejected 16 times, but found a publisher and went on to sell about 25 million copies.
John Grisham’s first novel was rejected 25 times.
Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) received 134 rejections.
Robert Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) received 121 rejections.
Gertrude Stein spent 22 years submitting before getting a single poem accepted.
Judy Blume, beloved by children everywhere, received rejections for two straight years.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle received 26 rejections.
Frank Herbert’s Dune was rejected 20 times.
Carrie by Stephen King received 30 rejections.
The Diary of Anne Frank received 16 rejections.
Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rolling was rejected 12 times.
Dr. Seuss received 27 rejection letters.
C.S. Lewis received over 800 rejections before he sold a single piece of writing.
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind was rejected by 25 publishers.
He creeps through the alley ways
Forever, perhaps
All in search
Of a few meaningless scraps
Paws scared, fur stained
Mourning over
What his heart once contained
Collar torn, soul lost
Forever wandering
On the ground of frost
Memories will never fade
For his closest companion
And master for life, betrayed
Kicked on the streets
Forced to live
With the night's beasts
Wanders and wonders
Hiding in the shadows
From the night's thunders
Forgive and forget
They always say
But that thought doesn't enter the mind of this stray
Hoping one day a new master would come
But alas, that is seldom
As days go by, and nights linger
He hopes and prays
For his soul and body
To part ways
For the pain is torture
And the future is bleak
Shunned from the world
Known as a freak
When, oh when, will the world learn?
How would they feel if the tides were turned?
Forever, perhaps
All in search
Of a few meaningless scraps
Paws scared, fur stained
Mourning over
What his heart once contained
Collar torn, soul lost
Forever wandering
On the ground of frost
Memories will never fade
For his closest companion
And master for life, betrayed
Kicked on the streets
Forced to live
With the night's beasts
Wanders and wonders
Hiding in the shadows
From the night's thunders
Forgive and forget
They always say
But that thought doesn't enter the mind of this stray
Hoping one day a new master would come
But alas, that is seldom
As days go by, and nights linger
He hopes and prays
For his soul and body
To part ways
For the pain is torture
And the future is bleak
Shunned from the world
Known as a freak
When, oh when, will the world learn?
How would they feel if the tides were turned?
Run. It was the only thing going threw Leven,Evie, Matthew and Cameron's mind right now as the dogs and people chased them into the forest.They went as fast as they could as the dogs got closer and closer.
They weren't suppose to be running from the dogs right now. Then again they weren't suppose to be convicted of a crime they didn't do but it had happened.
"Hurry they're gettin' away!" A loud and gruff voice said behind them. The barking got louder. A sharp pain was in Leven's side as she ran. She had taken track at school so she was use to it but it was terrible. She could barely breath as she ran.
Matthew turned his head to look back at the others for a split second and had came in contact with something hard. The thing fell back and Matthew staggered. They all stopped then as the body picked herself up. They looked I to the eyes of a criminal. The most wanted person alive in america. Brig.
They weren't suppose to be running from the dogs right now. Then again they weren't suppose to be convicted of a crime they didn't do but it had happened.
"Hurry they're gettin' away!" A loud and gruff voice said behind them. The barking got louder. A sharp pain was in Leven's side as she ran. She had taken track at school so she was use to it but it was terrible. She could barely breath as she ran.
Matthew turned his head to look back at the others for a split second and had came in contact with something hard. The thing fell back and Matthew staggered. They all stopped then as the body picked herself up. They looked I to the eyes of a criminal. The most wanted person alive in america. Brig.
I can see it now
Just how it will be
And don’t even ask how
Or what will be the key
I think of all that is lost
And can’t even bare the cost
To know they suffer
But no one will offer
A way out
Or a new place
Or even a new rout
But to stick your sorrows in a case
I leave her tonight
And don’t give thought to all in sight
Not wanting that pain
As in the ground she is lain
Before I let a single tear go
I turn away
As I sob an ‘Oh’
And say I’m okay
I can’t believe she’s gone
Leaving behind her sweat John
Without saying a single good-bye
In heartache we sigh
Not wanting to cry there
But her spirit surrounds us
We see her everywhere
Form every home to every bus
But we can’t bear to say good-bye
As to us everyone will lie
We fall to the ground in pain
As dirt goes in, where she was lain
And our souls say their last good-bye
Just how it will be
And don’t even ask how
Or what will be the key
I think of all that is lost
And can’t even bare the cost
To know they suffer
But no one will offer
A way out
Or a new place
Or even a new rout
But to stick your sorrows in a case
I leave her tonight
And don’t give thought to all in sight
Not wanting that pain
As in the ground she is lain
Before I let a single tear go
I turn away
As I sob an ‘Oh’
And say I’m okay
I can’t believe she’s gone
Leaving behind her sweat John
Without saying a single good-bye
In heartache we sigh
Not wanting to cry there
But her spirit surrounds us
We see her everywhere
Form every home to every bus
But we can’t bear to say good-bye
As to us everyone will lie
We fall to the ground in pain
As dirt goes in, where she was lain
And our souls say their last good-bye
I gave it all my strength,
All my power,
All my determination,
All my courage,
I gave it everything I got.
It meant everything to me,
Even though it might not mean anything
To you.
That's why I gave it my all.
It just seems to me
That life is all about going the hard path,
And not the easy path.
But it is obvious that the hard path
Is always the one requiring stamina, endurance,
And all of your power.
The easy path is simple,
Requiring little time,
But in the end,
Your rewards are very little,
Like the time you gave it.
The hard path seems more rewarding to me,
With the rewards excellent,
Even though you have to give it
A lot of effort, and all your strength.
Being a writer requires
Going the hard path.
But I found out it is a very rewarding experience
Just a day ago.
Cause I gave it my all.
All my power,
All my determination,
All my courage,
I gave it everything I got.
It meant everything to me,
Even though it might not mean anything
To you.
That's why I gave it my all.
It just seems to me
That life is all about going the hard path,
And not the easy path.
But it is obvious that the hard path
Is always the one requiring stamina, endurance,
And all of your power.
The easy path is simple,
Requiring little time,
But in the end,
Your rewards are very little,
Like the time you gave it.
The hard path seems more rewarding to me,
With the rewards excellent,
Even though you have to give it
A lot of effort, and all your strength.
Being a writer requires
Going the hard path.
But I found out it is a very rewarding experience
Just a day ago.
Cause I gave it my all.
I will remember you always.
Will you remember me?
That is a question for you to answer,
And not me.
I promise
That I will always
Keep the flame of memory alive.
The fun that we had will never
Be forgotten.
Even on foggy evenings,
The darkest of nights,
You will always be in my heart.
For I know that you will help me
Keep the flame of memory blazing
Always.
All the good times that we had,
All the fun that we had,
All the tears that we let out,
All the anger we let out
Will never be wasted.
Because every minute of it
Is in my heart.
I will tend to the fire
Every night,
Recollecting all the memories we have
Knowing that the flame of memory
Is the brightest flame of all
And it will blaze on.
Will you remember me?
That is a question for you to answer,
And not me.
I promise
That I will always
Keep the flame of memory alive.
The fun that we had will never
Be forgotten.
Even on foggy evenings,
The darkest of nights,
You will always be in my heart.
For I know that you will help me
Keep the flame of memory blazing
Always.
All the good times that we had,
All the fun that we had,
All the tears that we let out,
All the anger we let out
Will never be wasted.
Because every minute of it
Is in my heart.
I will tend to the fire
Every night,
Recollecting all the memories we have
Knowing that the flame of memory
Is the brightest flame of all
And it will blaze on.
It is sad how we must leave each other,
But it is something we must do in life,
So accept the fact that we do,
And leave now.
We go our separate ways in life,
Towards our careers that we prefer.
Although we must leave each other
We still have each other's memories
Tucked safely in our heart.
We leave
But we make new friends
The leaving might break our hearts
We understand that it is something
We must do.
It is something we do
To grow in life
To build character.
We go our separate ways in life
Though sad,
However helpful.
But it is something we must do in life,
So accept the fact that we do,
And leave now.
We go our separate ways in life,
Towards our careers that we prefer.
Although we must leave each other
We still have each other's memories
Tucked safely in our heart.
We leave
But we make new friends
The leaving might break our hearts
We understand that it is something
We must do.
It is something we do
To grow in life
To build character.
We go our separate ways in life
Though sad,
However helpful.
Hi. My name is Jake Gartner, and right now, basically a huge mutant serpent is coming to swallow me whole, tear me to pieces of flesh, so I have no time to talk right now. Oh, um...you want to follow me? Sure, just accept that everyday will be the best of the thrills. Right now, we are not getting any help from the immortal world, so just know that we have a horrible system of magic right now, and we have an extremely low supply of weapons, thus, the chance that you will get out of this mess is around eighty-six percent. (because of me, the master of war) Oh yeah, the serpent. Enough talk. (ROARS) Off to kill a mutant serpent!!! (stabs, deflects, cuts a gash in its head, dies) That's only our first one, trainee. Whatever your name is. Next time, I invite you to join with us on our battle. And it will be even more life-consuming, if you know what that means.