Playwrights: It’s OK To Feel Discouraged

All creative people have to deal with rejection.

Think of your favorite actor, your favorite artist, your favorite novelist, your favorite musician, your favorite director, and yes, your favorite playwright.

They all had to deal with rejection many times over before they got the “YES” their career needed to get off the ground.

For playwrights, rejection can come from literary managers, directors, actors, critics, even audience members.

If you’re currently sending out your work to theaters–or if you’re planning to start sending out work soon–then most likely, you’ll undoubtedly be rejected from some of them.

I’ve been there, and I won’t sugarcoat it: rejection hurts.

Especially when you’re putting such a personal project out in the world. A project you identify with.

So what should you do when you’re rejected?

The first thing to do is to remember that it’s OK to feel discouraged. It’s OK to get upset or crack open drink or call a friend to complain. Having your play rejected elicits some negative feelings, and there’s no need to pretend those feelings don’t exist.

The second thing to do is to take a moment to remember why you got started writing plays in the first place.

Most likely, it’s because you love the theater. You love stories. And you love drama.

Get back in touch with those roots, and it won’t be long before you find yourself feeling excited to get back to writing and submitting your next play.