The Rejection Garden Tree/Story 7 Galaxy Girl

 

  The Rejection Garden is less about rejection and more about creativity, persistence, and joy. 

Over the next month, I am going to share one Tree or Manuscript with you, not in its entirety, instead, 

I’ll post a synopsis, how many times it has been rejected, and then, 

I’ll finish with my favorite line and include a picture of the tree and name tag. 

"You must keep sending your work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again, and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success- but only if you persist. - Isaac Asimov

Tree/Story 7 Galaxy Girl- Is a "simple" friendship story with an autism/space exploration twist.

This story has been rejected OVER and OVER again at various Pitch events on Twitter. I hear a lot of "Lovely" "Fun Concept" "No market for it". I am 24 rejections for 25 submissions on this one.

    The market for kindness knows no bounds, in my opinion, and diversity is so needed. So, I keep sending this story out hoping that someday someone will see in it the joy and connection as well as stepping stones for conversations about neurodivergent behavior.

    I wrote this story because my daughter is on the spectrum because this is our daily state of being because there are no voices like hers out there and because friendship, even if you enjoy being alone, is still a beautiful thing to explore.

    Autism, like a rainbow, never looks the same, even if seen at the same time by a group of people who have the same vantage point. This story highlights one voice from the rainbowed chorus. The spectrum of autism ranges far and wide, some behaviors have been included in this story. I could not hope to include every beautiful detail from the spectrum, but I have kept the voice authentic by focusing on my daughter and our experiences. 

    My favorite line from this manuscript is a conversation:

        Robin tried a "Tweet. TWEET!"

        Nothing.

        Robin tried a "Honk. HONK! HONK!"

        Nothing.

        Robin tried a "Beep!"

        [Amelia] "Beep!"

        [Robin] "Contact made!"

    

     The thing I love about this story is that it used journal entries and really plops you down in these girls' worlds that "appear" so different, but end up feeling very familiar. I also REALLY love how persistent Robin is, how kind and open-minded and joyous she is, and that Amelia is simply herself the whole. time. 

    As for the tree, I choose a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar. I think with its otherworldly shape and twists and turns it fits this manuscript perfectly.