You Got to Know When to Fold Them...

At least according to Kenny Rogers.

Sorry to be getting so late a start today, but there was a dentist appointment that required my attention.

Getting back to the subject at hand...sometimes, you have to face the facts and say to yourself, "Self, this story is never going to find a home. Bury it."

But when does that time come? When you've been rejected once, twice, three times? When you have tweaked the words to adjust to a new market? When you can't think of a single market you haven't tried?

Yes. And no.

Sometimes, perseverance is all you need. A piece that might seem destined to oblivion might suddenly strike a chord in an editor that you almost didn't send it to.

Sometimes, rewriting it a bit finds that magic spark that was missing and gives it a home.

Sometimes, putting a story away for awhile and then revisiting it shows you a weakness that, when fixed, can make it marketable.

But sometimes...you just have to realize that the baby will never find a place to live on its own. Then you can always publish it yourself...or accept that it is time to let it go. Fold it away into the trunk for your private visits now and then. Someday, maybe it will be just the story someone needs.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, as I have a story that seems beyond help no matter what I try. But then again, "Never give up...never surrender." Maybe it just hasn't found the right market yet.

Do you ever give up on a story? Or do you keep looking for that magical sweet spot that will see it published? Drop me a comment. I'd love to know.