Even though I expected it the rejection of my script by the agent still hurt more than sitting through six hours with a tattooist.
As my other half tortured himself in the name of art, I sulked for about half a day and then started to think about my next move which is to send the script out again to the next agent on the list. My tutor assures me it's good or she wouldn't have given it a First so I'm thinking it was probably not this particular agent's cup of tea.
I need to read through it again because I think time away from it will allow me to see any faults more clearly, and I need more feedback. One or two people have offered to read it and that will help.
Meanwhile, I've also been thinking that I've barely written any fiction since leaving the course. That's mostly because of work, partly because of blogging and time leeching diversions such as Facebook.
I'd been thinking that I'd start to to write the novel after my current work contract ends but that is still not in sight. It could be quite a while yet. I've got to be stricter and more disciplined in the use of my time and it's going to take a lot of it to place this script with either another agent or a TV company.
My other half heard an interview on the radio the other day of a recently published author who had 37 rejections before her work was accepted. That's my target before I think of giving up.
I've decided that while I wait for the script to do the rounds I'll start writing a novel adaptation of it. That will keep my fiction skills challenged, take my mind off waiting for the script to come back, and give me something else to market when it's finished.
Meanwhile, I will have to find the time somewhere to fit in an extra 2000 words of writing every day. Ouch!