Welcome to 'Delusional Persistence' by Hannah Retallick
A writer's dreams and perseverance...
During a recorded Zoom interview, after hearing I’d won the £2000 Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction 2024, I said this:
‘Getting comfortable with rejection is one of the most important things if you want to be published or if you want success in competitions … I always have hope though. There’s always that little bit of… delusion, I think. Not because I don’t have confidence in my writing, but because I’m so aware of all the wonderful, inspiring, incredibly skilled writers there are, and I’m privileged to know so many of them.’
One of my friends, who was a fellow student with the Open University, commented that she particularly liked my ‘delusional persistence’ reference! Someone else mentioned it too, so the thought stuck with me.
I used the word ‘delusion’ flippantly, of course; it was a light-hearted description of the less realistic and rational side of myself. I like to be deeply connected with the ‘real’ world while also having my head in the clouds. That’s where my creativity is happiest. Without the head-in-the-clouds part, I wouldn’t have the enthusiasm to share my writing with the world. Without stark determination, I wouldn’t have the courage to persevere.
I chose the name Delusional Persistence for my publication because it highlights to me the necessary balance between being a dreamer while also having your feet planted firmly on the ground. I will be posting about inspiration and creative joy alongside the harsher realities of the writing life, plus sharing practical advice I’ve benefited from over the years.
For now, I’m planning to post at least fortnightly on Thursdays at 6pm. Please subscribe here, and bear with me as I get used to this new platform.
Whether you discovered my Substack through my social media, my website, my WordPress blog, or though being a family member or friend, thank you for joining me on this new adventure!
I’m defining delusional persistence as keeping going with something when you there is no external validation that it will work. You think it is good but no-one else responds. But then I’m thinking it depends on your motivation- if it is simply to express your truth is that delusional? Or is it delusional to hope that someone else will like it. Leaves me feeling it easier just to focus on the persistent part - leave the delusion for others!
'Delusional persistence' is an apt metaphor for the mindset all writers have to adopt. Submitting and receiving rejection after rejection, especially for something substantial like a novel, can be soul destroying.