Rejection Letters, Contest Drama, and the Return of the Muse

In this episode of Write Your Heart Out, Kayla Ogden and Rachel Cyr unpack their experiences with the Reedsy Prompts Competition. Spoiler alert: neither of them submitted their stories to it! Why? Word count woes, shady contest terms, and a deeper conversation about protecting your creative work.

They also talk through their first rejection letters—Rachel gets ghosted and rejected (double sting), while Kayla shares some querying wins and woes, including a personalized pass and a surprise full manuscript request from a Canadian agent (aka her “shooting star”).

Other highlights:

• A spicy new short story idea from Rachel that’s turning up the heat (and maybe leading to her “sex muse” moment)
• Kayla’s late-night muse visits and her next novel idea
• The ethics of contests like Reedsy and why writers should read the terms of service before submitting (lesson learned!)
• How Elizabeth Gilbert, Ruth Stone, and Alan Watts factor into Kayla’s creative process
• Sharks, weddings, and the unexpected writing lessons of Shark Heart

It's a chaotic, heartfelt, and hilariously honest conversation about rejection, inspiration, and what it means to take your writing seriously—even when nobody else has yet.

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