As writers or artists, when we think of rejection, we don’t think of a laugh a minute.  But in THE REJECTION COLLECTION, edited by Matthew Diffee, this is what you get.  

As the book jacket says, “Each week about fifty New Yorker cartoonists submit ten ideas, yielding five hundred cartoons for no more than twenty spots in the magazine.  Arguably the most brilliant single-panel-gag cartoonists in the world create a bunch of cartoons every week that never see the light of day.”

A selection of these amazing cartoons, along with interview questions answered by the cartoonists themselves make up the book.  Their side-splitting answers and lovable doodles create brief  character profiles that give you a unique glimpse into the minds of these comic geniuses. 

Which brings me to another idea.  The interview questions themselves are pretty unusual, lending to quirky answers.  Diffee asks questions like . . .

I admire . . .   (Cartoonist Leo McCullum’s answer:  Things from a distance. Usually with binoculars.)

I’m not crazy about . . . (Marisa Acocella Marchetto says, “Anyone who takes themselves too serious. I’m serious.”)

Write a question to which you might answer “Absolutely not.”  (Drew Dernavich replied, “Do you know what you’re doing?”)

My advice to __________ would be:  (Michael Crawford’s advice to YOU would be to buy this book.)

What are the things that make you laugh and why?  (P.C. Vey’s response: “Long walks on the beach, fine wine and sunsets.  If I don’t laugh at them who will?”)

Number the following items in order of their importance in your life:  pancakes, dictionary, Band-Aids, tropical fish, coffee, music . . . (and many more)

Writing Prompt:  1.  Answer the above questions in a true and humorous way for yourself.  Come up with other curious questions that show the real you, and respond to them of course!  (Hey.  This could be a fun game for friends too . . .)

2.  Now give these questions to the characters in your latest writing project.  How will your main character answer them?   Let all of your characters chime in with their answers.  They may even get in a dialogue with each other about them.