Monday, December 9, 2013

I Have Perfected the Art of Waiting

No one waits better than I do.

I wait until I'm in the right mood to write.

When my first draft is finished, I wait a few weeks....or month....to do revisions and self-editing.

More months pass while I wait to submit my manuscript to agents and/or publishers....and sometimes, while I'm waiting to do that, I do another revision or two.

I prefer to try for traditional publication because of the benefits I don't have to pay for out of pocket, so I spend a lot of time waiting for requests for a full manuscript....or a rejection of my query.

While I'm doing all that waiting, sometimes I'm also waiting to get back in the mood for writing on a new project.

Sometimes I use that waiting time to read a book, sometimes I watch television or a movie, and sometimes I just bake cookies.

I have no complaints about the waiting. I'm very good at it.

12 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Patience is a virtue! I can wait. Unless I'm in traffic.

Jenny said...

Pat, I'm pretty sure I could give you a run for your money in the waiting game! I do occasionally have a sense of urgency, but I lie down until it passes :-)

Patricia Stoltey said...

Alex, I turn a music station on my radio when I'm in the car. If I'm stuck waiting for a train or a long red light, I just do a little car bopping.

Jenny, lying down until the sense of urgency passes is an excellent technique. I also like staring into space and taking deep, slow breaths.

Unknown said...

When I first read your blog title in my feed, I thought it said, "I Have Perfected the Art of Writing". I was so excited and came rushing over to glean from your perfection. Sigh. Yes, now I suppose I must WAIT for that. Could you work on that for me? ;)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I wish I was better at waiting. I'm just way too impatient.

John Paul McKinney said...

Active waiting is a real gift. Impatience gets in my way. Alex' comment reminded me of the old ditty:
Patience is a virtue,
Possess it if you can;
Seldom in a woman,
Never in a man.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Julie -- I wish. My editor has informed me I still have a lot to learn. :D

Hi Diane. I used to be that way when I had a job in the real world. I calmed down a lot after retirement.

John, it's definitely a learned behavior.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

You made me laugh. I'm such an impatient waiter, even for the cookies to get done in the oven.

Anonymous said...

Pat - The ability to choose the right time for something is really a valuable skill. Things happen when they should, and sometimes you have to wait for that...

Mason Canyon said...

If only I had your patience. I usually try to rush things too much.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Patricia Stoltey said...

Susan, cookies are a whole different matter. In the old days before I worried about the raw eggs, I'd eat more batter than I baked.

I agree, Margot. And I'm waiting for something important now with exactly that attitude. The twitch in my left eye has nothing to do with impatience. :D

Mason, rushing always gets me into trouble. It was pretty hard to slow down after a lot of years in the corporate world, though.

Emily R. King said...

I envy you this, Patricia! It is nice to have time to read between revisions, though. I do like that part of waiting. :)