"For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." --Romans 8:24-25.
Writers all have one thing in common, no matter how far along they are on their journey: waiting.
First we wait for ourselves as write our manuscript for months (or years). When the manuscript is done, we wait as we revise muliple times.
Then we wait for others to read the manuscript and advise us.
We wait as we revise again.
We wait for others to read it again and again, just to be sure.
More revising.
Then waiting as we query.
We wait for ourselves again as we busy ourselves writing a new story.
We wait for the fabulous agent we got to sell the story to an editor.
We wait for the launch date.
We wait for reviews, and good news or bad.
Then we start over again.
Sometimes it seems like a lot, doesn't it?
I like to spell this out for myself because I tend to be an ambitious, hasty individual. I like to get things done right, and get them done right now. How then, do I keep myself sane during all this waiting? And the future waiting?
I found a quote (I forget from whom) that reads "The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want the most for what you want now." Whenever I'm feeling impatient I think about that, and think "what do I really want the most?"
I want to be a writer, published or not. I want to write for the rest of my life, and hopefully, eventually, make enough of a living that I can quit my dayjob and live humbly. My end goal isn't to be rich. It isn't to be famous. It's to write.
I can do that.
The bottom line for me is it's worth the wait, because I'm not actually waiting, I'm doing. My goal is to just keep going. As long as I can.
I read a great post the other day, giving writers the advice to try to quit (http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/06/guest-blogger-dan-case.html)
If you're feeling down, I encourage you to do that--try to quit, and see if you can do it. If so, then you have some closure. If not, you have peace because you know what your goal is.
It's to keep going!
What do you guys do when you have the Waiting Blues? What motivates you to keep going?
5 comments:
Good motivational post. I had that happen today. For various reasons, I didn't write last week. Today I felt a bit disheartened, but opened up my wip which I'm editing. And I went for it.
It was wonderful! I'm insanely happy for continuing to chase my dream. So if anyone feels blue, my answer is go write/edit. A smile will be back on your face in no time.
I had this exact same experience last night :). I think the only answer to being impatient is to work more. LOL!
Quit? But I'm so close. :) I don't think I could quit if I tried. I'm too attached to my characters. I think that's a lot of what keeps me going--love for my characters, and my story, and just the small possibility of seeing my book on a bookstore shelf someday and having other people love my characters as much as I do.
I finished my rewrite today. Yea! Thanks so much for all your input. I think it's so much better. Your critique was definitely worth the wait. :) Now I get to wait and let it fester for a few days before I look at it again. I'm hoping to be waiting for query responses soon.
Love your optimistic posts, Becca! Not always a perspective that comes easily for me.
Gah! I hate waiting, but like you said, we can be doing while we're waiting. :D I just keep on writing and revising. For me, writing is a need, so that motivates me to get it done. I tend to get pretty grouchy when I "quit" writing. :D
I think writing is unavoidable...I mean, you're bound to pick up a writing utensil at some point in the day, even if it's just to write a note. I also agree with Abby- I like my characters too much. :)I can come up with so many witty jokes when I write in their perspective!
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