I Hate To Wait

If you have a yen to write, may I warn you now, you must have patience.
For those of us whose patience runs in short supply, being a writer is difficult.
For one thing, you have to write a book.
Then you have to edit it. While you're doing that, your critique partners send back more
suggestions, which lead to more editing.
Then you might decide you wish to send it to a 'professional' editor. Which, by the way, I recommend.
If you have the bucks, a thorough going through of your manuscript is worth the moula.
Except when you get it back, yep, you guessed it...more edits.

Now, if you feel you're finally ready for the submission process...you'll spend a lot of time
on your query letter. This is a hated but necessary part of the process.
Most publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts, and if you don't follow the rules, you
will end up on the bottom of a slush pile somewhere...trust me, that's not where you want to be.
So you write a dynamic query letter and send that off...
More waiting...ho hum...

A HA! A reply! They like your query letter and ask for a partial - three chapters! Way to go.
Fire that baby off.
And wait.
At this point, months could go by.
Seriously.
I was asked for a partial in July. I was asked for the full (of the same manuscript), just this month.
Four months may not seem so long to you, but when it's all you can think about, it's a long time!

So what does one do in this position?
Well, I'm learning to put the dream of actually getting the call out of my realm of immediate possibility.
It's just not practical to wait, day in and day out, for something that may or may not come.
Waiting must translate into writing.
Use that time to start something new.
Chances are, when you get the call, you're going back to the drawing board with your manuscript anyway.
From what I've heard, there are always requested changes.
But I'm sure if I'm ever in that position, I'll gladly make them!

For now though, I commit my waiting time to the Lord. His timing is perfect.
I'm not attempting to learn patience. I'm too far gone for that.
Instead, I'm concentrating on getting my book all sparkly and shiny, ready to go if it's requested.
I'm also walking around with lots of ideas for my new book rattling around in my head.
Once I'm done polishing, I'll get to work on that.

And for those of you waiting for my first book to be published, I'm sorry.
I'm right there with you!!

If I don't get a chance to post again this week, as I'm traveling to be with my sister in Connecticut,
may I wish you all a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
We have much to be thankful for.
Even the waiting time!