Okay, so confession time. I'm one of the most impatient people on the planet. No, really. You might be thinking of Two Weeks Notice right now, and when Hugh Grant says, "That's silly. Have you met every person on the planet?" << Ha!
Of course I haven't met every person on the planet, so maybe I just FEEL like the most impatient person ever. Maybe you can relate to this.
Anyway, I've been getting some feedback about my writing, and I've realized that I need to A) slow down, and B) learn new stuff. That last one is vague, but I know there's more I need to do in order to find my success again.
But I'm impatient, and I had previously made some writing goals to draft two books this summer (since I don't work and all that). I find myself resisting the thought to maybe re-draft my goals, and take the time to learn what I need to learn before I draft the novels.
I have notes from the conference I attended last week. I have a few writing exercises I need to get done before I draft. I bought a new craft book on the suggestion of the instructor of another class. I need to read it, ponder it, incorporate it into my writing. And I need to fill out my beat sheets for my new novels.
I think I'll have to do less work later if I put the time into this now. So I guess this is me publicly saying I'm going to take the time to learn a bit more -- about the writing craft, my characters, and my plots -- before I start drafting.
Have you ever had to slow down and readjust goals?
That's really how you spell "padawan." I may have had to look that up...
Anyway, today I wanted to bemoan talk about how much patience is needed in the publishing industry.
This can be answered in one word: Lots.
But see, if you're like me, you just don't believe that you'll have to wait. That you'll have to endure weeks of nothing, no answer, empty silence. That happens to other people. People you don't know, and don't want to.
But not you.
Strap in. It will happen to you. You'll know when it's happened because Friday becomes the worst day ever, because it means another weekend with still no answer. Trust me, I've been there.
Lemme tell you a story. When I first started trying to figure out how to publish a book, I read a lot of industry blogs. Someone said they'd taken a year off from writing just to read. I scoffed mighty loud. Yeah, right. Take a whole year off? This person was clearly insane (and no, I don't remember who it was).
See, it wasn't going to take me a year to do anything.
I needed someone to tell me that how long it takes to get published is not a direct measure of my ability, but that many factors--including luck--will play into that equation.
I needed someone to remind me that the year of publication doesn't matter. No one did. I was always in a hurry. I still am, sometimes.
I needed someone to tell me to keep writing. Someone did. I still follow that advice (sort of) when I'm waiting, waiting to hear about something.
I needed someone to say, "Patience, my young Padawan. You'll get there."
People did. And now I say it to you. You will get there. I don't know when. And that doesn't matter.
Patience.
How are you doing on the whole patience thing? Those of you who've been at this for a year, two years, five years, how have you developed patience?
