I know I'm not the first to say that the hardest part about writing is the waiting. It's in the wishing. It's sending the work away, far from your heart, and hoping something for it.
I recently sent a lot of work out to various people and publications. When I'm in that space of waiting, I always work on other projects, throw myself into the next something, pretend I don't care about the words that are out of my hands.
I pretend I know to expect nothing. I pretend I know the watched pot. I pretend I understand that the business is subjective. I pretend it doesn't matter whether the work is loved or hated, whether it becomes an almost, or a not-quite, or an if-this-then-maybe.
I pretend. It's a game I have played so many times, you would think, you would think, I would be very good at it.
I'm not.
I love you and your heart, and I know that your words touch people already...they touch me deeply. I think the waiting can be a form of deep meditation, a practice, one in which one is always practicing, just like writing. And I thank you for helping me with your words, your lovely, meaningful, beautiful words.
ReplyDeleteIt's a practice. Letting my work out into the world to have an experience with others. Part of that practice is to not take ANY of it personally: not the praise and the acceptance, and not the criticism and rejection. None of it. Just keep doing the work. I've heard this is what Buddhists and Woody Allen do. With me, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI second Heather's comment, and add: maybe it's good that we writers aren't good with patience. If we were, then what would keep us chasing, working, wishing? That's what I like to think, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI don't think any of us are good at it. And it doesn't matter if you agented or not, published or not, and what kind of venue you're published in (or intend to publish in). Waiting to hear what people think never gets easier.
ReplyDeleteWe just get better at accepting how hard it is!
Ugh. No kidding. But I'm glad you're sending it out!
ReplyDeleteIt must be extremely hard to wait for an answer from publishers. I've yet to finish my novel, but I'm not looking forward to this part of the process!
ReplyDelete