Writer in waiting...

We writers have to have the patience of a saint.

We spend so much of our life waiting. We wait for the idea, and then we wait for the story to form, we wait for the characters to act like they got some sense (or not) we send the manuscript to the agent and wait for him/her to get back to us (yeah its brilliant! - or - Nah, it's not right for us) if said agent takes us on then we wait while they shop it to various editors. When we get over that hurdle, we wait for the editors changes - we make the changes and then we wait for the copy edited version to arrive. After that, we wait for the galleys and then we wait for the pre-publication reviews and the first print run (6000 copies, is that all?) and then we wait for the publication date and for the post publication reviews to start popping up on Amazon.com and B&N.

Whew...!

By the time we've moved on to the next story an entire year, or more has passed us by. (wasn't I just in my thirties? Now I can clearly see 50 waving to me from the corner.)

It's not so easy for me. I have a problem with waiting. People who know and love me, are very familiar with my issues about time. I'm fanatical. If you tell me 7pm -- that's exactly what I expect. If you're late for no good reason, you get my famous "stink-eye" cause If you actually meant 7:20 - well by golly, that's what you should have said!

I know its a control thing. It's hard not be a control freak when you work for yourself, make your own hours, go and come as you please and have to answer to know one but yourself. In my little word I am the end all be all - so you can imagine the frustration when outside forces step in and rock my boat. I'm working on it though...

In a perfect "writers" world, agents would get back to you by the close of business that day, editors would read your manuscripts in 24 hours and books would be published 90 days from purchase.

But our world is far from perfect. So I remain, a writer in waiting....


**photo courtesy of fanblogstexans**

Bernice L. McFadden