Success only flourishes in perseverance -- ceaseless, restless perseverance.
--Baron Manfred Von Richtofen

Monday, November 7, 2011

Lady in Waiting

Waiting, waiting, waiting. For a writer, it never ends, does it?

The release of my novel, Defenders of the Covenant, has been delayed until early next year It's a good decision for a variety of reasons. I agree with the publisher that waiting is the best thing for the book. But waiting is so hard! It's a lot like being pregnant. I may want to hold that baby in my arms right now, but I have to think about what is best for the baby.

It's got me thinking about all the interminable waiting I've done over the years since I became a writer. Fortunately, I have one surefire way of taking the pain out of waiting.

Work on something new! 

For me, it works every time. That's just what I'm doing. I wrote 12 pages last week on my new novel, Shattered Skies. It wasn't as good as the 15 I'd hoped for, but still better than an average writing week. That makes me happy.

I have come to realize that the only satisfaction I can count on in my writing is the satisfaction that comes from the act of creating. Sure being published, having readers, getting attention is nice. But those things are fickle and often fleeting. If I am happy to simply write, then I know I can always be happy.

So, I'm writing. I'm living. I'm waiting.

Some things are worth the wait!

15 comments:

Carolyn V said...

I love that you work on something new. I think it really helps with the waiting game.

Stephanie Black said...

Working on something new is definitely the way to go, or the waiting will drive you nuts!

Taffy said...

Forget about it (said in a mobster voice).
Waiting is hard! Your writing is good enough to stand the wait though!

Unknown said...

That is great, Angie, and I love the title! I'm 5k into my new novel, Culture Shock. I'm having a lot of fun with it!

Shallee said...

Waiting is always tough. I'm sorry the book got postponed, but I'm glad if that's what's best for it! I like to focus on doing other things while I'm waiting, too. It's helpful to have something to do besides just...waiting!

Angie said...

It's true, Stephanie. Thanks for stopping by!

Melanie Goldmund said...

Oooh, I hate waiting. I hate waiting even when I know approximately when the wait will be over, and I hate it even more when I don't know! But you're right that the only way to get through it is to distract yourself, and one good way is to write something new. (Reading Monsters and Mormons on the Kindle is another good way.) But good luck on your new novel, and I hope your book does extremely well when it finally gets published! :-)

Angie said...

Thanks so much, Melanie. I agree reading Monsters and Mormons would be a great distraction right now! Thanks for stopping by.

Stacy Henrie said...

I totally agree. The waiting can be brutal and yet it's good to work on something new - to take our minds off the waiting.

Tyrean Martinson said...

I completely agree!!! Writing something new works every time I feel like the waiting will never end, or when I feel like the project I'm working on has hit a wall. Sometimes that something new is a small poem, sometimes it's joining in with NaNoWriMo for a crazy whole month of newness. Either way, it breaks the sluggishness of waiting, or beating a project to death with over-editing.

Angie said...

Yes I definitely need that distraction. Thanks for stopping by, gals.

LTM said...

so, so true! That is exactly the only thing that helps me when I'm waiting. I guess that means we're writers. :D <3

Michelle D. Argyle said...

Aww, so sorry it has been delayed, Angie. :(

But...sometimes things happen for a reason. I wish you the best of luck in creating something new in the meantime. :)

Aubrie said...

Let me know when the book comes out and you can do a guest spot on my blog!

Angie said...

Thanks, Aubrie. I'll do that!