On Waiting

"Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

Writers do a lot of waiting. We wait for the editors. We wait for the agents. We wait for the rejections. We wait for the critiques. We wait for contests. We wait for The Call.

But those of us who forget to labor while waiting are missing the point. The fact is we are going to get rejected. It's part of the weeding out process. Those who can't take the rejection don't come back which leaves a place at the table for those of us who swab down the wound with alcohol and go back for more.

If piece of steel isn't heated up to nearly melting, beaten with a large hammer, plunged into icy water repeatedly, then it will never become the weapon it needs to be. And a writer is a finely honed weapon once they have gone through the rigors of trying to become published. It isn't easy. It isn't fun. It's like making bread by hand only you have to grow the wheat, pick the wheat, hull the wheat and grind it into flour before you can even THINK about putting it with water and salt and yeast!

So don't finish a project and send it off unless you are ready to dive into your next project. Cai is the one on our team who is good about this. She keeps writing. Nothing seems to stop her. So I write as well. Have to keep up. :-)

We have a manuscript on the contest rounds right now that is doing fairly well. Two agents and one editor are looking at it. One agent and one editor are thanks to contest wins. And we are rewriting the first one in that series as well as looking ahead to the other books. Plus we are working on another paranormal series that features a very interesting group of guys and gals. We can't seem to not write series. Grin! We have another finished first draft of a manuscript that involves one of seven sisters in a planned series.

So, 'let us, then, be up and doing'! And don't let your heart be torn down by whatever Fate may bring you today. Instead see rewards as stepping stones and critiques as accomplishments! Keep moving and keep writing and keep reading!

My recommended read is Enchanted, INC by Shanna Swendson. It's hysterical! Went from that to Amanda Quick's Paid Companion. Yes, I genre hop all the time. Why do you look at me that way? :-)

Create a great day!
Stephanie (The Stephan half of Cai Stephan)