Writers should be Saints
February 20th, 2007 by janetI think writers should be classed as saints because we have to be so patient.
Day after day, we churn out work, send it off to publishers, magazines, or competitions, and then wait. And wait. And wait. So much work has been put into bringing a piece of writing to life - coming up with an idea, getting the words down, editing, polishing, reworking. And then all that work is met with silence as the months drag by.
The key, I know, is to keep writing and submitting, and not to focus on the results to the point of neglecting your writing. But it’s hard when you’ve done so much and there’s no feedback because the deadlines are months away, or the publisher takes his/her time.
I’ve got quite a few short stories entered in competitions that don’t get judged for a few months, not to mention the manuscripts waiting for acceptance by a publisher. So I’m going to resist the urge to down pen (or computer keyboard) and wait for a response. Instead, I’m going to soldier on.
I’m facing the biggest challenge in my writing career. I’m about to start on a three month intensive writing course which requires submitting up to three pieces of work a week. I’ve decided to devote this time to my young adult novel, which has been languishing in the background. It’s time to really get going on it and se if it has potential. I know it will be a very tiring time, but it will also be rewarding, because I’ll get feedback on my writing. Feedback! Bliss! There’s nothing better than to network with other writers and get constructive feedback on your writing.
So I’ll keep you informed of how I’m going. Who knows, maybe at the end of three months, there’ll be a nearly complete novel. And this project should distract me from camping out at the letterbox, or constantly checking my emails for those longed for results!Â
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