Patricia Stoltey

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I Have Perfected the Art of Waiting

December 9, 2013 By: Patricia

No one waits better than I do.

I wait until I’m in the right mood to write.

When my first draft is finished, I wait a few weeks….or month….to do revisions and self-editing.

More months pass while I wait to submit my manuscript to agents and/or publishers….and sometimes, while I’m waiting to do that, I do another revision or two.

I prefer to try for traditional publication because of the benefits I don’t have to pay for out of pocket, so I spend a lot of time waiting for requests for a full manuscript….or a rejection of my query.

While I’m doing all that waiting, sometimes I’m also waiting to get back in the mood for writing on a new project.

Sometimes I use that waiting time to read a book, sometimes I watch television or a movie, and sometimes I just bake cookies.

I have no complaints about the waiting. I’m very good at it.

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Category: Writing

Comments

  1. Emily R. King says

    December 10, 2013 at 2:58 pm

    I envy you this, Patricia! It is nice to have time to read between revisions, though. I do like that part of waiting. πŸ™‚

  2. Patricia Stoltey says

    December 10, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Susan, cookies are a whole different matter. In the old days before I worried about the raw eggs, I’d eat more batter than I baked.

    I agree, Margot. And I’m waiting for something important now with exactly that attitude. The twitch in my left eye has nothing to do with impatience. πŸ˜€

    Mason, rushing always gets me into trouble. It was pretty hard to slow down after a lot of years in the corporate world, though.

  3. Mason Canyon says

    December 9, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    If only I had your patience. I usually try to rush things too much.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

  4. Margot Kinberg says

    December 9, 2013 at 7:40 pm

    Pat – The ability to choose the right time for something is really a valuable skill. Things happen when they should, and sometimes you have to wait for that…

  5. Susan Gourley/Kelley says

    December 9, 2013 at 7:26 pm

    You made me laugh. I’m such an impatient waiter, even for the cookies to get done in the oven.

  6. Patricia Stoltey says

    December 9, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Julie — I wish. My editor has informed me I still have a lot to learn. πŸ˜€

    Hi Diane. I used to be that way when I had a job in the real world. I calmed down a lot after retirement.

    John, it’s definitely a learned behavior.

  7. John Paul McKinney says

    December 9, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Active waiting is a real gift. Impatience gets in my way. Alex’ comment reminded me of the old ditty:
    Patience is a virtue,
    Possess it if you can;
    Seldom in a woman,
    Never in a man.

  8. L. Diane Wolfe says

    December 9, 2013 at 10:33 am

    I wish I was better at waiting. I’m just way too impatient.

  9. Julie Luek says

    December 9, 2013 at 10:03 am

    When I first read your blog title in my feed, I thought it said, “I Have Perfected the Art of Writing”. I was so excited and came rushing over to glean from your perfection. Sigh. Yes, now I suppose I must WAIT for that. Could you work on that for me? πŸ˜‰

  10. Patricia Stoltey says

    December 9, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Alex, I turn a music station on my radio when I’m in the car. If I’m stuck waiting for a train or a long red light, I just do a little car bopping.

    Jenny, lying down until the sense of urgency passes is an excellent technique. I also like staring into space and taking deep, slow breaths.

  11. Jenny says

    December 9, 2013 at 9:09 am

    Pat, I’m pretty sure I could give you a run for your money in the waiting game! I do occasionally have a sense of urgency, but I lie down until it passes πŸ™‚

  12. Alex J. Cavanaugh says

    December 9, 2013 at 7:09 am

    Patience is a virtue! I can wait. Unless I’m in traffic.

Meet Patricia

I read, I write, I blog, and sometimes I do the laundry and cook. My 2014 novel, Dead Wrong, was a finalist in the thriller category of the 2015 Colorado Book Awards. Wishing Caswell Dead (Five Star/Cengage, December 20, 2017) is a historical mystery set in 1830s Illinois in the fictitious Village of Sangamon. The novel was a finalist for the 2018 Colorado Book Awards for General Fiction. My most recent release, In Defense of Delia (Five Star/Cengage, November 2022), is available in hardcover and will soon be available in ebook and trade paperback. Read More…

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