Writers and Patience

 

Many times, I have mentioned the two keywords in my writing life. One is patience and the other is perseverance. Today, let's concentrate on patience.

When did you first have the desire to become a writer? As a child? A college student? A young career person? After raising a family? Or maybe after you retired. Just because the desire takes root doesn't mean that is when you're going to give this craft a try. It may settle into your conscious or subconscious mind for a long time. For me, it was many, many years. 

Finally, you're ready to give writing a try. What's the first thing you do? Probably sit down and write a story that you've thought about a long time. You write it, then look at markets to decide where you'll send it. You find a magazine that seems to fit your kind of story, so off it goes. And then you wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, an email arrives telling you that the publication cannot use your submission. Suddenly, the realization comes that this business doesn't happen in a hurry. 

The person above probably made a lot of mistakes. After all, it's a first try. Here are just a few things this writer might have done wrong:

A. Wrote the story too fast

B.  Didn't edit the story before submitting

C.  Didn't let the story sit a few days before editing

D. Didn't study the markets well

E.  Expected to hear from the publication quickly

The writer was not patient. There are many steps in the writing process and they should be taken one by one. The list below gives a few suggestions for a new writer, and ones that seasoned writers should consider, as well: 

A.  Join a writing group 

B.  Take a class about writing and go to workshops at conferences

C.  Read, read, read about writing

D.  Join a critique group and take their advice to heart; learn that criticism is meant to help, not hurt

E.  Learn to accept rejection (not easy, but as time goes on, you can do it)

F.  Write on a regular basis, even if it is only 15 minutes a day

G.  The more you write, the better writer you can become

All the above requires patience. To be honest, I am not a patient person, but writing has helped me learn to be more patient than I have ever been. 

There is no magic number of months or years that will bring you success in writing. We're all unique people, all with different kinds of talents, all with hopes and dreams, but reaching the mountain top will take many roads and we will not all have to travel that road the same amount of time. Work on your patience while you also work on your writing skills.