It seems in this business we are constantly waiting for something to happen. No matter what phase you are in - there is probably some sort of waiting going on:waiting to finish
waiting for beta reader
waiting for feedback
waiting for agent
waiting for editors
waiting for emails
waiting for computer to be fixed
waiting for conferences
Sometimes the "waiting" gets to me. To where I just want to scream.
Here are all the things I do while waiting....
organize closets
go through kids old clothes and pack up small ones
clean
complain
surf (the internet though I guess surfing on the coast of CA would be nice too)
Talk on the phone
Make new "friends" on Facebook
Blog
Tweet
organize closets...again
read...read...read
work on next book
catch up on TV
play with kids
check email
check other email
decide to cook a homemade meal
burn homemade meal
order meal
make picture albums (or at least 1/2 of one)
curse industry for being so dang slow
write another book
line edit past books
read old rejection letters
burn old rejection letters
Come up with 10 reasons why I still need to wait
organize closets
"research new book" - which really means surf Internet (hey - it adds 1 more thing to my list.)
mail out prizes that were won a month ago
catch up on Bookanistas posts
organize kitchen drawers
catch up on laundry
obsess over Publishers Marketplace
obsess over statcounter
and then.....
wait some more.
What do you do while you are waiting for something to happen?
30 comments:
I wish I could say "clean out my closets" because they really need it.
I try to catch up on my knitting, because I simply can't do that while I write. And sometimes I watch a movie, because I can do that while knitting.
I hate waiting!
I must be an oddball. I don't exactly enjoy waiting, but at least waiting keeps me from tinkering on a MS. I can focus on a WIP while I wait.
http://m-b-west.blogspot.com/
I try to shove it out of my brain and work on the next story. Doesn't always work though. Can't seem to stop checking that email.
My closets are jealous of your closets :) --Stasia
Honestly? I sit and stare at the screen >.< Okay, so I sometimes study, write other stuff, blog, read blogs, ehm... play with Beena, my hamster. And of course take care of the kids when they're day is over at the kindergarten.
I took up Zumba classes at my local gym. They are fun, and hard, and leave me so tired I pass out and sleep all night. Before I know it, It's time to go to Zumba again. It really helps with the waiting. (I have 2 agents considering my MS.. it's killing me!)
I haven't gotten to a stage where I have to wait on someone else yet. And when I do, I plan to fill wait times with other stuff. Distractions. Shiny New MS's and trips to Italy, and loads of books and movies of course.
Lately, I've taken to watching TV! Which is crazy for me. I rarely do it. But the thought of cleaning out my closets makes me sleepy.
Oh...another thing to do while waiting...sleep.
Good luck with the wait, hon.
Oh the waiting!!! I completely relate to this. I have been in a waiting mode for a loooong time. I love this list! Maybe I should try cleaning out my closets....
Wow, Shelli, you must have the best organized closets around! I'm currently trying to distract myself with beta reading for someone else and teaching myself to set goals. :-)
Oh me...so much of what you do is the same as what I do. Especially the burnt dinner and the half-finished photo albums. Also, I LOVE cleaning out closets. I'd like to add "shopping" to the list, right after the closets are cleaned out. :)
Happy waiting!
I try to work on another book while I'm waiting. But sometimes I feel like crawling out of my own skin. Then some exercise helps.
Love your list!! I've got a few of the same on mine - and I'd include research, planning & prepping for school :)
LOL, that about sums up what I do down to burning supper. Yup, in process of getting out winter clothes and cleaning kids closets and every time I do this we get freak warm weather.
Obsess. Obsess. Obsess. That's me. :-)
I try to write but I always wind up obsessively hitting the refresh button on my email. It gets so bad I tell myself okay you have to write 1,000 words before you can refresh unfortunatley I don't listen very well to myself. However, I've been watching Friday Night Lights everyday and that really helps.
LOL, I obsess over Publisher's Marketplace, too. And I've been trying to write a new book, but the waiting keeps distracting me. ;)
Great list of things to do. I work on my manuscripts, go to work, read, take care of my family, etc like I do all the time. Yes, there is tons of waiting and "no" in this business. Sigh.
All of those same things. Especially the burning of the homemade meal. I do that a lot.
I go into a walking zombie like coma--which I'm currently in-- trying to keep incoherent, "ba, ba, ba" sounds from escaping my lips. Especially in public.
UGHH, waiting is the worst. I think I mostly eat chocolate!
If I'm waiting on something, especially if I'm really excited about it, I become a giant ball of procrastination ... and do nothing but religiously check my mail/email/whatever....
so I should probably steal some more productive ideas from this post :D
As a working mom I don't have waiting time. I am lucky to fit in those writing hours, so I'm taking care of my baby, cleaning, cooking, laundry, getting the car fixed, doctor's appointments, etc. I wish i had more waiting time!
Ha! Makes me think about "Oh The Places You'll Go"
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
I myself play Playstation (NCAA Football) when I'm waiting. thanks for sharing.
Work on the next project!
(...at best.)
Oh, my gosh, I so feel this. I'm forever waiting for something. What I do? I angst. Yeah, I need to pour my energy into something more. Yeah, just more.
I don't have time to wait, not with two kids, one two, one two months. There's so much to do around the house and so many diapers to change and mouths to feed and dishes and laundry and baths and sleep. Oh yeah, and writing.
But mostly, when I'm 'waiting' I constantly check my email. Hoping to receive that email I've been waiting for.
The waiting is really frustrating sometimes. But I always have one novel on the go, so I just keep working on that next book, trying to ignore the frustratingly slow pace of the whole publishing process.
I write!
That's all that keeps my mind off the inbox!
I do a lot of cooking and baking while I wait. Makes the family happy ;)
Post a Comment