Waiting…with a Helpful Teaspoon of Anxiety
So much of a writing career is about waiting. Waiting for things we can’t control – but which have SO much effect on our careers!
Right now I’m waiting on three things:
- I’m waiting to hear back from my agent. I sent him a rewrite of my latest novel, and I’m waiting to find out if he thinks it’s ready to submit to editors. Please cross your fingers for me?
- I’m waiting to get reviews in North America for my upcoming novel, Stolen Magic (a.k.a. A Reckless Magick in the UK). There are at least two major journals that will probably review it within the next couple of weeks. And when I think about that…aaaahhh! My anxiety levels shoot ever upwards.
- Last, but very much not least, I’m waiting for Stolen Magic to come out in North America! It’s due to be published on April 2nd. It’s the third in a trilogy. It was the hardest book of the trilogy to write, by far, and it’s also the one I’m most proud of. Will readers buy it? Will they like it??? These are the questions that haunt me as I lie awake at night.
So, as you can see, I’m not particularly a champ at handling all the associated waiting that comes with being a writer…but I’m working on some coping methods.
First (of course) (because it’s me!), I started with jewellery. 
As a combination reward-for-finishing-my-latest-rewrite and happy-finishing-the-trilogy! present (to myself), I bought a beautiful silver charm bracelet with just one charm. It reads:
Just Be.
Should be an easy command to follow, right? But in my current anxious state, my thoughts want to whir at high speed around my head, driving my anxiety levels higher and higher. Instead, when I can, I look at that charm. I take a deep breath. I tell myself: Just be.
It doesn’t always work, but it is a good reminder.
And secondly – and even more effectively – I’ve started working again on my next book, the one that’s still a complete first draft. After two and a half weeks off, yesterday I sat down and read through the 8,400 words I’d written so far. I loved my characters and story all over again. I started typing.
Two hours later, I had 1656 new words, a finished chapter…and better yet, I was feeling good. I wasn’t anxious. I wasn’t panicking about what one or another person might think of one or another of my previous books. I was just in the world of my new book-love…
…and that is priceless.
How about you guys? No matter what job you have, how do you cope when your anxiety levels soar? I’d love to hear your methods.
I had a night of that kind of anxiety too! And you’re right it’s the out of control thing that’s so hard. Like you I keep reminding myself to breathe and just be here. xx Love xx
Good luck with your own heaping of anxiety, Kate! We’re all in it together. *hugs*
Waiting for ideas makes me ANXIOUS :-/
Oh, that’s a horrible feeling, isn’t it? Every single time I get that, I find myself thinking, This is it! I will NEVER have another good idea again!
…and then it happens. Always. Every time.
But GOOD LUCK getting through that horrible waiting period!
Hi Steph! We’re all here for you! Oh! Writings the BEST for when I’m worrying about something! I just start typing, then, an hour later, I’m back to my old self again!
Thanks Laura! And you’re so right – writing is the best emotional medicine!
My fingers are crossed for you! If I’m ever anxious I read a book or listen to music. More words are the only things that can stop the anxious words in my head from wreaking havoc, plus reading and listening to music is fun
Thanks so much, Faolan! And those sound like really good coping strategies.
My agent has had my latest novel since the beginning of January.. for some reason I don’t get anxious about that (mills of God, grind exceeding slow, etc) – but you should have seen me yesterday when I was in the dentist’s waiting room – no coping strategy at all, just a blob of anxiety…
Ha! Isn’t it interesting what we choose to focus on for anxiety issues? I’m fine in dentists, no worries at all, but every single time I send my agent a manuscript, it only takes about an hour until I start madly hitting “refresh…refresh!” on my inbox, just in case!
(Luckily, I don’t tell him that. I try to pretend to be more calm and mature about the whole thing when I talk to him.
)
Ah, the internet and the world of instant gratification – I still remember having to wait for a letter (!) from my first agent…