On Writing and Waiting


Photo credit: mynameisrichard on Flickr
In response to my post on whether or not writers should delay their gratification, I received many interesting and thoughtful answers. A common theme I noticed, however, was that most of us agree there isn’t a straightforward one-size-fits-all answer.

It goes without saying that when it comes to things of the writerly nature, answers will vary depending on the writer/ manuscript/ season/ day of the week/ what you ate for breakfast/ how many ferrets you have (ok, maybe not those last few). But delayed gratification is interesting because, for writers at least, it’s mostly inevitable.

Regardless of whether you choose indie or traditional publishing, a lot of work goes into a novel before you get anything in return. Writers spend years honing their skills before anything they write is anywhere near publishable. Writers work without pay and give up their precious free time to work on that novel/ screenplay/ poem/ short story/ what-have-you.

So at the beginning of a writer’s journey, at least, there is no escaping delayed gratification.

The question we truly face as writers, with the rise of indie publishing upon us, is how long to continue to delay that gratification. How long, for example, should you edit before querying agents or uploading to Amazon?

This is where matters start to get tricky. There isn’t a magic number we can point to and say after x-amount of hours, words or books you’re ready to be published (although there is a theory that in order to master any skill or subject, you have to spend 10,000 hours developing said skill, but that’s another matter entirely).

The best thing writers can do is practice some patience while honing their skills. Take your time to perfect your story, to learn about the craft, to become a better writer. Make publishing decisions carefully and take all the time you need to make the decision that’s best for you and your career as a writer.

Keep calm and carry on. Seriously. Whenever you start to feel rushed, take a deep breath and remember that time is working for you. Don’t rush the process. 

What do you think? Is delayed gratification just part of the process? Can we (or should we) try to avoid it? 

17 comments:

Daphne Gray-Grant said...

I think the hardest "delay" for most writers is the delay between writing and editing. So many people start editing WHILE they are writing. To me, this is like trying to wash the dishes while you are still eating dinner. If you can delay the gratification of editing long enough to squeeze out a first draft, you will write so much more productively!

Ava Jae said...

Whoops! Thanks for the correction, Alice. I fixed it. :)

Ava Jae said...

I definitely work much faster when I resist editing while writing, but I've found that some people work better if they do some amount of editing while writing. It depends on the writer, of course, and it certainly takes longer to finish a novel that way, but certain writers have found they prefer it. I usually say resist if you can, but if not then limit the amount of editing in the first draft. 

Alice M. said...

now it says ten million!

Ava Jae said...

Well...that's embarrassing. Just goes to show how awake I was this morning. Heh. 

Alice M. said...

i do things like this allllllll the time. don't be embarrassed!

Matthew Rowe said...

I always feel rushed. So many people now are out there and enjoying being published and I'm struggling to find 10 minutes a day to do some writing when I know I have talent. I know because Douglas Adams came to me in a dream and said something bizarre and irrelevant but nevertheless very deep and funny....

Colin Kerr said...

Goals work out best when the process is gratifying in its own right. When you can truly say that you are proud of your work regardless of sales numbers or critical commentary, you are ready to publish.

Ava Jae said...

Ha, ha, it happens to the best of us, I suppose. :)

Ava Jae said...

It's tough, trying to slow down in a culture that is very much about getting things done quickly and efficiently, but I truly believe the best thing you can do is force yourself to take a breath and enjoy the stage you're in now

Ava Jae said...

I like that. You definitely know you're in a good place when the process/stage itself is gratifying. Great thoughts, Colin. 

BiculturalMama said...

I think delayed gratification is part of the process whether we like it or not. Whether it's investing the time to write the book to waiting up to 9 months to hear back from a publisher regarding your query, it's a slow process.

Ava Jae said...

It most certainly is. Writers often have to learn to be especially patient with the process. 

Stephanie Schmidt said...

I've gone and prematurely queried, because I get impatient, too. But you're right, you do have to delay it. Your story gets done, you still have to edit, then go through the beta readers. Until this year, I've never considered how much work goes into a novel. It's nuts, but awesome.

Author Steven said...

Very nice post as usual. ;) I do agree that writers should practice patience because it will reap them a better harvest in the long run. Lately I've been going through a rough spot with a large part of my plot. The magic in my story seems to...used, streamline, and it seems like I'm unintentionally copying other stories. Either way I'm in brainstorming problem solving stage now! :) I was also thinking about how setting can be utilized for mood and plot, I read an interesting article about that recently. Hope all is going well with you.

~Author Steven :D

Ava Jae said...

I think many of us have, at one point or another, made the mistake of querying prematurely. There's a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into a novel, and it's often a lot more work than many of us would have imagined before we started writing.

Ava Jae said...

Thanks, Steven! Patience is one of the most important (and difficult) things I've learned throughout my time as a writer. It's one of those things few people want to learn, but the sooner we learn and apply it, the better. 

I wish you the best with your writing! :)

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