Waiting

Seems like much of a writers life is spent in waiting. Presently, I'm waiting to hear from a publisher about whether I'll be one of six authors chosen to write a new tween girls' fiction series. I'm waiting to hear from a magazine editor about their list of themes for the new year. I'm waiting to find out if I'll be on staff at a premier Christian writers conference. I'm also waiting to see a short sidebar published that was accepted by a kids magazine over six months ago. I'm waiting to hear back from a couple of publishing houses on book proposals I sent to them last October. I'm waiting for an editor-friend to send another of my book proposals to her former publishing house with a letter of recommendation. And those are just the things I'm waiting for in my writing life right now. I won't even get into my personal waiting list.

Waiting. It's a fact of life, but one that is sometimes hard to swallow. But waiting doesn't have to mean marking time. It can be a very productive time too. My strategy for handling the waiting is to move on to the next project, whatever that may be. It occupies my time productively, and seems to make it pass by faster. I try not to let discouragement creep in as I wait. Just because I'm not getting results as quickly as I'd like, it doesn't mean negative things are taking place. I like Psalm 27:14. As a matter of fact, I have it on a 3x5" card on my computer. It says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Simple. Straightforward. Easy to grasp. I like that. So I'm determined to do just that. Be strong and take heart as I wait. God is waiting with me.