Patience and Writing
Let’s take a peek at the cogs inside the machine and talk about why I write and how I write on Behind the Scenes Sunday! Today I’d like to talk about the relationship between patience and writing, and why it’s so important to cultivate an ability to wait with grace when pursuing writing as a career.
Art doesn’t happen in a vacuum. While the lonely artist is a popular romantic figure, the reality is, as it often is, very different. In order to create, refine, and disseminate your art, you need other people’s help. Writing is no different. I always tell people who chat with me at events that it takes a village to make a book. My books go through many different hands before they emerge in their final form: editors, beta readers, cover artists, agents, publishers, all these folks and more combine to make my books the special creations that they are.
But what does this all mean? It means time. Making and distributing art takes time. And some of that time is going to be spent waiting for others to do their part. And if you don’t want to torment yourself or have a breakdown, you need to accept that and be willing to wait patiently. Trust in other people to do their best in the time they’ve said they’re going to do it. If that sounds easy, it absolutely is not. It is the hardest thing in the world.
At least it is for me.
Patience is hard for me. Especially when it comes to my work. But in trying to cultivate patience around my art, I’ve discovered something – a deeper appreciation for what it is that everyone does. A gratitude for the work. I’ve started to stop and smell the flowers, if you will, and appreciate every step and, most importantly, give myself and others more credit for the enormous work we do every day.
I started the first draft of my next book, Hungry is the Night, on July 4th, 2019. It will be hitting shelves August 22nd of this year, the first of a series. That’s four plus years from idea to book. That’s dedication. And that’s incredible. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of a lot of people, for whom I am infinitely grateful.
Robin Jeffrey 