Is patience really a virtue?

I am waiting, waiting, waiting.

I am trying to be very patient. If patience really is a virtue, I must be very virtuous indeed. You see, I’m waiting for the results of my Master of Arts Creative Writing thesis paper. Regular readers will know that over the last 18 months I’ve been writing a children’s novel set in Nepal during their recent civil war. I submitted the novel, along with a 10,000 word exegesis essay on the writing of the novel, about mid-December. We were told we might wait 6 to 8 weeks for the results. Two days ago the 9 week mark was reached, so I am trying not to get impatient. Two of my fellow students have heard their results but they submitted the week before me.

This experience has got me thinking about the patience that all writers need. Here are some of my thoughts:

Why writers need patience:

1. Some writers need to patiently wait for writing ideas.
2. Writers need patience when a story or novel is not going along as it should.
3. Patience is needed when life gets in the way of writing schedules, especially if the writer has another job, or a family needing attention.
4. You need patience when waiting to hear if a publisher is going to accept your story or novel.
5. Once an acceptance is offered by a publisher, patience is needed when waiting to see the work in print.
6. When a story or novel has been published, one needs patience waiting for a payment.
7. Reading through reviews of one’s work can severely test a writer’s patience.

I’m sure most writers could add many more examples. What can you do while all the waiting is going on?

Waiting productively

1. While waiting for a idea for a story, read, read, read and do other creative activities to stimulate the mind.
2. While waiting to hear from a publisher, go on with other writing projects to maintain momentum with your writing.
3. While waiting for your work to be published, be sending out more work to publishers. Keep your momentum going.
4. Remember that waiting is inevitable and a part of the writing process. Use the waiting time productively.
5. Don’t give up.

Good writing.