Now that my first completed manuscript is Out There, awaiting a response—or rather, responses, I have no choice but to wait on someone else’s time, energy, and motivation.

I started to type, “I’ve never been good at waiting”, but then I realized that was wrong.  I am actually very good at waiting.  I just hate it.  My birthday was in July…six months from Christmas.  That was a looong time between presents as a kid, and yet, I was never the type to hunt for presents, much less peek if I happened upon a suspi—er, likely looking bag unexpectedly.  I liked the surprise and the rush of excitement when I opened the gift, and wasn’t going to go out of my way to ruin it myself.

After a week of jumping every time the phone rang (Yes, all you more experienced writers can chuckle.  Yes, I really do know it takes months.  Somehow, that still doesn’t stop the little surge of adrenaline that starts 30 seconds after hitting the send button.), I decided I needed to do something to distract myself.  A new focus for my attention.  Something motivating, uplifting, and inspirational.

I needed to keep writing.

Huh.  That should have been more obvious.

The good news, it’s working.  I’ve set a daily word goal for the first time outside of NaNo (National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a., NaNoWriMo, a.k.a. NaNo—held every November), and am making major headway on my next project.  And it helps.  It’s distracting.  It focuses me on the positive of having another completed manuscript to send out soon.  It’s fabulous seeing the storyline come together.

Besides, I can have the cellphone on the table next to the computer.  Just in case it rings.