Waiting: Acquiring Patience Through Metaphor: Part Four

You can read Parts One, Two and Three HERE

The time I spend actually writing usually seems to fly by. The problem is waiting for the responses from publishers or agents or even you crit partners.

            

Fishing is the best metaphor I know for the process of writing and waiting.

            

First you have to get you gear together. This equals gathering the materials you need. Pen and paper, research books and notes, envelopes and stamps and the final finished product, are all part of your gear and pieces of the puzzle.

            

Next you have to find a good fishing hole. This equals researching publishers/agents you hope will be interested in your story. Then, bait your hook and throw out the line. In other words, write your cover letter/query and get it in the mail!

            

Now comes the hard part, waiting for a bite. This is the time to enjoy lounging on the river bank or trolling in the boat. Fishing isn’t about the bait. It’s about being outside and enjoying the scenery. Writing isn’t just about the story. It’s about the whole process, which includes getting ready for the next project.

There’s that nibble. But wait! If you get all excited and jerk the line too soon you’ll probably be disappointed because there won’t be a fish on the hook. Watch the bobber for serious movement but don’t do anything until the pole bends. Even then, be prepared. The hook may not be well set; you could still loose your fish.

                     

So, get out there. Bait your hooks and throw out your lines. If they get tangled, which can happen, whip out Alexander’s sword and chop them to bits. While you’re waiting for a nibble notice that you have moved forward, that you have another story out there or another one taking shape on the page. Notice you have another piece added to your puzzle. You might think about gluing your story together and hanging it on the wall, particularly if it’s accepted. If it keeps coming back to you, consider taking it apart and putting it back in its box for reassembly at a later date.

            

Keep yourself busy with the process of writing; try to enjoy all of its aspects. If you do, you won’t need to be patience. You’ll be so deeply involved with putting your next puzzle together you’ll hardly notice how time has flown by! Then, when that acceptance letter comes, or your story is finally published, it will take you by surprise.

When was the last time you were taken by surprise? Do you like surprises?

Waiting: Acquiring Patience Through Metaphors: Part Three

You can read Parts One and Two HERE.

As a kid I loved the stories of the Greek gods and heroes. I was particularly fond of Alexander the Great. I think I had a kind of crush on him. Of course, at eight or nine, there things I didn't know, mostly that he could be quite brutal. But there was also something different about him. For all his bloody warring, he was the first to recognize that different cultures had different things to offer. He didn't force conquered people to acquire the Macedonian/Greek way of living. Rather he incorporated the best from all the cultures, enriching the world in a way that had never happened before.

Legend said whoever unraveled or solved the puzzle of the Gordian Knot would become the ruler of the world. For Alexander that challenge must have been right up his alley. He approached the problem by thinking outside the box. Where others had tried to find a way to unravel it, Alexander simply whipped out his sword and hacked the knot to pieces!

            

All of us have moments of feeling tangled up inside. Maybe it's life problems, maybe it's plot lines. This is when a little mental imaging might help. Picture Alexander’s sword in your hands. Picture your problem as a tangled mess. Picture yourself wielding that sword of his and hacking that tangle into small manageable pieces.

            

Most times there should be a relaxation of tension. The problem may not have been solved, but it is a way to begin the process of opening yourself up to thinking outside the box. It's a way of helping you see smaller solutions to smaller problems. It's a way of not looking at the HUGE monster in front of you and instead seeing a mouse. Or if mice bother you, seeing an ant.

Do you ever use imagery to relax? Do you have a favorite Greek hero or myth?

Waiting: Acquiring Patience Through Metaphors - Part Two

Before I was so rudely interrupted by an angry gallbladder...

I was sharing lessons on how to be patient, something that as writers, we need to acquire. You can check out the first installment HERE.  It's about how jigsaw puzzles can be used as a means to acquiring patience.

The writing business takes time, nothing gets done quickly, except maybe that moment when a brilliant idea explodes in your brain.

Waiting in line

           
My first experience of having to be truly patient came with my first visit to Disneyland back in the early '80s. I was with a group of kids. Granted they were teenagers, but still they were not particularly patience.

Oh, those long, long lines!

But I noticed something. We were kept moving, our feet shuffled along at a regular, steady pace. I pointed this out to my frustrated teens who were ready to give up. Once they realized they weren’t standing still, that they were actually moving, they began to relax. They even go to point where they were able to notice things around them rather than being stuck on themselves. They were able to talk and laugh and not complain quite so much.

The lesson I (and I hope some of the kids) learned that day was that no matter how long the line or the wait, we eventually got to the place we wanted to be and that griping about how long it was taking didn't get us to that place any faster. Better to observe people, observe the clouds, smell the smells, tell bad jokes, than to complain. Doing something made the time seem to go by more quickly.

Waiting in line is inevitable whether at the doctor’s office, in traffic, at the grocery store, or with a publisher. The trick, while you're waiting, is to notice what’s going on around you. It’s a way of distracting yourself so you aren’t thinking about the actual the time it’s taking.

You could spend the time scribbling in your note book or reading a good book. The object is TO DO something.

What do you do when you have to wait in line?

Waiting: Acquiring Patience Through Metaphors - Part One

The old saying “patience is a virtue,” is wrong. If you're a writer, patience is not a virtue, it’s a necessity.

            

Over the years I have gathered to myself experiences and stories that act as metaphors. Whenever I need to, I take a moment to reflect on them, gathering strength from their symbolism. They help keep me centered and patient. Perhaps they can help you too.

Jigsaw puzzles

1000 piece butterfly

     

As kids, my sister and I spent many evenings putting jigsaw puzzles together. Many of them were done by lantern light, so the color of the pieces was not what we'd see in natural light. I learned to find pieces not just by color, but by shape. Little did I realize the experience was preparing me to be patient. 

Each piece put into place is one less that has to be found. It is also one more that helps bring the whole picture into clearer focus.

            

2000 piece van Gogh

Whenever you start something big, whether it’s cleaning out a closet or writing a novel, instead of looking at everything that has to be done, look instead at what has already been accomplished.

As with a puzzle, begin by sorting out the edge pieces first. Make a to do list, get your basic materials together, read one research book instead of five, or clean up your desk area. In other words, begin small. This approach should help keep you focused on the task at hand and aide against feeling overwhelmed. 

500 piece Big Boy train

As each small task is finished it will become easier to see what the final picture will look like.

250 piece train wheels

My hubby likes trains. I did these for him.

Do you like doing jigsaw puzzles?

Next week Monday, Part Two: Waiting in Line.