Writing fiction often feels like a game of hurry up and wait. It can be weeks, even months, before I learn whether my story is accepted for publication.   

My mystery writer friend Steve and I unknowingly both submitted short stories to the same anthology. The last time we submitted to the same publication, sadly neither of our stories were selected. This time around, I really hope one of us gets in.  

Having someone to commiserate with has made the long wait a little more bearable. One week after the purported selection date, neither of us had heard whether our stories had been accepted. We began to ping back and forth. Our brief emails went something like this:

“Heard anything?”

“Nope. Been checking my email every three milliseconds, so I couldn’t have missed any news.”

I saw a notice on a writing loop. The anthology choices would not be made for another week. That week came and went.

“Waiting. Waiting.”

“Me too. Not obsessing. As much.”

We are writers. We know the waiting game. Steve reminded me of the most vital fact concerning waiting for a decision on a submission: get busy working on the next story. But it never seems to get easier.

For this blog, I decided to look up some quotes on patience. I am not the most patient person. Even waiting for winter to end and spring to begin is a bit agonizing. Frankly, I need a reminder about this difficult to master virtue.

Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.
Joyce Meyer
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patience.html#kS6QgYxVxF3VpkTq.99

Work hard. And have patience. Because no matter who you are, you're going to get hurt in your career and you have to be patient to get through the injuries.
Randy Johnson
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patience.html#kS6QgYxVxF3VpkTq.99

Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.
Barbara Johnson
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patience2.html#QtGC7chvAiDRAX99.99

Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.
Ambrose Bierce
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_patience3.html#pypw8myOUdi4KgHu.99

I especially like that last one! I am confident that, for good or bad, Steve and I will learn the status of our stories soon. I’ll announce the news here on my blog.

I am making progress on the draft of book three in my Rock Shop Mystery series, and anxiously awaiting the ARCs (Advanced Reading Copies) of book two. In the meantime, here are some photos from my recent winter walk.

During the drought, I recall several years in a row where we received no snow in January. Nothing. So despite the cold, shoveling the sidewalk, and the inconvenient travel, I am grateful for the snow we've had this month. Last week, I took a walk on my lunch break at the day job. The sun peeked out long enough for me to take some stunning photographs of the remains of the recent snow storm. This is the moment after a storm, and just before a thaw, when everything is coated in pristine snow. 

Maris Soule writes the P. J. Benson mystery series.

"My goals for 2015: Promote and sell lots of copies of my June 2015 release, Eat Crow and Die, a FiveStar/Gale/Cengage Mystery." 

http://marissoule.com

Thank you both for joining me! 

I shared my goals last week, but I'll share a resolution today:
I resolve to quit hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock, get up extra early, and write before work. This strategy has worked well in the past. If I wake at 5 am, I can get in an hour writing fiction before heading to the day job. 

I wish you a fantastic 2015! Happy reading!