Waiting.
Waiting on news.
It's kind of like being stuck in purgatory. BUT instead of your soul, your thoughts wander around aimlessly. You don't know which way is up or down. If your heart was a horse it would put Animal Kingdom – the winner of the Kentucky Derby – to shame, seeing that its racing inside your chest at 200mph. It's hard to concentrate, let alone sleep. You wonder. You second guess yourself. And then you try to snap out of it.
And you hope the old adage is true: do good things really come to those who wait?
After writing the above sentence, why do I feel like Carrie Bradshaw? God, I even hear SJP's voice ringing in my head.
And moving on...
No matter what you're waiting for – answers to queries, submissions, contest entries, new employment opportunities, Godot, er, winning the lotto? – it's best to be proactive, rather than reactive. Because it's COMPLETELY out of your control. Nothing you can do, say, think or dream will change the outcome. Your horoscope won't give you the answers (although mine is looking pretty, pretty good on astrologyzone.com this month), let alone the winning numbers.
Be a realist.
And try to focus on other things.
So what do I do to abide the time when I'm waiting? (Damn that little Mutant kid!)
a) I think about new projects. And I have many. If only I could choose one...
b) I catch up on my reading and look for new titles to add to my wish list. Like Nova Ren Suma's Imaginary Girls. Nova has teased us readers with sample chapters, which can be found here. If you download them, be warned: you will want to know what in the world is going on. And the book doesn't come out for two more weeks! If pictures could speak 1,000 words, take a look at this striking cover:
TOTALLY AWESOME. Just like Nova's prose. This book, well, it's different and it's great and it's surreal. And I'm totally hooked. Nova, I'll be watching you...and not in a creepy, stalkerish way. (Don't worry. I live in France.)c) Spring cleaning. Don't forget about organizing all those computer files. You know, the ones cluttering your desktop? Make your workspace sparkle! And not in an Edward Cullen vampire-y way. Seriously, if you have posters or screen-savers of Rpattz, well, it's time to take them down.
d) I do a lot of research. Stuff? It interests me. For example, a recent story in the headlines had me looking into a very disturbing topic, which, of course, inspired a bookish idea. I'll give you one clue, the title: BAIT. Don't worry, I'm not one to write about fishing. I lied in last week's blog post. Somehow the truth always comes out. I've never caught a fish. And I don't know that man...
e) I procrastinate. Twitter? Facebook? Writing forums? Your blog. Even your Uncles' blog. It's all game.
f) I think about exercising...and then I DANCE!
SOUND OFF: What do you do when you're waiting to hear some news? Do you sit around twiddling your thumbs or...?(Please share. I need more ideas! I've got a lot of time on my hands. And there's only so much dancing a girl with a broken toe can do.)
