Saturday 20 June 2015

Not looking!

We all know a watched pot never boils, but far more frustrating is the fact that important email never arrives in your inbox if you keep checking for it.

I’m going away next week (a trip ‘up north’ to visit family) so I’ve been busy this week tidying my writing room, getting rid of clutter, putting papers I want to keep into physical files, reorganizing and backing up computer files, and drastically pruning my to-do lists so I can get off to a fresh start when I come back.

I checked my writing records and realized I haven’t heard anything about five submissions I’ve made: three short stories entered into competitions, a children’s picture book story sent to a publisher, and the first three chapters of a children’s novel with another publisher.

I’m hoping that no response from the publishers might be a good sign – I’m happy for them to take as long as they like – but I'm puzzled as to why the competition results haven't been announced yet. The organizers have had plenty of time to come to a decision.

I will have access to the Internet while I’m away but I’ve decided, no, I’m going to be on holiday. I’m going to resist the temptation to check my emails every day. But I’m keeping my fingers crossed that when I get home I might find something interesting amongst all the spam clogging up my inbox!

P.S. Just received a very quick response to a submission I made to Alfie Dog Fiction. I’ll tell you about it when I get back.


8 comments:

liz young said...

Wow - you have been a busy girl! How long will it take you to get back into the swing when you return? I always need a few days.

Suzanne Furness said...

I know these feelings! I hope your inbox is filled with good news on your return. Happy holidays.

Linda D said...

Lizy, I'm taking my camera and sketch book with me, but I've promised myself not to do any writing. After a week away, I'm hoping I'll be desperate to get back to it!

Thanks, Suzanne!

beejay said...

Hope you'll have some good news when you return home, it's so frustrating waiting for news, but all part of being a writer. Enjoy your break away.

Susan A Eames said...

I find it impossible not to keep checking when I'm waiting for a response from an editor - or competition results. Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Unknown said...

Hope the trip is going/will go well, and you'll come home to lots of good news, Linda.

Jan Baynham said...

Good luck, Linda, and here's hoping your in-box will be filled with good news on your return. I find it hard waiting for results and decisions about submissions, too, especially if there's no definite date given. I hope you had a great trip!

Linda D said...

Update:
Back home after an enjoyable break. Still no news about any of my submissions but thanks for all the lovely comments. It's good to know I'm not the only impatient writer!