Hurry Up and Wait

 

Photo Credit: MintMiller via Pixabay

 

 

I never really appreciated the expression “hurry up and wait” until I tackled an article deadline I had this week.

 

Usually, if I have a deadline for an article, I will get started working on it as soon as possible. This is true even if I have a whole month to turn it in. (When I wrote for newspapers, I normally had a week to write and submit my articles, so I pretty much got used to this schedule.) I will start gathering information, interviewing people if this is required, doing research, outlining my piece, pre-writing the article and basically doing everything required in order to create a final draft as I move closer to the deadline.

 

With the article I had due this week, however, things did not move as quickly as I wanted them to. I already had all of my information and interviews were done. I just needed to take everything I had for the article and put them into the actual article.

 

There was one problem, though. And it was a problem that, while many writers are happy to have, this writer struggled with: Information overload. My editor wanted an article of 600 words. I had thousands of words in the interviews conducted for this article. Thankfully, when I ended up reslanting my article (which I had to do based on the content of the interviews), I did not need to use too much of the material from my research.

 

The interviews, however, were important for the article, and there was a lot of content in those interviews.

 

As it was, I ended up taking a portion of the content from those interviews and asking my editor if it could be used as a sidebar.

 

But actually writing the article? That took some time. I was basically overwhelmed by all the material gleaned from the interviews and I had to figure out how I was going to break it all down into an article of less than one thousand words.

 

Still, after a check-in from my editor, I knew I would HAVE to get past that mental block I was having from the information overload and GET TO WORK.

 

So I worked on it here and there, taking it a little at a time.

 

This seemed to be the right approach, because I found that the more I worked on putting together this article, taking the writing of it in bits and pieces, the easier it was for me to get past that sense of overwhelm and focus on taking from those interviews exactly what I needed for this article. I figured that what I didn’t use for this article could be used in another article should I choose to pursue writing a different article on the same topic (with the interviewees’ agreement to have their quotes published in a certain publication). Or at least I have those quotes on hand should I ever need to use them for a related piece in the future.

 

Thankfully, I was able to complete the writing of my article with a satisfactory word count.

 

But I wasn’t ready to tackle editing and revising it just yet.

 

Even though I was having a good day that I wanted to share about on social media – FINALLY getting through that mental block to get that article written and FINALLY finding a home for a short story I spent almost six years submitting to various publications – I wasn’t sure that would be a good idea. Why? Because there was a lapse between “finishing my article” and “submitting my article.”

 

One would think that after writing something that has a deadline, with an editor waiting in the wings, a writer would IMMEDIATELY finalize the piece and send it off, right?

 

Nope. Not me. That’s not how I work.

 

Sure, in my journalism days, I would write an article, give it a quick edit, then turn it in on the same day, but not anymore.

 

These days, I need to let a piece rest before I submit it.

 

So, basically, I had to hurry up and finish writing my article, then I had to wait before submitting it. I had to get into a different headspace before I could put my editing cap on and look at the article with a more analytical eye.

 

So, after I finished writing the article, I went on to do some other things. I checked emails, read a bunch of stuff online, got caught up on my socials, and spent some time reading an ebook I’m reviewing. I had let my editor know that I would get the article to her before the day was out, so I had some time.

 

And when I came back to the article later, after focusing my attention on other activities, I was able to edit and revise it to my satisfaction. It might not be to my editor’s satisfaction, but I felt it was good to go. THEN I submitted it.

 

I know it might appear to be counterproductive to let a piece sit for a while after writing it when it is due that same day (or even yesterday!), but in order to edit and revise successfully, a writer needs to come back to that piece with fresh eyes.

 

Of course, some editing can be done right after the writer finishes writing something, but if the writer REALLY wants that piece to be edited effectively, it’s a good idea to wait a while before tackling the editing so that it would be done with a renewed sense of focus.

 

So, when it comes to completing an assignment on the same day that it is due, a good approach is this: Hurry up and (write it then) wait (to edit it).

Read Everything About Writing

 

There is always something new to learn. This is especially true with writing. Whether you are an aspiring writer, beginner, or an accomplished writer, it’s a good idea to take the time to read books, articles, blog posts and even tweets about writing. Some of them may inspire, while others can inform.

 

I try to read at least one book about writing each month. I have come across some good ones, too – books that ended up inspiring me as well as being very informative.

 

So far this year, here are some good books about the art or craft on writing which I highly recommend (select according to your personal preference):

 

2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron

 

Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys to Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland

 

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

 

101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists: Insider Secrets from Top Writers by Andrew McAleer

 

These are good books on writing, in my opinion. Right now, I am currently reading a book about scriptwriting. (I try to vary the types of books on writing I read since I write a variety of things.) However, what books you choose to read yourself is entirely up to you.

 

It never hurts to read another writer’s insights on writing, as well as what they have learned so far as writers. In fact, my newest edition of 365 Tips for Writers includes extra tips and material garnered ever since I originally wrote the book in 2004. The latest article at Horror Tree noted the importance of writers reading books about writing. (And, yes, reading books similar to what you write is helpful too.) 

 

Read the books by authors and writers you aspire to be like or whose success you hope to emulate one day. You never know what kind of helpful advice you come across, and some of their insights on writing can be inspiring nuggets of wisdom.

 

The bottom line is that it’s always helpful to read books and articles about writing because you just might come across something new or inspirational that helps your writing career.

My Attempt at the "30 Days of 30 Queries" Challenge

Several years ago, I came across a type of “challenge” that a writer I knew was doing. This particular writer, Natasha Khullar Relph, is one who I have networked with for some time. I have stayed connected with Natasha since first coming across her newsletter for writers, Writers Crossing. Since then, I have stayed connected with her through Absolute Write, Facebook and Twitter. I also subscribe to her newsletters and read her work any chance that I get! Natasha is a very accomplished and talented writer and she really knows her stuff! I am grateful to have crossed paths with her, albeit through the worldwide web!

 

Anyway, when Natasha mentioned she was doing “30 Days of 30 Queries,” I became curious. This experiment turned into a course she started offering to writers.

 

I never have taken the course, but I have always wondered if I could do such a thing too.

 

At the beginning of June, I decided to finally find out!

 

The problem was that, when June 1 came around, I forgot that I had forgotten how to write queries! Whoops! It has been so long since I took a break from freelance writing that I couldn’t remember how to write a query letter!

 

So, I did a bit of research. Read a whole bunch of articles on how to write a query letter, then I gave it my best shot! (I do have Angela Hoy’s book, Query Letters That Worked, and I have read it before. But…it has been some time so I guess I should give it another read!)

 

Working through nDash helped charge my memory on how to write queries, too. Of course, the pitches which I sent to brands were not in the same format as a standard query letter, but the abstracts I had to write honed my ability to be succinct, to the point, and choose my words carefully.

 

Eventually, I was able to write a query letter with ease. After a while, and with a lot of practice, the memory of how to write a query letter did come back to me. Yay!

 

When I first started sending out the queries, I had a bunch of ideas for articles to pitch. The problem was, I had a hard time finding markets for them. ARGH! Googling for the markets did not turn up much. Thankfully, I finally got a copy of the most recent edition of Writer’s Market, so that helped a lot too.

 

Then I ran out ideas for articles! There’d be days I’d be frozen at the keyboard, wondering what to pitch.

 

That was until I remembered a whole bunch of article ideas I had either saved on the computer or written down into a notebook. That helped! I also recycled pitches that had been rejected in the past, giving them a new twist. I would also pitch article or essay ideas that were rejected on nDash, where I write content for brands.

 

The next challenge was to even REMEMBER to send out a query!

 

Now, see, this is why it’s a good idea to take the course instead of trying to do it alone. I didn’t have an email from Natasha appearing in my inbox every day, reminding me to send out a query!

 

I did, however, have my To Do lists, and that did help me to remember to send out a query sometimes. But I didn’t always use my To Do list this month, because with one kid graduating from middle school and the other not only starting summer term at the university but also changing his work schedule, things were a little crazy for a while there. So on the days I didn’t use my To Do lists, I forgot to send out a query.

 

In the end, instead of sending out 30 queries for 30 days, I only ended up sending out 12 queries in the span of 30 days.  Oh, well. At least I gave this challenge a try! LOL

 

Even so, all this querying, looking for markets and jumping on opportunities to pitch markets that put out a call for pitches has gotten me hooked! That’s right: Even though the month has come to an end, I’m not going to stop sending out queries!

 

In fact, I am planning to send one out tomorrow. Maybe two.

 

That reminds me … There was one day I sent out two queries: One to a market and one to a brand on nDash. After I started working through nDash, I began to think that it wouldn’t hurt to pitch to other markets in addition to the brands I pitch to through there. I like that idea a lot and just might keep it in my routine.

 

On the other hand, I may have scored low in sending out queries this month, but I was definitely busy also sending out poetry books and short stories to contests, anthologies, magazines and websites. That’s something which I plan to continue doing as well.

 

Here are all the queries I sent out this month. Of the 12 I sent, I’m very excited I got at least one acceptance.

 

The 12 Queries I Sent in 30 Days

 

Day One: Pitched Business Insider an article idea. No response.

Day Two: Pitched Parents & Kids an article idea. No response.

Day Three: Pitched Catster about an article idea. No response.

Day Four: Pitched Longreads for an essay. Rejected.

Day Five: Pitched Oregon Coast magazine about an article idea. No response.

Day Six: Pitched Whole Life Times an article idea. No response.

Day Seven: Longreads rejected my pitch so I sent it to Mutha Magazine. They responded with a request to submit. Accepted.

Day Seventeen: Queried Bookmarks magazine about an essay. Rejected.

ALSO ON DAY SEVENTEEN: Pitched article idea on nDash. No response.

Day Eighteen: Queried Slate about an essay. No response.

Day ???: Queried WritersWeekly about an article idea. No response.

Day 30: Pitched Newsweek about an essay.

 

I am grateful for this experience. It has definitely sharpened my skills in writing a query letter (I’m glad I remembered how to do it again!). It has also gotten me interested in keeping up with it. I may not have gotten a query out every day, but I’m definitely going to keep sending them out. Always be writing! Always be pitching! That’s my new motto for the freelance writing. Who knows? Maybe I will get those 30 queries sent out 30 days in a row. What matters is that I keep tossing my name into the hat.