Friday 3 May 2013

The Waiting Game

So I've sent my book off to agents and I've realised that I'm now in the literary version of purgatory. That indefinite period of time where you hear whether your manuscript is taking you to publishing heaven, or whether you're judged as not worth and sent to rejection hell.

I feel a little on edge now. Like every email alert, every phone call may bring good or bad news. It isn't a sustainable existence all things considered. In fact, I probably need to develop a tougher skin for the months ahead. There are going to be people who criticise it; there are going to be people who love it. And both are fine. To have only one or the other would make me an extremely poor writer, either out of arrogance or despair. It is a bit like that moment in the final Harry Potter book where we learn that the sword of Godric Gryffindor only takes that in which makes it stronger. Every criticism, every piece of praise must be allowed to be taken into to strengthen me and mould me. This is going to be a steep learning curve, but it may be just the life lesson I need...

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