Most people think of me as a very calm and contained person. Outwardly, I suppose I am. Inwardly, however, I am a whirl of chaos, currently ruled by impatience.
I am impatient with my children when they get under my feet. I am impatient with my husband when he won’t do the jobs I request around the home. I am impatient with myself most of all. Sometimes it turns sour, and I have to rein myself in, other times I simply laugh at myself for letting silly things upset me.
#AtoZChallenge: I is for Impatient
At the moment, I am mostly impatient with the very slow development of my career. Once I decided to be a professional writer, I set about applying for paid writing jobs in all sorts of places. I managed to get one or two very low paid jobs, and eventually I quit those because there were not worth my time or effort. I am trying very hard to sell my books, but I fear my efforts will not succeed until I can afford to pay someone to do the job for me. So I am looking for another regular job just to earn a bit of money. Unfortunately, this is not so easy when I have to source childcare and travel arrangements on a zero budget. I am living the catch-22 situation that so many fellow mothers in the UK are dealing with (and a small number of fathers). I can’t speak for other countries, but I would be interested to hear your feedback.
A crazy, irrational emotion
Being impatient is just one more of those crazy, irrational emotions that I live with at the moment. There are a lot of things happening around me that I feel helpless to remedy, even though in many cases I can see a reasonable solution. My work attempts are waning now as I take a step back to reassess the situation and decide where my priorities ultimately lie. I mean, my children are my priority at the moment, that is true, but so are my books. They are a part of me, just as much as my offspring. And I am impatient because I need the world to read my stories, fall in love with my characters, and support me as I continue to write and publish more wonderful works. Now, hurry up, I have work to do!
Could I tempt you to read my new short story, The Wolf and the Fairy, available to download now? Thank you!
See you tomorrow, for the next letter in the #AtoZChallenge.
Did you enjoy this article? Download your FREE copy of LGBT fantasy short story It’s Complicated (The Redcliffe Novels) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here.
SpookyMrsGreen 
I too am impatient, I’m not a father (or certainly a mother) but I live in the UK. Personally I find it a struggle to find places I can submit work to. I got offered a long term spot on a dating site but got rejected once they found out I was a queer writer (even though I told them from the start). Keep at it, I’m sure you will find more writing jobs.
Thank you, and I am sorry to hear about your negative experience. I think I have been looking for work in the wrong places.
You are speaking to the same issues Mothers in America experience, I’ve been there, and stretching oneself that thinly does make one feel very impatient! Until employers acknowledge the issue of childcare and pay a living wage, the proverbial hampster wheel remains difficult to exit. Kudos to you for striving to craft a new life for you and your children through your writing.
Thank you, it really helps when I receive positive messages from supporters!
I soooo hear you regarding impatience about one’s writing career.
Mine seems to be taking forever and it’s frustrating! It’s not the writing of the books; those move along at a satisfactory pace. It’s the everything else–critting, editing, querying, indie publishing when querying fails, waiting for release dates if querying succeeds.
I regret not paying as much attention to my writing career in the early days. I watched all my peeps (who didn’t have children and could afford to spend HOURS working on their books, etc) get agents and get published and win prizes.
But now that my children are older (and that helps), I am able to devote more time to my writing career.
I also have a part-time day job, now that all the offspring are in school. That helps fund the startup bit of a writing career.
That is exactly the issue! Before children I worked a full time job and devoted my energies elsewhere for hobbies. My writing only picked up just before I got pregnant, so now I am stuck trying to fit a paid job around the children in order to fund my business. Ah, well!
I’m in the U.S., but as a working mother and writer, I’m also stretched very thin and get impatient with my lack of writing success. At least I have another book coming out soon. The more published works out there, the more likely it is they’ll reach people.
That’s what I’m hoping for, although I am aware there are no guarantees with this plan… I do have lots of books to prepare!
The frustration of being a writer – success is not easy and it’s not guaranteed. I often struggle with the same thoughts and sometimes wonder if it’s worth the time and effort I put into it. I’d make more money working at McDonalds, although it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying. Best of luck for your writing to take off soon!
Oh, I know, such a conundrum! I am trying a different approach, sort of a sideways step, to try and improve the cash-flow situation 😉 Thank you!
I noticed on your reply on the Church Explorer you were doing the A to Z, I hav edone it twice but felt they really did not support photographers so this yeaar I left it. Good luck with it this year
Thank you, yes it is a bit hit and miss, I think. So far I am woefully behind in responding to other people’s blogs, but we are not yet halfway through the month so there is hope yet! 🙂
Impatient I am too… yes I am tempted to read your story too..
http://serendipityofdreams.blogspot.in/2016/04/jukebox.html