Waiting...

I am currently in a chill out pattern waiting for my manuscript to come back from a super cool freelance editor. So, I've been taking some time this week to just relax. In other words, no writing. I watched some movies. Got hooked on Downton Abbey (seriously, it is awesome). Read some books. Worked on my ukulele playing. I've even been mulling over a new idea for a contemporary YA novel for the last few days. I might break down and do some plotting and character sketches next week just to flesh out my idea a little more.

The other thing I've been doing is panicking.

I always feel this way when I'm waiting for feedback from someone on my writing. Every time it happens, I pretty much envision getting one of two responses:

"Oh. My. God. You are brilliant! This novel is the finest thing ever committed to MS Word document! I bow to your greatness! Change not a word, for your voice, plotting, and characterization are far superior to anything ever written! Get thee to an agent post haste!"

(Not 100% sure why my critiquers turn into Shakespeare at the end, but I guess that's just the effect of me blowing their minds with my mad writing skillz and such.)

OR

"Oh. My. God. This is a piece of s***. I'm sorry to live in a world where this book exists. I only have one suggestion for you: destroy all evidence that you ever wrote this. Delete the whole thing and then burn your computer for it is certainly scarred for life after having been forced to type this. Then crawl in a hole and never write again."

Yeah, so that's what's going on in my head right now. There is no middle ground. The book is either the next Catcher in the Rye or kindling.

In reality, I know the edits will probably come back with loads of helpful suggestions and that I will have to get back to working even harder to make the book the best it can be, but that's so boring. If only someone would just tell me, "You are the greatest writer in the entire world, living or dead" or "Stop wasting our time with your banal nonsense," it would make this writing thing so much easier. I could either be awesome and not have to change anything or terrible and be able to give up once and for all.

How about you, fellow writers? Do you freak out when waiting for a critique? Do you go between thinking your work is genius and dog poo? How do you chase away these crazy writer thoughts?

-- Lisa