Waiting on Submissions

So lets face it. Part of a writer's--at least this writer's--life is waiting on submissions. I wait for a lot of things. In my instant gratification-esque mentality, it is usually a good thing for me to calm down and develop the patience I lecture my children to have on a regular basis.

But, I thought I would give an example of what I do when I am waiting on a submission. (One that I know, for example, I am not likely to have a response to for six weeks.)

1. Get up in the morning. Wake husband. Turn on the computer.

2. Check e-mail. Scan through e-mail twice to make sure I have not missed e-mail from publishing company. Check junk e-mail to make sure that my response from publishing company has not accidently gotten into junk e-mail folder. Check again. Read the rest of my e-mails. Respond to those that need responses.

3. Take the kids to school. Check Twitter, Facebook, Post, Give responses. (Sometimes these two are reversed. Sit down to write.

4. Check clock. Has enough time passed? Maybe. Check e-mail. Check junk e-mail.

5. Post on Twitter, eat lunch, write, read, pick up children, write, pick up more children, take children places, make phone calls--generally try to get through day. Check e-mail on I-phone. Check it again.

6. Come home and check e-mail again and check junk e-mail.

7. Eat dinner.

8. Check e-mail.

Are you getting the drift here? I'm lucky I don't sprain my fingers clicking on the e-mail button constantly. So if you are out there, rapidly checking your e-mail on submissions you can't possibly have heard from yet, you are not alone.

This writer does it too.