Learning to Wait – Childhood Training for Being a Children's Book Author

Tick-tock,
tick-tock. 

Waiting.

Waiting . . .


Waiting for storytime
Waiting for Mum to play
Waiting for school to end
Waiting for dinner
Waiting your turn . . .


Waiting for the rain to stop
Waiting for the cake to bake
Waiting for Uncle to arrive
Waiting for the post
Waiting for snow
Waiting for birthdays
Waiting for the phone to ring
Waiting for a kiss
Waiting for Santa!





As a child, there are ENDLESS things to wait for. Waiting does not come easy. Whydo we have to wait? Why can’t we have it NOW? Is is sooooo ***** frustrating!
As we get bigger, we learn to do just that  . . . wait.   
But IT ISN'T EASY!!!!



As a child, I learned how to wait for letters (and even as a grown-up, there are still some of these sometimes) and  

if I wanted to know something, I had to wait to go to the library, or look it up in the Encyclopedia Britannica at the neighbour’s house.




As a grown-up, the world is a much faster-moving place. But, even so, it seems the clock of time has speeded up infinitesimally. 
When I send an email, I itch waiting for a quick reply.   Plus, I don’t have to wait very long at all to find out something now. I can ask Google. I can see whether it will rain tomorrow. 
I can see how fireworks make all those cool shapes and colours. And when I ping a message on social media, I can
be pretty certain someone will ping-back fairly instantaneously . . .   

But still there is waiting.

But, wait! AHA!  

It seems that from the moment I started out, the universe has been preparing me for my raison d’etre – writing children’s books.







The business of creating and publishing children’s books is full to the brim with WAITING!

Waiting for an idea
Waiting for the manuscript to be ‘cooked’
Waiting for your critique group’s feedback
Waiting for a reply to submissions
Waiting for an agent to say yes
Waiting for the publisher to say YES!
Waiting for the contract
Waiting for the editor’s feedback
Waiting to hear if your revision is OK
Waiting for the pictures to be added to the words
Waiting for the proofs
Waiting for co-editons
Waiting for the printing
Waiting for the books!
Waiting to see it in the shop

HOORAY!!












 Then . . .

Waiting for an idea . . .
Waiting to hear if there will be a new book.
Waiting –-

So, you see, being a child is the perfect training for being a children’s book writer. Even if it is **** frustrating. 
__________________________________________________________________________
Natascha Biebow
Author, Editor and Mentor

Blue Elephant Storyshaping is an editing, coaching and mentoring service aimed at empowering writers and illustrators to fine-tune their work pre-submission.  Check out my small-group coaching Cook Up a Picture Book courses!
Natascha is also the author of Elephants Never Forget and Is This My Nose?, editor of numerous award-winning children’s books, and Regional Advisor (Chair) of SCBWI British Isles.