H.S.S., or Hit Send, Stupid!
A year ago, back when I was still querying, I'd have these little moments of hesitation. I'd have the query letter formatted into an email space, with the first few pages pasted into the bottom. I'd double and triple-check the agent information, my salutation, everything. If it was a request for pages, I'd double and triple-check the attachment. Anything to avoid hitting SEND.
Then my finger would hover on the mouse, with the pointer over the SEND button. And hover. And hover. Until a little voice cried out, "Hit send, stupid!"
Hesitation anxiety is not, apparently, chased away by having an agent or a deal. I had a H.S.S.-moment last month when I sent book two to my agent. I had it big-time last night when I emailed a draft of book two to my editor. After spending all morning tweaking. After staring at the blank email for five minutes. After hovering the mouse over SEND for five more minutes. Finally, that little voice popped up and cried, "Hit send, stupid!"
And I did.
Hesitation anxiety: does it ever truly go away? Or should I just make a t-shirt with H.S.S. emblazoned in large, bloody letters?
*
Cross-posted at Organized Chaos.
Then my finger would hover on the mouse, with the pointer over the SEND button. And hover. And hover. Until a little voice cried out, "Hit send, stupid!"
Hesitation anxiety is not, apparently, chased away by having an agent or a deal. I had a H.S.S.-moment last month when I sent book two to my agent. I had it big-time last night when I emailed a draft of book two to my editor. After spending all morning tweaking. After staring at the blank email for five minutes. After hovering the mouse over SEND for five more minutes. Finally, that little voice popped up and cried, "Hit send, stupid!"
And I did.
Hesitation anxiety: does it ever truly go away? Or should I just make a t-shirt with H.S.S. emblazoned in large, bloody letters?
*
Cross-posted at Organized Chaos.
Comments
Hesitation is not my issue. I've had to LEARN how to hesitate.
HSS is a good motto and a thing to live by, however lets face it, how often have we all sat there typed something and then just had a "homer" moment when you realise you've buggered something up.
So get it copyrighted, get the T-shirts put together and then start selling them. I'd also suggest putting it up on the wall above the computer so that you can see it, it'll make you laugh and hopefully help you relax a little bit more.
You've done well, you've tackled the hardest thing (getting that second book written) so really its gravy time. LOL
I'll have to tape it up right next to the "Write, Chaos, Write!" sign. If I can find room. My poor desk...
No.
J.
As writers, we can talk ourselves into taking "as long as the book needs" to finish something before sending it out, which includes triple-checking for mistakes and other evasion tactics. But when you're on the other side of things, and the deadlines are YOUR responsibility, you don't have time to waste (emotionally or literally) on hesitation. If you don't get a task cleared off your desk now, you could do damage to your company and your job. So you just hit "send" and get on with it.
Having something that motivates you to just get on with it is the best possible cure for doubt or hesitation. Work on deadline-structured writing for a while and you'll learn how to ignore the little demons of dread whispering in your ear. The tighter the deadlines, the better! Television writing, articles for magazines, etc.
Or set out to become an editor. Really, there's nothing as useful and educational as having the experience of working with writers, rather than being the writer.
If you can't do any of that, then whenever you hesitate to send something in, remind yourself that your agent/editor has bills to pay and they can't do it without finding and publishing books like yours. The sooner you get them that book -- the sooner your work can end up saving the day! ;-)
I LIKE it!
J.