Queritis – Signs and Symptoms

I have several friends right now in the trenches of sending out/receiving queries. They all have this rampant disorder called Queritis.

Queritis – An unfortunate disorder where the patient exhibits a strong need to click the refresh button to see if a query response/partial/full response has been received. Patient twitches once in awhile and continues to talk about how agent/editor is torturing them with the delay.

Recommendations for the cure:

• Chocolate (in large quantities if necessary)
• Start writing the next book while mumbling how much you hate to wait
• Start a hobby like gardening
• Spring cleaning… in the fall
• Lament to others with the disorder (they’ll pat you and say, “There, there.” After they twitch a few times.
• Take a walk outside to brainstorm or enjoy the weather
• Cheesy movies where the hero/heroine wins out in the end (even better if the movie ends with the result of a positive email or phone call)

If you have this disorder (I bet you checked your email real quick after you read this…) welcome to the club. Come drink the koolaid with the rest of us. Personally, in the beginning I have a vast amount of patience, but once the partials and fulls go out all bets are off. I wonder, ummm, have they read it yet? Do they like it? I have work to do during the day, but the email is there and once an email hits my box I think is there a reply? Nope, very likely spam asking me if I want viagra or some other obscure pharmaceutical advertisement. Waiting is hard after all the writing and editing you have done. But all in all, if it took you months/years to write, a few more months won’t kill you. It’ll only make you more patient and happy when a positive turn does come around the corner. And that’s what writing has taught me: patience. (And how to check my email in the most obscure places.)