Ready and Waiting

I have some good news. Last week my agent finalized a deal with Penguin/Random House for my new book, tentatively titled Everyone Has What It Takes. This deal took a very long time to materialize. In fact, the book has been kicking around in one form or another for almost ten years. It had once been called No One Is Broken, and was a memoir based on my experience raising a son on the autism spectrum. Three agents, including my current one, tried to sell that book with no success.

It’s now a book for writers and other creative types, though it shares many of the same stories as the memoir. Once I changed the book’s direction, my agent and I felt it would sell rather quickly. And it might have, but my former publisher went bankrupt and was purchased by Penguin. The good news was Penguin was very interested in our proposal; the bad news was they were a little swamped and would need some time to get to it. My agent and I decided it was worth it to wait. And wait we did. One month became two months became three months, and still we waited. There were emails and apologies and assurances. We waited some more.

I’m good at waiting for the next word, the next idea. I sit there, staring blankly, feeling something but not knowing what it is, knowing that it will come when I’m ready. I always think I’m ready, but I’m not. A new idea changes me a little, even if that idea is only a sentence. I must be patient with myself. I must trust that I ultimately want something new, and that without any pressure, I will naturally open myself to what comes next.

Six months had passed when I got an email one morning from my agent saying Penguin wanted to schedule a conference call. It was a very nice call, and the editor apologized for the wait, explaining that she had been sick, and there was some confusion over who was going to do what with the new material. I told her it was no problem, and, I have to admit, I meant it. When I went back into the manuscript, I saw there were a few chapters I wanted to add, each based on some new ideas that had come to me over the intervening months. If we’d sold it right off, I wouldn’t have added them. How lucky I am I waited, I thought. Now I’m really ready to finish this book.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com