Patience is Important

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Charles Yallowitz

Yahoo Image Search

I’m trying really hard to remain positive and find the patience to get through various events in my life.  Of course, this had me thinking about patience.  At least, I assume so because I only had the word written down as a post topic for today.  Not sure if I planned a poem, humor, or something specific.  It’s written with confidence, which means I really wanted to use it as a topic.  So . . . where to go with this?  Well, what things do we tend to get impatient with?

Characters

These voices in our heads can really poke at our buttons.  One moment they’re on task and doing what we want them to do.  A few minutes later they’re throwing the plot into a wood chipper while whistling show tunes.  Many authors decide to force these characters to do what they are ‘supposed’ to do while others just toss the whole thing out.  It wouldn’t end this way if we had a little patience.  These obstacles appear for a reason and relaxing to take the time to think can reveal the source.  Maybe you were focusing on the wrong character or having them do something that goes a little against their nature.  Maybe the scene was boring and you needed to spice it up.  The answer is somewhere in your head and patience is needed to find it.

The Audience

Okay, I’m kind of staying in the author realm here.  We need to be patient with the audience because not everyone reads at the same pace.  Not to mention, everyone has different tastes in books.  You will commonly find a person who will grab a book that is out of their wheelhouse because they liked the cover.  Let them ease into the book at their own pace instead of pouncing.  Of course, this is entirely if you can interact with the audience, which many authors try to do through blogging.  Getting an audience is another thing, which requires patience.  Keep working hard and you’ll get attention some day.

Children

This really goes without saying  Be patient with kids because they’re still learning how the world works.  Oh, I guess I did say it.

Parents

They mean well.

Grandparents

Just help them with whatever technology they’re having trouble with.

Authors

Back to the topic at hand . . . Wow, this is becoming a train wreck.  Anyway, people need to be more patient with authors.  We work hard and have so many hoops to jump through before a book is done.  Demanding that we finish by a certain time can only cause us more stress.  There are also times when we wear down and need to rest, which isn’t the time to start talking about income and progress.  Authors are humans and they require just as much patience as anyone else.  We put the most amount of pressure on ourselves, so we don’t really need other people jumping into the fray.  Not to mention, imagination can be fairly delicate, so constant pounding on the confidence can cause an author to give up completely.  Patience is key when interacting with us and doubly so if you want to support our path.  Few things hurt more than a person we depended on for support decides to give up on us.

Well, I’m not sure what else to write here.  Share what you think about patience and how/why it’s important.  Maybe I’ll remember the original way I was going to write this too.  I doubt it though.

About Charles Yallowitz

Charles E. Yallowitz was born, raised, and educated in New York. Then he spent a few years in Florida, realized his fear of alligators, and moved back to the Empire State. When he isn't working hard on his epic fantasy stories, Charles can be found cooking or going on whatever adventure his son has planned for the day. 'Legends of Windemere' is his first series, but it certainly won't be his last.
This entry was posted in Thoughts and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

40 Responses to Patience is Important

  1. Darlene says:
    February 4, 2019 at 10:09 am

    I like the Gandhi quote, To lose patience is to lose the battle. So true. But easier said than done.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Victoria Zigler (@VictoriaZigler) says:
    February 4, 2019 at 10:24 am

    I tend to be pretty patient with my characters. I think it helps that I’m not an outliner.

    Being patient with the people/animals in your life that don’t live in your head is a good call too. Especially children and pets, but adults too.

    I totally agree about needing to be patient with authors too: you don’t know what an author has going on in their lives. Sometimes a change of circumstances might make it difficult for them to do what they’d hoped to do (like meet a certain deadline, keep up the high publishing rate that had previously been no problem for them, etc).

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. Ashleyhouck says:
    February 4, 2019 at 10:47 am

    Patience is such a great topic. I’m a mother of 3 and feel that I can always use more patience. Great points!!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. robertawrites235681907 says:
    February 4, 2019 at 12:11 pm

    Unfortunately, I am not patient, Charles. The person I get the most frustrated with is myself. I try to be patient with others but it is really hard for me.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  5. L. Marie says:
    February 4, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    As Roberta mentioned, I have trouble with patience. I often rush through traffic and through situations in life. That being said, I am patient when it comes to someone or something I love. It seems like a natural byproduct. For example, I tinkered with one book for years. This is not to say that I didn’t write other things. But with that book, I spent time working on it like someone tinkers with a classic car. I love the characters and the world. I could work at my own pace. I didn’t feel like I had to rush to send it out. I could take my time with it. I’m not saying this is how everyone needs to work, however.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  6. Elle Knowles says:
    February 4, 2019 at 1:50 pm

    Funny you should pic this as a topic, Charles. I’ve been praying for patience lately – for myself and for others. Mostly for children and spouses! I need patience in finding a beta reader. Write it…they will come. 😬~Elle

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. Staci Troilo says:
    February 4, 2019 at 4:23 pm

    I’m not a patient person, but I have gotten better about it as I’ve grown older. Then again, I’m not yet a grandmother, but I still sometimes need help with technology. Maybe I’m older than my years.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. John W. Howell says:
    February 4, 2019 at 6:06 pm

    I had to learn patience. It is a very tough thing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. jenanita01 says:
    February 5, 2019 at 4:54 am

    I am having trouble with patience today too… Nuff said, I think…

    Like

    Reply
  11. coldhandboyack says:
    February 5, 2019 at 9:17 am

    I am not a patient person, and struggle with it frequently. We need to be patient with ourselves too. Trying something new won’t be perfect right out of the gate.

    Like

    Reply
  12. DebyFredericks says:
    February 5, 2019 at 9:31 am

    Just be sure your quest for patience doesn’t become one more thing to browbeat yourself anout.

    Like

    Reply
  13. Don Massenzio says:
    February 5, 2019 at 1:39 pm

    Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
    Check out this post from Charles Yallowitz on his Legends of Windemere Blog that reminds us Patience is Important

    Like

    Reply

  14. Pingback: Five Links Loleta Abi | Loleta Abi

  15. Nikki Nicole Olyve says:
    April 27, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    Thanks for sharing, I can really relate with what you write about characters. I especially get impatient whenever I am insecure, I’ll be jugding myself all the time. Working on this! I think it is important to silence the mind first in order for us to be able to find peace before we learn how to be patient.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment