New Year, another adventure-- hmm, more work!

Yep, the New Year, 2011, is supposed to be another adventure, translate: more work! But its hard to mind when that 'work' is your favorite, yet at times most hated, thing to do.

This week, the first week of January 2011, I finished a story I had started over three years ago... finished it, edited it, and sent it off to my publisher. Now I wait calmly... NOT!... for that esteemed person's opinion on Morgan's Muse.

Now, I am a veteran published author, I have several published works, but I still cimb the walls, bite my nails and wallow in impatience until I receive word--thumbs up or thumbs down. In the past several years that I have been published, the reaction with every submission is the same! Does this high anxiety stress reaction ever fade, or stop altogether?

Yes, I have other projects to work on. I also have schoolwork for my Criminal Justice Degree class to complete, but none of that keeps me from checking my email a thousand times a day! I am a complete basket case! Where is the valium? Or, if that's not available, I'll settle for a stiff drink! Just kidding--or am I?

This stress level doesn't fade even when I look at the second Dean's List certificate I've acquired since starting school in June of 2010.

I have criminal procedure/report writing class and shapeshifters vying for equal time in my head, characters screaming at me to write at the same time homework calls for my attention, but I cannot concentrate as long as email, and a possible response any minute now exists, so I keep going back to check it! What strategy should I use to stop this phenomenon? Going back to sleep appeals but, alas, sleep will elude me until I know the verdict!

Answer me this, how can I have the same reaction on the most recent submission that I had on the first when I had never been published and only wanted to get at least one contract in my whole life?

Now, I'm laughing at mysef, talking to myself, and if I actually start arguing with myself, I'm in big trouble! Oh wait, I do that all the time! How long will I have to wait in limbo?

Maybe guzzling all this coffe, and making a second pot, will shove me into work mode so I can finish another story and have the same stress reaction to its submission!