Patience - I don't haz it

I see I'm not the only one with waiting on the brain. ::waves at Marty and yesterday's post::

Right now, though, I'm waiting on fewer people and fewer projects than I was a bare fortnight ago when last we met. I'm waiting on edits of my m/m space opera novella. (At least I know when to expect them.) And I'm waiting on my critique partner's beta of two of my manuscripts. (She promised the first of them when she gets back from the big RT Convention - yay for long fights and laptop batteries!) So, what am I doing while I'm waiting? Well, I've been waiting for so many things for so long that I wrote a sequel to my GLBT paranormal novel, recently revisited an unfinished f/f manuscript--for which I think I might have figured out how to solve The Big Conflict, so yay that--and have been beta-reading an enormous ms for a friend. Oh! And I've begun putting together notes for a third GLBT paranormal. (Gee, d'you think maybe I should submit the first one somewhere before I start the third? ::rolls eyes:: Yes, well, that falls under the waiting category again and I don't want to wait.) I think this goes beyond multi-tasking into the realms of brain-fry, and yet... I'm really excited to add more! I can't wait to dive into the m/m/f novel that my CP is beta-reading so that I can polish it for submission! Of course this means writing a synopsis, which (again, it seems, like Marty) I DO NOT ENJOY. I always sucked at book reports, and this is nothing but a grown-up book report. And then there will be the whole waiting-to-hear-from-the-publisher thing again. But even that cannot but momentarily dampen my enthusiasm. What does all this waiting teach me? It teaches me that I am not a patient person. I'm not. I'm really not. I'm totally hooked on instant gratification. And yet... Every job has its good and bad aspects, right? Even the jobs we love to do. And this is no different--except that, if I want to, I can do that job in my pajamas. ;) And so I pretend I am patient, and I wait, and I write more things while I'm waiting that I will just have to wait on again when they're written. It's a vicious cycle, but it's worth it.

Don't you hate the wait after sending in a manuscript to your editor? I have a huge weakness when it comes to writing a synopsis (no matter how many classes I take *sigh*), so I've found it much easier to complete the story before sending it off. I've only accepted a contract before the story was completed once, and well...the stress was way too much for me. Especially when the story, mostly the end, completely changed from the synopsis I sent. After some compromise between myself and my editor we ended up with a good story. And I swore never to do it again.

Anyway, I get off topic. (like the below picture ;) )

So what else does a writer do once the recent story is out of her hands? Start a new project, right? But how do you choose which plot bunny to work on. Usually I have two or three screaming at me at any given moment. Choices, choices. I try to go with the one that is yelling the loudest or the most clear in my mind. Sometimes it works, then again, sometimes another one pops up and decides to take the lead. It's a wonder I get anything done. lol
I'm happy to say that the two projects I'm working on are both m/m stories. :) I hope to get them completed soon...if my real life will calm down enough. But then, my kids are going on a school field trip to DC this week, so I'm hoping to have at least two days to really get a lot of work done. *crossing fingers*
So, if you are an author, how do you choose your next project? Any certain ritual?

Have a great week!!!