Now the Waiting

I just submitted a new manuscript to one of my publishers. Now the long wait (and attendant self-doubt) starts. The big question: Is it good enough?

After nine previous contracts offered, perhaps I'm overreacting, but in certain respects, doubt is what drives me to write the next manuscript. Can I do better? Can I write something with a new twist? As a writer, and as a teacher of writing, I believe if you pay attention, you learn with every word you write. For me making every manuscript better creates an interesting challenge--more suspenseful drama, better characterization, less telling and more showing, plus the chance to expose a new situation or give a fresh retake on an old situation. My goal is for my story to be entertaining, but also to prod the reader's thoughts.

While I await the verdict on the recently completed manuscript, I move on to the next story. Hopefully, I can live long enough to write all the ideas I've written down. There too, is a waiting situation. Which is better, to leave with more stories to write, or to live on with no more stories?