My latest work-in-progress, a novella titled Training Grounds, is near completion at 25,000+ words. As of this writing (I'm writing this post on Thursday morning) I have one chapter left and it is done. I'll be putting it up for pre-order soon along with a box set of the entire Central Division Series books so far--this would be four novels and this novella.
I've written books of similar length as this before and have been completed in weeks, not months like this one. One word comes to mind on this: stress.
I live in northern Minnesota, where it gets very cold and get tons of snow. It happens every year, so I shouldn't be surprised. But between my wife's poor health conditions and vehicle troubles, it has put a strain on everything.
Including my writing.
I have, however, alleviated that a bit by listening to more podcasts (the podcast fast has definitely ended), but instead of writing related ones, I'm listening to ones centered around business, success, leadership, spiritual growth, and true crime. I have also cut back on my Netflix watching (oh, no, the horror!). I now use it as a reward instead of a time-filler.
I titled this post "Let's talk about stress" because it's important not to compare yourself to others. Set your own pace. If it's slow when compared with others, remember one thing: it was the tortoise who won the race, not the hare. Not that I'm always writing--remember, this book has taken a few months to write instead of weeks. When my body tells me to rest, I lay down and rest. I may read or listen to podcast, but I'm resting.
Listen to your body. It's the only one you got. It's okay to pace yourself. Be the tortoise.
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