When people learn I’m a writer many of them pose a common question: “How long does it take you to write a book?”
“Well that depends,” I say. “I worked on one book for several years. But I wrote a different story over the course of a few months.”
I think my answer is disappointing sometimes. But maybe I’m projecting my own frustration into how I read their expressions and body language. I’m in awe of writers who can crank out a story every six months. Unfortunately, that’s not my story.
I’ve been working on a particular manuscript for nearly two years. In the meantime, I wrote and worked through edits of a Christmas novella, My Christmas Hope, released in November. It’s half the length of an average book, yet I sat down and wrote it out in little over a month. Book length of my current manuscript isn’t the problem though. It’s making the story work…or fleshing out a good conclusion, and that’s something I don’t want to force haphazardly.
I don’t know why some stories come easy and others don’t, but I’m learning to accept that is just how I work. You might have similar frustrations with your own projects, whatever they are. If you do, take heart. No matter what the job or endeavor, learn to be patient with the process, and celebrate each success.