The hump

There is a point when I am writing a novel when I reach a hump. It is the point when the pure excitement of the project faces the realitiy of the enormity of it. It's usually around 18,000 words when I begin to think,"Oh my gosh, how in the world am I ever going to reach 80,000 words?"

It is a point where a good bit of discipline and a good work ethic would help. I have little of either and, unfortunately, I have reached the hump. A little early this time -- I'm at 16,000 words in "The Death of Art" -- but it's here.

To make matters worse, I am feeling insecure about "A Murderous Dispatch" material I sent to ABNA.

I was just on one of the Amazon discussion boards and an author who made the semis last year, re-worked the novel and entered it again this year is pulling out because she found an agent AND a publisher. I went back and read her pitch from last year and it really was good. Far more informative and engaging than what I wrote this year. You could really tell how her life experiences living in Central America helped her in writing her book.

I am always happy when a new author gets published. It is such a long hard road and it inspires me. But it also makes me afraid I will never achieve the same level of success. (Seems like I'm having it both ways, doesn't it?)

It's a beautiful day outside and I have both some writing and querying to do but all I feel like doing is getting back in bed and pulling up the covers.

But I will just have to focus on writing. I know what is coming next and it is exciting. I just have to motivate myself. Plus I need to work on those queries.

So I will be going. Thanks for reading. And don't give up.