Landmark moment in my writing

Way back in January I finished the first chapter of the novel I'm working on and I was over the moon. It was the first chapter of the first novel I had ever written, and I'd finished it. Well, yesterday I passed another landmark - hitting and passing the 100th page.

Rationally when I think about it, it's not really that impressive considering it's taken me eight months to get here, but for me it was quite a big deal.

Funnily enough, this morning a question was asked on a listserv I belong to asking authors how long it usually takes them to write a book. Well, after I read most of the answers, my 100 pages in eight months seemed pretty pathetic. Most of the authors said they write their first draft and do the editing in under a year. A few even said it takes them six to nine months to complete an entire book. Wow!

I'm so impressed with these authors' discipline. When they have extra time, they spend it writing. And if they don't have day jobs, they spend their days writing. I currently don't have a day job but I'm only writing an hour to an hour and a half a day. My first reaction to this was what a loser I am. How can I consider myself a writer if I'm not writing more regularly? But that reaction passed quickly. Rather than berate myself, I realized it would be better if I just determined to be more like them.

I'm at eight months and half way through the first draft of my book. If I kick it up a notch I could very easily hit the year mark with a complete first draft. I could probably even hit the 10-month or 11-month mark with a complete first draft. I just have to be stricter with myself.

So from now on I will dedicate at least two hours of five out of seven days to writing. I will treat myself like the serious writer I want to be and that means being strict with myself, giving myself goals that must be reached, and of course congratulating myself when goals are reached.

So, although it took me eight months to get here, I am going to pat myself on the back for 100 pages completed. I worked hard, even if not often enough, to get here.

And now I am also going to set my next goal. By the end of September I am determined to have a minimum of 150 pages of my novel written. That gives me just over a month to write at least 50 more pages.

Wish me luck -- quietly, as I need to concentrate and write now so can't be disturbed! ;)