A Day To Read, A Lifetime to Write

The Journey of Help My Best Friend Just Got Married, Can We Still Be Friends?

Especially after reading Nothing Special…Just Friends?, the cousin of Help!... readers consistently approach me with questions like, when is the next book coming out?  I’ve decided to answer the question—before it is asked—why did it take you so long? 

Don’t get me wrong, in the immortal words of Cousin Malcolm (Jumping The Broom) I write ‘ere day but there has been a considerable amount of time between published novels from me.  I admit that I too have been disappointed with my timing.  While I offer no excuses, I do say what may take you a day to read rarely takes a day to write.  Add the facts that every part of the process is reliant upon the artist, thus the independent label, factor in other life roles, wife, auntie, sister, friend among others and a full time sky girl to pop your coke.

I know you get it, we’re all busy and I am grateful that you choose to spend your leisure time and dollars with me.  However to answer your question, the average reader reads about 90,000 words in three to seven days.  The avid reader reads that same word count anywhere from eight to 20 consecutive hours and five for the power reader—my mother.  You’ve got to know that the process of writing takes much longer.  I’ve been told by some authors, that writing every day for an average of five hours a day garners a 90,000 word count in anywhere from a month to six weeks for a first draft.   A complete first draft takes me sixty to ninety days.  Second, third, fourth and fifth drafts can take an additional 90 days.  Because I produce my own work, the writing is done, but the process just begins.  After writing, the work goes to editing, back to writer (me) for corrections and enhancements, either back to editor or to production.  It is then the publisher (me) is working on distribution, cover, legalities, publicity and bumps in the road.  Many times, the publisher (me) and the artist (me) are at war about content, count and a number of creative differences that have to be crunched into numbers.  So yes, I do a lot of talking to myself, arguing with myself and reaching a compromise with myself in order to get the work to the public (you). 

So the next time you ask, why did it take so long, recall the quick and dirty and cut me some slack.  I promise it is worth the wait…..  Help My Best Friend Just Got Married, Can We Still Be Friends?

9 and counting…..

From The Bottom Up,

Toni